Zaragozachthonius siculus Gardini 2020, n. sp.
Creators: name: Gardini, Giulio
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Pseudoscorpiones
Chthoniidae
Zaragozachthonius
Zaragozachthonius siculus

description: Zaragozachthonius siculus n. sp.
(Figs 1–18, 38)
Type locality: Italy, Sicily, Syracuse Prov., Melilli, Integral Nature Reserve of Villasmundo–S. Alfio (37°13’0.91”N 15°06’1.36”E)
Distribution. Italy (Sicily).
Etymology. From the Latin adjective siculus, relative or pertaining to Sicily.
Diagnosis (³♀). An anophthalmous or microphthalmous endogean Zaragozachthonius species that differs from Z. karamanianus in the following characters: no eyes or anterior ones reduced to a pale cuticular area (anterior eyes with slightly convex lens, posterior ones reduced to a pale cuticular area in Z. karamanianus), fixed chelal finger with 34–45 teeth (with 44–55 teeth in Z. karamanianus), distal half of fixed chelal finger with teeth that more broadly spaced, at level of est-it with about 7–9 teeth occupying 0.05 mm (with more close-set teeth, at level of est-it with about 8–10 teeth occupying 0.05 mm in Z. karamanianus), basal apodeme of movable chelal finger long, finger–shaped (apodeme short and squat in Z. karamanianus).
Type material. ITALY— Sicily: Syracuse Prov. — 1 ♀ (holotype) 1 ♂ (paratype), Melilli, Integral Nature Reserve of Villasmundo-S. Alfio, 150 m a.s.l., 21.X.2019, G. Nicolosi leg., pitfall traps in MSS limestone (MHNG); 2 ♀ (paratypes), same locality, 8.X/ 12.XI.2018, G. Nicolosi leg., pitfall traps in MSS limestone (G. Gardini coll., Genoa); 11 ♀ (paratypes), same locality, 14. III / 29.VIII.2019, G. Nicolosi leg., pitfall traps in MSS limestone (G. Gardini coll., Genoa); 2 ♂ 2 ♀ (paratypes), same locality, 8. V.2020, G. Nicolosi leg., pitfall traps in MSS limestone (G. Gardini coll., Genoa); 1 ♂ 7 ♀ (paratypes), same locality, 9. VI.2020, G. Nicolosi leg., pitfall traps in MSS limestone (G. Gardini coll., Genoa); 1 ♂ 1 T (paratypes), same locality, 4.VIII.2020, G. Nicolosi leg., pitfall traps in MSS limestone (G. Gardini coll., Genoa).
Description of adults (³♀). Integument slightly pigmented, carapace, tergites, chelicerae and pedipalps pale brown; hispid granulation on lateral surfaces of carapace, the cheliceral palm and on the base of chelal fingers. Carapace (Fig. 3) 1.0–1.05 times longer than broad, anterior margin between median macrosetae with prominent epistome (Figs 1–2); ocular area as in fig. 3, no eyes, rarely anterior eyes reduced to a pale cuticular area; chaetotaxy 4:6:4:2:4(20), posterior row rarely with 5 setae (♂); lateral setae of posterior row about half the length of the median ones; length of anteromedian macrosetae 0.06–0.07 mm; preocular microsetae absent. Chaetotaxy of tergites 4:4:4:4:6:6:6:6:1T2T1:4:1T2T1:0. Chaetotaxy of sternites 9:(3)8–9(3):(2)6(2):8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2; genital opening of males mainly flanked by 6 setae on each side; male genitalia without a median hiatus (mh) between setae of each row of guard-setae (gs). Chelicerae (Fig. 4) 2.1–2.3 (♂ ♀) times as long as broad, palm with 6 setae, without lateral microsetae; fixed finger with 6–10 teeth, of which the two distals are larger; movable finger with an isolated subapical tooth (di), just proximad of the spinneret, a large tooth and 6–7 teeth proximally reduced in size; gl ratio 0.54–0.56; spinneret weakly prominent in both sexes; rallum with 11 blades; serrulae interior and exterior respectively with 12–13 and 14 blades. Coxal setae: pedipalp 5 (including 2 on manducatory process), I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, II 4, III 5, IV 7 (6 and 7 in a male); coxa II with 5–8 coxal spines, coxa III with 3–4 coxal spines; intercoxal tubercle bisetose. Pedipalp: femur 4.4–4.9 (♂), 4.5 (♀) times as long as broad, femoral chaetotaxy 3:5(6):2:5:1; chela (Figs 8–9) 4.8–5.15 (♂), 4.4–4.7 (♀) times as long as deep; hand of chela 1.85–2.0 (♂) 1.8–1.85 (♀) times as long as deep, long ovoid in dorsal view (Figs 5–6), with 4 posterior setae (ph 3 present); fixed chelal finger with 34–45 reclined, slightly spaced out teeth, the 18–20 distal ones pointed, apically rounded and increasingly reduced from trichobothrium est towards finger base (Figs 10–12); all teeth with dental canals; base of fixed chelal finger with 3–4 microtubercles; fixed finger at level of est-it with 7–9 teeth occupying 0.05 mm (distance between successive apices 0.007 –0.009 mm); tip of fixed chelal finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face (Figs 7, 10) and with apical sensilla af 1- 2, subdistal modified tooth mt absent; tip of fixed chelal finger of both sexes weakly hollowed on paraxial face, without subdistal protuberance sp (Fig. 7); distal paraxial seta gradually curved and thin; movable chelal finger with 26–33 reclined, spaced out teeth, apically pointed proximally up to trichobothrium t, rounded and increasingly reduced from t towards finger base, reaching back halfway between sb -b; all teeth with dental canals; movable finger at level of st-t with about 6–7 teeth occupying 0.05 mm (distance between successive apices 0.008 –0.009 mm); coupled sensilla pc halfway between trichobothria b-sb; tip of movable chelal finger with apical sensilla am 1- 2; chelal condylar and apodemal complex as in figs 13–15, basal apodeme of movable chelal finger long, finger–shaped, apically truncated; trichobothria as in figs 8–9; ratio sb -st/sb -b = 1.5; ratio of movable finger/hand of chela 1.5–1.6 (♂ ♀); ratio of pedipalpal femur/movable finger 1.0–1.1 (♂ ♀); ratio of pedipalpal femur/carapace 1.15–1.2 (♂ ♀).
Measurements (in mm). Body length 0.80–1.0 (♂ ♀). Carapace 0.27 × 0.27 (0.25 anteriorly) (♂), 0.28–0.295 × 0.285–0.31 (0.27–0.29 anteriorly) (♀). Chelicerae 0.245–0.25 × 0.11–0.115 (♂), 0.275–0.29 × 0.13–0.14 (♀); movable finger length 0.12 (♂), 0.14–0.145 (♀). Pedipalp: femur 0.31–0.32 × 0.065–0.07 (♂), 0.34 × 0.075 (♀); chela 0.48–0.49 × 0.095–0.10 (♂), 0.52–0.535 × 0.11–0.12 (♀); hand length 0.185–0.19 (♂), 0.20–0.215 (♀); movable finger length 0.30 (♂), 0.315–0.32 (♀).
Description of tritonymph. Integument with weak pigmentation, hispid granulation less marked than in adults. Carapace 1.0 times longer than broad, anterior margin between median macrosetae with prominent epistome, no eyes; chaetotaxy 4:6:4:2:4(20), lateral setae of posterior row shorter than median ones; length of anteromedian macrosetae 0.05 mm. Chaetotaxy of tergites as in adults. Chaetotaxy of sternites II–IX 5:(2)8(2):(1)6(1):8:6:6:6:6. Chelicerae 2.0 times as long as broad, palm with 5 setae, without lateral microsetae; fixed finger with 7 teeth, proximally reduced in size; movable finger with an isolated subapical tooth (di) and 7 teeth; gl ratio 0.53; spinneret prominent. Coxal setae: pedipalp 5 (including 2 on manducatory process), I 3 + 2 marginal microsetae, II 4, III 4, IV 5; coxa II with 5 coxal spines, coxa III with 2–3 coxal spines; intercoxal tubercle bisetose. Pedipalp: femur 4.3 times as long as broad, femoral chaetotaxy 3:5:2:4:1; chela 4.6 times as long as deep; hand of chela 1.75 times as long as deep, with 4 posterior setae; fixed chelal finger with 38 contiguous teeth, apically pointed proximally up to halfway between trichobothria et -it; tip of fixed chelal finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face (Fig. 16); movable chelal finger with 28 teeth, apically pointed proximally up to trichobothrium t, reduced in size towards finger base, reaching back between st and b; all teeth with dental canals; coupled sensilla pc just distad of b; chelal condylar and apodemal complex as in figs 17–18; ratio of movable finger/hand of chela 1.65; ratio of pedipalpal femur/movable finger 1.05; ratio of pedipalpal femur/carapace 1.05.
Measurements (in mm). Body length 0.70. Carapace 0.23 × 0.225 (0.21 anteriorly). Chelicerae 0.19 × 0.095, movable finger length 0.095. Pedipalp: femur 0.24 × 0.055; chela 0.37 × 0.08; hand length 0.14; movable finger length 0.23.
Remarks. Comparisons between Zaragozachthonius siculus and Z. karamanianus are reported in the Diagnosis section for each species.
The Sicilian records of Chthonius jonicus Beier, 1931 reported by Gardini (2000) remain to be verified, due to the likely misidentification with Z. siculus.
description: Published as part of Gardini, Giulio, 2020, Zaragozachthonius (Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae), a new genus with species in Italy and the Balkan peninsula, pp. 535-548 in Zootaxa 4894 (4) on pages 537-540, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4894.4.3, http://zenodo.org/record/4316705