Roncus elbulli (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones), a new species from Cap de Creus Nature Park (Catalonia, Spain), with a key to the Spanish species of the genus Roncus

Roncus elbulli sp. n. is described from Cap de Creus Nature Park (Catalonia, Spain). Th e new species is morphologically close to Roncus cadinensis Zaragoza, 2007 (Barcelona province), but diff ers by being smaller in size and having a more robust chela with a diff erent microsetae pattern. Th e new species seems to be restricted to coastal semiarid slopes with garrigue vegetation. A key to the Spanish species of the genus Roncus is provided.

Roncus elbulli (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones), a new species from Cap de Creus Nature Park (Catalonia, Spain), with a key to the Spanish species of the genus Roncus

Introduction
Th ree species of the genus Roncus L. Koch, 1873 have recently been described from Catalonia: Roncus judsoni Henderickx & Zaragoza, 2005 (eastern Pyrenees, province of Gerona), Roncus cadinensis Zaragoza, 2007 (Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park, province of Barcelona) and Roncus montsenyensis Zaragoza & Šťáhlavský (2008) (Montseny Natu-ral Park, province of Barcelona).Here we describe an additional new species of this genus from Cabo de Creus Natural Park, province of Gerona, Catalonia, Spain.Th is new discovery supports Zaragoza and Šťáhlavský's (2008) suggestion that more endemic species of Roncus remain undiscovered or misidentifi ed in Northeast Spain, as well as in Southeast and Balearic islands (fi rst author, pers.obs.).Th is study also reveals that the Roncus of Catalonia colonize diverse types of habitats and that this is partly responsible for their endemicity.

Material and methods
Th e specimens used for morphological study were dissected and examined as temporary glycerine mounts in cavity slides.After examination, the specimens were individually preserved in 70% ethanol inside glass vials, with the dissected appendages in glass microvials inside each vial.Microscopical examination was carried out with a Zeiss Axiolab light microscope, which was also used to take measurements of the appendages and make the drawings.SEM photographs were taken with a HITACHI S-3000N microscope.Th e measurements were based on Chamberlin's (1931) reference points; the length of the chela and its palm include the pedicel; all measurements are in millimetres.Th e ratios given are the length/width index of an article, when two articles are compared the ratio is the length/length index.Th e terminology follows Chamberlin (1931), including trichobothriotaxy, with modifi cations to the nomenclature of the segments of the pedipalps and legs (Harvey 1992).Th e terminology of faces of the appendages and the chelal spot-sensilla follows Judson (2007); the term "rallum" is adopted from Judson (2007) for the cheliceral fl agellum.Th e formula of the setal rows of the carapace follows Gabbutt and Vachon (1967).Diagnosis.Epigean Roncus with typical roncoid facies, robust palps, small in size.Carapace longer than broad, av.: 1.20×; epistome moderately prominent; chaetotaxy: 4-8-6-6: 24.Anterior process of coxa I with tooth shape, medial process without denticles.Palp femur granulated at the paraxial face but without tubercles, one tubercle at middle of antiaxial face; longer than either chelal fi nger or carapace; males 3.19-3.53×(0.56-0.67/0.17-0.20),females 3.20-3.48×(0.66-0.78/0.20-0.24).Patella smooth.Chela, males 2.99-3.16×(0.94-1.14/0.30-0.38),females 2. 83-3.08×(1.11-1.34/0.38-0.47).Chelal fi nger longer than the hand.Chelal fi xed fi nger with 60 (av.) teeth, movable fi nger 56 (av.).Without microsetae proximal to the trichobothrium eb.One or two, even without microsetae below trichobothria eb and esb.

Abbreviations
Etymology.Th e species epithet, elbulli, is a noun in apposition and refers to the world-famous Restaurante El Bulli, which is located at the locus typicus, Cala Montjoi.
Description.Th e data correspond to the male holotype, followed by paratype males and females data in parentheses.Measurements and ratios in Table 1.
Palps (16)(17)(18), trochanter with one robust tubercle and two small protuberances on antiaxial face; with tiny dorsal denticulation in distal half; paraxial face of femur completely granulated but without tubercles, one tubercle at middle of antiaxial face, one glandular pore mediodistally, measurements (av.): 3.37×(0.62/0.18),females 3.28×(0.71-0.22).Patella smooth, one (one or two) micropores at base of pedicel, some lyrifi ssures as shown in Fig. 10.Chela (Figs 11,12,(16)(17)(18)) (av.): males 3.06×(1.05/0.34),females 2.96×(1.22/0.41);two male specimens from Cala Montjoi and both males from Cala Rostella have a chelal ratio >3.10× and show a shorter chelal length of <1.00 mm.Paraxial face of hand granulated at base of fi xed fi nger, one pore at antiaxial face close to fi nger base; two (one or two) micropores at base of dorsal face of pedicel; ratio length chelal fi nger/hand, av.: males 1.16×, females 1.06×.Fixed fi nger with 60 (57-69) teeth up to level of trichobothrium ib; nodus ramosus at level of 5th (4-6th) distal tooth; distance between trichobothria ib and ist 1.76 (1.46-2.27)times longer than that between ist and it; two (0-2) microsetae below trichobothria eb and esb (Figs 13,14,17), sometimes one microsetae is also found clearly distal of eb, but it is slightly longer and is not considered to belong to this group; one lyrifi ssure at level of trichobothria eb, ib and et, one on the paraxial face of the hand close to fi nger base.One sensillum near the tip of both fi ngers.Movable fi nger with 54 (51-59) teeth, ending at level of trichobothrium b (or just distal); distance between trichobothria sb and st 1.04 (0.86-1.06) longer than distance b-sb; one sensillum (p1) close to dental margin, above or slightly distal of trichobothrium sb, another sensillum (p2) distal of sb (more or less close to trichobothrium, but always distal); two ventral glandular pores distal and proximal to sb; one lyrifi ssure basal of trichobothrium b, one between b and sb and one slightly basal, level with or even distal of sb; one female paratype from Cala Canadell shows a teratological absence of trichobothrium b.
Distribution.Th e new species has been located on four slopes of the bay "calas", between Cabo Norfeu and Punta Falconera, Rosas, Cap de Creus Natural Park.Starting at the Restaurant 'El Bulli' (Cala Montjoi), a small steep path climbs up the slope to an altitude of 100 m, where the new Roncus species was found.Although several other locations on the Cap de Creus peninsula were sampled, the species was only found on the southern slopes.
Biology.Th e new species lives under stones in the garrigue, a semiarid environment that is exposed to the sun.Th is habitat is new for the genus in Spain: Roncus species in this country are usually found in humid forests or in caves, although some   19), 0.50 (Fig. 16).
other Mediterranean species had been reported from the garrigue and xeric habitats (e.g.Gardini 1981Gardini , 1991)).Th e new species seems to have found a seasonal niche: all specimens were found during the short humid period in the middle of the winter.Th e Cap de Creus peninsula bears several endemic invertebrates and another probably endemic pseudoscorpion, Allochernes deceuninckorum Henderickx & Vets 2003, has been described from the southern slopes (Henderickx and Vets 2003).
Remarks.Following Mahnert's (1977) key and recent papers of Henderickx and Zaragoza (2005), Zaragoza et al. (2007) and Zaragoza and Šťáhlavský (2008), amongst the Roncus species from Spain with a roncoid form, the new species belongs to the group with a robust palpal femur (ratio <4.00×).It most closely resembles Roncus cadinensis Zaragoza, 2007, recently described from Catalonia.In general, these two species are morphologically very close, but some distinctive characteristics are found: the average palpal chela ratio is 3.06 (1.05/0.34) in males of the new species, but 3.34 (1.17/0.35) in R. cadinensis; the paraxial face of the chelal hand is more convex in the new species; the average palpal femur length is 0.62 in males of R. elbulli sp.n., versus about 0.69 in R. cadinensis; carapaceal epistome more prominent (av.: 0.020 mm long) and pointed in the new species, as opposed to short (av.: 0.014 mm long) and rounded in R. cadinensis.On average, the distance ib-ist is 1.86× distance ist-it, and the distance sb-st is 0.98× distance b-sb in the new species, whereas in R. cadinensis the distance ib-ist is 1.56× distance ist-it, and the distance sb-st is 1.13× distance b-sb.Th e chelal microsetae pattern, as defi ned by Zaragoza and Šťáhlavský (2008) for the microsetae below trichobothria eb and esb, is reduced in R. elbulli sp.n.: some specimens bear only one or two microsetae (Figs 13,14,17), two specimens lack microsetae on one chela and one male lacks them on both chelae; R. cadinensis usually bears three or four microsetae in the same area (Figs 15,19) (only one female of R. cadinensis with two microsetae between eb-esb and one level with esb, the latter being considered as part of a group of three microsetae).
Th ere is also an important diff erence in the habitat preferences of the two species: R. cadinensis occurs at 950-1400 m altitude in gallery forest and pine forest (Pinus sylvestris) biotopes, whereas R. elbulli sp.n. occurs at 100 m altitude in the garrigue relatively close to the coast.
Roncus pugnax (Navás, 1918) was previously the only Spanish species with a chelal ratio of about 3.00 (Beier 1963).Th is species shows wide variation in morphometry (Beier 1939) and it might represent a "complex" of diff erent species.However, all specimens assigned to R. pugnax have long chelal appendages (femur >0.90 mm, chela >1.70), much longer than those of R. elbulli sp.n.
Concerning the western Mediterranean species of the genus, R. elbulli sp.n. differs from the French epigean species included in Gardini's keys (1982Gardini's keys ( , 1991)).Roncus binaghii Gardini, 1991 (mainland France and Italy) coincides in having short palps, but the length/breadth ratios are higher than in the new Spanish species (e.g.male chela 3.25 and hand 1.66 on average in R. binaghii).R. binaghii also diff ers in having the femur the same length as the fi nger and denticles on the medial process of coxa I.According to the keys of Gardini andRizzerio (1985, 1986) and Gardini (1991Gardini ( , 1992Gardini ( , 1993) ) for the numerous mainland Italian species, R. elbulli sp.n. groups with the species with 6 setae on the carapaceal posterior row, medial process of coxa I without denticles, palpal patella smooth, palpal femur without tubercles on paraxial face and short chelal appendages.Th ese characteristics again lead to R. binaghii, which has been discussed above.