Search

A taxonomic revision and a key to the pseudoscorpion species of Neobisium Chamberlin, 1930so far attributed to the subgenus Ommatoblothrus Beier, 1956from Corsica, Sardinia and mainland Italy are provided. The taxonomic status of the subgenera of Neobisium Chamberlin, 1930 is evaluated and the following new synonymies are proposed: Ommatoblothrus Beier, 1956 is a junior subjective synonym of Neobisium Chamberlin, 1930 (n. syn.), Heoblothrus Browning, 1965 is a junior subjective synonym of Neobisium Chamberlin, 1930 (n. syn.), Pennobisium uri 1988 is a junior subjective synonym of Neobisium Chamberlin, 1930 (n. syn.). The following new species are described: Neobisium (Neobisium) corsicum n. sp. (, loc. typ.: Corsica, Corte, Grotte de Valletto), Neobisium (N.) leolatellai n. sp. (, loc. typ.: Latium, Bassiano, Grotta della Cava 384 La/LT), Neobisium (N.) magrinii n. sp. (, loc. typ.: Latium, Coreno Ausonio, Grotta lArnale 871 La/FR), Neobisium (N.) petruzzielloi n. sp. (, loc. typ.: Campania, Avella, Grotta degli Sportiglioni 184 Cp/AV) and Neobisium (N.) vignai n. sp. (, loc. typ.: Latium, Amaseno, Grotta degli Ulivi 474 La/FR). The specimens of five populations from as many caves of the Lepini Mountains are provisionally attributed to Neobisium (N.) sp. aff. patrizii Beier, 1953, and the following new synonymy is proposed: Neobisium patrizii romanum Mahnert, 1980 is a junior subjective synonym of Neobisium patrizii patrizii Beier, 1953 (n. syn.).

A taxonomic revision and a key to the Chthonius C.L. Koch, 1843 species of the ischnocheles group from Italy, with records from neighbouring countries, are provided. The following new species are described: Chthonius gallettii n. sp. (♂, locus typicus: Sicily, Ragusa Province, Ragusa, Grotta delle Lame 6009 Si/RG), Chthonius gentianae n. sp. (♂, Veneto, Treviso Province, Fregona, Pian del Cansiglio, Bus della Genziana 1000 V/TV), Chthonius herminii n. sp. (♂♀, Veneto, Treviso Province, Cavaso del Tomba, Costalunga, Speoncia del Diaol 1811 V/TV); Chthonius inguscioi n. sp. (♂♀, Apulia, Lecce Province, Presicce, Grotta Madonna della Rutta 533 Pu/LE), Chthonius lanai n. sp. (♂♀, Piedmont, Cuneo Province, Bernezzo, Pertus d'la Kassetta 1323 Pi/CN), Chthonius marciai n. sp. (♂, Sardinia, Nuoro Province, Dorgali, Grotta del Bue Marino 12 Sa/NU) and Chthonius nicolosii n. sp. (♂♀, Sicily, Catania Province, Nicolosi, Grotta Lunga 1029 Si/CT). The following new subjective synonymies are proposed: Chthonius malatestai Callaini, 1980 n. syn. of C. agazzii Beier, 1966; Chthonius ruffoi Caporiacco, 1951 n. syn. of C. densedentatus Beier, 1938; Chthonius mingazzinii Callaini, 1991 n. syn. of C. euganeus Gardini, 1991; Obisium megachelum Amary, 1840 n. syn. of C. ischnocheles (Hermann, 1804); Chthonius dalmatinus Hadži, 1930 n. syn. of C. ischnocheles (Hermann, 1804); Chthonius litoralis Hadži, 1933 n. syn. of C. ischnocheles (Hermann, 1804); Chthonius rhodochelatus Hadži, 1937 of C. ischnocheles (Hermann, 1804) (rest. syn.). Chthonius horridus Beier, 1934 (n. stat.) is upgraded from subspecies of C. doderoi Beier, 1930 and Chthonius reductus Beier, 1939 (n. stat.) from subspecies of C. ischnocheles (Hermann, 1804). A lectotype is designated for Chthonius rayi L. Koch, 1873. Twenty-eight species of Chthonius of the ischnocheles group are known at present from Italy, of which three are endemic to Sicily and two to Sardinia. New country records are established for Chthonius alpicola Beier, 1951 (Croatia and Slovenia); Chthonius guglielmii Callaini, 1986 (mainland France), Chthonius halberti Kew, 1916 and Chthonius ilvensis Beier, 1963 (Corsica); Chthonius pygmaeus Beier, 1934 (Switzerland), and Chthonius densedentatus Beier, 1938 (France, Italy, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania and Greece).

Zaragozachthonius siculus n. gen. n. sp. is described from Sicily and Z. karamanianus (Hadži, 1937) (n. comb.), originally described from Macedonia, is newly recorded from central-southern Italy and Sicily. Relationships of the genus Zaragozachthonius among the other Chthonius-related genera sensu Zaragoza (2017), are discussed and a diagnostic key is proposed.

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.

A taxonomic revision and a key to the species of the subgenus Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) Beier, 1930 from Italy, Corsica and the Swiss Canton of Ticino are provided. The species are arranged in two species-groups (tetrachelatus group and fuscimanus group) on the basis of the shape of pedipalpal hand and of the type of dentition of the fixed and movable chelal fingers. The following new species are described: i) in the tetrachelatus group: Chthonius (E.) altamurae n. sp. (♀, loc. typ.: Apulia, Bari Prov., Altamura, Grotta Lamalunga 1295 Pu/BA), C. (E.) elymus n. sp. (♂, loc. typ.: Sicily, Trapani Prov., Custonaci, Abisso del Purgatorio 8064 Si/TP), Chthonius (E.) messapicus n. sp. (♂, loc. typ.: Apulia, Brindisi Prov., San Pietro Vernotico, Cerano); ii) in the fuscimanus group: C. (E.) aeneae n. sp. (♂♀, loc. typ.: Liguria, Genoa Prov., Sestri Levante, Punta Manara), C. (E.) etruscus n. sp. (♂♀, loc. typ.: Tuscany, Grosseto Prov., Semproniano, Grotta di Montecchio 254 To/GR), C. (E.) gallii n. sp. (♂♀, loc. typ.: Liguria, Savona Prov., Bergeggi), C. (E.) intemelius n. sp. (♂♀, loc. typ.: Liguria, Imperia Prov., Apricale, Mt Cianela), C. (E.) latellai n. sp. (♂♀, loc. typ.: Latium, Latina Prov., Bassiano, Grotta di Fiume Coperto 1361 La/LT), C. (E.) ligur n. sp. (♂♀, loc. typ.: Liguria, Imperia Prov., near Baiardo), C. (E.) magrinii n. sp. (♂, loc. typ.: Latium, Frosinone Prov., San Giovanni Incarico, Grotta sulla strada per il Santuario della Madonna della Guardia n. c. La/FR), C. (E.) monguzzii n. sp. (♂♀, loc. typ.: Lombardia, Brescia Prov., Sulzano, Oricina de la Pofa del Giardì 438 Lo/BS), C. (E.) sulphureus n. sp. (♂♀, loc. typ.: Marche, Ancona Prov., Genga, Grotta di Frasassi 1 Ma/AN), C. (E.) tyrrhenicus n. sp. (♂♀, loc. typ.: Liguria, Genoa Prov., Genoa, Quinto al Mare, Mt Moro). The following new synonymies are proposed: Chthonius (E.) bauneensis Callaini, 1983 is a junior subjective synonym of C. (E.) berninii Callaini, 1983 (n. syn.), C. (E.) aegatensis Callaini, 1989 is a junior subjective synonym of C. (E.) berninii Callaini, 1983 (n. syn.), Chthonius (E.) maltensis Mahnert, 1975 is a junior subjective synonym of Chthonius (E.) concii Beier, 1953 (n. syn.), Chthonius (E.) bartolii Gardini, 1976 is a junior subjective synonym of Chthonius (E.) concii Beier, 1953 (n. syn.), Chthonius (E.) elbanus Beier, 1963 is a junior subjective synonym of Chthonius (E.) nanus Beier, 1953 (n. syn.), Chthonius (E.) cavicola Gardini, 1990 is a junior subjective synonym of Chthonius (E.) troglophilus Beier, 1930 (n. syn.). Thirty-nine species of Ephippiochthonius are known at present from the above-mentioned areas, of which one is presumably endemic to Sicily, four to Sardinia and four to Corsica. C. (E.) gibbus Beier, 1953 is excluded from the Ital-ian fauna and C. (E.) vachoni Heurtault-Rossi, 1963 is newly recorded from Italy. Chthonius (E.) poeninus Mahnert, 1979 is transferred to the subgenus Globochthonius Beier, 1931.