Ephippiochthonius castellonensis, 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 : 61-64

Ephippiochthonius castellonensis n. sp. ( Figs 105–110 )

Type locality. Spain, Valencian Community, Castellón province, Baix Maestrat comarca, Sant Mateu , Cova dels Encenalls (40°26′13″N, 00°12′21″E; 470 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Valencian Community.

Etymology. Latin noun derived from the name of the province in which the type locality is situated.

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A medium-sized, hypogean Ephippiochthonius species of the tetrachelatus -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with prominent spinneret in female, almost absent in male, lyrifissure ldb present; no eyes or eye-spots, 1–2 preocular microsetae on each side, posterior margin of carapace with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with distinct, short and weakly conical, hump distad of ib / isb and gentle slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 21–27 teeth, distal 5th or 6th to 10th teeth with a tiny intercalated denticle lacking dental canal; movable chelal finger with 16–17 teeth with dental canals, without marginal lamina; pedipalpal femur (♂) 6.9, (♀) 6.8–7.0 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.66 mm, (♀) 0.73–0.74 mm; chela (♂) 6.2, (♀) 5.9–6.1 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.87 mm, (♀) 1.00– 1.01 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.6, (♀) 1.6–1.7; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Type material examined. ♂ holotype ( DEUA), Spain, Valencian Community, Castellón province, Baix Maestrat comarca, Sant Mateu , Cova dels Encenalls (40°26′13″N, 00°12′21″E; 470 m a.s.l.), 01.XI.2003, leg. S. Montagud ; 1 ♀ paratype (DEUA), 28.XII.1976, leg. M. Blas, X. Bellés, J. Estany & C. Ribera (DEUA); 1 ♀, 1 deutonymph paratypes (MCNB), 26.VI.1993, leg. F. Fadrique.

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

Carapace ( Fig. 106 ) distinctly longer than broad and posteriorly constricted; medial part of anterior margin prominent, without a well-defined epistome, and strongly dentate ( Fig. 105 ); without eyes or eye-spots.

Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae and 1‒2 preocular microsetae on each side, macrosetal formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.10–0.12 mm long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 107, 108, 110 ) with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb short (0.04 mm long); hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 7–8 teeth decreasing in size proximally and none or 1 proximal microtubercle, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 6–7 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 1–2 proximal microtubercles, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret almost absent in male ( Fig. 108 ), prominent and apically rounded in female ( Fig. 110 ); seta gl 0.51–0.54 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. Chaetotaxy of sternites 10:(3)6–7(3):(2)5–7(2):7–8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, without small lateral setae on sternite III, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae; in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 6–6 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 0.10 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.06–0.07 mm long; II 4 + 8–10 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 5–7 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 109 ) with hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with distinct, short and weakly conical, hump distad of ib / isb and gentle slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; dorsal-antiaxial surface of the chelal hand between the hump and trichobothria eb / esb flattened, limited by a marked edge; ventral intercondylar bow-like protuberance (ip) present; width shorter than depth; chaetotaxy 4:5:3, seta ph3 lacking, setae ih1, ih3 and ih4 approximately level with trichobothria ib / isb; distal end of hand and bases of chelal fingers with sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 23–27 teeth, most pointed, the 1–2 distal ones tiny or small, 5th or 6th to 10th distal teeth with a tiny intercalated denticle lacking dental canal, 6 most proximal teeth progressively decreasing in size and becoming rounded, all with dental canals, dental row reaching proximad of sensilla pc level, 3–5 microtubercles at base; tip of finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; tip of fixed chelal finger of male with a deep hollow on paraxial face and subdistal protuberance (sp); one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the finger base, distance between them equal to finger depth at base; 4 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.025–0.030 mm. Movable finger with 16–17 teeth with dental canal except 0–2 proximal ones, the distalmost one tiny, most teeth pointed, the 5–6 proximal rounded teeth progressively decreasing in size until being hard to see, dental row reaching to level of trichobothrium sb or sensilla pc, 0–2 microtubercles at base; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc between sb and b. Trichobothria as in Fig. 109 ; trichobothrium ist slightly distad of esb and well proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and esb 1.1 times longer than that between ib / isb and the base of the hand; distance between st and sb 1.6–1.7 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Male holotype: Body 1.44. Carapace 0.42/0.41 (1.0). Chelicera 0.40/0.18 (2.2), movable finger 0.21. Pedipalp: femur 0.66/0.10 (6.9), patella 0.25/0.11 (2.2), chela 0.87/0.14 (6.2), hand 0.33 (2.4), movable finger 0.53; ratio movable finger/hand 1.6, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.6, chela/carapace 2.1, chela/femur 1.3. Female paratypes: Body 1.53–1.62. Carapace 0.49–0.54/0.43–0.48 (1.1). Chelicera 0.45/0.19 (2.3), movable finger 0.23. Pedipalp: femur 0.73–0.74/0.11 (6.8–7.0), patella 0.27–0.28/0.13 (2.2), chela 1.00– 1.01/0.17 (5.9–6.1), hand 0.37–0.38 (2.2–2.3), movable finger 0.61–0.62; ratio movable finger/hand 1.6–1.7, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.4–1.5, chela/carapace 1.9–2.2, chela/femur 1.4.

Deutonymph. Carapace almost as long as broad; without eyes; chaetotaxy: 4:6:4:2:2, without preocular microsetae. Cheliceral hand with 4 setae, without lateral microsetae; fixed finger with 7 teeth, two distal teeth larger than others; movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 5 teeth, the distal one larger than others; spinneret prominent, as in adult female; seta gl 0.53 from base of movable finger. Chaetotaxy of tergites as in adults; sternites 2:4:4:6:6:6:6:6:1TT1:0:0, stigmatal microsetae apparently absent. Pedipalpal coxa 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), distal marginal seta of disk 0.06 mm long; coxa I 2 + 1 marginal microseta, distal marginal seta 0.02 mm long; II 3 + 6 bipinnate coxal spines, III 3 + 5 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 3; intercoxal tubercle bisetose. Fixed pedipalpal finger with 13 teeth, movable finger with 11 teeth; coupled sensilla pc in subbasal position on movable finger.

Measurements and ratios. Body 0.88. Carapace 0.29/0.28 (1.0). Pedipalp: femur 0.33/0.07 (5.1), patella 0.16/ 0.09 (1.8), chela 0.50/0.10 (5.1), hand 0.20 (2.0), movable finger 0.30; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5, femur/ movable finger 1.1, femur/carapace 1.1, chela/carapace 1.7, chela/femur 1.5.

Remarks. Within the tetrachelatus -group, E. castellonensis n. sp. and E. distinguendus ( Beier, 1930) share the presence of intercalated denticles on the fixed chelal finger. E. castellonensis n. sp. differs from E. distinguendus in the number and position of these intercalated denticles: only one denticle between normal teeth in the distal half of the fixed finger and none on the movable finger in E. castellonensis n. sp., as opposed to several denticles between normal teeth on both fingers of E. distinguendus . Other differences between these species are: tergites I–II with 4 setae in E. castellonensis n. sp. and 2 setae in E. distinguendus ; female spinneret, low and rounded in E. castellonensis n. sp., versus prominent and apically pointed in E. distinguendus ; and pedipalp of E. castellonensis n. sp. stouter and shorter [femur (♀) 6.8–7.0 times longer than broad, length 0.73–0.74 mm; chela (♀) 5.9–6.1 times longer than deep, length 1.00– 1.01 mm] than that of E. distinguendus [femur (♀) 8.2 times longer than broad, length 0.94 mm; chela (♀) 6.8 times longer than deep, length 1.28 mm].

Figures

FIGURES 105 – 110. Ephippiochthonius castellonensis n. sp., male holotype (105 – 109) and female paratype (110). 105, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 106, carapace; 107, left chelicera; 108, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 10 9, left chela, antiaxial view; 110, movable cheliceral finger, partial view.