Ephippiochthonius portugalensis, 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 : 103-105

Ephippiochthonius portugalensis n. sp. ( Figs 169–173 )

Type locality. Portugal, Porto, Peñafiel, Lagares (41°07′19″N, 08°21′55″W; 176 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Portugal: Porto.

Etymology. Latin noun derived from the name of the country in which the type locality is located.

Diagnosis (♀). A small, epigean Ephippiochthonius species of the E. fuscimanus -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with prominent spinneret in female, unknown for male; lyrifissure ldb present; two pairs of eyes with lenses, anterior margin of carapace with 2–3 preocular microsetae on each side, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with low rounded hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 20 teeth; movable chelal finger with 6 teeth pointed teeth at the distal half with dental canals, basal half with thick and almost level marginal lamina; pedipalpal femur (♀) 5.8 times longer than broad, length 0.64 mm; chela (♀) 4.2 times longer than deep, length 0.88 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♀) 1.2; chelal lyrifissures hd and ma2 absent, fd3 missing on one chela.

Type material examined. ♀ holotype ( FCUL), Portugal, Porto, Peñafiel, Lagares (41°07′19″N, 08°21′55″W; 176 m a.s.l.), 23.III.2007, leg. A. Serrano.

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

Carapace ( Fig. 170 ) slightly longer than broad, weakly constricted posteriorly; anterior margin almost straight, medially dentate ( Fig. 169 ); two pairs of well developed eyes with lenses and reflecting tapeta, anterior eyes strongly convex, 0.055 mm from anterior margin of carapace, diameter 0.040 mm, posterior eyes with weakly convex lens, 0.040 mm from anterior eyes, diameter 0.045 mm. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae and 2–3 preocular microsetae on each side, macrosetal formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.12 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.06 mm long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 171, 172 ) with 6 setae and 2 lateral microsetae on hand, seta vb 0.055 mm long, microsetae 0.0225–0.0250 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 9 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2 proximal microtubercles, distal tooth larger than others. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 5 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 4 proximal microtubercles, distal tooth larger than others; spinneret prominent, apically rounded ( Fig. 172 ); seta gl 0.60 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with approximately 14 blades, interior with 11 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 9:(3)10(3):(2)6(2):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 0.065 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal setae lost; II 4 + 7 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 3 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:2:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 173 ) with hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with long, low rounded, hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; dorsalantiaxial surface of the chelal hand between the hump and trichobothria eb / esb with a weak edge; ventral intercondylar bow-like protuberance (ip) present; width shorter than depth; chaetotaxy 4:5:3, seta ph3 lacking, setae ih1 slightly proximad of trichobothria ib / isb, whereas setae ih3 is well distad and ih4 slightly distad of ib / isb; distal end of hand and bases of chelal fingers with sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 20 mostly pointed teeth with dental canals, of these the two distal small teeth, decreasing in size proximally, dental row reaching up to slightly distad of trichobothrium b, 2 microtubercles at base; tip of finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; 6 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.030–0.035 mm, halfway between 5th and 8th distal teeth with a very tiny denticle, difficult to be observed; one pair of very short antiaxial sensory setae (as), 0.020–0.023 mm long, very close together, distance between them 0.026 mm, finger depth at the base 0.058 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 6 triangular teeth level st, all with dental canals, wider than long, followed by 3 vestigial teeth without dental canals, distal tooth very tiny; basal half proximally with 4 low and rounded vestigial teeth without dental canals on thick and mostly level marginal lamina, 1 microtubercle at base; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc slightly proximad of sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 173 ; ib and isb distally united by a weakly chitinized dorsal band; ist slightly distad of esb, trichobothria eb - esb -ist in a straight line, ist well proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and esb 1.3 times longer than that between ib / isb and the base of the hand; distance between st and sb 2.2 times longer than that between sb and b. Chelal lyrifissures hd and ma2 absent, fd3 missing on one chela.

Measurements and ratios. Female holotype: Body 1.48. Carapace 0.48/0.44 (1.1). Cheliceral 0.41/0.19 (2.2), movable finger 0.20. Pedipalp: femur 0.64/0.11 (5.8), patella 0.26/0.14 (1.9), chela 0.88/0.20 (4.2), hand 0.39 (1.9), movable finger 0.48; ratio movable finger/hand 1.2, femur/movable finger 1.3, femur/carapace 1.3, chela/carapace 1.8, chela/femur 1.3.

Remarks. Ephippiochthonius portugalensis n. sp. is tentatively included within the E. fuscimanus -group due to the absence of lyrifissures ma2, hd and fd3 (the latter only on one chela), the position of intermediate paraxial chelal setae ih3 and ih4 (strongly and slightly distad of trichobothria ib / isb, respectively), the shape of the distal teeth on the movable chelal finger (distinctly wider than long), and the thick basal lamina. Following Gardini’s key (2013), within the known species of the fuscimanus -group, E. portugalensis n. sp. is close to E. boldorii ( Beier, 1934) ( Austria, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland) by virtue of the absence of an isolated subapical tooth (di) on the movable cheliceral finger and by the pedipalpal measurements. The morphometric data for E. portugalensis n. sp. fall within the wide ranges seen in E. boldorii , but it differs from this Central European species by the large number of teeth on the fixed chelal finger, 20 versus mostly 11–12 (rarely 16) in E. boldorii . The shape of the chelal hand between the trichobothria ib / isb and eb, in lateral view, is also different between the two species. Comparison with the other Iberian species of the E. fuscimanus- group, E. pyrenaicus ( Beier, 1934) , is given in the key.

Figures

FIGURES 169 – 173. Ephippiochthonius portugalensis n. sp., female holotype. 169, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 170, carapace; 171, left chelicera; 172, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 173, right chela, antiaxial view.