Roncocreagris gepesi 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 : 291-294

Roncocreagris gepesi Zaragoza & Reboleira sp. nov.

( Figs 23–32 )

Type material. Holotype Ƥ, Portugal, Sicó Massif, district of Coimbra, Penela, Gruta do Algarinho/Dueça Cave system (39°59ʹ4.89"N, 8°23ʹ5.86"W; 208 m. a.s.l.), 25.IV.2009, lgt. A.S.P.S. Reboleira ( DEUA).

Etymology. This species is dedicated to the speleological association Grupo Protecção Sicó (GPS), for its contribution to the knowledge and protection of caves and karst of Sicó region, and as recognition to its members for their effort and support during our field work.

Diagnosis. No eyes or eye-spots. Strong troglomorphic adaptations. Carapace with 21 setae, 7 on the posterior margin. Tergite I 6 setae. Female cheliceral galea long, with five short, apical rami. Pedipalp: femur ratio about 6.6, femur longer than movable finger; chela+ ratio about 5.9; chelal hand widest at middle, ratio movable finger/hand+ 1.4; trichobothium ist close to middle of finger, ratio ib–ist / ist–it 1.3, ratio isb–ist / ib–isb 1.8.

Description. Large pseudoscorpion. Opisthosoma elongate, advanced troglomorphic adaptations. Opisthosoma and legs yellowish. Carapace, chelicerae and pedipalps reddish brown.

Carapace distinctly longer than broad ( Fig. 23 ). Without eyes or eye-spots. Anterior margin moderately prominent medially, epistome blunt and short ( Fig. 24 ). Chaetotaxy: 21 setae, formula 4:4:6:7. Four microlyrifissures in ocular zone, two between median and posterior zones.

Coxal area. Manducatory process with 3 setae. Anterior process of coxa I with simple tooth shape, long and apically pointed; medial process straight with some small tubercles ( Fig. 25 ). Pedipalpal coxa with 7 setae, pedal coxa I with 6, II: 5–6, III: 3, IV: 5.

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

Chelicerae ( Figs 26–27 ). Palm with 6 setae, subgaleal seta 0.68 from base of movable finger. Galea 0.04 mm long, with five short, apical rami. Fixed finger with 5 small, blunt distal denticles and 14 other small, medium teeth; movable finger with 13 teeth, one large and blunt subdistal tooth, the others medium or small, dental row ending just 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 blades, serrula interior 27 blades.

Pedipalps ( Figs 28–30 ). Trochanter, femur, distal third of patella and hand at base of the fingers distinctly granulated, more pronounced on paraxial faces. Lyrifissures as in Figs 28–30 . Antiaxial face of trochanter and femur with one tiny tubercle at middle or slightly more distad; femur bearing one distal glandular pore. Patella with one micropore at base of pedicel. Chelal hand elliptic in dorsal view, maximum width at middle; three dorsal micropores on pedicel; two glandular pores on antiaxial face close to finger base. Fixed finger with 98 teeth, most of them apically cusped, dental row almost reaching level of trichobothrium esb; nodus ramosus short, reaching level of 5th distal tooth; trichobothrium it proximad of et, closer to est than to et; trichobothrium ist slightly closer to base of finger than to apex; distance between trichobothria ib and ist 1.3 times longer than that between ist and it; distance between trichobothria isb and ist 1.7 times longer than that between isb and ib; distance between trichobothria et and it 1.2 times longer that between it and est. Chelal microsetae pattern: Em 3 curved setae, Mm 2, Im 1. Movable finger with 103 teeth, most of them apically cusped, dental row ending distad of trichobothrium b, shorter than that of fixed finger. Distance between trichobothria s b and st 1.2 times longer than that between sb and b. One sensillum near the tip of both fingers; diploid sensillum pc not raised, close to dental margin, slightly proximad of trichobothrium sb.

Legs. Claws of legs I and IV with a tiny dorsal tooth proximad to middle ( Fig. 31 ), subterminal setae with three rami, trident shaped ( Fig. 32 ). Leg IV tibia TS ratio 0.48, basitarsus TS 0.13, telotarsus TS 0.27.

Measurements and ratios. Body 2.19. Carapace 0.95/0.65 (1.5). Chelicera: palm 0.57/0.27 (2.1), movable finger 0.36. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.79/0.21 (3.9); femur 1.46/0.22 (6.6); patella 1.41/0.26 (5.5), pedicel 0.36, club 1.05/0.26 (4.1), ratio club/pedicel: 2.92; chela+ 2.39/0.41 (5.9), chela - 2.21/0.41 (5.5); hand+ 1.03 (2.5), hand - 0.85 (2.1); movable finger 1.39; ratio finger/hand+ 1.4; ratio chela+/carapace 2.5; femur/carapace 1.5; femur/finger 1.1; femur/patella 1.0; patella/ hand+ 1.4. Leg I: femur 0.73/0.14 (5.4); patella 0.51/0.12 (4.4); tibia 0.68/.08 (8.7); basitarsus 0.33/0.07 (5.0); telotarsus 0.45/0.06 (8.2); ratio femur/patella 1.4; telotarsus/basitarsus 1.4. Leg IV: femur+patella 1.12/0.25 (4.5); tibia 1.12/0.13 (8.4); basitarsus 0.41/0.1 (4.2); telotarsus 0.58/0.08 (7.4); ratio femur+patella/tibia 1.0; ratio telotarsus/basitarsus 1.4.

Remarks. The new species is easily distinguishable from R. borgesi sp. nov. by the shape of the chelal hand, which is elliptic and widest at middle in R. gepesi versus oval and widest proximad of middle in R. borgesi ; also the pedipalps are larger and more slender in R. gepesi . The new species can be differentiated from R. cavernicola by the chelal movable finger/hand+ ratio (1.4, versus 1.7) and by the chaetotaxy of the posterior margin of the carapace (7 setae, versus 4) and of tergite I (6 setae, versus 4). Roncocreagris gepesi is more closely related to R. lucensis Zaragoza, 2002 (from Galicia, Spain), despite being 400 km away, but in the latter the pedipalps are shorter and less slender than in R. borgesi , and the distance between trichobothria et and it is 3.3 times longer than that between it and est in the Spanish species, versus 1.2 in the Portuguese species.

Distribution and habitat. Roncocreagris gepesi sp. nov. was collected in Algarinho, one of the caves of the Dueça system, opened in 1998 with the aid of a backhoe ( Neves et al. 2005). This species was not found in Soprador do Carvalho, a cave located only 200 m from the entrance of Algarinho Cave. The mean cave temperature is 14.9ºC at soil level. The new species shares its habitat with other hypogean species, such as the woodlouse Porcellio cavernicolus and the dipluran Podocampa cf. fragiloides.

Figures

FIGURES 23 – 32. Roncocreagris gepesi sp. nov., female holotype. 23. carapace; 24. anterior margin of carapace; 25. anterior and medial processes of left coxa I; 26. left chelicera; 27. partial view of fingers of left chelicera, showing galea; 28. right pedipalp minus chela, dorsal view; 29. right chela, dorsal view; 30. right chela, lateral view; 31. claw of left leg IV; 32. subterminal seta of left leg IV. Scale bars (in mm): 0.05 (Figs 25, 31, 32), 0.10 (Figs 24, 26, 27), 0.30 (Fig. 23), 0.50 (Figs 28 – 30).