The species of the Chthonius heterodactylus group (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae) from the eastern Alps and the Carpathians

Abstract

The species of the subgenus Chthonius (Chthonius) C.L. Koch, 1843 displaying a sigmoid fixed chelal finger from the Eastern Alps and the Carpathians, assigned to the informal heterodactylus species-group, are revised and a key given for their identification. The following species are present in this area: Chthonius cavernarum Ellingsen, 1909 (Italy, Romania, Slovenia), C. heterodactylus Tömösváry, 1882 (Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine), C. hungaricus Mahnert, 1981 (Hungary, Romania, Slovakia), C. lessiniensis Schawaller, 1982 (Italy), C. pusillus Beier, 1947 (Austria, Slovenia) and C. raridentatus Hadži, 1930 (Austria, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia). The following synonymies are proposed: Chthonius diophthalmus Daday, 1889, C. (C.) orthodactylus gracilis Beier, 1935, C. (C.) ksenemani Hadži, 1939 and C. (C.) leruthi Beier, 1939 are junior subjective synonyms of C. heterodactylus Tömösváry, 1882 (n. syn.); C. (C.) pivai Gardini, 1991 is a junior subjective synonym of C. (C.) lessiniensis Schawaller, 1982 (n. syn.); C. (C.) ellingseni Beier, 1939, C. (C.) brandmayri Callaini, 1986 and C. (C.) jalzici Ćurčić, 1988 are junior subjective synonyms of C. (C.) raridentatus Hadži, 1930 (n. syn.). Lectotypes are designated for C. cavernarum Ellingsen, 1909 and C. (C.) ellingseni Beier, 1939. Chthonius (C.) pusillus is newly recorded from Slovenia, C. (C.) hungaricus and Mundochthonius carpaticus Rafalski, 1948 are newly recorded from Romania, and the presence of C. (C.) cavernarum in Italy is confirmed.

Contribution to the knowledge of the pseudoscorpion fauna of the North-Eastern Carpathians, Ukraine (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones)

“…It was recently found in neighbouring Hungary (Kárpáthegyi 2006) and redescribed by Gardini (2014). Some of the newly found specimens had only one pair of praeocular setae, and one female (HNHM Pseud-1965) had only a rudimentary epistome -according to Gardini (2014), these are rare, but normal character variations in case of this species.…”

“…The species is known from several localities of the North-Eastern Carpathians (Hadži 1939;Szent-Ivány 1941;Schawaller 1989). Hadži (1939) recorded it for the first time from the area as Chthonius knesemani Hadži, 1939, but this name later proved to be a junior synonym of C. heterodactylus (Gardini 2014). It was recently found in neighbouring Hungary (Kárpáthegyi 2006) and redescribed by Gardini (2014).…”

“…Hadži (1939) recorded it for the first time from the area as Chthonius knesemani Hadži, 1939, but this name later proved to be a junior synonym of C. heterodactylus (Gardini 2014). It was recently found in neighbouring Hungary (Kárpáthegyi 2006) and redescribed by Gardini (2014). Some of the newly found specimens had only one pair of praeocular setae, and one female (HNHM Pseud-1965) had only a rudimentary epistome -according to Gardini (2014), these are rare, but normal character variations in case of this species.…”

Karyotype diversity of pseudoscorpions of the genus Chthonius (Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae) in the Alps

“…Furthermore, overlaps in species-specific character states complicate the exact identification of many species complexes (compare e.g. Beier 1963, Christophoryová et al 2011, Gardini 2013, 2014). Molecular techniques have further revealed the limitations of traditional morphology-based classification of pseudoscorpions.…”

“…In the Alps, Chthonius is represented by 44 species classified into three subgenera: Ephippiochthonius , Chthonius and Globochthonius (Gardini 2013, 2014). Several species have been newly described, or taken from the synonymy during the recent morphological revision of the genus (Gardini 2013, 2014). New faunistic data also suggest that the distribution of species ranges in the Alps may be different from previously thought (Gardini 2000).…”