Chthonius

Zaragoza, Juan A. & Pérez, Toni, 2013, Hypogean pseudoscorpions (Arachnida) from Jaén province (Andalusia, Spain), with descriptions of four new species and a new synonymy, Zootaxa 3700 (2), pp. 201-225 : 204-205

Chthonius (E.) cazorlensis Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández, 2001

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) verai (not Zaragoza, 1985): Pérez Fernández & Tinaut Ránera 2005: 1, 4, fig. 1; Barranco et al. 2005: 78; Pérez Fernández 2008: 341; Pérez Fernández & Tinaut Ránera 2009: 108 (misidentifications).

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) ventalloi cazorlensis Carabajal Márquez et al. 2001: 180 –183, figs 14–18, table IV. Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) cazorlensis Carabajal Márquez et al. 2001 : Pérez & Zaragoza 2010: 17–22, fig. 1.

Material. Spain, Andalusia, Jaén province, Hornos de Segura, Sima de la Fractura II (38º11′11.58″N, 2º47′17.89″W; 965 m. a.s.l.), 31.V.2009, lgt. G.E.V., 4 ♂, 2 ♀, 1 T (DEUA).

Diagnosis. Weakly troglomorphic facies. Without eyes or eye-spots. Chelicera with 6 setae on palm and 0–2 microsetae laterally; movable finger without isolated subapical tooth; spinneret strongly reduced in males, prominent in females. Carapace with two macrosetae on posterior margin, preocular microsetae absent. Pedipalp: femur length in males 0.68–0.78 (ratio 6.3–7.1), females 0.72–0.80 (6.3–7.1×); chela length in males 0.93–1.03 (length/depth 6.2–6.6), females 1.06–1.08 (length/depth 5.9–6.1); fixed finger with 17–22 teeth, movable finger with 14–17 teeth with dental canals reaching distad sb, closer to sb than to st, proximal raised lamina with 3–7 rounded vestigial teeth without canal; trichobothrium ist markedly distad esb.

Description. Specimens from Sima de la Fractura II. Weak troglomorphic facies; integument depigmented, pale brown.

Carapace slightly longer than broad, slightly constricted posteriorly, subquadrate; anterior margin prominent and medially dentate, without epistome; without eyes or eye-spots; 18 setae, without preocular microsetae, formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial seta 0.11–0.13 mm long, ocular seta 0.07–0.1 mm.

Pedipalpal coxa 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, II 4 + 7–12 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 3–6 bipinnate coxal spines, IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Chaetotaxy of tergites I–XI 4:4:4:4:6:6:6:6:6:4:1T2T1. Genital area with 9–10 setae on sternite II in males and 9 in females; sternite III with (3)7(3) setae in females; sternite III in males with genital opening flanked by 6–10 setae on each side, 4+4 internal glandular setae and (3)9(3) marginal setae. Chaetotaxy of sternite IV–XI: (2)6– 7(2):7–8:6:6:6:6:6–8:0. Anal cone 0+2 setae.

Chelicera with 6 setae on palm and one microseta laterally (one female with 1–2 microsetae); seta gl 0.53–0.56 from base of movable finger. Fixed finger with 11 teeth, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others, proximally reduced in size, three denticles at base. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with a large distal tooth and 7–8 contiguous teeth proximally decreasing in size, two denticles on base; spinneret strongly reduced in males, low in females.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6–7:3:5:1, four lyrifissures: 1 antiaxial and 3 paraxial. Chelal hand markedly depressed at level of ib-isb, with a short and prominent hump distad of ib-isb and distinct ventral hollow just before base of movable chelal finger. Fixed finger with 20–22 pointed teeth, all with dental canals except the two distal ones small; third distal tooth from tip a little wider than others; up to ten microtubercles at base; tip of finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; five teeth at level of est/it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between apices 0.020–0.025 mm. Movable finger with 16–17 pointed teeth with dental canals, two distal ones tiny and two-three proximal ones reduced in size; proximally with slightly raised lamina with 4–7 rounded vestigial teeth, without dental canals, reaching to slightly proximad of trichobothrium sb, level with end of dental row of fixed finger; five microtubercles at base. Trichobothrium ist markedly distal of esb.

Measurements and ratios. Males. Body 1.52–1.69. Carapace 0.43–0.49/0.41–0.48 (1.0). Chelicera: palm 0.44– 0.20 (2.2), movable finger 0.23. Pedipalp: femur 0.68–0.78/0.1–0.12 (6.8–7.1); patella 0.29–0.31/0.12–0.14 (2.2– 2.4); chela 0.93–1.03/0.14–0.16 (6.2–6.6), depth 0.14–0.17 (6.2–6.6); hand 0.37–0.41 (2.5–2.6), length/depth (2.5– 2.6); movable finger 0.56–0.60; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4–1.5; ratio femur/movable finger 1.2–1.3; ratio femur/carapace 1.6; ratio chela/carapace 2.1–2.2.

Females. Body 1.58–1.78. Carapace 0.48–0.51/0.47–0.48 (1.0–1.1). Chelicera: palm 0.45–0.47/0.21–0.22 (2.1–2.2), movable finger 0.23–0.24. Pedipalp: femur 0.78–0.80/0.11–0.12 (6.9–7.1); patella 0.33–0.34/0.15 (2.2); chela 1.07–1.08/0.18 (5.9–6.1), depth 0.17–0.18 (5.9–6.1); hand 0.43–0.44 (2.4), length/depth 0.43–0.44 (2.4); movable finger 0.64–0.65; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5; ratio femur/movable finger 1.2; ratio femur/carapace 1.6; ratio chela/carapace 2.1–2.2.

Distribution. Andalusia, Spain.

Remarks. We have no hesitation in assigning these specimens to C. (E.) cazorlensis . The ratio of the chelal femur is distinctly slender in the studied sample (male 6.8–7.1, female 6.9–7.1), relative to the previously published data: male 6.27 (Carabajal Márquez et al. 2010) and female 6.26 (Pérez & Zaragoza 2010). The other data fit quite well.

The main difference between this species and C. (E.) perezi , its close relative, is the length of the lamina on the chelal movable finger and the number of vestigial teeth without dental canals: short with 3–7 vestigial teeth (Pérez & Zaragoza 2010; this paper) in C. (E.) cazorlensis and long with 9–11 vestigial teeth in C. (E.) perezi . (Carabajal Márquez et al. 2011; this paper). The pedipalpal ratios in C. (E.) cazorlensis are also significantly higher than those of C. (E.) perezi .

The records of Chthonius (E.) verai Zaragoza, 1985 from this cave (Pérez Fernández & Tinaut Ránera 2005; Barranco et al. 2008; Pérez Fernández 2008; Pérez Fernández & Tinaut Ránera 2009) are misidentifications based on C. (E.) cazorlensis .