Chthonius gallii, Gardini, Giulio, 2013

Gardini, Giulio, 2013, A revision of the species of the pseudoscorpion subgenus Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae) from Italy and neighbouring areas, Zootaxa 3655 (1), pp. 1-151 : 45-48

Chthonius (E.) gallii n. sp.

( Figs 76–84 , 293 )

Type locality: Italy, Liguria, Savona Prov., Bergeggi (44°15ʹ27ʺN 8°26ʹ35ʺE).

Distribution. Italy: Liguria.

Diagnosis (Ƥ). An anophthalmic endogean Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) from western Liguria that differs from other species of the C. fuscimanus group in the following combination of characters: movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with spinneret in both sexes; fixed chelal finger at level of est-it with 5 teeth occupying 0.1 mm (distance between successive apices 0.021–0.025); length of chela 0.62–0.63 (3), 0.67–0.69 (Ƥ) mm, length of movable chelal finger 0.37–0.38 (3), 0.39–0.41 (Ƥ) mm; chela 5.6–5.7 (3), 5.5–5.6 (Ƥ) times as long as deep; ratio of movable chelal finger/hand 1.45–1.55 (3Ƥ), ratio of pedipalpal femur/carapace 1.3 (3Ƥ).

Type material. ITALY — Liguria: Savona Prov.— 1 3 (holotype), Bergeggi, cork oak wood (44°15ʹ27ʺN 8°26ʹ35ʺE), 15.X.2007, M. Capurro, D. Duradoni & L. Galli leg., soil; 1 Ƥ (paratype), id., 21.IV.2006; 1 3 (paratype), id., 13.VI.2007; 1 Ƥ (paratype), Calizzano, Colle del Melogno, 1000 m a.s.l., 29.V.1979, S. Zoia leg., Fagus sylvatica wood; 1 Ƥ (paratype) ( Chthonius (E.) nanus Beier, M. Beier det.), Noli, Capo Noli, 14.I.1973, G. Gardini leg. (holotype deposited in MHNG, paratypes in G. Gardini coll., Genoa).

Derivatio nominis. The species is dedicated to Loris Galli (DISTAV, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell’Ambiente e della Vita, Università degli Studi di Genova) as an appreciation of his contributions to our knowledge of the edaphic fauna of Liguria.

Description of adults (Ƥ). Integument with weak pigmentation, carapace, tergites, chelicerae and pedipalps pale brown; lateral surface of carapace, cheliceral palm, distal surface of pedipalpal hand and base of movable chelal finger with evident hispid granulation. Carapace 1.0 times longer than broad, subquadrate, posteriorly slightly constricted; anterior margin (figs 76–78) strongly dentate between median macrosetae, mostly with small epistome; ocular area as in fig. 79, no eyes or eye-spots; chaetotaxy mm 4mm:6:4:2:2(18), macrosetae fine, preocular microsetae short and thick; length of anteromedian macrosetae 0.085–0.10 mm. Chaetotaxy of tergites I–X 4:4:4:4:6:6:6:6:6:4. Chaetotaxy of sternites II–X 10:(3)8(3):(2)7(2):8:6:6:6:6:7; sternite II rarely with 11 setae; sternite III rarely with (3)9(3) setae; genital opening of males flanked by 5–7 setae on each side. Chelicerae (figs 80–81) 2.0–2.2 times as long as broad, palm with 6 setae and 2 microsetae laterally; fixed finger with 6–8 teeth proximally reduced in size and 6–10 proximal microtubercles; movable finger with 6–8 teeth proximally reduced in size and 3–4 proximal microtubercles; movable finger without isolated subapical tooth (di); gl ratio 0.57–0.60; spinneret prominent, triangle-shaped; rallum with 11 blades; serrulae interior and exterior respectively with 12 and 14 blades. Coxal setae: pedipalp 5 (including 2 on manducatory process), I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, II 4, III 5, IV 6; coxa II with 6–8 coxal spines, coxa III with 4–5 (rarely 3) coxal spines; intercoxal tubercle bisetose. Pedipalp: femur 5.6 (3), 5.2–5.8 (Ƥ) times as long as broad, with basal hispid granulation; chela (figs 82–84) 5.6–5.7 (3), 5.5–5.6 (Ƥ) times as long as deep; hand of chela 2.2–2.3 (3), 2.2–2.25 (Ƥ) times as long as deep, weakly depressed at level ib-isb in females, with straight profile in males, with abrupt slope between trichobothria ib-isb and eb-esbist; fixed chelal finger with 12–15 triangular, weakly reclined teeth with dental canals: the first one or two proximal teeth with tip rounded, the 2–3 distal teeth gradually reduced distally; base of fixed finger with 6–10 microtubercles; tip of fixed finger with a modified accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; pedipalpal fixed finger at level of est-it with 5 teeth occupying 0.1 mm (distance between successive apices 0.021–0.025 mm); distal half of movable finger with 7–10 upright, triangular teeth, the distal one very small, with dental canals; proximal half of movable finger with thick marginal lamina irregularly undulated, more fine between sb and b; coupled sensilla pc mostly nearer to sb than to b, rarely at halfway between sb and b; trichobothria as in figs 83–84, eb-esb-ist placed in a straight line; basal apodeme of movable finger strongly sclerotized, rectangular, apically mostly reduced; ratio of movable finger/hand 1.45–1.55 (3Ƥ); ratio of pedipalpal femur/movable finger 1.15–1.2 (3Ƥ); ratio of pedipalpal femur/carapace 1.3 (3Ƥ).

Measurements (in mm). Body length 1.1–1.25. Carapace 0.34–0.35 × 0.32–0.34 (0.29–0.31 anteriorly) (3), 0.36–0.37 × 0.35–0.37 (0.32–0.35 anteriorly) (Ƥ). Chelicerae 0.28–0.29 × 0.13 (3), 0.32–0.34 × 0.145–0.17 (Ƥ), movable finger length 0.14 (3), 0.16–0.17 (Ƥ). Pedipalp: femur 0.45 × 0.08 (3), 0.465–0.47 × 0.08–0.09 (Ƥ); chela 0.62–0.63 × 0.11 (3), 0.67–0.69 × 0.12–0.125 (Ƥ); hand length 0.245–0.25 (3), 0.27–0.275 (Ƥ); movable finger length 0.37–0.38 (3), 0.39–0.41 (Ƥ).

Remarks. Among the species of the Chthonius fuscimanus group lacking an isolated subapical tooth (di) on movable cheliceral finger, C. gallii n. sp. is closely related to the epigean C. ligur from western Liguria. It differs from C. ligur in the complete lack of eyes (anterior eyes present in C. ligur ), in the presence of a spinneret in both sexes (mostly absent in males of C. ligur ), in its larger size [length of chela 0.62–0.63 mm (3) 0.67–0.69 (Ƥ) mm in C. gallii , 0.51–0.53 mm (3) 0.56–0.57 (Ƥ) mm in C. ligur ], in having the appendages more elongated [chela 5.6–5.7 (3) 5.5–5.6 (Ƥ) times as long as deep in C. gallii , 5.1–5.3 (3) 4.6–4.75 (Ƥ) times as long as deep in C. ligur ]. The shape of pedipalpal hand is similar in both species (figs 83–84 and 136–137).

Figures

FIGURES 76 – 82. Chthonius (E.) gallii n. sp. 76, male holotype, anterior margin of carapace; 77, male paratype (Bergeggi, 13. VI. 2007), id.; 78, female paratype (Bergeggi, 21. IV. 2006), id.; 79, male holotype, anterolateral portion of carapace; 80, id., right chelicera; 81, female paratype (Bergeggi, 21. IV. 2006), id.; 82, male holotype, tip of fixed chelal finger, dorsal view.

FIGURES 83 – 84. Chthonius (E.) gallii n. sp. 83, male holotype, right chela, lateral view; 84, female paratype (Bergeggi, 21. IV. 2006), id. (Scale bar 0.1 mm).

FIGURES 290 – 293. Distribution maps for the Italian species of the Chthonius fuscimanus group. 290, Chthonius (E.) boldorii Beier, 1934; 291, Chthonius (E.) genuensis Gardini, 1990, C. (E.) gestroi Simon, 1896, C. (E.) monguzzii n. sp., C. (E.) pieltaini Beier, 1930, C. (E.) troglophilus Beier, 1930 and C. (E.) zoiai Gardini, 1990; 292, Chthonius (E.) etruscus n. sp., C. (E.) latellai n. sp., C. (E.) magrinii n. sp. and C. (E.) sulphureus n. sp.; 293, Chthonius (E.) aeneae n. sp., C. (E.) gallii n. sp., C. (E.) intemelius n. sp. and C. (E.) ligur n. sp.