A new epigean pseudoscorpion from East Serbia: Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) timacensis (Chthoniidae, Pseudoscorpiones)

Abstract

Only five species of Chthonius C. L. Koch (subgenus Ephippiochthonius Beier, 1930) (Chthoniidae) are presently known from Serbia. Among these, one should mention Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) bidentatus Beier, 1939 (endemic to the Petnička Pećina Cave in Western Serbia), C. (E.) kemza Ćurčić, Lee & Makarov, 1993 (from a cave in Eastern Serbia), C. (E.) microtuberculatus Hadži, 1937 (distributed in southern Serbia, FYROM, and Bulgaria), C. (E.) tetrachelatus (Preyssler), 1970 (widely distributed all over the world), C. (E.) metohicus Ćurčić, 2011 (from the UN Administered Province of Kosovo), and C. (E.) civitatisveti Ćurčić & Rađa, 2011 (from southern Croatia), respectively. However, a new epigean species belonging to the genus Chthonius — Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) timacensis Ćurčić & Stojanović n. sp. is described from eastern Serbia and is endemic to the area studied. Its taxonomic relationships with the phenetically close congeners C. (E.) metohicus Ćurčić and C. (E.) tetrachelatus (Preyssler), as well as its comparative morphological traits, are described.