Occidenchthonius anae, 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 : 132-134

Occidenchthonius anae n. sp.

( Figs 217–221 )

Type locality. Spain, Valencian Community, Alicante province , El Comtat comarca, Agres, ravine close to Santuario de Agres (38°46′36″N, 00°30′56″W; 774 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Valencian Community.

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to my daughter, Ana Zaragoza Ripoll, for her helpful collaboration in the preparation of manuscripts.

Diagnosis (♀). A small, microphthalmic, subterranean Occidenchthonius species. Movable cheliceral finger with isolated subapical tooth (di) and with prominent spinneret in female, unknown for male, lyrifissure ldb present; anterior pair of eyes with lens, posterior eyes reduced to eye-spots, anterior margin of carapace without preocular microsetae, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand distinctly 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 18 teeth; distal half of movable chelal finger with 10 pointed teeth with dental canals, basal half of movable chelal finger with 8 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on raised lamina; pedipalpal femur (♀) 5.1 times longer than broad, length 0.46 mm; chela (♀) 4.7 times longer than deep, length 0.65 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♀) 1.5; lacking lyrifissures ma1 and ma2, all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Type material examined. ♀ holotype ( DEUA), Spain, Valencian Community, Alicante province, El Comtat comarca, Agres , ravine close to Santuario de Agres (38°46′36″N, 00°30′56″W; 774 m a.s.l.), under large stones partially sunken in clay, 22.V.2004, leg. V. Ortuño & J.A. Zaragoza.

Description (♀; ♂ unknown). Small, microphthalmic species, probably endogean or hypogean. Integument weakly depigmented; hispid granulation on lateral surfaces of carapace, on cheliceral hand and on bases of chelal fingers.

Carapace ( Fig. 218 ) slightly longer than broad and weakly constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin prominent, without a well-defined epistome, and strongly dentate ( Fig. 217 ); anterior eyes with low convex lens (diameter 0.028 mm), 0.038 mm from anterior margin of carapace, posterior eyes reduced to eye-spots, 0.020 mm from anterior eyes, diameter 0.025 mm; both pairs of eyes with reflecting tapeta. Chaetotaxy: 18 setae, without preocular microsetae, 2 setae in posterior row, formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.10 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.04 mm; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 219, 220 ) with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb short (length 0.025 mm), microseta 0.015 mm; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 7 teeth decreasing in size proximally, the distal tooth distinctly larger than others, 3 proximal microtubercles. Movable finger with an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 7 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2 proximal microtubercles, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret prominent and apically rounded in female ( Fig. 220 ), unknown for male; seta gl 0.60 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 13 blades, serrula interior 12 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 and 0.20 mm long, respectively). Chaetotaxy of sternites 9:(3)6(3):(2)6(2):8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III macrosetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae (0.18 mm long).

Pedipalpal coxa with 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), distal marginal seta of disk 0.065 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.05 mm long; II 4–5 + 6–8 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 6–7 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 221 ) with hand distinctly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a short hump distad of ib / isb and moderate slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; distinct hollow before base of movable finger with thicker cuticle; width shorter than depth, maximum width proximad of ib / isb; chaetotaxy 4:4–5:4, seta ph3 present, ph5 present on one chela and absent on the other; distal end of hand and bases of chelal fingers with sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 18 teeth progressively decreasing in size in the proximal third, pointed and with dental canals, except the most proximal that is rounded and without dental canal, 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 slightly proximad of trichobothrium sb, 5 proximal microtubercles; tip of finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the base, on either side of lyrifissure fb, 0.040–0.045 mm long, distance between them 0.035 mm, fixed finger depth at the base 0.045 mm; 6 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.018–0.020 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 10 pointed teeth with dental canals, the distal one small; basal half of movable chelal finger with 8 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on raised lamina; dental row reaching slightly proximad of sb, 4 proximal microtubercles; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc slightly closer to b than to sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 221 ; trichobothrium ist distinctly distad of esb and well proximad of lyrifissure fb; trichobothria eb -esb -ist in a straight line; distance between ib / isb and esb approximately equal to that between ib / isb and the base of the hand; distance between st and sb 1.7 times longer than that between sb and b; lacking lyrifissures ma1 and ma2, all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Female holotype: Body 1.31. Carapace 0.38/0.36 (1.1). Chelicera 0.33/0.16 (2.1), movable finger 0.17. Pedipalp: femur 0.46/0.09 (5.1), patella 0.21/0.11 (2.0), chela 0.65/0.14 (4.7), hand 0.26 (1.9), movable finger 0.38; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.2, chela/carapace 1.7, chela/femur 1.4.

Remarks. Occidenchthonius anae n. sp. is a microphthalmic subterranean species that does not belong to either of the species-groups recognized within the genus. The presence of seta ih5 on the chelal hand (assuming that its loss on one hand of the holotype is teratological) and the absence of preocular microsetae preclude its belonging to the machadoi -group. The microphthalmic condition of O. anae n. sp. and its stout and short pedipalp are shared by the Canarian species O. dubius . Differences from O. dubius are the presence of lyrifissure ldb and the position of trichobothrium ist relative to esb, being slightly distad in O. anae n. sp. and strongly distad in O. dubius .

Figures

FIGURES 217 – 221. Occidenchthonius anae n. sp., female holotype. 217, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 218, carapace; 219, left chelicera; 220, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 221, left chela, antiaxial view.