New Hypogeous pseudoescorpion of Mallorca

New Hypogeous pseudoescorpion of Mallorca (Published on 13/01/2014)

A new species of pseudoescorpion has been described in a cave on the island of Mallorca. An intensive sampling carried out for an entire year in the Coves de Campanet, Campanet, Mallorca, have allowed the capture of three species of pseudoscorpions. The methodology consisted in the installation of 18 traps scattered throughout the cavity and its quarterly review. It is the Coves de Campanet of a cavity enabled tourism, has surprised the capture of a new species of Hypogeous pseudoescorpion, completely blind and well adapted to the underground environment: Chthonius (Chthonius) campaneti Zaragoza & Vadell, 2013, since e.g. species tend to avoid this kind of cavities by lighting and environmental alterations. This new species two others associated with it: Chthonius (Chthonius) ischnocheles (Hermann, 1804) and Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) tetrachelatus (Preyssler, 1790), both epigean but not uncommon species in the entrance of the karst cavities; in this case, both species, perfectly oculadas, have been favored by the artificial lighting in some deeper rooms in its colonization of the cavity. The discovery of C. campaneti represents the seventh species known for the genre Chthonius in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands.

Zaragoza, J.A. & Vadell, M., 2013.Chthonius (Chthonius) campaneti , a new pseudoscorpion species from Coves de Campanet, Mallorca (Spain). Revista Ibérica de arachnology, 23: 33-41.

#escorpión #mallorca #campanet #cuevas