Neobisium (Neobisium) samniticum Mahnert, 1980

Gardini, Giulio, 2023, The troglomorphic pseudoscorpions of the genus Neobisium from Corsica, Sardinia and mainland Italy, with description of new species (Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae), Zootaxa 5381 (1), pp. 1-67 : 51-54

Neobisium (Neobisium) samniticum Mahnert, 1980

( Figs 100–102 , 119 )

Neobisium (Ommatoblothrus) samniticum Mahnert, 1980: 25 , figs 7–12.

Type locality: Italy, Abruzzo, Pescara Province, Lettomanoppello, Grotta delle Praie 80 A/PE (42°13’54”N 14°02’22”E) .

Distribution. Italy (Abruzzo).

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A subterranean, troglomorphic Neobisium from Abruzzo (Majella Mountain) that differs from other Mediterranean species of the genus in the following combination of characters: posterior margin of carapace with 4–5 setae, epistome triangular, anterior eyes with weak lens, dark integument between anterior and posterior eyes present; tergites I–IV: 5–6:6:6:5–6; cheliceral palm with 6 setae, rallum with 8–9 blades; fixed chelal finger heterodentate, with contiguous teeth; fixed and movable chelal fingers with 131–144 and 110–112 teeth, respectively; pedipalpal femur 1.99–2.01 mm length (7.65–7.73 ×), patella 1.51–1.53 mm (4.93–5.03 ×), movable finger 2.27–2.28 mm; pedipalpal hand with oval profile and its greatest width in the proximal third, chelal fingers slightly curved; ratio between movable chelal finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.64–1.70; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable chelal finger 0.87–0.88; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.74–1.89; trichobothrium ist distal st, closer to the finger tip than to isb.

Type material examined. ITALY — Abruzzo: Pescara Province : 1 ♂ (holotype), “Abruzzo. PE/ Lettomanoppello / Gr. delle Praie [80 A/PE] / 3.XI.[19]76 V. Sbordoni leg.” “ Neobisium (Ommatoblothrus) samniticum n. sp. ♂ / Holotypus / det. V. Mahnert 1978” ( MZUR) .

Description of adults [♂; ♀ according to Mahnert (1980)]. Carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and palpal coxae red-brown; pedipalps smooth, pleural membrane granular. Carapace 1.18 (♂) or 1.11 (♀) times as long as broad, with four eyes without tapetum, with slightly darker integument between anterior and posterior eyes; anterior and posterior eyes reduced, with weak lens; anterior margin of carapace with broad triangular epistome, apically rounded ( Mahnert 1980: 27, fig. 7); 22 (♂) or 21 (♀) macrosetae, anterior and posterior rows with 4 and 4 (♂) or 5 (♀) macrosetae, respectively; preocular setae not seen (fallen?) Chaetotaxy of tergites I–X: 5:6:6:6:7:7:7:9:9:9 (♂) or 6:6:6:6:7:7:8:6:9:9 (♀). Chaetotaxy of sternites II–X: 13:(2)12(2):(2)12(2):10:9:10:10:11:12 (♂) or 7:(2) 17(2):(2)8(2):10:11:10:11:10:12 (♀); median genital sac and genital atrium not seen. Chelicera ( Mahnert 1980: 27, figs 8a–b, 9) 2.02 (♂) times as long as broad, palm with 6 setae; fixed finger with about 12–14 teeth, movable finger with about 7–9 worn teeth, one of which more prominent just distal gs (♂ ♀); gs ratio 0.60 (♂), spinneret reduced in male, prominent and broadly rounded in female; rallum with 9 [♂: in Mahnert (1980) erroneously 6 in the text] or 8 and 9 (♀) blades, the distal one laterally serrate-pinnate and isolated on a prominence, the second and sixth ones serrate, the successive ones smooth, the proximal one very short; serrula exterior with about 30–32 and 28–30 blades. Manducatory process with 4–5 setae. Coxal setae: pedipalp 10–11, I 8–10, II 6–9, III 5–6, IV 10–13; anterolateral process of coxa I prominent, anteromedial process broadly rounded with denticles ( Mahnert 1980: 27, fig. 12). Pedipalp ( Figs 100–102 ; Mahnert 1980: 27, figs 10, 11a–b): trochanter 2.67 (♂) times as long as broad, with 3 weak button-like tubercles (with lyrifissure) on antiaxial face; femur 7.65 (♂) or 7.73 (♀) times as long as broad, weakly enlarged distally; patella 5.03 (♂) or 4.93 (♀) times as long as broad, club gradually enlarged distally, pedicel slightly granular dorsally; ratio between club and pedicel 2.25 (♂), ratio X/Y = 0.35 (♂), base of pedicel dorsally with 5 glandular pores (♂); chela with pedicel 6.27 (♂) or 6.0 (♀) times as long as broad; hand of chela with pedicel 2.42 (♂) or 2.39 (♀) times as long as broad, with oval profile and its greatest width in the proximal third (dorsal view); chelal fingers slightly curved both in dorsal and lateral view; fixed chelal finger irregularly heterodentate ( Fig. 102 ; Mahnert 1980: 27, fig. 11b), with 131 (♂) or 144 (♀) pointed contiguous teeth, nodus ramosus subterminal; movable chelal finger with 110 (♂) or 112 (♀) low, flattened contiguous teeth, apart from the distal ones which are partly cuspidate from the trichobothrium t to the tip of the finger; all teeth with dental canals; sensillum slightly closer to st than to sb; trichobothria as in figs 101–102 and Mahnert (1980: 27, fig. 11b), relative position of trichobothria along chelal axis (♂): it 0.15/ et 0.155/ est 0.22 / ist 0.32/ isb 0.79/ ib 0.88/ esb 0.97/ eb 0.975/ t 0.20/ st 0.405/ sb 0.72/ b 0.91; trichobothrium est just proximal t; trichobothrium ist distal st, closer to the finger tip than to isb; trichobothrium isb proximal sb; ratio between movable finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.70 (♂) or 1.64 (♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable finger 0.87 (♂) or 0.88 (♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.74 (♂) or 1.89 (♀). Leg IV: femur + patella 6.41 (♂) or 6.39 (♀) times as long as deep, tibia 10.93 (♂) or 10.86 (♀) times, basitarsus 7.27 (♂) or 6.66 (♀) times, telotarsus 11.11 (♂) or 10.30 (♀) times as long as deep, ratio between basitarsus and telotarsus 0.80 (♂) or 0.77 (♀).

Measurements. Body length 3.8 (♂) or 4.2 (♀). Carapace 1.14 × 0.96 (♂) or 1.06 × 0.95 (♀). Chelicera 0.77 × 0.38 (♂); movable finger length 0.505 (♂). Pedipalp: trochanter 0.79 × 0.295 (♂); femur 1.99 × 0.26 (♂) or 2.01 × 0.26 (♀); patella 1.51 × 0.30 (♂) or 1.53 × 0.31 (♀); chela with pedicel 3.45 × 0.55 (depth 0.54) (♂) or? × 0.58 (♀); hand with pedicel length 1.33 (♂) or 1.39 (♀); movable finger length 2.27 (♂) or 2.28 (♀). Leg IV: femur + patella 1.86 × 0.29 (♂) or 1.79 × 0.28 (♀); tibia 1.64 × 0.15 (♂) or 1.63 × 0.15 (♀); basitarsus 0.80 × 0.11 (♂) or 0.80 × 0.12 (♀); telotarsus 1.00 × 0.09 (♂) or 1.03 × 0.10 (♀).

Remarks. Neobisium samniticum was described by Mahnert (1980) based on a male and a female from Abruzzo (Grotta delle Praie 80 A/PE, Lettomanoppello) and compared with N. battonii , also from Abruzzo (Grotta Risorgenze di Stiffe 17 A/AQ, San Demetrio ne’ Vestini) and known only from one female. In agreement with Mahnert (1980), N. samniticum differs from N. battonii in having larger dimensions and more slender appendages (pedipalpal femur length 1.99–2.01 mm and 7.65–7.73 times as long as broad in N. samniticum , 1.50 mm and 6.00 × in N. battonii ; pedipalpal patella length 1.51–1.53 mm and 4.90–5.00 times as long as broad in N. samniticum , 1.15 mm and 4.03 × in N. battonii ) and in the number of setae on the posterior margin of carapace (4 or 5 in N. samniticum , 6 in N. battonii ). About the darker integument between anterior and posterior eyes, it seems to me to be present also in N. battonii , despite the precarious condition of the holotype. In addition, N. samniticum has the fixed chelal finger heterodentate, while it is homodentate in N. battonii .

Neobisium samniticum is similar, especially in the pedipalpal shape, to N. cerrutii from Ernici Mountains and to N. sp. aff. patrizii from the Lepini Mountains, both in Latium. For comparison with N. cerrutii see Key to species, for comparison with the latter see Remarks under N. sp. aff. patrizii .

Figures

FIGURE 119. Map depicting known distribution of Neobisum species with troglomorphic facies from central and southern Italy.

FIGURES 100–102. Neobisium (N.) samniticum Mahnert, 1980, male holotype, Grotta delle Praie (Lettomanoppello,Abruzzo). 100, trochanter, femur and patella of right pedipalp, dorsal view (dorsal setae of femur hardly visible); 101, right pedipalpal chela, dorsal view; 102, same, antiaxial view, with magnified detail of teeth.