Neobisium ( Neobisium ) knoflachae, Gardini & Gardini, 2025

Neobisium ( Neobisium) knoflachae n. sp.

( Figs 30–36 View FIGURES 30–34 View FIGURES 35–36 , 78 View FIGURE 78 )

Type locality: France, Corsica, Haute-Corse, Calvi   GoogleMaps , Forêt de Bonifatu   GoogleMaps , Bocca di Erbaghiolu   GoogleMaps ( 42°25’15.0”N 8°50’15.5”E).

Distribution. France: Corsica.

Diagnosis ( ♂ ♀). An epigean large-sized Neobisium from Corsica that differs from other Mediterranean species of the genus in the following combination of characters: carapace with 2–4 preocular and 11–14 setae on posterior margin; ocular and median rows of carapace with a total of 12 setae; epistome obtuse triangular; both eyes with convex lens and tapetum, anterior eyes at a distance approximately equal to their diameter from the edge of the carapace; tergites I–IV: 8–12:11–13:10–13:10–11; cheliceral palm with 7 setae, rallum with 8 (rarely 9) blades; fixed chelal finger irregularly heterodentate, with contiguous teeth; fixed and movable chelal fingers with 106–118 and 87–101 teeth, respectively; movable chelal finger with evident dentition along its entire length; pedipalpal femur 1.70–2.00 mm length (5.26–5.51 ×), patella 1.20–1.42 mm (3.24–3.43 ×), with narrow distal patella opening (X/Y = 0.52-0.60); chelal hand with very slightly raised sub-hemispheric granules giving the surface an “orange peel” appearance; pedipalpal hand with an oval profile and its maximum width just before the middle, both sides equally convex (dorsal view); movable chelal finger 1.94–2.21 mm; ratio between movable chelal finger and chelal hand with pedicel lengths 1.45–1.55; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable chelal finger lengths 0.87–0.90; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace lengths 1.56–1.63; trichobothrium ist distal st, closer to the finger tip than to isb.

Type material. FRANCE — Corsica: municipality of Calvi: 1♀ ( holotype), “Th-408 [Co-01/7]: 2.5.2001 / Corse: Calvi, Forêt de Bonifatu / uhb. Bocca di Erbaghiolu c. 1150m / Kiefernwald, unter Blockwerk / leg. B. Knoflach & K. Thaler / Neobisium 2”, ( 42°25’15.0”N 8°50’15.5”E) ( MHNG); GoogleMaps Paratypes: 1♀, same data as for holotype (coll. G. Gardini, Genoa); GoogleMaps 1♂ 1♀, “Th-415 [Co-01/13] / Calvi 11.9.01 / V. Fango, Bardiana / 244m; B. & K. Thaler ” ( 42°21’51.2”N 8°47’07.0”E) ( MHNG) GoogleMaps .

Derivatio nominis. Dedicated to the arachnologist Barbara Thaler-Knoflach (Innsbruck), who collected these specimens, generously donated to G. Gardini together with the Pseudoscorpions collected during the excursions she made, with Konrad Thaler, in the Mediterranean-Macaronesian area during the years 1985 to 2004 ( Knoflach 2009); this material is now stored in the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Geneva.

Description of adults ( ♂ ♀). Carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and palpal coxae fawn brown, chelal fingers of the same colour of the hand; pedipalps smooth, except for the chelal hand, which has very slightly raised subcircular granules that give the surface an ‘orange peel’ appearance; pleural membrane granular. Carapace 1.43 ( ♂) or 1.30–1.38 ( ♀) times as long as broad (width measured anteriorly), with four eyes ( Fig. 30 View FIGURES 30–34 ) with tapetum; anterior eyes with convex lens (diameter 0.11–0.15 mm), the posterior ones weakly reduced (diameter 0.09–0.11); distance from anterior eyes to anterior margin of carapace 0.10–0.12 mm; anterior eyes are at a distance approximately equal to their diameter from the edge of the carapace; distance from anterior to posterior eyes 0.03–0.04 mm; anterior margin of carapace with obtuse triangular epistome ( Fig. 30 View FIGURES 30–34 ) apically rounded ( 0.030 –0.035 mm length), with few apical denticles; chaetotaxy 4:6:6:11–14, plus 2–4 pre- or subocular setae on each side. Chaetotaxy of tergites I–X ( ♂ ♀): 8–12:11–13:10–13:10–11:11–12:10–12:10–12:10–13:10–12:6–8. Chaetotaxy of sternites II–X ( ♂): 20:(3) 45(3):(3)20(3):22:21:20:20:17:17, median genital sac and setae of genital atrium not seen; chaetotaxy of sternites II–X ( ♀): 6–8:(3)22–24(3):(3)16–18(3):16–18:16–19:16–17:16:18:10. Chelicera ( Fig. 32 View FIGURES 30–34 ) 1.87–2.05 ( ♂ ♀) times as long as broad, palm with 7 setae; fixed finger with 10–15 teeth, the 7–10 proximal spaced, the 5–7 distal small and contiguous; movable finger with about 12 teeth, of which a large one just distal gs; gs ratio 0.68–0.70, spinneret subcircular, slightly 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 about 35 and 40 blades, respectively. Manducatory process with 5 setae. Coxal setae ( ♂ ♀): pedipalp 13–14, I 11–12, II 12–13, III 12, IV 14–17; anterolateral process of coxa I ( Fig. 31 View FIGURES 30–34 ) strongly prominent and pointed, anteromedial process slightly prominent and apically rounded, with evident spiniform processes. Pedipalp ( Figs 33 View FIGURES 30–34 , 35–36 View FIGURES 35–36 ): trochanter 2.35 ( ♂) or 2.43–2.55 ( ♀) times as long as broad, with a slightly prominent tubercle on antiaxial face; femur 5.51 ( ♂) or 5.26–5.48 ( ♀) times as long as broad; patella 3.41 ( ♂) or 3.24–3.43 ( ♀) times as long as broad, ratio X/Y = 0.52–0.60 ( ♂ ♀), with 8–9 sensilla on the dorsal face of pedicel; chela with pedicel 4.25 ( ♂) or 3.82–4.46 ( ♀) times as long as broad; hand of chela with pedicel 1.74 ( ♂) or 1.65–1.88 ( ♀) times as long as broad, with oval profile and its maximum width just before the middle, both sides equally convex (dorsal view); fingers curved in dorsal view, almost straight in antiaxial view ( Figs 35–36 View FIGURES 35–36 ); fixed chelal finger heterodentate ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 35–36 ), with 106–118 ( ♂ ♀) pointed contiguous teeth, nodus ramosus subterminal; movable chelal finger with 87–101 teeth ( ♂ ♀), these are low, not sharp, and progressively lower towards the proximal part of the finger; all teeth with dental canals; trichobothria as in figs 35–36, relative position of trichobothria along chelal axis ( ♂ ♀): it 0.07–0.09/ et 0.08–0.11/ est 0.12 –0.16/ ist 0.19–0.225/ isb 0.83–0.855/ ib 0.87–0.93/ esb 0.935–0.95/ eb 0.95–0.96/ t 0.12–0.15/ st 0.24–0.28/ sb 0.66–0.72/ b 0.88–0.89; trichobothrium est at level of t; trichobothrium ist distal st, closer to the finger tip than to isb; trichobothrium isb just distal ib; ratio between movable finger and hand of chela with pedicel lengths 1.55 ( ♂) or 1.45–1.53 ( ♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable finger lengths 0.89 ( ♂) or 0.87–0.90 ( ♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace lengths 1.58 ( ♂) or 1.56–1.63 ( ♀). Leg IV ( Fig. 34 View FIGURES 30–34 ): trochanter 2.75 ( ♂) or 2.37–2.71 ( ♀) times as long as deep, femur + patella 3.85 ( ♂) or 4.25–4.42 ( ♀) times as long as deep, tibia 8.45 ( ♂) or 8.00–8.64 ( ♀) times [TS = 0.41–0.44 ( ♂ ♀)], basitarsus 5.15 ( ♂) or 5.55–5.68 ( ♀) times [TS = 0.12–0.15 ( ♂ ♀)], telotarsus 7.66 ( ♂) or 7.30–7.50 ( ♀) times as long as deep [TS = 0.48–0.57 ( ♂ ♀)], ratio between basitarsus and telotarsus lengths 0.97 ( ♂) or 0.88–1.0 ( ♀), subterminal seta furcate with little indentations ( Fig. 34 View FIGURES 30–34 ), claws apparently without dorsal tooth.

Measurements. Body length 3.7–4.4 ( ♀) (male with contracted opisthosoma). Carapace 1.15 × 0.80 anteriorly ( ♂) or 1.04–1.28 × 0.75–0.95 anteriorly ( ♀). Chelicera 0.77 × 0.375 ( ♂) or 0.755–0.88 × 0.385–0.47 ( ♀); movable finger length 0.505 ( ♂) or 0.495–0.57 ( ♀). Pedipalp: trochanter 0.80 × 0.34 ( ♂) or 0.78–0.97 × 0.32–0.38 ( ♀); femur 1.82 × 0.33 ( ♂) or 1.70–2.00 × 0.31–0.38 ( ♀); patella 1.33 × 0.39 ( ♂) or 1.20–1.42 × 0.35–0.44 ( ♀); chela with pedicel 3.19 × 0.75 (depth 0.685) ( ♂) or 3.01–3.52 × 0.673 –0.920 (depth 0.645–0.85) ( ♀); hand with pedicel length 1.31 ( ♂) or 1.27–1.52 ( ♀); movable finger length 2.04 ( ♂) or 1.94–2.21 ( ♀). Leg IV: trochanter 0.66 × 0.24 ( ♂) or 0.57–0.66 × 0.24–0.275 ( ♀); femur + patella 1.52 × 0.395 ( ♂) or 1.49–1.70 × 0.33–0.40 ( ♀); tibia 1.31 × 0.155 ( ♂) or 1.24–1.47 × 0.155–0.17 ( ♀); basitarsus 0.67 × 0.13 ( ♂) or 0.625–0.75 × 0.11–0.135 ( ♀); telotarsus 0.69 × 0.09 ( ♂) or 0.71–0.75 × 0.095–0.10 ( ♀).

Remarks. Among the species of Neobisium of the Corsican-Sardinian complex showing a heterodentate fixed chelal finger and anterior eyes at a distance equal to their diameter from the carapace margin, Neobisium ( Neobisium) knoflachae n. sp. is morphologically similar to Neobisium ( Neobisium) settei Callaini, 1982 , an epigean species described from Lac de Melo (central Corsica). It differs from N. settei mainly in the following characters: carapace with 2–4 preocular setae on each side (1 seta on each side in N. settei ), pedipalpal femur 1.70–2.00 mm length ( 1.11–1.20 mm in N. settei ), patella 1.20–1.42 mm length ( 0.85–0.90 mm in N. settei ), movable chelal finger 1.94– 2.21 mm length ( 1.26–1.32 mm in N. settei ), fixed and movable chelal fingers with 106–118 and 87–101 teeth, respectively (75–83 and 64–67 teeth, respectively, in N. settei ), ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace lengths 1.56–1.63 ( 1.24–1.40 in N. settei ), relative position of trichobothrium ist 0.19–0.225 ( 0.305–0.34 in N. settei ).