Occidenchthonius gardinii, 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 : 154-157

Occidenchthonius gardinii n. sp. ( Figs 245–249 )

Type locality. Spain, Valencian Community, l’Alcoià comarca, Tibi, road from San Vicente del Raspeig to Tibi (38°30′56″N, 00°36′12″W; 623 m a.s.l.) .

Distribution. Spain: Valencian Community.

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Dr Giulio Gardini (Università degli Studi, Genoa), to honour his great contribution to our knowledge of the Mediterranean pseudoscorpions.

Diagnosis (♀). A small, epigean Occidenchthonius species of the verai -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with prominent spinneret in female, unknown for male, lyrifissure ldb absent; both pairs of eyes with lens, anterior margin of carapace without preocular microsetae, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand strongly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a prominent hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 15–17 teeth; distal half of movable chelal finger with 9–11 pointed teeth with dental canals, basal half of movable chelal finger with 8–10 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on raised lamina; pedipalpal femur (♀) 4.5–5.4 times longer than broad, length 0.40–0.51 mm; chela (♀) 4.5 times longer than deep, length 0.59–0.68 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/ chelal hand (♀) 1.4; lacking lyrifissures ma1, ma2 and hp all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements.

Type material examined. ♀ holotype ( DEUA), Spain, Valencian Community, Alicante province, l’Alcoià comarca: Tibi , road from San Vicente del Raspeig to Tibi (38°30′56″N, 00°36′12″W; 623 m a.s.l.), 13.XII.1987, leg. J.A. Zaragoza ; 1 ♀ paratype ( DEUA), Confrides, Arranc dels Esquiladors (38°39′33″N, 00°18′07″W; 1.273 m a.s.l.), 21.V.2004, leg. V. Ortuño .

Description (♀; ♂ unknown). Small, epigean species. Integument pigmented; marked hispid granulation on lateral surfaces of carapace, on cheliceral hand and on bases of chelal fingers.

Carapace ( Fig. 246 ) as long as or slightly longer than broad and weakly constricted posteriorly ( Fig. 245 ); medial part of anterior margin slightly prominent and strongly dentate; anterior eyes with moderately convex lens (diameter 0.30 mm), 0.030 mm from anterior margin of carapace, posterior eyes with weaker lens than anterior pair, 0.023 mm from anterior eyes, diameter 0.025 mm; both pairs of eyes with reflecting tapeta. Chaetotaxy: 17– 18 setae, without preocular microsetae, 2 setae in posterior row, formula 4:6:3–4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.07–0.10 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.05–0.07 mm; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 247, 248 ) with 6 setae and 1 lateral microsetae on hand, seta vb short (0.025–0.033 mm long), microsetae 0.016–0.023 mm; hand with 4 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb absent. Fixed finger with 8 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others, 2–4 proximal microtubercles. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 7–8 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 1–4 proximal microtubercles, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret prominent in female ( Fig. 248 ), unknown for male; seta gl 0.57–0.60 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 13–15 blades, serrula interior 11 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 (0.15–0.18 and 0.20 mm long, respectively). Chaetotaxy of sternites 9–10:(3)7–8(3):(2)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 (0.11 mm long).

Pedipalpal coxa with 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), distal marginal seta of disk 0.060–0.078 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.035–0.053 mm long; II 4 + 6–10 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 2–4 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 249 ) with hand strongly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a prominent hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; distinct hollow before base of movable finger with thicker cuticle; width shorter than depth; chaetotaxy 4:5:4, seta ph3 present; distal end of hand and bases of chelal fingers with sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 15–17 teeth, pointed and with dental canals, the most proximal distinctly smaller than the others, first two distal teeth small, third tooth of normal row (mt) of fixed finger weakly modified in shape and deviated in orientation with respect to the others, dental row reaching up to level of trichobothrium sb or halfway between sb and sensilla pc; tip of finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the base, one level with and other distinctly distad of lyrifissure fb, 0.03–0.043 mm long, distance between them 0.028–0.030 mm, fixed finger depth at the base 0.045–0.048 mm; 5 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.019–0.020 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 9–11 pointed teeth with dental canals that reach up to proximad of trichobothrium st, the distal tooth tiny, the subdistal one small; basal half of movable chelal finger with 8–10 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on raised lamina; dental row reaching level of sb or sensilla pc, 4 proximal microtubercles; basal apodeme long and apically narrowed; coupled sensilla pc between trichobothria sb and b, closer to sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 249 ; trichobothrium ist distinctly distad of esb and proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and esb approximately equal to that between ib / isb and the base of the hand; distance between st and sb 1.4 times longer than that between sb and b; lacking lyrifissures ma1, ma2 and hp, all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Female holotype, followed, when different, by female paratype in square brackets: Body 1.21 [1.43]. Carapace 0.36/0.36 (1.0) [0.39/0.38 (1.0)]. Chelicera 0.31/0.15 (2.1) [0.33/0.17 (2.0)], movable finger 0.15 [0.18]. Pedipalp: femur 0.41/0.09 (4.9) [0.51/0.10 (5.4)], patella 0.19/0.10 (1.9) [0.22/0.11 (1.9)], chela 0.59/0.13 (4.5) [0.68/0.15 (4.5)], hand 0.24 (1.8) [0.28 (1.9)], movable finger 0.34 [0.38]; ratio movable finger/ hand 1.4, femur/movable finger 1.2 [1.3], femur/carapace 1.1 [1.3], chela/carapace 1.6 [1.7], chela/femur 1.4 [1.3].

Remarks. Occidenchthonius gardinii n. sp. shows the normal characteristics of the verai -group, including lacking the cheliceral lyrifissure ldb, but it differs from all other members in being epigean and having a stouter pedipalp, as compared in the key.

Figures

FIGURES 245 – 249. Occidenchthonius gardinii n. sp., female holotype. 245, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 246, carapace; 247, left chelicera; 248, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 249, left chela, antiaxial view.