Neobisium (Neobisium) zoiai Gardini & Rizzerio 1986

Neobisium (Neobisium) zoiai Gardini & Rizzerio, 1986 (Figs 111–118) Neobisium (Ommatoblothrus) zoiai Gardini & Rizzerio, 1986: 6, figs 1–4. Type locality: Italy, Piedmont, Cuneo Province, Caprauna, Garb del Dighea 126 Pi / CN (40°07’45”N 7°56’00”E). Distribution. Italy (Piedmont). Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A subterranean, highly troglomorphic Neobisium from Piedmont (Ligurian Alps) that differs from other Mediterranean species of the genus in the following combination of characters: posterior margin of carapace with 4 setae, preocular setae absent; epistome triangular or slightly prominent, anterior eyes weakly developed, with flat lens, dark integument between anterior and posterior eyes absent; tergites I–IV: 4–5:5–6:5– 6;6–7; cheliceral palm with 6 (rarely 7) setae, rallum with 9 (rarely 7) blades; fixed chelal finger with large, pointed, erected and spaced teeth in the distal three-quarters, more or less rounded in the proximal quarter of the finger; fixed and movable chelal fingers with 94–98 and 83–88 teeth, respectively; pedipalpal femur 2.32–2.46 mm length (8.43–8.94 ×), patella 1.70–1.88 mm (5.66–6.06 ×), movable finger 2.41–2.48 mm; pedipalpal hand with long oval profile, just widened towards the base and its greatest width in the proximal quarter; fixed finger curved in dorsal view, slightly curved, almost straight, in antiaxial view; ratio between movable chelal finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.42–1.56; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable chelal finger 0.96–1.00; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.95–2.21; trichobothrium ist proximal st, at midway between the finger tip and isb. Type material examined. ITALY — Piedmont: Cuneo Prov.: 1♀ (holotype), Caprauna, Monte Armetta, Garb del Dighea 126 Pi / CN (40°07’45”N 7°56’00”E), 1615 m a.s.l., 17.VI.1985, G. Gardini, R. Rizzerio, S. Zoia leg. Non-type material examined. ITALY — Piedmont: Cuneo Prov.: 3♂, Caprauna, Monte Armetta, Garb del Dighea 126 Pi / CN (40°07’45”N 7°56’00”E), 1615 m a.s.l., 7.VIII.1994, G. Gardini, C. Giusto leg.; 1♀ 1 T, id., 2.II.2002, S. Zoia, F. Polese leg. Description of adults (♂ ♀). Carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and palpal coxae brown pale; pedipalps smooth, pleural membrane granular. Carapace 1.48 (♂) or 1.37–1.45 (♀) times as long as broad, anterior eyes weakly developed, with flat lens, the posterior ones not visible, dark integument between anterior and posterior eyes absent; anterior margin of carapace with a slightly prominent or triangular epistoma apically rounded (Fig. 111); 20 macrosetae, without preocular setae, chaetotaxy 4–6–6–4. Chaetotaxy of tergites I–X: 5:5–6:5–6:6–7:6– 7:8–11:10–11:8–11:10–11:10–11 (♂) or 4–5:5:6:6–7:7:7:8–9:9–10:11:10 (♀). Chaetotaxy of sternites II–X (♂): 22:(4)50(4):(3)16–17(3):15–17:15:15–16:15–16:15–16:13–14, median genital sac pyriform, reaching the base of sternite IV; chaetotaxy of sternites II–X (♀): 10:(4)23–24(4):(3)18(3):15–18:16–17:16:15–16:14–15:15. Chelicera (Fig. 112) 1.97–2.10 (♂ ♀) times as long as broad, palm with 6 setae (6 and 7 in one ♂); fixed finger with 17–23 subequal teeth proximally and distally decreasing in size; movable finger with 15–18, of which 1–3 more prominent at level of gs; gs ratio 0.64–0.68, spinneret largely prominent and rounded in male, more prominent in female (Gardini & Rizzerio 1986, fig. 1); rallum with 9 blades, the distal one laterally pinnate and isolated on a prominence, the second one serrate, the successive ones smooth, the two proximal shorter (one male with 7 and 9 blades in the right and left chelicera, respectively); serrula exterior with 35–38. Manducatory process with 5 setae. Coxal setae: pedipalp 6–8, I 5–8, II 6–10, III 6–8, IV 8–11; anterolateral process of coxa I broad and non-pointed, anteromedial process broadly rounded, with spicules (Fig. 113). Pedipalp (Figs 114–116): trochanter 3.05 (♂) or 2.83–2.92 (♀) times as long as broad; femur 8.43–8.94 (♂ ♀) times as long as broad, weakly enlarged distally; patella 5.66 (♂) or 5.77–6.06 (♀) times as long as broad, club gradually enlarged distally, ratio between club and pedicel 3.04 (♂) or 2.08–2.10 (♀), ratio X/Y = 0.25–0.27 (♂ ♀); chela with pedicel 7.60 (♂) or 7.36–7.46 (♀) times as long as broad; hand of chela with pedicel 3.02 (♂) or 3.05–3.11 (♀) times as long as broad, with long oval profile, just widened towards the base and its greatest width in the proximal quarter (dorsal view); fixed finger curved in dorsal view, slightly curved, almost straight, in antiaxial view (Figs 115–116; Gardini & Rizzerio 1986, figs 3–4); fixed chelal finger with 94–98 (♂ ♀) large, pointed, erected and spaced teeth in the distal three-quarters of the finger, more or less rounded in the proximal quarter of the finger (Fig. 116); nodus ramosus subterminal; movable chelal finger with 83–88 teeth, pointed, erected and spaced in the distal half, rounded and contiguous in the proximal half of the teeth (Fig. 116); all teeth with dental canals; sensillum closer to st than to sb; trichobothria as in figs 115–116, relative position of trichobothria along chelal axis (♂ ♀): it 0.11/ et 0.13–0.15/ est 0.145 –0.18/ ist 0.44–0.47/ isb 0.85–0.88/ ib 0.93–0.94/ esb 0.98/ eb 0.99/ t 0.19–0.20/ st 0.34–0.42/ sb 0.75–0.81/ b 0.90–0.91; trichobothrium ist proximal st, at midway between the finger tip and isb; trichobothrium isb proximal sb; ratio between movable finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.56 (♂) or 1.42–1.46 (♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable finger 0.96–1.0 (♂ ♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.95 (♂) or 2.06–2.21 (♀). Leg IV (Fig. 117): trochanter 3.09 (♂) or 2.69–3.26 (♀) times as long as deep, femur + patella 9.32 (♂) or 8.61–10.08 (♀) times as long as deep, tibia 13.44 (♂) or 14.41–15.57 (♀) times [TS = 0.28–0.31 (♂ ♀)], basitarsus 6.71 (♂) or 7.42–8.0 (♀) times [TS = 0.11–0.14 (♂ ♀)], telotarsus 11.5 (♂) or 9.58–10.45 (♀) times as long as deep [TS = 0.40–0.50 (♂ ♀)], ratio between basitarsus and telotarsus (♂ ♀) 0.70–0.80, subterminal seta furcate, claws without dorsal tooth. Measurements. Body length 4.8 (♂) or 5.0–5.4 (♀). Carapace 1.19 × 0.80 anteriorly (♂) or 1.11–1.19 × 0.81– 0.82 anteriorly (♀). Chelicera 0.73 × 0.37 (♂) or 0.80–0.815 × 0.38–0.39 (♀); movable finger length 0.46 (♂) or 0.505–0.51 (♀). Pedipalp: trochanter 0.84 × 0.275 (♂) or 0.805–0.82 × 0.275–0.29 (♀); femur 2.32 × 0.275 (♂) or 2.46 × 0.275–0.29 (♀); patella 1.70 × 0.30 (♂) or 1.79–1.88 × 0.31 (♀); chela with pedicel 3.88 × 0.51 (depth 0.515) (♂) or 4.05–4.18 × 0.55–0.56 (depth 0.55–0.56) (♀); hand with pedicel length 1.54 (♂) or 1.68–1.74 (♀); movable finger length 2.41 (♂) or 2.46–2.48 (♀). Leg IV: trochanter 0.725 × 0.235 (♂) or 0.70–0.75 × 0.23–0.26 (♀); femur + patella 2.19 × 0.235 (♂) or 2.32–2.41 × 0.23–0.28 (♀); tibia 1.95 × 0.145 (♂) or 2.09–2.18 × 0.14–0.145 (♀); basitarsus 0.805 × 0.12 (♂) or 0.89–0.92 × 0.115–0.12 (♀); telotarsus 1.15 × 0.10 (♂) or 1.15 × 0.11–0.12 (♀). Description of tritonymph. Carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and palpal coxae brown pale. Pedipalps smooth, pleural membrane granular. Carapace 1.39 times as long as broad, eyes or eye spots not visible; anterior margin of carapace with slightly prominent, broadly rounded epistome; carapace with 20 macrosetae, without preocular setae, chaetotaxy 4–5–7–4. Chaetotaxy of tergites I–X 4:5:5:8:9:8:8:11:11:9. Chaetotaxy of sternites II–X: 4:(2)11(2):(3)11(3):15:14:15:13:15:12. Chelicera 2.13 times as long as broad, palm with 6 setae, fixed finger with 21 teeth, movable finger with 16 teeth, of which two prominent at level of gs; gs ratio 0.66, spinneret largely prominent, hemispheric; rallum with 7 blades, the distal one laterally pinnate and isolated on a prominence, the second and the third ones distally serrate, the successive ones smooth, the proximal shorter; serrula exterior with about 30 blades. Manducatory process with 4 setae. Coxal setae: pedipalp 6, I 5, II 6, III 5, IV 8; anterolateral process of coxa I short and stocky. Pedipalp: trochanter 2.78 times as long as broad; femur 6.62 times as long as broad, weakly enlarged distally; patella 4.61 times as long as broad, weakly and gradually enlarged distally, club 2.0 times longer than pedicel, ratio X/Y = 0.35; chela with pedicel 6.34 times as long as broad; hand of chela with pedicel 2.70 times as long as broad; fixed chelal finger with 70 teeth: 3 small, rounded distal teeth, followed by 47 large, pointed, erected and spaced teeth and 20 rounded teeth increasingly reduced towards finger base; nodus ramosus subterminal; movable chelal finger with 62 teeth, pointed and erected in the distal half of the teeth, rounded in the proximal one; all teeth with dental canals; sensillum not seen; relative position of trichobothria along chelal axis: it 0.13/ et 0.16/ est 0.21 / ist 0.50/ ib 0.93/ esb 0.98/ eb 0.985/ t 0.22/ st 0.50/ b 0.88; ratio between movable finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.43; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable finger 0.93; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.72. Leg IV: trochanter 2.63 times as long as deep, femur + patella 7.78 times as long as deep, tibia 10.58 times (TS = 0.34), basitarsus 5.6 times (TS = 0.13), telotarsus 7.27 times as long as deep, ratio between basitarsus and telotarsus 0.70, subterminal seta furcate, with short dorsal branch; claws without dorsal tooth. Measurements. Body length not detected for opisthosoma broken. Carapace 0.92 × 0.66 anteriorly. Chelicera 0.64 × 0.30, movable finger length 0.38. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.64 × 0.23; femur 1.59 × 0.24; patella 1.20 × 0.26; chela with pedicel 2.79 × 0.44 (depth 0.44); hand with pedicel length 1.19; movable finger length 1.71. Leg IV: trochanter 0.50 × 0.19; femur + patella 1.48 × 0.19; tibia 1.27 × 0.12; basitarsus 0.56 × 0.10; telotarsus 0.80 × 0.11. Remarks. Neobisium zoiai was described by Gardini & Rizzerio (1986) based on one female from the cave Garb del Dighea 126 Pi/CN near Caprauna (Ligurian Alps), so far the only locality known for

Topic: Subterranean biodiversity and taxonomy
Subfield: Paleontology
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences