Dactylochelifer degeerii (C.L. Koch, 1835)

Christophoryová, Jana, Rusinko, Adam, Purkart, Adrián & Vičanová, Lucia, 2025, Urban biodiversity of pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) in the conditions of Central Europe, Zootaxa 5590 (1), pp. 1-45 : 24-25

Dactylochelifer degeerii (C.L. Koch, 1835)

( Figs 6F , 7D )

Published data: 4: sifting of leaf litter and soil, 26.5.2006, 1 T, leg. M.H. ( Christophoryová 2013); individual sampling in Quercus tree hollow, 7.7.2007, 1 ♂, leg. J.C. ( KrajčovičovÁ & ChristophoryovÁ 2014); extraction of mould of tree stool hollow, 7.7.2007, 1 ♀, 2 T, leg. J.C. ( ChristophoryovÁ 2010); 10: extraction of Pica pica nest, 14.2.2008, 1 T, leg. J.J. ( Christophoryová 2010); 20: extraction of Turdus philomelos nest, 3.8.1992, 1 P, leg. J.K. ( Christophoryová et al. 2011a); 46: extraction of Turdus merula nest, 25.5.2011, 1 ♂, leg. T.L., Z.O. ( KrajčovičovÁ et al. 2015); 56: extraction of T. merula nest, 11.11.2008, 3 ♀♀, 4 T, 1 D, leg. MA.D., J.P. ( ChristophoryovÁ 2010); 58: extraction of T. merula nest, 3.6.1992, 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂, 1 D, leg. J.K. ( ChristophoryovÁ et al. 2011a); 94: extraction of T. merula nest, 2.6.2011, 1 ♂, 1 T, leg. T.L., Z.O. ( KrajčovičovÁ et al. 2015); 95: extraction of T. merula nest, 20.4.2011, 1 ♂, 1 D, leg. T.L., Z.O. ( KrajčovičovÁ et al. 2015); 104: extraction of T. merula nest, 8.7.2011, 1 T, leg. T.L., Z.O. ( KrajčovičovÁ et al. 2015); 109: extraction of T. merula nests, 13.5.2011, 1 ♂; 16.5.2011, 1 D; leg. T.L., Z.O. ( KrajčovičovÁ et al. 2015); 122: extraction of T. merula nest, 21.6.2011, 1 ♂, leg. T.L., Z.O. ( KrajčovičovÁ et al. 2015); 128: Malaise trap, 12.6.2006, 1 T, leg. O.M. ( Krumpál & Christophoryová 2007); 138: extraction of T. philomelos nest, 4.6.2008, 1 ♀, leg. MA.D., J.P. ( ChristophoryovÁ 2010); 141: extraction of Oriolus oriolus nest, 9.7.1995, 1 T, leg. J.K. ( Christophoryová et al. 2011a); 176: sifting of leaf litter and soil, 29.6.2005, 1 D; 6.12.2006, 1 ♀; leg. M.H. ( ChristophoryovÁ 2013).

New data: 17: pitfall traps, 11.8.2022, 1 T, 1 D, 1 P; 2.9.2022, 1 ♂; 30.9.2022, 1 ♂; leg. J.L., O.M.; 25: pitfall trap, 2.9.2022, 1 D, 1 P, leg. J.L., O.M.; 26: pitfall traps, 11.8.2022, 2 ♀♀; 2.9.2022, 1 ♀, 1 D, 1 P; leg. J.L., O.M.; 28: pitfall trap, 30.9.2022, 1 T, leg. J.L., O.M.; 41: individual sampling under Pinus sylvestris bark, 12.10.2021, 1 ♂, leg. L. V.; 69: individual sampling under coniferous tree bark, 2.8.2021, 2 T, leg. J.C., K.K.; 101: sifting of leaf litter and dead wood, 21.4.2020, 1 ♂, leg. J.C., 103: individual sampling under Platanus × hispanica bark, 10.10.2021, 2 ♀♀, leg. J.C.; 126: individual sampling under Platanus × hispanica bark, 19.4.2019, 3 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂, 1 D, leg. J.C.; 127: sifting of leaf litter and dead wood, 1.5.2020, 1 ♀, 4 ♂♂, 2 D, leg. J.C.; 129: extraction of Quercus bark, 29.9.2006, 1 D, leg. M.D.; 130: pitfall traps, 2.5.2019, 1 ♀; 13.8.2019, 1 ♀; leg. J.L.; 161: pitfall trap, 22.7.2019, 1 ♂, leg. J.L.; 171: individual sampling under Taxus baccata bark, 19.7.2022, 2 ♂♂, leg. L. V.; 189: pitfall trap, 21.7.2019, 1 ♂, leg. O.M.

European distribution: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland ( Muster et al. 2024).

Notes: The polytypic species D. latreillii was currently revised in the framework of an integrative taxonomic investigation, using DNA barcoding, multivariate ratio analysis, geometric morphometry of the male foretarsus, and genital morphology ( Muster et al. 2024). The pattern of mitochondrial variation suggests three species-level entities in Central Europe, which differentiate in the structure of the female genitalia and their ecology. Dactylochelifer degeerii is the oldest available name for an inland species that has long been mistaken for the nominotypical species of D. latreillii . It is primarily associated with floodplains of rivers and rivulets. Cribriform plates in female genitalia are not connected, separated approximately by 1.2–1.5 times their diameter ( Muster et al. 2024). Material from Bratislava was revised, and the photos of cribriform plates were consulted with Dr Christoph Muster from Germany. According to that the specimens earlier identified as D. latreillii were subsequently attributed to D. degeerii .

ŠťÁhlavský & Dolejš (2019) identified three individuals of D. degeerii (as D. latreillii ) from Bratislava in the collection of the arachnologist František Miller, without more precise locations of the finds. One male and one deutonymph were found in the nest of Turdus merula , and no further habitat information was given for one female. Dactylochelifer degeerii (as D. latreillii ) was recorded in various habitat types in Bratislava , most frequently in bird nests ( Christophoryová 2010; Christophoryová et al. 2011a; KrajčovičovÁ et al. 2015). It was less common in tree hollows ( ChristophoryovÁ 2010; KrajčovičovÁ & ChristophoryovÁ 2014), in Malaise trap ( KrumpÁl & Christophoryová 2007), and soil ( Christophoryová 2013). In Bratislava , 15 new sampling sites of the species distribution were added. It was collected using pitfall traps, found under the bark of trees, but also in leaf litter and dead wood.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Pseudoscorpions from the families Neobisiidae, Cheiridiidae, and Cheliferidae. A. Neobisium carpaticum (female, loc. 184). B. Neobisium erythrodactylum (male, loc. 6). C. Neobisium sylvaticum (male, loc. 25). D. Apocheiridium ferum (tritonymph, loc. 127). E. Chelifer cancroides (male, loc. 11). F. Dactylochelifer degeerii (male, loc. 127). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 7. Distribution of the species of Neobisiidae, Cheiridiidae, and Cheliferidae in Bratislava city. A. Neobisium sylvaticum. B. Apocheiridium ferum. C. Chelifer cancroides. D. Dactylochelifer degeerii. For the locality codes, see Table 1.