Neobisium (Neobisium) gennargentui Callaini, 1983

Neobisium (Neobisium) gennargentui Callaini, 1983 (n. stat.)

( Figs 16–29 View FIGURES 16–23 View FIGURES 24–29 , 79 View FIGURE 79 )

Neobisium (Neobisium) bernardi gennargentui Callaini, 1983: 282 View in CoL , figs 1a–g.

Neobisium (Neobisium) incertum View in CoL : Gardini 2011: 825 (in part: Monte Sette Fratelli).

Type locality: Italy, Sardinia, Nuoro Province, Fonni, Arcu Correboi (40°04’57”N 9°20’49”E) GoogleMaps .

Distribution. Italy (Sardinia).

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). An epigean small-sized Neobisium from Sardinia that differs from other Mediterranean species of the genus in the following combination of characters: carapace without preocular microsetae and with 7–11 (mostly 8) posterior setae; ocular and median rows of carapace with a total of 12 setae; epistome acute triangular; anterior and posterior eyes bulging and almost contiguous; anterior eyes at a distance of approximately half their diameter from the edge of the carapace; tergites I–IV: 6–9:9–11:10–14:10–14; cheliceral palm with 6 or 7 setae, rallum with 8 (rarely 9) blades; pedipalps smooth; fixed chelal finger homodentate, with 51–57 contiguous teeth, movable chelal finger with 41–50 uniform, broadly rounded teeth; pedipalpal femur 0.645–0.74 mm length (3.40–3.80 ×), patella 0.46–0.54 mm (2.10–2.26 ×), distal opening of the patella wide (X/Y = 1.0–1.03), movable finger 0.60–0.71 mm; pedipalpal hand with oval profile; ratio between movable chelal finger and hand of chela with pedicel lengths 1.03–1.24; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable chelal finger lengths 0.98–1.13; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace lengths 1.06–1.11; trichobothrium it at level of et or just proximal et; trichobothrium ist in the middle of the fixed chelal finger, just proximal st and closer to it than to ib.

Type material examined. ITALY — Sardinia: Nuoro Province : 1♂ holotype, “ Neobisium bernardi gennargentui n. ssp. / ♂ holotypus ” “ Sardegna 29-4-75 / Arcu Correboi - muschio e prato ( Pseudoscorpioni )” ( MSNG) .

Non-type material examined. ITALY — Sardinia: Cagliari Prov.: 1♀ ( Neobisium incertum, G. Gardini det.), Sinnai, Mt Sette Fratelli , 17. V.1991, L. Fancello & P. Leo leg. Sardinia: Nuoro Prov.: 1♂, Fonni, Mt Spada , 1350 m a.s.l., 3.IV.1997, S. Vit leg. ; 2 T, Gennargentu, Punta Marcusa , 1250 m a.s.l., 28. V.1974, G. Bartoli leg. sifting under Ilex aquifolium; 1♀, Jerzu, Genna Su Ludu , 7.III.1989, L. Fancello & P. Leo leg. ; 1 T, Oliena, Mt Maccione , III.2014, C. Onnis leg. ; 1♀ 1 T, Ollolai , 2.XII.2010, L. Fancello leg. ; 2 T, Perdasdefogu , 18. VI.1983, C. Torti leg., Quercus ilex wood; 1♂, Siniscola, Mt Albo , 24. V.1976, G. Bartoli leg.; 1♀, near Ulassai, 850 m a.s.l., 2.XII.1987, L. Fancello & P. Leo leg. Sardinia: Oristano Prov. : 2♂ 1♀, near Cuglieri, 700 m a.s.l., 2.IV.1997, S. Vit leg. , Quercus ilex wood; 4 T, Pau, Mt Arci, Parco dell’Ossidiana, 14.IV.2013, C. Onnis leg.

Description of adults (♂ ♀). Carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and palpal coxae yellow-brown, chelal fingers of the same colour of the hand; pedipalps smooth and shiny, pleural membrane granular. Carapace 1.0–1.3 (♂ ♀) times as long as broad, with four bulging eyes with tapetum ( Fig. 16 View FIGURES 16–23 ); anterior eyes with convex lens (diameter 0.080 –0.085 mm), the posterior ones weakly reduced; distance from anterior eyes to anterior margin of carapace 0.040 –0.045 mm; distance from anterior to posterior eyes 0.02–0.03 mm; anterior margin of carapace with acute triangular epistome (0.03 mm length), without apical denticles ( Figs 16 View FIGURES 16–23 , 24 View FIGURES 24–29 ); chaetotaxy 4:6:6:7–11, posterior row mostly with 8 setae, preocular setae absent. Chaetotaxy of tergites I–X (♂ ♀): 6–9:9–11:10–14:10–14:11–15:11– 14:11–13:11–13:10–13:11–13. Chaetotaxy of sternites II–X (♂): 9–12:(2–3)23–30(2–3):(3)12–14(3):14–17:14– 17:16–17:16–17:17–18:14–16, lateral genital sacs tubular, median genital sac pyriform, reaching the base of sternite V, genital atrium with 5+5 setae; genital area as in Fig. 19 View FIGURES 16–23 ; chaetotaxy of sternites II–X (♀): 6:(2)18(2):(2–3)13– 18(3):15:16:17:16:18:15. Chelicera ( Figs 18 View FIGURES 16–23 , 26 View FIGURES 24–29 ) 1.78–1.97 (♂ ♀) times as long as broad, palm with 6 or 7 setae; fixed finger with 10–15 teeth, gradually smaller distally; movable finger with 8–12 teeth, the largest just distad gs; gs ratio 0.59–0.64, spinneret subcircular, largely prominent in female, more reduced in male; rallum with 8 (rarely 9) blades, the distal one laterally pinnate and isolated on a prominence, the second one serrate, the successive ones smooth, the proximal isolated and very short; serrulae interior and exterior with 20–24 and 25–26 blades, respectively. Manducatory process with 4 (rarely 3) setae. Coxal setae (♂ ♀): pedipalp 7–8, I 6, II 6–8, III 7–8, IV 11–12; anterolateral process of coxa I strongly prominent and pointed, anteromedial process prominent and apically rounded, with evident spiniform processes ( Figs 17 View FIGURES 16–23 , 25 View FIGURES 24–29 ). Pedipalp ( Figs 20–22 View FIGURES 16–23 , 27–29 View FIGURES 24–29 ): trochanter 1.81–1.88 (♂ ♀) times as long as broad, with a prominent tubercle on antiaxial face; femur 3.62–3.80 (♂) or 3.40–3.70 (♀) times as long as broad, weakly enlarged distally; patella 2.15–2.26 (♂) or 2.10–2.24 (♀) times as long as broad, ratio X/Y = 1.00–103 (♂ ♀); chela with pedicel 3.09–3.33 (♂) or 2.94–3.33 (♀) times as long as broad; hand of chela with pedicel 1.64–1.70 (♂) or 1.50–1.66 (♀) times as long as broad, with oval profile and its greatest width just before the middle; fingers just curved in dorsal view ( Figs 21 View FIGURES 16–23 , 28 View FIGURES 24–29 ); fixed chelal finger homodentate ( Figs 22 View FIGURES 16–23 , 29 View FIGURES 24–29 ), with 51–57 (♂ ♀) contiguous teeth, mostly pointed in the distal half of the finger, rounded in the proximal half; nodus ramosus subterminal; movable chelal finger with 41–50 (♂ ♀) uniform, broadly rounded teeth ( Figs 22 View FIGURES 16–23 , 29 View FIGURES 24–29 ); all teeth with dental canals; trichobothria as in figs 21–22, 28–29, relative position of trichobothria along chelal axis (♂ ♀): it 0.24–0.28/ et 0.25–0.265/ est 0.29 –0.34/ ist 0.49–0.52/ isb 0.75–0.78/ ib 0.78–0.81/ esb 0.87–0.90/ eb 0.89–0.91/ t 0.37– 0.39/ st 0.465–0.50/ sb 0.67–0.70/ b 0.85–0.86; trichobothrium it at level of et or just proximal et; trichobothrium ist just proximal st (rarely at level of st), in the middle of the fixed chelal finger and closer to it than to ib; ratio between movable finger and hand of chela with pedicel lengths 1.03–1.24 (♂ ♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable finger lengths 0.98–1.13 (♂ ♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace lengths 1.06–1.11 (♂ ♀). Leg IV ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 16–23 ): trochanter 1.89–2.23 (♂ ♀) times as long as deep, femur + patella 2.93–3.28 (♂ ♀) times as long as deep, tibia 4.86–5.19 (♂ ♀) times (TS = 0.39–0.41), basitarsus 2.72–3.33 (♂ ♀) times (TS = 0.17–0.21), telotarsus 4.00–4.71 (♂ ♀) times as long as deep (TS = 0.32–0.38), ratio between basitarsus and telotarsus lengths 0.72–0.77 (♂ ♀), subterminal seta furcate, rarely indented ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 16–23 ), claws without dorsal tooth.

Measurements. Body length 2.0–2.2 (♂) or 2.2–2.5 (♀). Carapace 0.595–0.64 × 0.50–0.59 anteriorly (♂) or 0.64–0.66 × 0.52–0.56 anteriorly (♀). Chelicera 0.41–0.42 × 0.21–0.23 (♂) or 0.455–0.47 × 0.25–0.26 (♀); movable finger length 0.265 –0.275 (♂) or 0.29–0.30 (♀). Pedipalp: trochanter 0.35–0.36 × 0.19–0.195 (♂) or 0.36–0.385 × 0.195 –0.205 (♀); femur 0.645–0.68 × 0.17–0.185 (♂) or 0.68–0.74 × 0.19–0.205 (♀); patella 0.46–0.52 × 0.21–0.24 (♂) or 0.505–0.54 × 0.225 –0.255 (♀); chela with pedicel 1.04–1.15 × 0.30–0.36 (depth 0.30–0.36) (♂) or 1.16–1.26 × 0.355 –0.415 (depth 0.36–0.415) (♀); hand with pedicel length 0.50–0.58 (♂) or 0.57–0.64 (♀); movable finger length 0.60–0.67 (♂) or 0.67–0.71 (♀). Leg IV: trochanter 0.29–0.315 × 0.13–0.155 (♂ ♀); femur + patella 0.65– 0.69 × 0.21–0.235 (♂) or 0.69–0.71 × 0.21–0.24 (♀); tibia 0.54–0.56 × 0.105 –0.115 (♂ ♀); basitarsus 0.24–0.25 × 0.075–0.09 (♂ ♀); telotarsus 0.31–0.34 × 0.07–0.085 (♂ ♀).

Description of tritonymph. Carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and palpal coxae brown pale, chelal fingers of the same colour of the hand; pedipalps smooth and shiny, pleural membrane granular. Carapace 1.15–1.3 times as long as broad, with four eyes; anterior eyes with convex lens (diameter 0.06 mm), the posterior ones weakly reduced; distance from anterior eyes to anterior margin of carapace 0.025 mm; distance from anterior to posterior eyes 0.015 mm; anterior margin of carapace with acute triangular epistome (0.015 mm length), rarely with apical denticles; chaetotaxy 4:6:6:6–7; preocular microsetae absent. Chaetotaxy of tergites I–X: 6–11:11:12:11–13:11–14:11–12:10– 13:12:13:10. Chaetotaxy of sternites II–X: 2:(2) 5–7 (2):(2)9–10(2): 13:13–14:13:12–14:13–14:11. Chelicera 1.68– 1.71 times as long as broad, palm with 6 setae; fixed finger with 7–10 teeth, gradually smaller distally; movable finger with 6–9 teeth, the largest just distad gs; gs ratio 0.58–0.60, spinneret subcircular, largely prominent; rallum with 7 blades, the distal one laterally pinnate and isolated on a prominence, the second one serrate, the successive ones smooth, the proximal isolated and very short; serrulae interior and exterior with 22 and 24 blades, respectively. Manducatory process with 3 or 4 setae. Coxal setae: pedipalp 7, I 6, II 6, III 6, IV 7; anterolateral process of coxa I strongly prominent and pointed, anteromedial process prominent and apically rounded, with evident spiniform processes. Pedipalp: trochanter 1.76–1.89 times as long as broad, with a prominent tubercle on antiaxial face; femur 3.22–3.35 times as long as broad; patella 2.0–2.05 times as long as broad; chela with pedicel 3.05–3.17 times as long as broad; hand of chela with pedicel 1.55–1.57 times as long as broad; fixed chelal finger homodentate, with 43–45 pointed contiguous teeth, nodus ramosus subterminal; movable chelal finger with 38–41 teeth: all teeth with dental canals; relative position of trichobothria along chelal axis: it 0.30–0.315/ et 0.305 –0.325 / est 0.40 / ist 0.54–0.55/ ib 0.80–0.82/ esb 0.845–0.86/ eb 0.88–0.90/ t 0.44–0.45/ st 0.615–0.63/ b 0.85–0.86; ratio between movable finger and hand of chela with pedicel lengths 1.11–1.19; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable finger lengths 1.00–1.04; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace lengths 0.96–1.02. Leg IV: trochanter 1.75–1.83 times as long as deep, femur + patella 2.65–2.82 times as long as deep, tibia 4.23–4.27 times (TS = 0.45–0.46), basitarsus 2.38–2.57 times (TS = 0.175–0.20), telotarsus 3.54–3.83 times as long as deep (TS = 0.32–0.36), ratio between basitarsus and telotarsus lengths 0.67–0.78, subterminal seta furcate, not indented. claws without dorsal tooth.

Measurements. Body length 1.6–1.9. Carapace 0.46–0.52 × 0.40 anteriorly. Chelicera 0.32–0.335 × 0.19–0.195; movable finger length 0.21–0.215. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.265 × 0.14–0.15; femur 0.47–0.50 × 0.14–0.155; patella 0.33–0.37 × 0.165–0.18; chela with pedicel 0.81–0.84 × 0.255 –0.275 (depth 0.26–0.275); hand with pedicel length 0.395–0.43; movable finger length 0.47–0.48. Leg IV: trochanter 0.21–0.22 × 0.12; femur + patella 0.48–0.49 × 0.17–0.18; tibia 0.36–0.385 × 0.085–0.09; basitarsus 0.155–0.18 × 0.065–0.07; telotarsus 0.23 × 0.06–0.065.

Remarks. The Neobisium bernardi group includes Neobisium (Neobisium) bernardi bernardi Vachon, 1937 , Neobisium (Neobisium) bernardi franzi Beier, 1955 and Neobisium (Neobisium) geronense Beier 1939 , all sharing the small or medium-size, developed eyes, squat and smooth pedipalps, distal opening of pedipalpal patella slightly shorter or as long as its paraxial margin, trichobothrium ist in a proximal position, about halfway along the fixed chelal finger, and movable chelal finger with developed teeth also in its proximal half.

Neobisium bernardi —described by Vachon (1937) on three males and one female collected near a snowfield at 2450 m a.s.l., above the lake Aumar (Saint-Lary-Soulan, Hautes-Pyrénées, France)—is distributed across the central-western Pyrenees and northern Portugal ( Zaragoza & Galán 2007). Neobisium bernardi franzi , originally described as Neobisium franzi by Beier (1955) on specimens of both sexes from Asturias (northern Spain), is known throughout the northern Iberian Peninsula ( Zaragoza & Galán 2007), while Neobisium geronense , described as Neobisium bernardi geronense by Beier (1939) on a male from a cave near Girona (North-East Catalan Pyrenees), is restricted to the eastern Pyrenees, both on the French and Spanish side, where it occurs in epigean habitats similar to the other species (Zaragoza et al. 2007, Zaragoza & Galán 2007).

Mahnert (1986) redescribed Neobisium bernardi based on specimens from Spanish Pyrenean populations collected near the type locality, while Dimitrijevic (1999, 2000) described the postembryonic development of this species in populations from the surroundings of Moulis (Ariège, France). Both authors emphasised the presence of increased prosomatic neochaetotaxy in both adults and nymphal stages, a character absent in N. geronense , redescribed by Zaragoza et al. (2007). The taxonomic status of the subspecies of N. bernardi remains to be defined (Mahert 1986) and overall taxonomic knowledge of the entire group is poor and in need of careful revision (Zaragoza et al. 2007).

Callaini (1983) described Neobisium (Neobisium) bernardi gennargentui on a single male specimen collected on the Gennargentu massif (Sardinia) at the Correboi Pass (about 1200 m a.s.l.), attributing it as a subspecies of N. bernardi solely based on Vachon’s (1937) original description of the latter species.

According to Callaini (1983), the characters that would allow the description of Neobisium bernardi gennargentui include the shape of the pedipalpal trochanter (with a rather prominent tubercle in N. bernardi gennargentui vs. a scarcely salient one in N. bernardi bernardi ) and the pedipalpal femur (3.71 times as long as broad vs. 3.40 ×, though Vachon (1937) reported lengths of both 0.70 and 0.78 mm for the nominal subspecies!), the ratio of the (movable?) chelal finger to the pedipalpal femur (0.89 × vs. 1.03 or 0.92! ×), the distance of the anterior eyes from the anterior margin of the carapace (half the ocular diameter vs. about the ocular diameter), the number of setae at the posterior margin of carapace (8 vs. 10), the position of the trichobothria est relative to t (est at the level of t vs. est just distal to t) and of ist relative to sb (ist at level of sb vs. ist proximal st). Examination of the holotype of N. bernardi gennargentui allows us to rectify the position of the trichobothria est and ist, which are just distal to t and proximal to st, respectively, as in N. bernardi bernardi . Most of the other differential characters used are of limited value as they are based either on measurement errors (e.g., pedipalpal femur in N. bernardi bernardi ) or on a lack of knowledge of morphological variability. Regarding the description of the carapacal chaetotaxy in N. bernardi, Vachon (1937) stated only “parsemé de poils fins”, while the presence of 10 setae along the posterior margin of the carapace was subsequently reported by Heurtault (1969) and repeated by Callaini (1983). The presence of an increased prosomatic neochaetotaxy in N. bernardi bernardi is only known thanks to Mahnert (1986) and Dimitrijevic (1999, 2000), and this is the only morphological character that allows to easily distinguish N. bernardi bernardi from N. bernardi gennargentui and also from N. geronense .

The distinct carapacal chaetotaxy between Neobisium bernardi bernardi and N. bernardi gennargentui supports the elevation of the latter to species status. Consequently, Neobisium (Neobisium) gennargentui Callaini, 1983 (n. stat.) is herein proposed.

Neobisium gennargentui is very similar to Neobisium geronense from the Eastern Pyrenees but, following the redescription of the latter by Zaragoza et al. (2007), can be distinguished based on morphometric differences, including: pedipalpal femur length 0.645 –0.685 mm (♂) or 0.68–0.74 mm (♀) in N. gennargentui , 0.56–0.64 mm (♂) or 0.57–0.64 mm (♀) in N. geronense ; pedipalpal patella length 0.46–0.52 mm (♂) or 0.505–0.54 mm (♀) vs. 0.44–0.48 mm (♂) or 0.41–0.47 mm (♀); movable chelal finger length 0.60–0.67 mm (♂) or 0.67–0.71 mm (♀) vs. 0.54–0.60 mm (♂ ♀); ratio between the distances of the trichobothria sb–st and b–sb 1.07–1.18 × vs. 1.32–1.62 ×; in addition, the manducatory process has 4 (rarely 3) setae in N. gennargentui , 3 in N. geronense GoogleMaps .

Among the epigean Neobisium species from Corsica and Sardinia, Neobisium gennargentui is related to Neobisium incertum . The two species differ in the dentition pattern of the movable chelal finger (movable chelal finger with developed teeth also in its proximal half in N. gennargentui , mostly with flattened, almost vestigial teeth in its proximal two-thirds in N. incertum ), in the position of the trichobothria ist and t [relative position of trichobothrium ist along chelal axis 0.49–0.50 (♂ ♀) vs. 0.33–0.38 (♂ ♀); relative position of trichobothrium t along chelal axis 0.37–0.39 (♂ ♀) vs. 0.23–0.27 (♂ ♀)] and in its smaller size (pedipalpal femur length 0.645–0.74 mm (♂ ♀) vs. 0.78–1.15 mm (♂ ♀), pedipalpal patella length 0.46–0.54 mm (♂ ♀) vs. 0.53–0.75 mm (♂ ♀), pedipalpal chela length 1.04–1.26 mm (♂ ♀) vs. 1.33–1.80 mm (♂ ♀), movable chelal finger length 0.60–0.71 mm (♂ ♀) vs. 0.755–1.01 mm (♂ ♀) .

Neobisium gennargentui is currently known only from Sardinia, where it is mainly distributed in the centraleastern part of the island at medium-high altitudes ( Fig. 79 View FIGURE 79 ).