Occidenchthonius murcia, Zaragoza, Juan A., 2017

Zaragoza, Juan A., 2017, Revision of the Ephippiochthonius complex in the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Islands and Macaronesia, with proposed changes to the status of the Chthonius subgenera (Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae), Zootaxa 4246 (1), pp. 1-221 : 181-182

Occidenchthonius murcia n. sp. ( Figs 286–290 )

Type locality. Spain, Región de Murcia , Fortuna, Cueva del Solin (38°14′14″N, 01°09′37″W; 567 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Región de Murcia .

Etymology. Noun in apposition from the province in which the type locality is situated.

Diagnosis (♀). A large, hypogean Occidenchthonius species of the verai -group, with troglomorphic facies. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with prominent spinneret in female, unknown for male, lyrifissure ldb absent; without eyes or eye-spots, anterior margin of carapace without preocular microsetae, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a short, low hump distad of ib / isb and gentle slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; trichobothrium ist distad of lyrifissure fb; fixed chelal finger with 24 teeth; basal half of movable chelal finger with 16 pointed teeth with dental canals, basal half of movable chelal finger with 14 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on raised lamina; pedipalpal femur (♀) 7.9 times longer than broad, length 1.10 mm; chela (♀) 5.7 times longer than deep, length 1.53 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♀) 1.5; lacking lyrifissures ma1, ma2 and hp, an additional mv lyrifissure on both chelae (mv3), all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Type material examined. ♀ holotype ( DEUA), Spain, Región de Murcia , Fortuna, Cueva del Solin (38°14′14″N, 01°09′37″W; 567 m a.s.l.), 17.VI.2003, leg. V. Ortuño.

Description (♀; ♂ unknown). Large, hypogean species of troglomorphic facies. Integument depigmented; weak hispid granulation on lateral surfaces of carapace, on cheliceral hand and even weaker on bases of chelal fingers.

Carapace ( Fig. 287 ) slightly longer than broad, constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin distinctly prominent, without a well-defined epistome, and strongly dentate ( Fig. 286 ). Without eyes or eye-spots. Chaetotaxy: 18 setae, without preocular microsetae, 2 setae in posterior row, formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.15 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.07 mm; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 288, 289 ) with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb short (0.06 mm long), microseta 0.05 mm; hand with 4 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb absent. Fixed finger with 11 worn teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others, 2 proximal microtubercles. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 7 teeth decreasing in size proximally, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret prominent and apically rounded in female ( Fig. 289 ), unknown for male; seta gl 0.57 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 16 blades, serrula interior 15 blades.

Chaetotaxy of tergites 4:4:4:4:6:6:6:6:1T2T1:4:1T2T1:0, tergites IX and XI each with 2 sublateral tactile setae (0.28 and 0.32 mm long, respectively). Chaetotaxy of sternites 10:(3)8(3):(2)7(2):7:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III macrosetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae (0.23 mm long).

Pedipalpal coxa with 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), distal marginal seta of disk 0.15 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.09 mm long; II 4 + 10–12 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 6 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 290 ) with hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a short, low hump distad of ib / isb and gentle slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; weak hollow before base of movable finger with thicker cuticle; width as long as depth; chaetotaxy 4:5:4, seta ph3 present; distal end of hand and bases of chelal fingers with sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 24 pointed teeth and with dental canals, first two distal teeth small, third tooth of normal row (mt) of fixed finger distinctly modified in shape and deviated in orientation with respect to the others, dental row reaching up to proximad of sensilla pc; 8–10 proximal microtubercles; tip of fixed finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the base, both markedly distad of lyrifissure fb, 0.060–0.070 mm long, distance between them 0.070 mm, fixed finger depth at the base 0.080 mm; 4 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.025–0.030 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 16 mostly pointed teeth with dental canals that reach up to slightly proximad of halfway between trichobothria st and sb; one very tiny distal tooth on low protuberance; basal half of movable chelal finger with 14 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on raised lamina; dental row reaching up to proximad of sensilla pc, 3–4 proximal microtubercles; basal apodeme long and apically narrowed; coupled sensilla pc between sb and b, markedly closer to sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 290 ; trichobothrium ist well distad of esb and lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and base of hand approximately equal to that between ib / isb and esb; distance between st and sb 2.1 times longer than that between sb and b; lacking lyrifissures ma1, ma2 and hp, an additional mv lyrifissure present on both chelae (mv3), proximad and close to mv2, all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Female holotype: Body 2.08. Carapace 0.62/0.56 (1.1). Chelicera 0.58/0.25 (2.3), movable finger 0.29. Pedipalp: femur 1.10/0.14 (7.9), patella 0.41/0.19 (2.2), chela 1.53/0.27 (5.7), hand 0.60 (2.3), movable finger 0.90; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.8, chela/carapace 2.5, chela/femur 1.4.

Remarks. Within the verai -group, O. murcia n. sp. is close to O. ebo n. sp. and O. ruizporteroae , all three of which have trichobothrium ist distad of lyrifissure fb and long pedipalps (e.g. femur length about 1.10 mm and chela length at least 1.40 mm). The main difference between O. murcia n. sp. and the other two species is the number of rounded vestigial teeth in the basal half of the movable chelal finger (14, versus 6–8).

Figures

FIGURES 286 – 290. Occidenchthonius murcia n. sp., female holotype. 286, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 287, carapace; 288, left chelicera; 289, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 290, right chela, antiaxial view.