Neobisium (Neobisium) settei Callaini, 1982

Gardini, Giulio & Gardini, Pietro, 2025, The epigean pseudoscorpions of the genus Neobisium from Corsica and Sardinia with description of a new species (Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae), Zootaxa 5627 (1), pp. 93-127 : 113-115

Neobisium (Neobisium) settei Callaini, 1982

( Figs 44–46 , 78 )

Neobisium (N.) settei Callaini, 1982: 452 , figs 2c–e, 3a–d.

Type locality: France, Corsica, Corte, Lac de Melo (42°12’43”N 9°01’24”E) .

Distribution. France ( Corsica).

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). An epigean medium-large sized Neobisium from Corsica that differs from other Mediterranean species of the genus in the following combination of characters: carapace with one preocular seta on each side and 8–10 setae on posterior margin; ocular and median rows of carapace with a total of 12 setae; epistome acute triangular; both eyes with convex lens and tapetum; anterior and posterior eyes almost contiguous; anterior eyes at a distance approximately equal to their diameter from the edge of the carapace; tergites I–IV: 8–9:9–12:10–12:12– 13; cheliceral palm with 7 setae, rallum with 8 blades; pedipalps smooth; fixed chelal finger heterodentate, with contiguous, pointed teeth; fixed and movable chelal fingers with 75–83 and 64–67 teeth, respectively; movable chelal finger with clearly evident dentition along its entire length, with teeth lower towards the proximal part of the finger; pedipalpal femur 1.11–1.20 mm length (4.87–5.21 ×), patella 0.85–0.90 mm (3.21–3.40 ×), with narrow distal patella opening (X/Y = 0.56–0.63), movable finger 1.26–1.32 mm; pedipalpal hand with oval profile; ratio between movable chelal finger and hand of chela with pedicel lengths 1.33–1.46; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable chelal finger lengths 0.86–0.91; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace lengths 1.24–1.40; trichobothrium est distal t; trichobothrium ist at level of st, closer to the finger tip than to isb; trichobothrium isb distal ib.

Type material examined. FRANCE — Corsica: municipality of Corte : 1♂ 2♀ paratypes, “ Neobisium (N.) settei n. sp. ” “Lago di Mela – Corsica m 1700–1800 / 7.VIII.1978, leg. Sette ” ( MSNV) .

Non-type material examined. None.

Description of adults (♂ ♀). Carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and palpal coxae red-brown, chelal fingers of the same colour of the hand; pedipalps smooth, pleural membrane granular. Carapace 1.4–1.5 (♂ ♀) times as long as broad (width measured anteriorly), with four eyes with tapetum; anterior eyes with convex lens (diameter 0.085 – 0.090 mm), the posterior ones weakly reduced; distance from anterior eyes to anterior margin of carapace 0.09–0.10 mm, anterior eyes are at a distance approximately equal to their diameter from the edge of the carapace; distance from anterior to posterior eyes 0.02–0.03 mm; anterior margin of carapace with acute triangular epistome (0.025 –0.035 mm length); chaetotaxy m 4m:6:6:8–10; preocular setae always present. Chaetotaxy of tergites I–X (♂ ♀): 8–9:9– 12:10–12:12–13:13–14:14:14–15:13–17:10–14:12–14. Chaetotaxy of sternites II–X (♂): 12–13:(4)26(4):(4)14– 16(4):17–18:17–18:18–20:17–20:18:14, median genital sac pyriform, genital atrium with 5+6 setae; chaetotaxy of sternites II–X (♀): 8:(3)23–24(3):(2–3)15(3):17–19:17–19:20:18:18:14–16. Chelicera 1.87–1.98 (♂ ♀) times as long as broad, palm with 7 (rarely 8) setae; fixed finger with about 11 teeth, gradually smaller distally; movable finger with few larger teeth at level of gs; gs ratio 0.70, spinneret subcircular, slightly prominent in female, more reduced in male; rallum with 8 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 26–27 and 28–30 blades, respectively. Manducatory process with 5 setae. Coxal setae (♂ ♀): pedipalp 12–14, I 11–13, II 8–14, III 8–9, IV 15–18; anterolateral process of coxa I strongly prominent and pointed, anteromedial process prominent and apically rounded, with evident spiniform processes. Pedipalp ( Figs 44–46 ): trochanter 2.39–2.51 (♂) or 2.41–2.43 (♀) times as long as broad, with a slightly prominent tubercle on antiaxial face; femur 5.16–5.21 (♂) or 4.87–5.0 (♀) times as long as broad; patella 3.21–3.40 (♂) or 3.30–3.33 (♀) times as long as broad, ratio X/Y = 0.56–0.63 (♂ ♀); chela with pedicel 4.76–4.97 (♂) or 4.44–4.69 (♀) times as long as broad; hand of chela with pedicel 2.04–2.17 (♂) or 2.03–2.06 (♀) times as long as broad, with oval profile and its greatest width in the proximal third, the paraxial side (in dorsal view) is less convex than the antiaxial side; fingers curved in dorsal view ( Fig. 45 ); fixed chelal finger heterodentate ( Fig. 46 ), with 75–83 (♂ ♀) pointed contiguous teeth, nodus ramosus subterminal; movable chelal finger with a total of 64–67 teeth (♂ ♀), these are progressively lower towards the proximal part of the finger; all teeth with dental canals; trichobothria as in figs 45–46, relative position of trichobothria along chelal axis (♂ ♀): it 0.135–0.15/ et 0.15–0.18/ est 0.20 –0.24/ ist 0.305–0.34/ isb 0.83/ ib 0.85–0.86/ esb 0.90–0.93/ eb 0.93–0.945/ t 0.21–0.26/ st 0.31–0.36/ sb 0.66–0.72/ b 0.79–0.88; trichobothrium est distal t; trichobothrium ist at level of st, closer to the finger tip than to isb; trichobothrium isb distal ib; ratio between movable finger and hand of chela with pedicel lengths 1.38–1.46 (♂) or 1.33–1.44 (♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable finger lengths 0.86–0.91 (♂ ♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace lengths 1.25–1.40 (♂) or 1.24–1.26 (♀). Leg IV: trochanter 2.47–2.71 (♂ ♀) times as long as deep, femur + patella 4.10–4.26 (♂) or 4.11–4.51 (♀) times as long as deep, tibia 7.09–7.23 (♂) or 6.47–6.54 (♀) times [TS = 0.36–0.41 (♂ ♀)], basitarsus 4.10–4.22 (♂) or 3.74–3.81 (♀) times [TS = 0.12–0.14 (♂ ♀)], telotarsus 4.97–5.18 (♂) or 4.66–4.76 (♀) times as long as deep [TS = 0.40–0.43 (♂ ♀)], ratio between basitarsus and telotarsus lengths 0.81–0.86 (♂ ♀), subterminal seta furcate and indented, claws without dorsal tooth

Measurements. Body length 3.15–3.32 (♂) or 2.93–3.45 (♀). Carapace 0.85–0.89 × 0.58–0.60 anteriorly (♂) or 0.895–0.93 × 0.63–0.65 anteriorly (♀). Chelicera 0.525–0.54 × 0.28 (♂) or 0.56–0.595 × 0.295–0.30 (♀); movable finger length 0.34–0.35 (♂) or 0.36–0.375 (♀). Pedipalp: trochanter 0.586 –0.605 × 0.241 –0.245 (♂) or 0.569 – 0.613 × 0.236 –0.252 (♀); femur 1.11–1.20 × 0.215–0.23 (♂) or 1.11–1.18 × 0.228 –0.236 (♀); patella 0.85–0.90 × 0.25–0.28 (♂) or 0.86–0.90 × 0.26–0.27 (♀); chela with pedicel 2.07–2.14 × 0.43–0.44 (depth 0.42–0.425) (♂) or 2.02–2.09 × 0.43–0.47 (depth 0.415–0.46) (♀); hand with pedicel length 0.88–0.955 (♂) or 0.875–0.97 (♀); movable finger length 1.29–1.32 (♂) or 1.26–1.29 (♀). Leg IV: trochanter 0.403 –0.438 × 0.158 –0.165 (♂) or 0.429 – 0.442 × 0.158 –0.179 (♀); femur + patella 0.936 –1.006 × 0.228 –0.236 (♂) or 0.971 –1.105 × 0.236 –0.245 (♀); tibia 0.823 –0.875 × 0.116 –0.121 (♂) or 0.796 –0.831 × 0.123 –0.127 (♀); basitarsus 0.376 –0.394 × 0.089 –0.096 (♂) or 0.359 –0.385 × 0.096 –0.101 (♀); telotarsus 0.438 –0.446 × 0.086 –0.088 (♂) or 0.420 –0.438 × 0.090 –0.092 (♀).

Remarks. Callaini (1982) described Neobisium (Neobisium) settei based on two males and three females from the Lac de Melo near Corte ( Corsica)— the only specimens and locality of the species known so far (WPC 2024)— and compared it to Neobisium (Neobisium) schenkeli (Strand, 1932) , Neobisium (Neobisium) jugorum (L. Koch, 1873) , Neobisium (Neobisium) helveticum Heurtault, 1971 and Neobisium (Neobisium) apuanicum Callaini, 1981 . These species, distributed in central Europe (the first three) and central Italy (the last), are all characterised by having the fixed chelal finger heterodont, a prominent epistome and a very slender pedipalpal patella.

Within the Neobisium species of the Corsican-Sardinian complex, N. settei is related to N. knoflachae n. sp., epigean species from northern Corsica. For comparisons of N. settei with N. knoflachae n. sp., see Remarks under the latter species. The above redescription of N. settei partially includes the original description provided by Callaini (1982).

Figures

FIGURE 78. Map depicting known distribution of Neobisum (Neobisium) species from Corsica.

FIGURES 44–46. Neobisium (N.) settei Callaini, 1982, female paratype (Corsica, Corte, Lac de Melo). 44, trochanter, femur and patella of left pedipalp, dorsal view; 45, left pedipalpal chela, dorsal view; 46, same, antiaxial view, with magnified details of teeth at level of trichobothria et and t.