1251
CHTHONIUS (EPHIPPIOCHTHONIUS) LAGADINI N. SP.
(CHTHONIIDAE, PSEUDOSCORPIONES), A NEW ENDEMIC EPIGEAN PSEUDOSCORPION FROM MACEDONIA
B. P. M. ĆurčIĆ*1, T. rAđA2, r. N. DIMITrIjevIĆ1, NINA B. ĆurčIĆ3, B. S. IlIĆ1, and jeleNA M. PeCelj4
1 Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
2 Speleological Society “Špiljar”, 21000 Split, Croatia 3 Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA, 11000 Belgrade
4 Faculty of Philosophy, University of Istočno Sarajevo, Istočno Sarajevo, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Abstract — A new species of epigean pseudoscorpion pertaining to the genus Chthonius C. l. Koch 1843 from Macedonia is erected. Its relationship to phenetically close congeners is briely discussed. he new species, Chthonius ( Ephippiochtho-nius) lagadini n. sp. is a relict form presently known only from its type locality (lagadin, nr. Ohrid, Macedonia).
Key words: Pseudoscorpions, Chthoniidae, Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) lagadini n. sp., endemism, Macedonia, Balkan Peninsula.
uDC 595.47(497.7):591.9
INTrODuCTION
he low number of known taxa of a particular group can be attributed to several possible reasons: the in-terest of specialists might be focused on other groups of animals, the small body size and cryptic way of life hinders the collection of samples needed for study, the densities of specimens of a particular group might be low (especially troglobiotic and troglophilic forms), and the habitats these animals populate may be inaccessible (Ćurčić, 2009).
In 1995 a sample of two soil-dwelling false scor-pions was collected in lagadin, nr. Ohrid, republic of Macedonia. A thorough analysis has shown that both specimens belong to the genus Chthonius C. l. Koch (subgenus Ephippiochthonius Beier),
repre-senting a new taxon Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) lagadini n. sp.
Setal designation follows Beier (1939, 1963).
Here are the results of the study of Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) lagadini n. sp.
SYSTeMATIC PArT CHTHONIIDAe DADAY, 1888
CHTHONIuS C. l. KOCH, 1843
CHTHONIUS (EPHIPPIOCHTHONIUS) LAGADINI
Description. — Anterior carapacal margin with no tubercle (Figs. 3, 4, 15, and 16). Four inconspicuous pairs of eye spots are present (Figs. 4 and 16). Setal carapacal formula: 4 + 6 + 6 + 2 = 18 setae. One or two preocular setae are located in each preocular re-cess (Figs. 4 and 16). Carapace reticulate throughout. Tergite setation: 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 6 - 6 - 6 - 6 - 6 - 6 (in both male and female). Sternite II of the female with nine setae, sternite III with nine posterior setae and three suprastigmatic setae on either side, sternite Iv with eight posterior setae and a single microseta on either side, sternites v-X with 9 - 7 - 6 - 7 - 6 - 6 setae. In the male, sternite II carries seven setae, sternite III carries seven setae on each side of a v-shaped open-ing and seven posterior setae and three small setae along each of the stigma. Sternite Iv has eight setae and two small suprastigmatic setae on either side, and sternites v-X carry 9 - 8 - 8 - 8 - 7 - 7 setae. Pleu-ral membranes are granulostriate.
Cheliceral galea is rounded and clearly visible (Figs. 2, 11 and 12). Fixed cheliceral inger with six long setae, a movable inger with one such seta (Figs. 2, 11 and 12). he lagellum has nine blades, only two distal blades pinnate anteriorly; other lagellar setae are smooth and accuminate, diminishing in size from distal to proximal. Dentation of cheliceral ingers as in Figs. 2, 11 and 12.
he manducatory process (apex of pedipalpal coxa) has two long setae, trochantic foramen with two setae. All pedipalpal articles are smooth and elongated (Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 14). Pedipalpal femur and tibia are distally dilated. he pedipalpal chelal palm widens at its mid-line (Figs. 7 and 10). he ixed chelal inger is with 16 (in females) or 18 (in males) asymmetrical, small and close teeth which are interspaced and proximally form a dental lamella; i.e. they become rounded, low and small. he ixed
coxa III has 6 - 7 (female) and 4 - 5 spines (male). Tibia Iv has a single seta, metatarsus Iv, and tarsus Iv with one long seta (Figs. 6 and 9, Table 1). he disposition of these setae may be subject to some variation.
Morphometric ratios and linear measurements are presented in Table 1.
Remarks. — he new species is easily distinguished from Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) kupalo Ćurčić in the pedipalpal length (2.33 mm vs. 1.89 mm), pedipalpal femur length-to-breadth ratio (6.10 - 6.44 vs. 5.10 - 5.54), pedipalpal patella length-to-breadth ratio (2.08 - 2.555 vs. 1.75 - 1.93), pedipalpal chelal length-to-breadth ratio (5.17 - 5.50 vs. 4.40 - 4.47), as well as in many morphometric ratios and linear measurements (Table 1).
From Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) lychnidis Ćurčić, the new species difers in the pedipalpal fe-mur length-to-breadth ratio (6.10 - 6.44 vs. 5.54 - 5.91), pedipalpal chela length-to-breadth ratio (5.17 - 5.50 vs. 4.40 - 5.12), leg Iv length (1.795 - 2.065 mm vs. 1.90 - 2.03 mm), leg Iv tibia length-to-breadth ra-tio (4.25 - 4.50 vs. 3.90 - 4.00), etc. (Table 1).
In comparison with Chthonius ( Ephippiochtho-nius) vid Ćurčić, C. (E.) lagadini n. sp. difers in the pedipalpal patella length-to-breadth ratio (2.00 vs. 2.08 - 2.555), pedipalpal chela length-to-breadth ra-tio (4.76 - 5.18 vs. 5.18 - 5.50), in the form of pedipal-pal articles, and in the presence of eyes or eyespots (with eyespots in C. (E.) lagadini n. sp. vs. with eyes in C. (E.) vid), etc. (Table 1).
Distribution. — epigean, Macedonia.
Table 1. linear measurements (in millimeters) and morphometric ratios in Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) lagadini n. sp., C. (E.) kupalo
Ćurčić, C. (E.) lychnidis Ćurčić, and C. (E.) vid Ćurčić. Abbreviations: ♀ = female, ♀♀ = females, ♂ = male, ♂♂ = males.
C. (E.) lagadini C. (E.) kupalo C. (E.) lychnidis C. (E.) vid
Character ♀ ♂ ♀ ♀ ♂♂ ♀ ♂
Body
length (1) 1.99 1.67 1.745 2.10 1.70-2.175 1.92 1.46
Cephalothorax
length (2) 0.49 0.41 0.445 0.52 0.43-0.46 0.48 0.425
Breadth (2a) 0.44 0.39 0.43 0.48 0.42-0.47 0.47 0.40
ratio 2/2a 1.11 1.05 1.35 1.08 - -
-Abdomen
length 1.50 1.26 1.30 1.58 1.27-1.715 1.44 1.035
Chelicerae
length (3) 0.38 0.35 0.325 0.41 0.37 0.39 0.33
Breadth (4) 0.19 0.15 0.17 0.205 0.17-0.18 0.17 0.16
length of movable inger (5) 0.20 0.18 0.20 0.23 0.20 0.22 0.18
ratio 3/5 1.90 1.94 1.625 1.78 1.85 1.77 1.83
ratio 3/4 2.00 2.33 1.91 2.00 2.055-2.18 2.29 2.18
Pedipalps
length with coxa (6) 2.33 2.055 1.89 2.575 2.305-2.31 2.39 1.955
ratio 6/1 1.17 1.23 1.035 1.20 - -
-length of coxa 0.35 0.305 0.315 0.49 0.39-0.40 0.41 0.28
length of trochanter 0.19 0.17 0.14 0.205 0.185-0.19 0.20 0.16
length of femur (7) 0.61 0.58 0.51 0.665 0.62-0.65 0.64 0.57
Breadth of femur (8) 0.10 0.09 0.10 0.12 0.11 0.11 0.09
ratio 7/8 6.10 6.44 5.10 5.54 5.64-5.91 5.82 6.33
ratio 7/2 1.24 1.41 1.15 1.28 1.41-1.44 1.33 1.34
length of patella (tibia) (9) 0.25 0.23 0.21 0.29 0.23-0.26 0.26 0.22
Breadth of patella (tibia) (10) 0.12 0.09 0.12 0.15 0.13 0.13 0.11
ratio 9/10 2.08 2.555 1.75 1.93 1.77-2.00 2.00 2.00
length of chela (11) 0.93 0.77 1.715 0.925 0.82-0.87 0.88 0.725
Breadth of chela (12) 0.18 0.14 0.16 0.21 0.17 0.185 0.14
ratio 11/12 5.17 5.50 4.47 4.40 4.82-5.12 4.76 5.18
length of chelal palm (13) 0.43 0.35 0.315 0.425 0.38-0.39 0.40 0.315
ratio 13/12 2.39 2.50 1.97 2.02 2.235-2.29 2.16 2.25
length of chelal inger (14) 0.50 0.43 0.40 0.50 0.43-0.49 0.48 0.41
ratio 14/13 1.16 1.23 1.27 1.18 1.10-1.29 1.20 1.30
leg Iv
Total length 2.065 1.795 1.62 2.03 1.90-1.95 1.955 1.745
length of coxa 0.235 0.25 0.26 0.31 0.24-0.26 0.27 0.23
length of trochanter (15) 0.19 0.17 0.16 0.23 0.18-0.20 0.205 0.18
Breadth of trochanter (16) 0.10 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.12-0.13 0.12 0.10
ratio 15/16 1.90 1.70 1.33 1.64 1.38-1.67 1.71 1.80
length of femur + patella (17) 0.66 0.54 0.46 0.56 0.55-0.56 0.55 0.44
Breadth of femur + patella (18) 0.23 0.22 0.19 0.25 0.23-0.24 0.22 0.20
ratio 17/18 2.87 2.45 2.42 2.24 2.33-2.39 2.50 2.45
length of tibia (19) 0.36 0.34 0.29 0.39 0.36 0.37 0.32
Breadth of tibia (20) 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.10 0.09 0.08 0.08
ratio 19/20 4.50 4.25 3.625 3.90 4.00 4.625 4.00
length of metatarsus (21) 0.20 0.18 0.16 0.20 0.20 0.21 0.185
Breadth of metatarsus (22) 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.075 0.065-0.07 0.07 0.06
ratio 21/22 3.33 3.00 2.67 2.67 2.86-3.08 3.00 3.08
length of tarsus (23) 0.37 0.315 0.29 0.34 0.37 0.35 0.34
Breadth of tarsus (24) 0.04 0.03 0.035 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.04
ratio 23/24 9.25 10.50 8.285 8.50 12.33 11.67 8.50
TS ratio - tibia Iv 0.51 0.515 0.58 0.465 0.51-0.57 0.56 0.57
TS ratio - metatarsus Iv 0.35 0.39 0.30 0.45 0.38-0.41 0.425 0.44
mind the estimated number of caves in Macedonia (7000-8000, Ćurčić, 1988), the number of known cave-dwelling pseudoscorpions is far from deini-tive. Further pedozoological and biospeleogical in-vestigations will, without doubt, reveal many more pseudoscorpion taxa new to science (Beier, 1939, 1963; Ćurčić, 1972, 1988; Ćurčić et al., 1993, 1997a, b, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011a, b, c, d, e, f, Hadži, 1937).
Acknowledgement — his study was inancially supported by the Serbian Ministry of education and Science (Grant # 173038 and III 47007).
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