Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) rhizon n. sp.: A new cave false scorpion from the bay of Kotor (Chthoniidae, Pseudoscorpiones)

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CHTHONIUS₍EPHIPPIOCHTHONIUS₎ RHIZON_{N. SP.: A NEW CAVE FALSE SCORPION FROM}

THE BAY OF KOTOR (CHTHONIIDAE, PSEUDOSCORPIONES)

B. P. M. ĆURČIĆ1_{, S. E. MAKAROV}1_{, NINA B. ĆURČIĆ}2_{, S. B. ĆURČIĆ}1_{and V. T. TOMIĆ}1

1 _{Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade,}_{11000 Belgrade, Serbia} 2 _{Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA,}_{11000 Belgrade, Serbia}

Abstract — A new cave pseudoscorpion from Montenegro, Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) rhizon n. sp., is described. he newly erected taxon is endemic to the Bukarička Pećina Cave, Knezlaz, Montenegro. Its taxonomic relationship with the phenetically close congeners, including comparative morphological traits, is described.

Key words: Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae, Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) rhizon n. sp.; new species, endemism, cave fauna, Montenegro, Balkan Peninsula

INTRODUCTION

In the present study, material from a sample of pseu-doscorpions collected in the Bukarička Pećina Cave, nr. Risan, Montenegro, has been examined. his sample contained a new taxon – Chthonius ( Ephip-piochthonius) rhizon n. sp. To complete the study of Balkan Ephippiochthonius species, the material of other species was reexamined in order to deine their precise taxonomic rank.

he new species described in this paper is an endemic and relict form, inhabiting underground habitats in the southern part of the Balkan Penin-sula.

Setal designations follow Beier (1939, 1963).

SYSTEMATIC PART

CHTHONIIDAE DADAY, 1888

CHTHONIUS C. L. KOCH, 1843

CHTHONIUS (EPHIPPIOCHTHONIUS) RHIZON B. ĆURČIĆ, NEW SPECIES

(Figs. 1-9; Table 1)

Etymology — Ater Risan (the ancient settlement of Rhizon), the oldest settlement in the Bay of Kotor.

Material examined — Holotype female, and paratype female from the Bukarička Pećina Cave, Knezlaz, nr. Risan, Montenegro, collected on 07 July 1997.

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Table 1. Linear measurements (in millimeters) and morphometric ratios in Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) rhizon n. sp., C.(E.) me-tohicus Ćurčić & Rađa, C. (E.) civitatisveti Ćurčić & Rađa, C. (E.) bidentatus Beier, C. (E.) kemza Ćurčić, Lee & Makarov, and C. (E.)

tetrachelatus (Preyssler). Abbreviations: ♀ = female, ♀♀ = females, ♂ = male, ♂♂ = males.

C. (E.) rhizon n. sp. C. (E.) metohicus C. (E.) civitatisveti

C. (E.)

bidentatus

C. (E.)

kemza

C. (E.)

tetrachelatus

Character ♀♀ ♀ ♂♂ ♂♂ ♂ ♂ ♂♂

Body

Length (1) 1.52-1.62 1.86 1.41 1.39-1.40 1.50 1.67 1.11-1.13

Cephalothorax

Length (2) 0.50-0.51 0.46 0.38-0.41 0.39-0.40 - 0.40 0.33-0.35

Breadth (2a) 0.51 0.45 0.36-0.39 0.36-0.37 - 0.39 0.34-0.36

Ratio 2/2a 0.98-1.00 1.02 1.05-1.06 1.08 - 1.03 1.03-1.11

Abdomen

Length 1.01-1.12 1.40 1.00-1.03 0.99-1.01 - 1.27

-Chelicerae

Length (3) 0.52-0.53 0.41 0.33 0.315-0.33 - 0.40 0.28

Breadth (4) 0.22 0.20 0.15-0.16 0.14-0.15 - 0.16 0.13

Length of movable inger (5) 0.275 0.21 0.16-0.18 0.16-0.17 - 0.17 0.14-0.15

Ratio 3/5 1.89-1.93 1.95 1.83-2.06 1.94-1.97 - 2.35 1.87-2.00

Ratio 3/4 2.36-2.41 2.05 2.06-2.20 2.20-2.25 - 2.50 2.15

Pedipalps

Length with coxa (6) 2.935-2.99 2.30 2.04 1.98-2.00 - 2.125 1.61-1.70

Ratio 6/1 1.845-1.93 1.24 1.45 1.41-1.44 - 1.27 1.45-1.50

Length of coxa 0.40-0.41 0.33 0.33-0.34 0.35-0.38 - 0.38 0.21-0.22

Length of trochanter 0.24 0.19 0.11-0.16 0.15 - 0.17 0.14-0.15

Length of femur (7) 0.845-0.85 0.68 0.56-0.58 0.52-0.56 - 0.57 0.43-0.45

Breadth of femur (8) 0.12 0.11 0.09 0.08-0.09 - 0.10 0.09

Ratio 7/8 7.04-7.08 6.18 6.22-6.44 4.00-6.50 - 5.70 4.78-5.00

Ratio 7/2 1.67-1.69 1.48 1.365-1.53 1.33-1.40 - 1.425 1.23-1.36

Length of patella (tibia) (9) 0.315 0.25 0.21-0.22 0.20-0.21 - 0.22 0.18-0.20

Breadth of patella (tibia) (10) 0.13 0.12 0.10 0.08-0.09 - 0.12

-Ratio 9/10 2.42 2.08 2.10-2.20 2.33-2.50 - 1.83

-Length of chela (11) 1.13-1.18 0.85 0.77-0.80 0.73 0.82 0.785 0.65-0.68

Breadth of chela (12) 0.20 0.17 0.12-0.13 0.12-0.13 - 0.16 0.11-0.12

Ratio 11/12 5.65-5.90 5.00 6.15-6.42 5.615-6.08 - 4.91 5.67-5.91

Length of chelal palm (13) 0.49-0.50 0.42 0.34-0.37 0.33-0.34 0.31 0.34 0.26-0.28

Ratio 13/12 2.45-2.50 2.47 2.83-2.85 2.615-2.75 - 2.125 2.33-2.36

Length of chelal inger (14) 0.64-0.68 0.43 0.43 0.40-0.41 0.50 0.445 0.39-0.40

Ratio 14/13 1.31-1.36 1.02 1.16-1.26 1.18-1.24 - 1.31 1.43-1.50

Leg IV

Total length 2.225-2.435 1.99 1.695-1.715 1.505-1.62 - 1.845

-Length of coxa 0.295-0.305 0.26 0.21 0.20-0.21 - 0.315

-Length of trochanter (15) 0.22-0.24 0.22 0.16-0.17 0.17-0.18 - 0.18 0.15

Breadth of trochanter (16) 0.12 0.11 0.10 0.10-0.12 - 0.10

-Ratio 15/16 1.83-2.00 2.00 1.60-1.70 1.50-1.70 - 1.80

-Length of femur + patella (17) 0.69-0.70 0.57 0.49-0.50 0.42-0.47 - 0.51 0.19-0.20

Breadth of femur + patella (18) 0.20-0.21 0.24 0.21-0.22 0.21 - 0.22

-Ratio 17/18 3.285-3.50 2.375 2.27-2.33 2.00-2.24 - 2.32 2.05-2.10

Length of tibia (19) 0.48 0.38 0.315 0.26-0.285 - 0.31 0.14-0.15

Breadth of tibia (20) 0.09-0.10 0.09 0.07-0.08 0.07-0.08 - 0.08

-Ratio 19/20 4.80-5.33 4.22 3.94-4.50 3.56-3.71 - 3.875

-Length of metatarsus (21) 0.24 0.21 0.18 0.15-0.16 - 0.19 0.14-0.15

Breadth of metatarsus (22) 0.07-0.08 0.07 0.05-0.06 0.05-0.06 - 0.06

-Ratio 21/22 3.00-3.43 3.00 3.00-3.60 2.67-3.00 - 3.17

-Length of tarsus (23) 0.50-0.51 0.35 0.34 0.305-0.315 - 0.34 0.25-0.27

Breadth of tarsus (24) 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.03 - 0.03

-Ratio 23/24 10.00-10.02 8.75 11.33 10.20-10.50 - 11.38

-TS ratio - tibia IV 0.51 0.54 0.48-0.515 0.535-0.54 - 0.51

-TS ratio - metatarsus IV 0.375-0.46 0.43 0.34-0.39 0.375-0.40 - 0.33

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-he carapace has 18 setae arranged in ive rows; four anterior, six ‘ocular’, four median, two interme-dian and four posterior. In the posterior row, only two median setae are long (Fig. 6). Two small setae are carried in each ‘preocular’ recess.

he number of setae carried on the abdominal tergites I – X can be expressed as 2 – 4 – 4 – 4 – 6 – 6 – 6 – 6 – 6 – 6 and 4 – 4 – 4 – 6 – 6 – 6 – 6 – 6 – 6 – 6. Sternite II of the female carries 10 setae; the next ster-nite carries 9 posterior setae and 3 suprastigmal mi-crosetae on either side. Sternite IV has 7-8 setae and 3 suprastigmal microsetae on each side (Fig. 7). Ster-nites V – X carry 9 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 8 – 7 and 9 – 9 – 8 – 8 – 8 – 7 posterior setae. Twelth abdominal segment with two small setae. Pleural membranes granulostriate.

he cheliceral spinneret (galea) is represented by a tiny hyaline tubercle (Fig. 9). here is a small isolated tooth distally on the movable cheliceral in-ger. he irst large tooth is contiguous with a series of smaller teeth that end below the insertion site of the galeal seta (gl). On the ixed inger, the teeth extend back, diminishing abruptly in size, below those on the movable inger (Fig. 9).

he movable inger carries one large galeal seta (gl) and six setae on the palm of the chelicera. he cheliceral lagellum consists of nine blades, more or less in pairs, distally. he most distal members of the series are curved, but all, to some extent, are pinnate on two sides.

Four trichobothria are carried on the movable and eight on the ixed chelal inger. he contour of the chelal palm on the dorsal side is depressed in front of these two trichobothria – isb and ib (Figs. 1 and 2). he teeth of the ixed inger (21-22) are distributed evenly along its inner length; of these, the distal and median teeth are prominent because of their pointed tips and the remaining are no more than small projections, proximally. he movable in-ger has a pronounced apodeme. his inin-ger has 21-24 teeth; the irst six or seven resemble the distal teeth of the movable inger. Proximally, the teeth decrease in size until the last six are small eruptions at the base

of the inger (Fig. 1). In addition, the ixed chelal in-ger carries an obvious small accessory tooth at the extreme distal end of the podomere.

he pedal coxa II carries 9-11 spines medially; coxa III has 4-6 spines. he intercoxal tubercle car-ries two small setae.

he measurements of the diferent podomeres of leg IV, as well as the tactile seta ratios are presented in Table 1. Tibia IV, metatarsus IV, and tarsus IV each carry a long tactile seta. he claws are slender, smooth and sickle-shaped. Pleural membranes granulostri-ate. he last segment bears two pairs of microsetae.

Remarks — he new species difers considerably from all its phenetically close congeners in morpho-metric ratios, linear measurements, form of diferent body structures, absence/presence of eyes, absence/ presence of heterodentition on chelal palm, the cara-pacal and sternite setation, the number of chelal teeth, the distribution areas, and in many other respects.

he diversity of underground pseudoscorpions precludes a simpliied treatment of its ecology. We are still discovering and establishing, like in this pa-per, a number of microhabitats of soil pseudoscorpi-ons in these ecosystems (Ćurčić, 1972, 1988; Ćurčić et al., 1993, 2004, 2010a, b, c, d, e, f, g; 2011a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, 2012a, b; Hadži, 1937). he mechanisms of habitat separation are many and diferent. he diver-sity of the pseudoscorpions of the soil fauna can be viewed as the totality of the various efects, although it is clear that the indicated efects operate more re-strictively and selectively on the level of individual populations.

Acknowledgments — he inancial support from the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Devel-opment, is gratefully acknowledged (Grant No. 173038).

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