Roncocreagris occidentalis Zaragoza & Reboleira

Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S., Zaragoza, Juan A., Gonçalves, Fernando & Oromí, Pedro, 2013, On hypogean Roncocreagris (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae) from Portugal, with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 3670 (2), pp. 283-299 : 294-297

Roncocreagris occidentalis Zaragoza & Reboleira sp. nov.

( Figs 33–43 )

Type material. Holotype Ƥ, Portugal, Serra de Montejunto, District of Lisboa, Pragança, Algar do Javali (39º11.965ʹN, 9º01.718ʹW; 380 m. a.s.l.), 19.IX.2009, lgt. A.S.P.S. Reboleira ( DEUA). Paratypes: 1 deutonymph, same location as holotype, 19.IX.2009, lgt. A.S.P.S. Reboleira ( DEUA); 1 Ƥ, same location as holotype, 5.IV.2009 lgt. A.S.P.S. Reboleira ( DZUL); 1 Ƥ, Portugal, Cesaredas Plateau, District of Lisboa, Bolhos, Gruta dos Bolhos (39°18ʹ31.35"N, 9°16ʹ36.69"W; 145 m. a.s.l.), 26.XII.2010, lgt. A.S.P.S. Reboleira ( DEUA).

Etymology. Named in reference to the westernmost location known for a hypogean species of the genus Roncocreagris .

Diagnosis. No eyes or eye-spots. Strongly troglomorphic. Carapace with 20 setae, 6 on posterior margin. Tergite I 6–7 setae. Female cheliceral spinneret reduced to a hyaline dome. Pedipalp femur ratio about 5.7, femur shorter than the movable finger; chela+ ratio about 5.5; chelal hand broadest proximad of middle, ratio movable finger/hand+ about 1.4; trichobothium ist close to finger base, ratio ib–ist / ist–it about 0.5–0.6.

Description. Female holotype, followed by female paratypes in brackets. Large pseudoscorpion with troglomorphic adaptations ( Fig. 33 ). Opisthosoma elongate. Opisthosoma and legs yellowish. Carapace, chelicerae and pedipalps pale brown.

Carapace ( Figs 34–35 ) longer than broad. Without eyes or eye-spots. Anterior margin moderately prominent medially, epistome blunt and almost indistinguishable. Chaetotaxy: 20 setae, formula 4:4:6:6. Three (four) microlyrifissures in ocular zone, two between median and posterior zones.

Coxal area. Manducatory process with 3 setae. Anterior process of coxa I simple, long and apically pointed; medial process straight with some small, blunt protuberances ( Fig. 36 ). Pedipalpal coxa with 7 (6–8) setae, pedal coxa I with 7 (7–8), II: 6–7, III: 4 (5), IV: 6–7.

Tergal chaetotaxy I–X: 7:7:8:9:9:10:10:11:11:10 (6–7:7–8:8:9:9–10:9–10:11:10:10–11:9), most hairs lacking. Genital area with 5 (6) thin setae on sternite II. Sternal chaetotaxy III–X: 10:8:11:13:13:11:11:11 (10:7:11:12:12:11:11:9–10); sternites VI and VII each with 2 discal setae (included in sternal formula); discal setae glandular, with visible duct. Segment XI: 9 setae. Stigmata III and IV with 3 microsetae on each side. Anal cone with two dorsal and two ventral setae.

Chelicera ( Figs 37–38 ). Palm with 6–7 setae, subgaleal seta 0.66 (0.62–0.68) from base of movable finger. Spinneret a low hyaline dome. Fingers with teeth worn (fixed finger with 5 distal denticles and 7–12 small and medium sized teeth; movable finger with 3 distal denticles and 14 teeth, one large medial tooth, the others medium or small, dental row ending proximad of subgaleal seta. Rallum with 8 blades, all unilaterally pinnate on anterior face, basal blade about half length of others. Serrula exterior with 32 (31–33) blades, serrula interior 24 (25–26) blades.

Pedipalp ( Figs 39–41 ). Femur weakly granulated on paraxial face, more pronounced in basal half; chelal hand weakly granulated at base of finger; trochanter and patella smooth. Lyrifissures as in Figs 39–41 . Femur with one tiny tubercle just distad of middle of antiaxial face, dorsally with one distal glandular pore. Patella with two dorsal micropores at base of pedicel. Chelal hand dorsal gently ovoid, widest proximad of middle; pedicel bears two dorsal micropores; antiaxial face with 4 glandular pores close to base of finger. Fixed finger with 100 teeth, most of them apically cusped, dental row reaching base of finger; nodus ramosus short, level with 4th distal tooth; trichobothrium it proximad of et, halfway between est and et; trichobothrium ist markedly closer to base of finger than to apex; distance between trichobothria ib and ist 0.5 (0.5–0.6) times shorter than that between ist and it. Chelal microsetae pattern: all groups present, extending distad of trichobothrium isb, Em 5 (4–5), Mm 2, Im 2. Movable finger with 97 fingers, most of them cusped, dental row shorter than on fixed finger, ending just distad of trichobothrium b; distance between trichobothria sb and st 1.1 (0.9–1.2) times that between sb and b. One sensillum near tip of both fingers; diploid sensillum pc not raised, close to dental margin, level with trichobothrium sb.

Legs. Claws of legs I and IV with a tiny dorsal tooth proximad of middle ( Fig. 42 ), subterminal setae with two rami and some spinules ( Fig. 43 ). Leg IV tibia TS ratio 0.49 (0.45), basitarsus TS 0.14 (0.13), telotarsus TS 0.33 (0.44).

Deutonymph. Body and appendages yellowish. Carapace longer than broad, no eyes or eye-spots, epistome absent; chaetotaxy 20 setae, formula 4:4:6:6. Manducatory process 3 setae, pedipalp coxa 5, pedal coxa I 4, II 4, III 3, IV 4; anterior process of coxa I long and tooth-shaped, medial process straight, with one denticle. Tergal chaetotaxy I–X: 6:6:7:7:7:7:7:7:7:8. Sternal chaetotaxy III–X: 4:4:9:9:8:9:8:9; sternites VI and VII each with 2 discal setae (included in sternal formula); discal setae distinctly closer to sternal row than in adults; segment XI 9 setae; stigmata of sternites III and IV with one microseta on each side. Chelicera with five setae on palm, subgaleal seta 0.6 from base, spinneret reduced to a hyaline dome; fixed finger with 12 teeth, movable finger with 10 teeth. Pedipalps smooth, except chelal hand at base of finger; femur with a tiny antiaxial tubercle in basal half; distal opening of patella oblique; chelal hand more oval than in adults, maximum width proximad of middle, antiaxial face with one glandular pore close to base of finger, one dorsal micropore on pedicel; chelal microsetae pattern: Em 2, Mm 1, Im 0; fixed finger with six trichobothria and 48 teeth, movable finger with two trichobothria and 45 teeth, dental row ending at level of diploid sensillum. Leg IV: telotarsus basally swollen; claws bearing a tiny basal tooth; subterminal setae with tiny distal denticles; tibia TS 0.35, basitarsus TS 0.20, telotarsus TS 0.27.

Measurements and ratios. Female holotype (followed by female paratype from Algar do Javali in square brackets). Body 3.74 [1.96, opisthosoma contracted]. Carapace 0.83/0.68 (1.2) [0.78/0.67 (1.2)]. Chelicera: palm 0.58/0.29 (2.0) [0.51/0.25 (2.0)], movable finger 0.36 [0.31]. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.68/0.22 (3.1) [0.61/0.19 (3.1)]; femur 1.28/0.22 (5.8) [1.13/0.20 (5.7)]; patella 1.21/0.26 (4.7) [1.06/0.23 (4.6)], pedicel 0.36 [0.34], club 0.85/0.26 (3.3) [0.72/0.23 (3.1)], ratio club/pedicel 2.4 [2.1]; chela+ 2.28/0.42 (5.5) [2.0/0.38 (5.3)], chela - 2.15/0.42 (5.1) [1.85/0.38 (4.9)]; hand+ 0.99 (2.4) [0.83 (2.2)], hand - 0.86 (2.1) [0.68 (1.8)]; movable finger 1.32 [1.18]; ratio chela+/carapace 2.8 [2.6]; femur/carapace 1.5 [1.5]; finger/femur 1.03 [1.04]; femur/patella 1.06 [1.07]; patella/ hand+ 1.22 [1.3]; finger/hand+ 1.3 [1.4]. Leg I: femur 0.60/0.15 (4.1) [0.55/0.15 (3.8)]; patella 0.48/0.12 (3.9) [0.41/ 0.13 (3.2)]; tibia 0.59/0.09 (6.9) [0.52/0.10 (5.2)]; basitarsus 0.29/0.07 (4.1) [0.26/0.07 (3.6)]; telotarsus 0.48/0.06 (8.0) [0.42/0.06 (6.7)]; ratio femur/patella 1.25 [1.3]; basitarsus/telotarsus 1.7 [1.7]. Leg IV: femur+patella 1.10/ 0.24 (4.7) [0.93/0.21 (4.4)]; tibia 0.99/0.13 (7.8) [0.88/0.12 (7.3)]; basitarsus 0.37/0.10 (3.7) [0.31/0.10 (3.0)]; telotarsus 0.58/0.08 (7.3) [0.53/0.09 (5.9)]; ratio femur+patella/tibia 1.1 [1.1]; telotarsus/basitarsus 1.6 [1.7].

Female paratype from Gruta dos Bolhos. Body 3.56. Carapace 0.78/0.66 (1.2). Chelicera: palm 0.52/0.26 (2.0); movable finger 0.34. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.60/0.21 (2.8); femur 1.12/0.22 (5.2); patella 1.06/0.27 (3.9), pedicel 0.32, club 0.74/0.27 (2.7), ratio club/pedicel 2.3; chela+ 2.04/0.40 (5.1), chela - 1.89/0.40 (4.7); hand+ 0.94 (2.3), hand - 0.79 (2.0); movable finger 1.12; ratio chela+/carapace 2.6; femur/carapace 1.4; finger/femur 1.0; femur/ patella 1.1; patella/hand+ 1.1; finger/hand+ 1.2. Leg I: femur 0.50/0.14 (3.7); patella 0.38/0.11 (3.4); tibia 0.48/0.08 (5.8); basitarsus 0.22/0.07 (3.4); telotarsus 0.40/0.06 (6.6); ratio femur/patella: 1.3; telotarsus/basitarsus 1.8. Leg IV: both legs IV absent.

Deutonymph. Body 1.52. Carapace 0.46/0.37 (1.2). Chelicera: palm 0.27/0.14 (2.0), movable finger 0.18. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.27/0.11 (2.4); femur 0.44/.012 (3.8); patella 0.37/0.14 (2.7), pedicel 0.12, club 0.25/0.14 (1.9), ratio club/pedicel 2.1; chela+ 0.86/0.21 (4.2), chela - 0.81/0.21 (3.9); hand+ 0.38 (1.8), hand - 0.33 (1.6); movable finger 0.48; ratio chela+/carapace 1.9; femur/carapace 1.0; finger/femur 1.1; femur/patella 1.2; patella/ hand+ 1.0; finger/hand+ 1.3. Leg IV: femur+patella 41/14 (3.0); tibia 0.32/0.7 (4.6); basitarsus 0.14/0.06 (2.4); telotarsus 0.22/0.06 (4.0); ratio femur+patella/tibia 1.3; telotarsus/basitarsus 1.6.

Remarks. The main diagnostic characters of the paratype from Gruta dos Bolhos generally coinciding with those of the holotype and paratype from Algar do Javali, but it has a less slender chela. We prefer to assign the specimen from Gruta dos Bolhos to R. occidentalis sp. nov. until new material is available for study.

Roncocreagris occidentalis represents the second hypogean Roncocreagris with the spinneret reduced to a hyaline dome, the other being R. iglesiasae Zaragoza, 2003 (Asturias, Spain). R. occidentalis differs from R. iglesiasae in the position of trichobothrium ist, which is distinctly nearer to the finger base than to it in the Portuguese species, as opposed to being closer to it than to the finger base in the Spanish species. Moreover, R. occidentalis has the pedipalps longer but less slender than in R. iglesiasae .

Distribution and habitat. Roncocreagris occidentalis sp. nov. was collected in two caves from two different karst units, Javali in the Montejunto massif and Bolhos in the Cesaredas plateau.

In Javali Cave, which has a year-round temperature of 15.1 + 0.5ºC at soil level, R. occidentalis is found with other interesting cave-adapted species, such as the ground beetle Trechus tatai Reboleira & Ortuño, 2010 ( Reboleira et al. 2010b), while in Bolhos Cave the biocoenosis is composed of a new trichoniscid woodlouse, the dipluran Podocampa cf. fragiloides and the thysanuran Coletinia sp. and the mean temperature is 16.3ºC. Also found in both caves was the pseudoscorpion Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) cardosoi Zaragoza, 2012 , previously known only from the Arrábida massif (Zaragoza 2012).

Figures

FIGURE 33. Roncocreagris occidentalis sp. nov., Algar do Javali, Montejunto massif, habitus, dorsal view. A. living specimen; B. preserved specimen.

FIGURES 34 – 43. Roncocreagris occidentalis sp. nov., female holotype. 34. carapace; 35. anterior margin of carapace; 36. anterior and medial processes of right coxa I; 37. left chelicera; 38. partial view of fingers of left chelicera, with spinneret; 39. left pedipalp minus chela, dorsal view; 40. left chela, dorsal view; 41. left chela, lateral view; 42. claw of left leg IV; 43. subterminal seta of right left IV. Scale bars (in mm): 0.05 (Figs 42, 43), 0.10 (Figs 35, 36, 38), 0.20 (Fig. 37), 0.30 (Fig. 34), 0.50 (Figs 39 – 41).