Two new pseudoscorpions from the un administered province of Kosovo and Croatia

Abstract

Two new epigean pseudoscorpion species belonging to the family Chthoniidae - Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) metohicus n. sp. and Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) civitatisveti n. sp. from the UN Administered Province of Kosovo and Southern Croatia, respectively, are described. The newly erected taxa are endemic to each of the areas studied. Their taxonomic relationship with their phenetically close congeners Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) bidentatus Beier, 1939, Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) kemza Ćurčić, Lee et Makarov, 1993 and Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) tetrachelatus (Preyssler, 1790) and comparative morphological traits are described.

Keywords

• Pseudoscorpions
• Chthoniidae
• Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) Beier
• new species
• endemism
• Balkan Peninsula