Pherania giupponii Kury

Kury, Adriano B., 2003, A new species of Pherania Strand, 1942 from southern Brazil (Arachnida: Opiliones: Gonyleptidae), Zootaxa 363, pp. 1-8 : 2-5

Pherania giupponii Kury sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–14 )

Type material: Male holotype, 2 male 3 female paratypes ( MNRJ 4494) Brazil. Santa Catarina. Florianópolis, Ilha de Santa Catarina, forest on hill behind buildings of APAE, ÚNICA e SESI (27.61°S, 48.49°W), 15–17 December 1999, leg. A. P. L. Giupponi.

Etymology. Specific name honors Alessandro P. L. Giupponi, member of our team in the Arachnology Laboratory, who discovered the only known representatives of this species.

Diagnosis. Can be distinguished from Pherania pygmaea by: 1) ventro­retrolateral apophysis of tibia IV of male anvil­shaped (as two tubercles in Ph. pygmaea ); 2) two stout spiniform ventro­prolateral apophyses of tibia IV of male (only one in Ph. pygmaea ); 3) tubercle of eye mound rounded (sharp in Ph. pygmaea ); 4) tarsus of leg III tetramerous (pentamerous in Ph. pygmaea ).

Description of male holotype (MNRJ 4494)

Measurements. Carapace 0.8 long, 0.9 wide. Eye mound 0.3 wide. Abdominal scutum 1.1 long, 1.4 wide. Posterior margin of scutum 1.0 wide. Stigmatic area 1.1 wide, 0.8 long, distance between stigmata 0.8. Legs: I Fe 0.7, Ti 0.4, Mt 0.6. II Fe 0.9, Ti 0.8, Mt 1.0. III Fe 0.9, Ti 0.7, Mt 0.9. IV Fe 1.1, Ti 0.8, Mt 1.5.

Dorsum ( Figs. 1, 3–5 ): Outline of dorsal scutum sinuous, widest at groove II. Posterior border of scutum straight. Eye mound elliptical, moderately high, well separated from anterior border of carapace, armed with small unpaired median blunt tubercle. Mesotergum divided into 4 well­defined areas by transverse grooves, area I divided into left and right halves by median groove. All areas and tergites smooth and unarmed, except from a pair of very small paramedian granules on each area III and IV.

Venter ( Fig 6 ): Coxae I–IV, stigmatic area, sternites and anal opercle finely granular, without remarkable processes. Stigmatic area well separated from coxa IV, T­shaped. Stigmata clearly visible. Coxa IV with ventro­apical apophysis applied against free sternite I.

Mouth parts. Chelicerae not swollen. Basichelicerite without well­defined bulla. Pedipalpal trochanter with one basal setiferous tubercle; femur with ventro­basal setiferous tubercle; patella unarmed. Tibia and tarsus armed with weak spines ( Fig 4 ). Tibia with 3 (IIi) ectal and mesal spines. Tarsus with 3 mesal (IIi) and 3 ectal (IIi) spines.

Legs. Femur I with a ventral row of delicate setiferous granules. Coxa IV ( Figs. 1 , 5 ) with bifurcate dorso­apical apophysis with two subequal branches and ventro­apical apophysis with subdistal secondary branch. Trochanter IV ( Figs. 1–2 , 4–6 ) with well­developed square sclerite, a strong subdistal dorsal recurved apophysis, one ventro­retrolateral spiniform apophysis and two prolateral spiniform apophyses. Femur IV ( Figs. 1–2 , 4 ) subsigmoid, with strong subdistal prolateral spiniform apophysis and subdistal ventral bifid apophysis. Patella IV ( Figs. 1–2 ) with stout median ventro­prolateral spiniform apophysis and still larger distal prolateral spiniform apophysis, and one ventro­apical anvil­shaped apophysis. Tibia IV with two rows of small blunt granules. Tarsal joints: 3(2) / 4(3) / 4 / 5. Tarsal claws unpectinate, tarsal process absent.

Color. Body and appendages background dark yellow. Scutal areas I­IV are dark brown with slightly lighter areas in the middle. A sharp dark brown band follows outline of scutum on lateral areas and posterior margin. Sparse dark brown mottling on legs I­IV and even sparser very faint on pedipalps, chelicerae and venter (coxa + stigmatic area + sternites).

Genitalia. Ventral plate trapezoid narrowing slightly and gradually distally. Distal bor­ der of penis ventral plate with soft notch. Two groups of setae on ventral plate. Basal group of three short lanceolate setae + two accessory smaller ones. Distal group of three short straight setae + one accessory smaller. Glans without ventral or dorsal processes, stylus with subapical small rounded tubercles.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Pherania giupponii Kury sp. nov. Male holotype (MNRJ 4494) 6. Habitus, ventral view. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 1 – 3. Pherania giupponii Kury sp. nov. Male holotype (MNRJ 4494) 1. Habitus, dorsal view; 2. Right leg IV, ventral view; 3. (Male paratype). Eye mound and frontal margin of carapace, anterior view. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURES 4 ­ 5. Pherania giupponii Kury sp. nov. Male holotype (MNRJ 4494) 4. Habitus, lateral view; 5. Posterior part of scutum, free tergites and coxa IV, dorso­posterior view. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURES 7 – 11. Pherania giupponii Kury sp. nov. Male holotype (MNRJ 4494) 7. Left femur III, dorsal view; 8 – 11. Metatarsi + Tarsi I – IV, lateral view. Dotted lines are the boundaries calcaneus X astragalus of metatarsi. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURES 12 – 13. Pherania giupponii Kury sp. nov. Male paratype (MNRJ 4494) 12. Distal part of penis, dorsal view. 13. Same, lateral view. Scale bar 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 14. Eastern Santa Catarina State, Brazil, showing distribution of Pherania pygmaea (dotted circle) and Pherania giupponii (triangle). Thin lines are rivers and dotted lines are state boundaries.