Neobisium (Neobisium) sp. aff. patrizii Beier, 1953, 1930

Gardini, Giulio, 2023, The troglomorphic pseudoscorpions of the genus Neobisium from Corsica, Sardinia and mainland Italy, with description of new species (Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae), Zootaxa 5381 (1), pp. 1-67 : 44-47

Neobisium (Neobisium) sp. aff. patrizii Beier, 1953

( Figs 85–88 , 119 )

Material examined. ITALY — Latium: Frosinone Province: 1 ♂, Lepini Mountains, Supino , Risorgenza del Fiammifero 949 La/FR (41°36’19.60”N 13°09°47.40”E), 19. V.1993, L. Latella leg . Latium: Rome Province: 1 ♂ 2 ♀, Lepini Mountains, Carpineto Romano , Ouso di Pozzo Comune 274 La/RM (41°34’34.90”N 13°06’47.57”E), 11.IV.1993, L. Latella leg. ; 1 ♂, id., 27.VI.1993, L. Latella leg .; 1 ♂ 2 ♀, Lepini Mountains, Carpineto Romano, Grotta dell’Arnara 560 La/RM (41°33’59”N 13°07’03”E), 31.I.1993, L. Latella leg. ; 1 T, id., 11.IX.1993, L. Latella leg. ; 1 ♂, id., 28.XII.1993, L. Latella leg .; 1 T, Lepini Mountains, Carpineto Romano, Grotta la Cantina dell’Arnara 561 La/RM (41°33’59”N 13°07’03”E), 30.VI.1985, S. Vanni & P. Magrini leg.; 1 ♀, Lepini Mountains, Carpineto Romano, Grotta sulla Carrozzabile per il Monte Semprevisa 648 La/RM (41°34’07.86”N 13°06’55.60”E), 995 m a.s.l., 11.VIII.1996, L. Latella leg.

Description of adults (♂ ♀). Carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and palpal coxae red-brown; pedipalps smooth, pleural membrane granular. Carapace 0.92–1.06 (♂) or 0.89–1.12 (♀) times as long as broad, with four eyes without tapetum, dark integument between anterior and posterior eyes evident in specimens from cave Ouso di Pozzo Comune n. 274 La/ RM and Cave on the road towards Mt Semprevisa 648 La/ RM, absent in the specimens of the other caves; anterior eyes with slightly convex lens (diameter about 0.08 mm), the posterior ones just convex or reduced to a white spot; anterior margin of carapace with equilateral triangular epistome; 20–21 macrosetae, anterior and posterior rows with 4 and 4 (rarely 3 or 5) macrosetae, respectively, besides 1 preocular seta on each side. Chaetotaxy of tergites I–X: 4:4–7:4–7:6–8:7–8:7–10:7–9:7:7–8:7 (♂) or 4–6:6–7:6–7:6–7:9:8–9:8–9:8–9:9:9–9 (♀). Chaetotaxy of sternites II–X: 12–19:(2–3)32–40(2–3):(2–3)10–18(2–3):10–15:10:10–11:10–12:10–12:10–11 (♂) or 8–9:(3)18– 23(3):(3)12–14(3):12–14:12–14:12–13:12–13:13:12–13 (♀); median genital sac not seen, genital atrium with 4+4 setae. Chelicera 2.0–2.06 (♂) or 1.88–2.0 (♀) times as long as broad, palm with 6 setae (♂ ♀ from the cave Grotta dell’Arnara 560 La/ RM) or 6 and 7 setae (♂ ♀ from the cave Risorgenza del Fiammifero 949 La/FR, 274 La/ RM and Cave on the road towards Mt Semprevisa 648 La/ RM); fixed finger with 10–14 teeth, movable finger with about 8–10 teeth, one of which more prominent just distal gs; gs ratio 0.63–0.68 (♂) or 0.50–0.63 (♀), spinneret not prominent in male, prominent and hemispherical in female; rallum mostly with 8 blades (9–10 blades in ♂ ♀ from cave Ouso di Pozzo Comune 274 La/ RM), the distal one laterally serrate-pinnate and isolated on a prominence, the second one serrate, the successive ones smooth, of decreasing length; serrula interior and exterior with 30–34 and 35–36 blades, respectively. Manducatory process with 5 setae (4 in ♂ from the cave Ouso di Pozzo Comune 274 La/ RM, 27.VI.1993). Coxal setae: pedipalp 9–13, I 6–8, II 6–8, III 5–6, IV 8–11 (♂) or 9–11, I 7–8, II 6–9, III 5–7, IV 8–10; anterolateral process of coxa I squat, anteromedial process broadly rounded with denticles. Pedipalp ( Figs 85–87 ): trochanter 2.67–3.0 (♂) or 2.51–2.84 (♀) times as long as broad, with 3–4 weak button-like tubercles (with lyrifissure) on antiaxial face; femur 6.83–7.46 (♂) or 6.31–7.09 (♀) times as long as broad, weakly enlarged distally; patella 4.32–5.03 (♂) or 4.20–4.37 (♀) times as long as broad, club gradually enlarged distally, ratio between club and pedicel 2.1–2.2 (♂ ♀), ratio X/Y = 0.33–0.35 (♂) or 0.40–0.42 (♀), base of pedicel dorsally with 5–11 glandular pores; chela with pedicel 6.16–6.71 (♂) or 5.60–5.82 (♀) times as long as broad; hand of chela with pedicel 2.37–2.79 (♂) or 1.94–2.34 (♀) times as long as broad, with long oval profile and its greatest width just proximally the middle of the hand (dorsal view); chelal fingers slightly curved in dorsal view, almost straight in lateral view ( Figs 86–87 ); fixed chelal finger irregularly heterodentate ( Fig. 87 ), with 127–136 (♂) or 122–128 (♀) pointed contiguous teeth, nodus ramosus subterminal; movable chelal finger with 108–120 (♂) or 101–112 (♀) low, flattened contiguous teeth ( Fig. 87 ), apart from the distal ones the trichobothrium t, which are cuspidate; all teeth with dental canals; sensillum halfway between sb and st or closer to st; trichobothria as in figs 86–87; relative position of trichobothria along chelal axis: it 0.115–0.13/ et 0.13–0.15/ est 0.175 –0.19/ ist 0.28–0.315/ isb 0.78–0.83/ ib 0.88–0.895/ esb 0.94–0.97/ eb 0.96–0.98/ t 0.18–0.19/ st 0.33–0.35/ sb 0.70–0.74/ b 0.87–0.91 (♂); it 0.12–0.135/ et 0.14–0.155/ est 0.19 –0.195/ ist 0.30–0.33/ isb 0.80–0.81/ ib 0.875–0.90/ esb 0.93–0.96/ eb 0.955–0.98/ t 0.195–0.20/ st 0.34–0.375/ sb 0.69–0.73/ b 0.81–0.91 (♀); trichobothrium est just proximal or just distal t (♂ ♀); trichobothrium ist distal st (♂ ♀) or at level of st (♀ from the Cave on the road towards Mt Semprevisa 648 La/ RM); trichobothrium isb proximal sb (♂ ♀); ratio between movable finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.64–1.50 (♂) or 1.58–1.78 (♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable finger 0.87–0.95 (♂) or 0.87–0.89 (♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.69–2.30 (♂) or 1.70–1.81 (♀). Leg IV: trochanter 2.78–2.96 (♂) or 2.56–2.81 (♀) times as long as deep, femur + patella 5.50–6.23 (♂) or 5.65–5.89 (♀) times as long as deep, tibia 9.50–10.75 (♂) or 8.05–9.14 (♀), basitarsus 5.36–6.52 (♂) or 5.38–5.68 (♀) times [TS = 0.115 –0.135 (♂) or 0.105 –0.145], telotarsus 8.90–9.90 (♂) or 7.36–8.45 (♀) times as long as deep [TS = 0.44–0.51 (♂) or 0.43–0.51 (♀)], ratio between basitarsus and telotarsus 0.74–0.77 (♂) or 0.70–0.76 (♀), claws with small dorsal tooth. Subterminal setae of legs I–IV furcate, or dentate or both ( Fig. 88 ).

Measurements. Body length 3.8–4.1 (♂) or 3.9–4.8 (♀). Carapace 0.92–1.06 (♂) or 0.89–1.12 (♀) × 0.74–0.79 (♂) or 0.69–0.89 (♀) anteriorly. Chelicera 0.68–0.77 (♂) or 0.64–0.76 (♀) × 0.33–0.385 (♂) or 0.34–0.385 (♀); movable finger length 0.43–0.50 (♂) or 0.43–0.495 (♀). Pedipalp: trochanter 0.735–0.85 (♂) or 0.69–0.835 (♀) × 0.275–0.29 (♂) or 0.275–0.30 (♀); femur 1.79–2.12 (♂) or 1.61–1.91 (♀) × 0.240 –0.290 (♂), 0.255 –0.275 (♀); patella 1.35–1.61 (♂) or 1.24–1.42 (♀) × 0.275–0.34 (♂) or 0.295–0.33 (♀); chela with pedicel 3.0–3.56 (♂) or 2.77–3.26 (♀) × 0.47–0.56 (♂) or 0.53–0.575 (♀) [depth 0.46–0.54 (♂) or 0.51–0.56 (♀)]; hand with pedicel length 1.22–1.48 (♂) or 1.03–1.35 (♀); movable finger length 2.01–2.23 (♂) or 1.84–2.18 (♀). Leg IV: trochanter 0.63–0.71 (♂) or 0.59–0.69 (♀) × 0.225–0.24 (♂) or 0.23×0.25 (♀); femur + patella 1.65–1.87 (♂) or 1.47–1.70 (♀) × 0.27–0.30 (♂) or 0.26–0.29 (♀); tibia 1.50–1.63 (♂) or 1.28–1.49 (♀) × 0.145 –0.155 (♂) or 0.14–0.185 (♀); basitarsus 0.67–0.77 (♂) or 0.59–0.71 (♀) × 0.115 –0.125 (♂) or 0.105–0.13 (♀); telotarsus 0.89–0.99 (♂) or 0.845–0.95 (♀) × 0.10–0.11 (♂) or 0.10–0.125 (♀).

Remarks. The specific attribution of the specimens described above, considered conspecific, remains uncertain. All the subterranean populations to which they belong live in the Lepini Mountains, where also N. patrizii and N. leolatellai n. sp., highly specialized species, are present. It is probable that the affinities of N. sp. aff. patrizii are to be found in these two species, but this does not seem demonstrable by traditional taxonomy.

Neobisium sp. aff. patrizii is strongly convergent in pedipalpal shape with N. battonii , N. cerrutii and N. samniticum . It differs mainly from N. battonii from Abruzzo in having 4 (rarely 3 or 5) setae at the posterior margin of carapace (6 setae in N. battonii ), the pedipalpal femur length 1.61–2.12 mm and 6.31–7.46 times as long as broad (1.50 mm and 6.00 × in N. battonii ), the pedipalpal patella length 1.24–1.61 mm and 4.20–5.03 times as long as broad (1.15 mm and 4.03 × in N. battonii ), the pedipalpal chela length 2.77–3.56 mm (2.50 mm in N. battonii ), the movable chelal finger length 1.84–2.23 mm (1.62 mm in N. battonii ), the fixed chelal finger heterodentate (homodentate in N. battonii ).

Neobisium sp. aff. patrizii differs mainly from N. cerrutii from Latium (Ernici Mountains) in having 4 (rarely 3 or 5) setae at the posterior margin of carapace (6 setae in N. cerrutii ), the fixed chelal finger irregularly heterodentate (weakly heterodentate in N. cerrutii ), the pedipalpal chelal fingers almost straight in lateral view (curved in lateral view in N. cerrutii ).

Neobisium sp. aff. patrizii hardly differs from N. samniticum from Abruzzo in having the pedipalpal femur and patella slightly less slender (6.31–7.46 and 4.20–5.03 times as long as broad, respectively, in N. sp. aff. patrizii ; 7.65–7.73 × and 4.9–5.0 ×, respectively, in N. samniticum ) and the movable chelal finger just shorter (1.84–2.23 mm in N. sp. aff. patrizii , 2.27–2.28 mm in N. samniticum ).

For comparison of Neobisium sp. aff. patrizii with N. vignai n. sp. from Ausoni Mountains see Remarks under this latter species.

Fig. 88 represents the pairs of subterminal setae of the right and left telotarsi of legs I-IV. The wide variability present in the same specimen―a male from the cave Grotta dell’Arnara 560 La/ RM ―demonstrates the low taxonomic weight of this character.

Figures

FIGURE 88. Neobisium (N.) sp. aff. patrizii Beier, 1953, male, Grotta dell’Arnara (Carpineto Romano, Latium). Subterminal setae of the telotarsi of legs I–IV.

FIGURE 119. Map depicting known distribution of Neobisum species with troglomorphic facies from central and southern Italy.

FIGURES 85–87. Neobisium (N.) sp. aff. patrizii Beier, 1953, male, Grotta dell’Arnara (Carpineto Romano, Latium). 85, trochanter, femur and patella of right pedipalp, dorsal view; 86, right pedipalpal chela, dorsal view; 87, same, antiaxial view, with magnified detail of teeth.