Morphological and cytogenetic characteristics of Neobisium (Blothrus) slovacum Gulička, 1977 (Pseudoscorpiones, Neobisiidae), the northernmost troglobitic species of the subgenus Blothrus in Europe

A groundbreaking study reveals that Neobisium (Blothrus) slovacum, a troglobiotic pseudoscorpion, holds the northernmost record for its subgenus within Europe. This species, endemic to the Aggtelek and Slovak Karst regions, exhibits unique morphological traits across its life stages, including adult, tritonymph, and deutonymph forms. The research also provides the first cytogenetic insights into this species, identifying a male karyotype of 69 chromosomes with an X0 sex chromosome system and two distinct pairs of 18S rDNA clusters on biarmed chromosomes. These findings were derived from an analysis of 50 specimens, combining traditional morphological examination with advanced fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques. The study further maps the species' distribution across 16 caves, underscoring its ecological significance within these UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Červená, M., Šťáhlavský, F., Papáč, V., Kováč, Ľ., & Christophoryová, J. (2019). Morphological and cytogenetic characteristics of Neobisium (Blothrus) slovacum Gulička, 1977 (Pseudoscorpiones, Neobisiidae), the northernmost troglobitic species of the subgenus Blothrus in Europe. ZooKeys, 817, 113–130. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.817.27189