Ephippiochthonius sevai, 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 : 115-117

Ephippiochthonius sevai n. sp. ( Figs 190–195 )

Type locality. Spain, Valencian Community, province of Alicante, Marina Alta comarca , Vall de Laguart (38°46′34″N, 00°06′49″W; 455 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Valencian Community, province of Alicante.

Etymology. Named after Dr Eduardo Seva for his support for my work during his tenure as head of the Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, as well as in recognition of his contribution to ecological studies in the Alicante province and his work over a long period as Director of the journal Mediterranea .

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A small, epigean Ephippiochthonius species of the gibbus -group. Movable cheliceral finger with isolated subapical tooth (di) and without spinneret in male, prominent in female; lyrifissure ldb present; two pairs of eyes with lenses, anterior margin of carapace with 1 preocular microseta on each side, posterior margin with 4 macrosetae; chelal hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a rounded hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 16–18 teeth; movable chelal finger with 7–8 teeth pointed teeth at the distal half with dental canals, basal half without marginal lamina and 4–6 vestigial teeth without dental canals; pedipalpal femur (♂) 5.0, (♀) 4.8–4.9 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.34 mm, (♀) 0.40–0.42 mm; chela (♂) 4.8, (♀) 4.3–4.4 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.48 mm, (♀) 0.57–0.60 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.5, (♀) 1.4; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 and fd3 are absent.

Type material examined. ♂ holotype, 1 ♂ paratype (both DEUA), Spain, Valencian Community, province of Alicante, Marina Alta comarca , Vall de Laguart (38°46′34″N, 00°06′49″W; 455 m a.s.l.), 15.I.1988, leg. J.A. Zaragoza, under stones. L’Alacantí comarca , 2 ♀ paratypes ( DEUA), Alicante, Plá de la Vallonga (38°21′16″N, 00°33′14″W; 58 m a.s.l.), 16.VI.1990, under stones, leg. J.A. Zaragoza .

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

Carapace ( Fig. 191 ) slightly longer than broad and weakly constricted posteriorly; anterior margin not prominent, medially dentate ( Fig. 190 ); two pairs of well developed eyes with lenses and reflecting tapeta, anterior eyes strongly convex, 0.030–0.035 mm from anterior margin of carapace, the same distance as their diameter, posterior eyes with weakly convex lens, 0.010–0.021 mm from anterior eyes, diameter 0.025–0.033 mm. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae and 1 preocular microseta on each side, formula m 4m:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.055–0.070 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.04 mm long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 192, 193, 195 ) with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb 0.018–0.023 mm long, microseta 0.013–0.015 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 6–7 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2–4 proximal microtubercles, one distal tooth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger with an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 4–5 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 0–1 microtubercles, distal tooth larger than others; spinneret strongly reduced or absent in male ( Fig. 193 ), prominent and apically rounded in female ( Fig. 195 ); seta gl 0.54–0.61 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 14 blades, serrula interior with 11–12 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, tactile seta XI 0.20–0.21 mm long. Chaetotaxy of sternites 10–11:(3)7–10(3):(2)7(2):8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size (exceptionally absent in one female), sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae (0.10–0.20 mm long); in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 4–7 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 0.05–0.06 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.02–0.04 mm long; II 4 + 5–8 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 2–5 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:2:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 194 ) with hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a rounded hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt 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 equal to or slightly 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 16–18 teeth: one distal tooth very small, 15–17 triangular large teeth, proximally reduced in size and 0–2 proximal rounded teeth, all with dental canals, 2–3 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 a pronounced subdistal protuberance (sp); 5–7 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.015–0.020 mm; one pair of antiaxial sensory setae (as) short, 0.013–0.025 mm long, distance between them 0.021–0.024 mm, finger depth 0.038–0.045 mm at the base. Distal half of movable finger with 7–8 triangular teeth, the distal one small, all with dental canals; proximal half without marginal lamina, with 4–6 vestigial teeth without dental canals, most widely rounded, reaching to distad or level of sb, 2–4 proximal microtubercles; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc level with or slightly proximad of sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 194 ; ist slightly distad of esb (one female slightly proximad) and markedly proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and esb equal to that between ib / isb and the base of the hand; distance between st and sb 2.0–2.6 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 and fd3 are absent.

Measurements and ratios. Male holotype, followed, when different, by male paratype in square brackets: Body 1.03 [1.06]. Carapace 0.30/0.28 (1.1) [0.31/0.29 (1.1)]. Chelicera 0.24/0.12 (2.0), movable finger 0.12. Pedipalp: femur 0.34/0.07 (5.0) [0.35/0.07 (5.2)], patella 0.15/0.08 (2.0) [1.9], chela 0.48/0.10 (4.8) [0.50/0.10 (4.9)], hand 0.19 (1.9) [0.20 (1.9)], movable finger 0.29 [0.30]; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5; femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.1, chela/carapace 1.6, chela/femur 1.4. Female paratypes: Body 1.17-1.32. Carapace 0.36–0.39/ 0.31–0.35 (1.1). Chelicera 0.28–0.30/0.14–0.15 (2.0). Pedipalp: femur 0.40–0.42/0.08–0.09 (4.8–4.9), patella 0.17–0.18/0.10 (1.8), chela 0.57–0.60/0.13–0.14 (4.3–4.4), hand 0.24–0.25 (1.8), movable finger 0.33–0.35; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.1, chela/carapace 1.5–1.6, chela/femur 1.4.

Remarks. Within the gibbus- group, E. sevai n. sp. is close to E. masoae n. sp., sharing with it the following combination of characteristics: only 2 setae in posterior row of carapace, an isolated subapical tooth present on movable cheliceral finger, presence of preocular microsetae and at least anterior eyes with convex lens. Differences between them are the absence of lyrifissure fd 3 in E. sevai n. sp. (present in E. masoae n. sp.), the degree of ocular development, the spinneret shape in males and the pedipalpal measurements and ratios, as compared in the key and in the remarks under E. masoae n. sp.

Figures

FIGURES 190 – 195. Ephippiochthonius sevai n. sp., male holotype (190 – 194) and female paratype (195). 190, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 191, carapace; 192, left chelicera; 193, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 194, right chela, antiaxial view; 195, movable finger of right chelicera, partial view.