Chthonius
Creators: name: Gardini, Giulio
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Pseudoscorpiones
Chthoniidae
Chthonius

description: [Chthonius (E.) corsicus Callaini, 1981]
(Figs 50–53)
Chthonius corsicus Callaini 1981: 315, figs IIIa–f, IV.
Type locality: France, Corsica, Dept. Haute-Corse, Bastia, San-Martino-di-Lota (42°43ʹ26ʺN 9°27ʹ21ʺE).
Distribution. Corsica.
Diagnosis (3). An oculated epigean Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) from Corsica that differs from other species of the C. fuscimanus group in the following combination of characters: movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di); fixed chelal finger at level of est-it with 4 teeth occupying 0.1 mm (distance between successive apices 0.026 mm); length of chela 0.655–0.67 (3), length of pedipalpal movable finger 0.38–0.39 (3); ratio of pedipalpal femur/carapace 1.35–1.4 (3).
Material examined. FRANCE — Corsica: 1 3, Bastia, near Erbalunga, 22.V.1982, S. Zoia & A. Torchia leg., Quercus ilex wood on limestone.
Description of adult (3; Ƥ unknown). Integument with weak pigmentation, carapace, tergites, chelicerae and pedipalps pale brown; evident hispid granulation on lateral surface of carapace, on cheliceral palm and on base of movable chelal finger. Carapace 1.05–1.1 times as long as broad, subquadrate, posteriorly weakly constricted; anterior margin (fig. 50) between median macrosetae with spaced out denticles, without epistome; ocular area as in fig. 51, anterior eyes with fairly convex lens (diameter 0.028 mm), posterior eyes reduced to a smooth cuticular area; distance from anterior eyes to anterior margin of carapace 0.03 mm; chaetotaxy mm 4mm:6:4:2:2 (18), macrosetae fine; length of anteromedian macrosetae 0.08 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):7o8:6:6:6:6:7; genital opening of males flanked by 6–8 setae on each side. Chelicerae (figs 52) 2.1–2.4 times as long as broad, palm with 6 setae and 1 or 2 microsetae laterally; fixed finger with 6–7 subequal teeth and 5–6 proximal microtubercles; movable finger with 5 teeth proximally reduced in size and 3–4 proximal microtubercles, isolated subapical tooth (di) absent; gl ratio 0.59; spinneret weakly raised; 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 7–9 coxal spines, coxa III with 4–5 coxal spines; intercoxal tubercle bisetose. Pedipalp (fig. 53): femur 5.6–6.0 times as long as broad, with hispid granulation basally; chela 5.5–5.8 times as long as deep; hand of chela 2.4–2.5 times as long as deep, weakly depressed at level of ib-isb, without hump distad of ib-isb; fixed chelal finger with 12–13 triangular teeth with dental canals, the two distal teeth smaller, the first proximal tooth smaller and with tip rounded; base of fixed finger with 6–7 microtubercles; tip of fixed finger with a modified accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; fixed chelal finger at level of est-it with 4 teeth occupying 0.1 mm (distance between successive apices 0.026 mm); distal half of movable chelal finger with 7 upright, triangular teeth, the proximal one smaller, with dental canals; proximal half of movable finger with thick marginal lamina weakly undulated, with vestiges of 3 teeth back to sb; coupled sensilla pc at level with sb; trichobothria as in fig. 53, ist a little distad of the line eb-esb; basal apodeme of movable finger strongly sclerotized, squat, apically truncate; ratio of movable finger/hand of chela 1.3–1.35; ratio of pedipalpal femur/movable finger 1.2–1.3; ratio of pedipalpal femur/carapace 1.35–1.4.
Measurements (in mm). Body length 1.20–1.26. Carapace 0.35 × 0.32–0.33 (0.29 anteriorly). Chelicerae 0.27– 0.28 × 0.11–0.137, movable finger length 0.14–0.15. Pedipalp: femur 0.47–0.48 × 0.08–0.084; chela 0.655–0.67 × 0.115–0.12; hand length 0.29; movable finger length 0.38–0.39.
Remarks. Among the species of the Chthonius fuscimanus group, C. corsicus is related to C. giustii and C. siscoensis, both from Corsica. It differs from the epigean C. giustii in its larger size [length of chela 0.655–0.67 mm (3) in C. corsicus, 0.33–0.36 mm (3) in C. giustii], the shape of pedipalpal hand (weakly depressed at level of ibisb with a rectangular profile in C. corsicus, depressed at level of ib-isb with a square profile in C. giustii) and the pedipalps being more slender [chela 5.5–5.8 (3) times as long as deep in C. corsicus, 4.8–5.15 (3) in C. giustii]. C. corsicus differs from the hypogean C. siscoensis in many troglomorphic characters.
The above redescription of C. corsicus incorporates the original one of Callaini (1981).
description: Published as part of Gardini, Giulio, 2013, A revision of the species of the pseudoscorpion subgenus Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae) from Italy and neighbouring areas, pp. 1-151 in Zootaxa 3655 (1) on pages 33-35, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3655.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/223358