A cave-dwelling Iberian palpigrade (Arachnida: Palpigradi) of the Eukoenenia mirabilis group

Zootaxa. 2017 Dec 12;4363(4):561-568. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4363.4.8.

Abstract

A new species Eukoenenia amatei sp. nov. is described on the basis of a female captured in a cave in south-eastern Spain. It is characterized by the presence of a single blade on the lateral organ and the absence of a glandular complex on sternites IV and VI. Some of these characters are shared with five other species distributed in Europe, Asia, Africa and South and Central America. The new species is remarkable for the elongation of basitarsus of leg IV which is the second longest in the E. mirabilis group. Only one other species in this group, E. indalica, has similar troglomorphic characters. In addition, formulas of palp and leg chaetotaxy are provided to facilitate species comparison.

Keywords: Palpigradi, Eukoeneniidae, troglomorphism, caves, Andalusia, Spain.

MeSH terms

  • Africa
  • Animals
  • Arachnida*
  • Asia
  • Caves
  • Central America
  • Europe
  • Female
  • Spain