Chthonius giennensis, Zaragoza, Juan A. & Pérez, Toni, 2013

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 : 210-213

Chthonius (E.) giennensis sp. nov.

( Figs 13–20 )

Type material. Holotype ♂, Spain, Andalusia, Jaén province, Peal de Becerro, Cueva de los Ladrones (37°51′2.39″N, 2°57′48.69″W; 1575 m.a.s.l.), 03.VI.2012, lgt. G.E.V. (DEUA: 20011). Paratype tritonymph, same details as holotype (MCNB: 2013-2543 MZB).

Etymology. Latin adjective derived from Giennis, the Latin name for the Roman city of Jaén, which currently gives its name to the whole province.

Diagnosis. Facies weakly troglomorphic. No eyes or eye-spots. Chelicera with 6 setae on palm and 4–5 microsetae, movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth, male spinneret strongly reduced. Carapace with two macrosetae on posterior margin, without preocular microsetae. Pedipalp femur length 0.61 mm (5.8×); chela lateral length 0.87 (5.4×); fixed finger with 20 teeth, movable finger with 12 teeth and raised lamina with 10 rounded vestigial teeth; trichobothrium ist level with esb.

Description. Male holotype. Small, weakly troglomorphic hypogean species; integument depigmented, pale brown; marked hispid granulation on lateral surface of ocular and posterior areas of carapace, on cheliceral palm, on base of paraxial face of pedipalpal femur, on base of movable finger and on dorsodistal surface of pedipalpal hand.

Carapace ( Fig. 13 ) slightly longer than broad, slightly constricted posteriorly, subquadrate; anterior margin ( Fig. 14 ) prominent, medially dentate and with rudimentary epistome; without eyes or eye-spots; 18 setae, without preocular microsetae, formula: 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial seta 0.11 mm long, ocular seta 0.09 mm. Five lyrifissures in anterior and ocular areas, one in posterior area.

Pedipalpal coxa 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, II 4 + 9 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 5 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 setae on sternite II; sternite III with genital opening flanked by 7 setae on each side, with 4+4 internal glandular setae and (3)8(3) marginal setae. Chaetotaxy of sternites IV–XI: (2)7(2):8:6:6:6:6:6:0. Anal cone 0+2 setae.

Chelicera ( Figs 15–16 ) with 6 setae on palm and 4–5 microsetae laterally, seta vb short, 0.04 mm long, microsetae 0.02–0.03 mm long; seta gl 0.52 from base of movable finger. Fixed finger with 14 teeth, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others, proximally decreasing in size. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), a large distal tooth and 9 contiguous teeth reduced in size proximally; spinneret strongly reduced. Rallum with 11 blades, serrulae exterior and interior with 16 and 14 blades respectively.

Pedipalp ( Figs 17–20 ) with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1, four lyrifissures: one antiaxial and three paraxial. Chelal hand markedly depressed at level of ib-isb, with a rounded short hump distad of ib-isb and a distinct ventral hollow just before base of movable chelal finger; chaetotaxy 4:5:4. Fixed finger with 20 pointed teeth and one rounded proximal tooth, all with dental canals except the two small distal ones and proximal one; third distal tooth from tip modified, a little wider than the others; four 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 0.024 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 12 pointed teeth with dental canals, two distal ones tiny and the proximal one reduced in size; proximal half of finger with slightly raised lamina with 10 rounded vestigial teeth reaching slightly proximad o trichobothrium sb, level with coupled sensilla pc; basal apodeme long and apically indented. Trichobothria as in figs 18–19; ist level with esb, both forming an obtuse angle with eb; distance st–sb 2.1 longer than distance sb–b.

Leg IV. Tactile seta ratios: tibia 0.57, basitarsus 0.36 and tarsus 0.28.

Measurements and ratios. Body 1.48. Carapace 0.48/0.44 (1.1). Chelicera: palm 0.41/0.19 (2.1), movable finger 0.21. Pedipalp: femur 0.61/0.11 (5.8); patella 0.27/0.13 (2.1); chela 0.87/0.17 (5.3), depth 0.16 (5.4); hand 0.34 (2.1), length/depth (2.1); movable finger 0.52; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5; ratio femur/movable finger 1.2; ratio femur/carapace 1.3; ratio chela/carapace 1.8. Leg I: femur 0.35/0.06 (5.5); patella 0.17/0.06 (2.9); tibia 0.20/ 0.05 (4.3); tarsus 0.39/0.04 (10.4); ratio femur/patella 2.1. Leg IV: femur+patella 0.54/0.22 (2.5); tibia 0.38/0.08 (4.7); basitarsus 0.19/0.06 (3.1); telotarsus 0.39/0.04 (10.1); ratio telotarsus/basitarsus 2.0.

Tritonymph (data coinciding with holotype omitted). Carapace quadrate. Coxa I 3 + 2 marginal microsetae, II 4 + 7–8 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 4 bipinnate coxal spines. Chaetotaxy of sternites II–XI: 5:(2)6(2):(1)6(1):6:6:6:6:6:7:0. Cheliceral palm with 5 setae and 4 microsetae laterally, seta gl 0.61 from base of movable finger; fixed finger with 10 teeth, two distal teeth distinctly larger than the others; movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), a large distal tooth and 6 teeth reduced in size proximally; spinneret blunt toothshaped, more developed than in male holotype. Serrulae exterior and interior with 15 and 14 blades respectively. Chelal hand chaetotaxy 4–4–4; fixed finger with 14 pointed teeth and one rounded proximal tooth, all with dental canals except the two small distal ones and the proximal one; distal half of movable finger with 10 pointed teeth, two tiny distal ones and reduced proximal one without dental canals; proximal half of finger with slightly raised lamina with 9 rounded, vestigial teeth. Leg IV: tactile seta ratios: tibia 0.55, basitarsus 0.39, tarsus 0.28. Measurements and ratios: Body 0.96. Carapace 0.33/0.33 (1.0). Chelicera: palm 0.30/0.14 (2.2), movable finger 0.14. Pedipalp: femur 0.38/0.09 (4.4); patella 0.19/0.10 (2.0); chela width and depth 0.62/0.12 (5.1); hand 0.25 (2.0), length/dept (2.0); movable finger 0.36; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5; ratio femur/movable finger 1.0; ratio femur/carapace 1.2, ratio chela/carapace 1.9. Leg I: femur 0.23/0.05 (4.5); patella 0.11/0.05 (2.4); tibia 0.12/0.04 (3.0); tarsus 0.25/0.03 (7.7); ratio femur/patella 2.0. Leg IV: femur+patella 0.36/0.14 (2.5); tibia 0.24/0.06 (4.0); basitarsus 0.12/0.05 (2.5); telotarsus 0.25/0.04 (7.1); ratio telotarsus/basitarsus 2.0.

Remarks. C. (E.) giennensis sp. nov. shares with C. (E.) espanyoli and the other five species mentioned in the discussion of the latter the same main characters, but differs from all of them in having 4–5 microsetae on the cheliceral palm and in the position of trichobothrium ist level with esb, as opposed to 1 microsetae (rarely 0–2) on the cheliceral palm and ist markedly distal of esb in the other species.

Distribution. Andalusia, Spain.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 16. Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) giennensis sp. nov., male holotype. 13, carapace; 14, partial view of anterior margin of carapace; 15, left chelicera; 16, partial view of fingers of left chelicera. Scale bars (in mm): 0.1 (Figs 14 – 16), 0.2 (Fig. 13).

FIGURES 17 – 20. Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) giennensis sp. nov., male holotype. 17, right pedipalp femur, dorsal view; 18, right patella, dorsal view; 19, right chela, lateral view; 20, detail of teeth of right chela, lateral view. Scale bars (in mm): 0.05 (Fig. 20), 0.2 (Figs 17 – 19).