ON EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY OF THE FEMALE OF RONCUS ORAO Ć UR Č I Ć , 2004 ( NEOBISIIDAE , PSEUDOSCORPIONES ) FROM MONTENEGRO .

The assumption expressed by Va n d e l (1964) and Ć u r č i ć (1988) that Montenegro and bordering regions are extremely rich in epigean and subterranean pseudoscorpion species has been corroborated in the past several years (Ć u r č i ć , D i m i t r i j e v i ć , and M a k a r o v , 1997; Ć u r č i ć , M a k a r o v , and L u č i ć , 1998; Ć u r č i ć , D i m i t r i j e v i ć , and L e g a k i s , 2004; Ć u r č i ć , D i m i t r i j e v i ć , Ć u r č i ć , and M i t i ć , 2004) by the establishment of several new pseudoscorpion species belonging to the families Chthoniidae and Neobisiidae. According to Ć u r č i ć , D i m i t r i j e v i ć , and L e g a k i s (2004), 45 species of pseudoscorpions inhabit Montenegro. Of these, the majority are species inhabiting various underground habitats as well as endemics.

A new cavernicolous pseudoscorpion species from Montenegro - PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.comRoncus orao has been described recently (Ć určić et al. 2004).This new species was erected on the basis of analysis of male and tritonymph specimens from the Megara Pećina Cave, near Podgorica in Montenegro.
Recent analysis of the small pseudoscorpion sample from the Megara Pećina Cave in Mareza near Podgorica collected on February 5, 1997 by I. Karaman revealed the presence of the topotype female of Roncus orao.
The galea is low and inconspicuous.The movable cheliceral finger carries one seta, while six setae are present on the fixed cheliceral finger.Flagellum with eight blades, of which seven are long distal blades and one a short proximal blade.All blades are serrated along the anterior side.No distinct teeth can be distinguished on either cheliceral finger, suggesting that the specimen is older.
Manducatory process bearing four long setae.Femur with interior granulations.Patella (tibia) smooth.Chelal palm with some interior granulations (Figs. 1 and 2).The fixed chelal finger carries 80 teeth, while 77 are developed on the movable chelal finger (Fig. 2, Table 1).Chelal finger slightly longer than chelal palm (Table 1) and somewhat shorter than pedipalpal femur (Table 1).The position of trichobothria is as presented in Figs. 1 and 2. Pedipalpal tibia length to breadth ratio is 2.33, the pedipalpal femur length to breadth ratio 3.705, and the pedipalpal chelal length to breadth ratio 3.21.Total length of leg IV is 3.88 mm.Tibia IV, metatursus IV, and tarsus IV each carry a single long tactile seta (Fig. 3).Morphometric ratios and linear measurements of different body structures are presented in Table 1.
Remarks.-According to present knowledge, Roncusorao is endemic to a single cave in Montenegro and probably represents a relict of Tertiary origin.