Occidenchthonius mateui, 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 : 173-176

Occidenchthonius mateui n. sp. ( Figs 272–276 )

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) cazorlensis (not Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández 2001): Zaragoza & Pérez 2013: 204 –205 (misidentification).

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) cazorlensis (not Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández 2001): Zaragoza 2013a: 66 (misidentification).

Type locality. Spain, Andalusia, Jaén province , Hornos del Segura, Sima de la Fractura II (38°11′12″N, 02°47′18″W; 1016 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Andalusia.

Etymology. At the suggestion of Toni Pérez (G.E.V.), I am pleased to dedicate this species to the memory of the late Dr Joaquim Mateu (1921–2015), one of the world’s greatest specialists of Carabidae , in recognition of his great contribution to improving knowledge of the faunas of Spain and the Saharan region. His highly interesting life and work are described by Bellés (2015).

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A medium-sized, weakly troglomorphic, hypogean Occidenchthonius species of the verai - group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and spinneret small in female, strongly reduced in male, lyrifissure ldb absent; without eyes or eye-spots, anterior margin of carapace without preocular microsetae, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand strongly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a short hump distad of ib / isb and moderate slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 20–22 teeth; distal two-thirds of movable chelal finger with 16–17 pointed teeth with dental canals, basal third of movable chelal finger with 4–7 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on raised and short lamina; pedipalpal femur (♂) 6.8–7.1, (♀) 6.9–7.1 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.68–0.78 mm, (♀) 0.78–0.80 mm; chela (♂) 6.2–6.6, (♀) 5.9–6.1 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.93–1.03 mm, (♀) 1.07–1.08 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.4–1.5, (♀) 1.5; lacking lyrifissures ma1, ma2 and hp, all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present, with their standard complements.

Type material examined. ♂ holotype (DEUA), 3 ♂ (DEUA, MCNB, MNCN), 2 ♀, 1 tritonymph paratypes ( DEUA), Spain, Andalusia, Jaén province , Hornos del Segura, Sima de la Fractura II (38°11′12″N, 02°47′18″W; 1016 m a.s.l.), 31.V.2009, leg. G.E.V.

Description (♂ ♀). Medium-sized, hypogean species of weakly troglomorphic facies. Integument depigmented; weak hispid granulation on lateral surfaces of carapace, on cheliceral hand and on bases of chelal fingers.

Carapace ( Fig. 273 ) slightly longer than broad, constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin strongly prominent, without a well-defined epistome, and strongly dentate ( Fig. 272 ). Without eyes or eye-spots. Chaetotaxy: 18 setae, without preocular microsetae, 2 setae in posterior row, formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.11–0.13 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.11–0.12 mm; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 274, 275 ) with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb short (0.045 mm long), microseta 0.035 mm; hand with 4 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb absent. Fixed finger with 11 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others, 3 proximal microtubercles. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 7–8 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2 proximal microtubercles, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret strongly reduced in male ( Fig. 275 ), small in female; seta gl 0.53–0.56 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 15 blades, serrula interior 13 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 (0.24 and 0.33 mm long, respectively). Chaetotaxy of sternites 9–10:(3)7– 9(3):(2)6–7(2):7–8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III macrosetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae; in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 6–10 setae on each side and 4+4 internal glandular setae.

Pedipalpal coxa with 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), distal marginal seta of disk 0.08–0.10 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.06–0.08 mm long; II 4 + 7–12 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 3–6 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6–7:3:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 276 ) with hand strongly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a short hump distad of ib / isb and moderate slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; weak hollow before base of movable finger with thicker cuticle; width slightly shorter than depth, maximum width proximad of ib / isb; chaetotaxy 4:5:4, seta ph3 present; distal end of hand and bases of chelal fingers with sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 20–22 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 halfway between sensilla pc and trichobothrium sb, about 10 proximal microtubercles; tip of fixed finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; tip of fixed chelal finger of male with a weak hollow on paraxial face, without subdistal protuberance (sp); one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the base, one level with and other markedly distad of lyrifissure fb, 0.040–0.045 mm long, distance between them 0.043–0.050 mm, fixed finger depth at the base 0.055–0.065 mm; 5 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.020–0.025 mm. Distal two-thirds of movable finger with 16–17 pointed teeth with dental canals that reach up to slightly proximad of halfway between trichobothria st and sb, 2–3 proximal teeth decreasing in size, the distal tooth tiny, the subdistal tooth small; basal third of movable chelal finger with only 4–7 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on weakly raised and short lamina; dental row reaching up to level of trichobothrium sb or sensilla pc, 5 proximal microtubercles; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc halfway between sb and b or slightly closer to sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 276 ; trichobothrium ist distinctly distad of esb, trichobothria eb -esb -ist in a straight line, and distinctly proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and base of hand 1.1 longer than that between ib / isb and esb; distance between st and sb 1.9–2.2 times longer than that between sb and b; lacking lyrifissures ma1, ma2 and hp, all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Male holotype, followed, when different, by one male paratype in square brackets: Body 1.52 [1.69]. Carapace 0.43/0.41 (1.0) [0.49/0.48]. Chelicera 0.44–0.20 (2.2), movable finger 0.23. Pedipalp: femur 0.68/0.10 (7.1) [0.78/0.12 (6.8)], patella 0.30/0.12 (2.4) [0.31/0.14 (2.2)], chela 0.93/0.14 (6.6) [1.03/0.17 (6.2)], hand 0.37 (2.6) [0.41 (2.5)], movable finger 0.56 [0.60]; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5 [1.4], femur/movable finger 1.2 [1.3], femur/carapace 1.6, chela/carapace 2.2 [2.1], chela/femur 1.4 [1.3]. Female paratypes: Body 1.58– 1.78. Carapace 0.48–0.5/0.47–0.48 (1.0–1.1). Chelicera 0.45–0.47/0.21–0.22 (2.1–2.2), movable finger 0.23–0.24. Pedipalp: femur 0.78–0.80/0.11–0.12 (6.9–7.1), patella 0.33–0.34/0.15 (2.2), chela 1.07–1.08/0.18 (5.9–6.1), hand 0.43–0.44 (2.4), movable finger 0.64–0.65; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/ carapace 1.6, chela/carapace 2.1–2.2, chela/femur 1.4.

Tritonymph. Carapace as long as broad; medial part of anterior margin straight and strongly dentate; without eyes; chaetotaxy as in adult. Cheliceral hand with 5 setae and 1 lateral microseta; fixed finger with 9 teeth, two distal teeth larger than others; movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 6 teeth, the distal one larger than others; spinneret prominent as in adult female; seta gl 0.56 from base of movable finger. Chaetotaxy of tergites as in adults, except tergite IX with 5 setae: 1T3; sternites 6:(2)6(2):(1)6(1):7:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2. Pedipalpal coxa 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), distal marginal seta of disk 0.060 mm long; coxa I 3 + 2 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.040 mm long; II 4 + 7–9 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 4–5 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 5; intercoxal tubercle bisetose. Pedipalp: chelal hand chaetotaxy 4:5:4; fixed finger with 16 pointed teeth with dental canals, first two distal teeth small, third tooth of normal row modified (mt); distal half of movable finger with 11 pointed teeth with dental canals; proximal half of finger with slightly raised lamina with 6 rounded, vestigial teeth; coupled sensilla pc distad of trichobothrium b; lacking lyrifissures fd3, hp, ma1 and ma2.

Measurements and ratios. Body 1.18. Carapace 0.33/0.33 (1.0). Chelicera 0.30/0.15 (2.1), movable finger 0.16. Pedipalp: femur 0.46/0.08 (5.8), patella 0.21/0.10 (2.1), chela 0.65/0.12 (5.7), hand 0.26 (2.3), movable finger 0.39; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.4, chela/carapace 2.0, chela/ femur 1.4.

Remarks. Within the verai -group, O. mateui n. sp. shares with O. cazorlensis , O. hoerwegi n. sp. and O. riopar n. sp. a short row of only 3–8 low, rounded, vestigial teeth in the basal third of the movable chelal finger. It differs from O. cazorlensis by the absence of cheliceral lyrifissure ldb and from O. riopar n. sp. by the position of trichobothrium ist, distinctly proximad of lyrifissure fb, as opposed to level with it in O. riopar n. sp. O. mateui n. sp. has a more slender pedipalp than O. hoerwegi n. sp., e.g. femur (♀) 6.9–7.1 times longer than broad, versus 6.1.

Figures

FIGURES 272 – 276. Occidenchthonius mateui n. sp., male holotype. 272, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 273, carapace; 274, right chelicera; 275, fingers of right chelicera, partial view; 276, right chela, antiaxial view.