Ephippiochthonius bellesi ( Mahnert, 1989 ) Mahnert, 1989

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 : 50-52

Ephippiochthonius bellesi ( Mahnert, 1989) , n. comb.

( Fig. 89)

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) bellesi Mahnert 1989: 86 ‒87, figs 1‒4. Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) bellesi: Zaragoza 2007: 15 .

Type locality. Spain, Balearic Islands , Menorca, Es Mercadal, Cova Na Polida (39°55′58″N, 04°02′21″E; 91 m a.s.l.) .

Distribution. Spain: Balearic Islands.

Diagnosis (♀). A medium-sized, hypogean Ephippiochthonius species of the gibbus -group. Movable cheliceral finger with isolated subapical tooth (di) and with small, prominent spinneret in female, unknown for male; lyrifissure ldb present; no eyes or eye-spots, 2 preocular microsetae on each side, posterior margin of carapace with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with low and rounded hump distad of ib / isb and gentle slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 27–29 teeth; movable chelal finger with 21–23 teeth, most with dental canals, without marginal lamina; pedipalpal femur (♀) 6.9–7.6 times longer than broad, length (♀) 0.91–1.12 mm; chela (♀) 5.5–5.9 times longer than deep, length (♀) 1.20–1.50 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♀) 1.4–1.5; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 is absent.

Non-type material examined. 1 ♀ ( DEUA), Spain, Balearic Islands, Menorca, Es Mercadal , Cova Na Polida (39°55′58″N, 04°02′21″E; 91 m a.s.l.), 07.XII.1987, leg. C. Ribera ; 1 ♀ ( DEUA), Cova des Coloms (39°56′06″N, 04°02′40″E; 94 m a.s.l.), collection date unknown, leg. C. Ribera .

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

Carapace slightly longer than broad and posteriorly constricted; medial part of anterior margin weakly prominent, without epistome, and strongly dentate; without eyes or eye-spots. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae and 2 preocular microsetae on each side, formula mm 4mm:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.16–0.19 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.10–0.14 mm long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Cheliceral hand with 6 setae and 2 lateral microsetae (7 setae for Mahnert 1989, includes 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta), seta vb short (0.055 mm long), microsetae 0.035 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 9–12 teeth decreasing in size proximally, 1 distal tooth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger with an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 9–11 teeth decreasing in size proximally, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret prominent, low in female, unknown for male; seta gl 0.56–0.58 from base of movable finger.

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, TS tergite XI 0.37–0.41 mm long. Chaetotaxy of sternites 10:(3)9–11(3):(2)7–8(2):7–8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae.

Pedipalpal coxa with 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), distal marginal seta of disk 0.12–0.14 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.05–0.09 mm long; II 4–5 + 8–12 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5–6 + 6–7 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:2:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 89) with hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with low and rounded 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 27–28 teeth, the distal one tiny and the subdistal small, mostly pointed and with dental canals, of these the 10 proximal teeth progressively decreasing in size, 1–3 most proximal are rounded, dental row reaching up to distad of trichobothrium b, 3 microtubercles at base; from 8th to 12th distal teeth bear a tiny intercalated denticle without dental canal, mentioned by Mahnert (1989); tip of finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the finger base (0.055–0.065 mm long), distance between them 0.070 mm, approximately equal to the finger depth (0.065–0.075 mm) at base; 3–4 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.025–0.035 mm. Movable finger with 21–23 teeth, 2 distal ones small, mostly pointed and with dental canals, of these the 8–9 proximal teeth progressively decreasing in size and becoming rounded, dental row proximad of trichobothrium sb; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc level with or distad of sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 89; 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 base of hand; distance between st and sb 1.8–1.9 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 is absent.

Measurements and ratios. Female (types and new material studied): Body 2.0–2.4. Carapace 0.52/0.67 (1.0– 1.1). Chelicera 0.49–0.61/0.24–0.28 (2.1–2.2), movable finger 0.26–0.31. Pedipalp: femur 0.91–1.12/0.13–0.16 (6.9–7.6), patella 0.34–0.42/0.16–0.20 (2.1–2.3), chela 1.20–1.50/0.22–0.28 (5.5–5.9), hand 0.49–060 (2.2–2.4), movable finger 0.69–0.88; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4–1.5, femur/movable finger 1.3, femur/carapace 1.7–1.8, chela/carapace 2.2–2.3, chela/femur 1.3.

Remarks. Within the gibbus -group, E. bellesi ( Mahnert, 1989) shares with the species E. gibbus ( Beier, 1953) , E. masoae n. sp., E. sevai n. sp. and E. zaballosi n. sp. the presence of an isolated subapical tooth on the movable cheliceral finger and only 2 setae in the posterior row of the carapace. E. bellesi is the only one of these species that is anophthalmic and it also has the pedipalpal segments markedly longer, mostly more than twice the length of those of the other two species. It also differs from E. gibbus and E. zaballosi n. sp. by the presence of preocular microsetae. The above description incorporates in part that of Mahnert (1989).