Ephippiochthonius aini, 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 : 39-41

Ephippiochthonius aini n. sp. ( Figs 70–75 )

Type locality. Spain, Valencian Community, Castellón province , La Plana Baixa comarca, Aín, Cova Covatilla (39°54′06″N, 00°20′10″W; 590 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Valencian Community.

Etymology. Latin noun derived from the municipal area of Aín, in which the type locality is situated.

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A medium-sized, hypogean Ephippiochthonius species of the tetrachelatus -group. Chelicera longer than carapace, movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with prominent spinneret in female, strongly reduced in male, lyrifissure ldb present; without eyes or eye-spots, posterior margin of carapace with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand depressed at level of ib / isb, with a distinct hump distad of ib / isb and moderate slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed finger with 23–25 mostly pointed teeth; movable finger with 18 teeth, distal two thirds of dental row with pointed teeth, teeth of proximal third decreasing in size; pedipalpal femur (♂) 7.1, (♀) 7.0 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.80 mm, (♀) 0.91; chela (♂) 6.3, (♀) 6.2 times longer than deep, length (♂) 1.07 mm, (♀) 1.24; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.6, (♀) 1.5; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present in their standard number.

Type material examined. ♂ holotype (DEUA), 1 ♀ paratype ( MNCN), Spain, Valencian Community, Castellón province, La Plana Baixa comarca, Aín , Cova Covatilla (39°54′06″N, 00°20′10″W; 590 m a.s.l.), 07.VIII.1977, leg. A. Sendra .

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

Carapace ( Fig. 71 ) slightly shorter than broad and distinctly constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin weakly prominent, without epistome, and strongly dentate ( Fig. 70 ); without eyes or eye-spots. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae, no preocular microsetae, macrosetal formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.12–0.15 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.07–0.08 mm long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Fig. 72 ) longer than carapace, with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb short (0.05– 0.07mm long), microseta 003– 0.04 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 7 teeth, decreasing in size proximally, 1–2 distal teeth distinctly larger than others, 2–5 proximal microtubercles. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 5–7 teeth decreasing in size proximally, distal tooth larger than others, with 3 proximal microtubercles; spinneret prominent in female ( Fig. 75 ), much lower in male ( Fig. 73 ); seta gl 0.56–0.61 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)10(3):(2)7(2):7–9:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size, 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 0.04 mm long; II 4 + 8–9 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 4–6 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 74 ) with hand depressed at level of ib / isb, with a distinct hump distad of ib / isb and moderate 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 distinct edge; ventral intercondylar bow-like protuberance (ip) present; width equal to depth; chaetotaxy 4:5:3, seta ph3 lacking, setae ih1, ih3 and ih4 approximately level with or slightly proximad of trichobothria ib / isb; distal end of hand and bases of chelal fingers with sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 23–25 mostly pointed teeth, the distal one small, of these the 6–9 proximal teeth progressively decreasing in size, 2–3 proximally rounded, most with dental canals; 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 base (0.04–0.06 mm long), both distad of lyrifissure fb, distance between them 0.05–0.09 mm, equal to or longer than the finger depth at the base (0.05–0.06 mm); 3 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.033 mm. Movable finger with 18 teeth, distal two thirds of finger with pointed teeth, the distal tooth very tiny on a low protuberance; proximal third with 6–7 progressively decreasing teeth reaching halfway between trichobothria sb and b, 4 of them vestigial and without dental canals; basal apodeme long and apically narrowed; coupled sensilla pc halfway between sb and b or closer to sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 74 ; trichobothrium ist approximately level with esb and well proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and base of hand slightly shorter than or equal to their distance from esb; distance between st and sb 1.6–2.0 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Male holotype: Body 1.48. Carapace 0.43/0.44 (1.0). Chelicera 0.47/0.21 (2.2), movable finger 0.24; ratio chelicera/carapace 1.1. Pedipalp: femur 0.80/0.11 (7.1), patella 0.30/0.13 (2.3), chela 1.07/0.17 (6.3), hand 0.42 (2.4), movable finger 0.65; ratio movable finger/hand 1.6, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.9, chela/carapace 2.5, chela/femur 1.3. Female paratype: Body 1.58. Carapace 0.55/0.57 (1.0). Chelicera 0.56/0.26 (2.2), movable finger 0.28; ratio chelicera/carapace 1.1. Pedipalp: femur 0.91/0.13 (7.0), patella 0.36/0.16 (2.3), chela 1.24/0.20 (6.2), hand 0.48, movable finger 0.71; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5, femur/ movable finger 1.3, femur/carapace 1.7, chela/carapace 2.3, chela/femur 1.4.

Remarks. Within the species of the tetrachelatus -group, E. aini n. sp. resembles E. nudipes ( Mahnert, 1982) and E. riberai n. sp., in the following combination of characteristics: anophthalmic, hypogean, without preocular microsetae, only 2 setae in posterior row of carapace and lacking an isolated subapical tooth on the movable cheliceral finger. The species E. aini n. sp., like E. riberai n. sp., is markedly stouter and smaller than E. nudipes and has the pedipalpal femur chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1, versus 3:6:2:6: 1 in the latter. Comparison of pedipalpal measurements and ratios between E. aini n. sp. and E. riberai n. sp. are given in the key. Additionally, the chelicera of E. aini n. sp. is longer than the carapace, as opposed to shorter in E. riberai n. sp., and the coupled sensilla pc are proximad of trichobothrium sb in E. aini n. sp., versus distad in E. riberai n. sp.

Figures

FIGURES 70 – 75. Ephippiochthonius aini n. sp., male holotype (70 – 74) and female paratype (75). 70, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 71, carapace; 72, left chelicera; 73, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 74, right chela, antiaxial view; 75, movable cheliceral finger, partial view.