Flirtea valida (Roewer, 1928) Roewer, 1928

Kury, Adriano B. & García, Andrés F., 2016, On the identity of Flirtea (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cosmetidae), Zootaxa 4093 (2), pp. 231-247 : 243-245

Flirtea valida (Roewer, 1928) comb. nov.

( Figs 9–10 )

Cynorta valida Roewer 1928: 561 , fig. 9; Kury 2003: 48.

Type data. ♀ holotype (SMF 152/47, not examined), BRAZIL, Maranhão, [Sítio Novo], Serra da Cinta.

Material examined. BRAZIL, Pará: 8 ex. (MNRJ 19110), Altamira, Abrigo do Sismógrafo, 14.iv.2009, A Giupponi & D Pedroso leg.; idem, 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (MNRJ 7147) Altamira, Abrigo do Mangá, 11–xii–2010, JE Gallão, D Monteiro-Neto & ME Bichuette leg.; idem, 1 ♀ (MNRJ 2326), Altamira, Caverna Kararaô, 11.vii.2009, ME Bichuette, D Pedroso, Franco & Scatolini leg.; idem, 1 ♀ (MNRJ 02328), Altamira, Abrigo da Gravura, 08.vii.2009, ME Bichuette, Pedroso, Franco & Scatolini leg.; idem, 1 ♀ (MNRJ 2290), Parauapebas, Serra dos Carajás, Serra do Norte, vii.2003, R Bittencourt leg.; idem, 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (MNRJ 7184), Canaã dos Carajás, viii.2003, R Bittencourt leg. BRAZIL, Mato Grosso: 1 ♀ (UFMT 789), Novo Mundo, Pequena Central Hidroelétrica Nhandú, xi–2008, Rondon B leg.

Distribution. BRAZIL, Maranhão: Sítio Novo; Mato Grosso: Novo Mundo; Pará: Altamira, Parauapebas.

Supplementary description: (male MNRJ 19110). Body ( Figs 9 a–f). Dorsum. Robust animal, with legs elongate ( Figs 9 a, e). Dorsal scutum in dorsal view beta-shaped ( Figs 9 a, e). Dorsal scutum in lateral view most convex at area III, coxa IV greatly developed, thicker than scutum in lateral view ( Figs 9 b, f). Ocularium low, narrow, with median depression and dorso-lateral granulation ( Figs 9 a–c, e–f). Scutal grooves poorly delimited. Scutum finely granular and unarmed, except for a pair of marginally larger acuminate tubercles on area I and a pair of high paramedian acuminate spines on area III ( Figs 9 b, f). Free tergites I–III and anal operculum smooth and unarmed ( Figs 9 a–b, d–f).

Venter. Coxae I–III triangular, transverse to main body axis. Coxae II to IV connected by tubercle bridges. Ventral elements of coxa I: e1 = ca. 30 small tubercles forming 1 main row + at least 2 supplementary smaller rows; e2 = row of 14–15 large tubercles contiguous with e1; e3 = 1 very elongate and acuminate conical process; e4 = 1 huge hook with blunt apex; e5 = long protuberant cluster of 12 cusps. Coxa IV pentagonal, greatly developed, oriented obliquely, but almost parallel to body axis. Stigmatic area T-shaped with stigmata large, unconcealed. Free sternites smooth and unarmed.

Chelicera. Neither basichelicerite nor hand thickened or swollen. Bulla short, rounded, bordered with strong acuminate setiferous tubercles, 4 ectal and 7 posterior. Bulla dorso-mesal anteriorly with 2 triangular lobes.

Pedipalpus. Tr with stout antero-dorsal protuberance and three ventro-apical tubercles. Fe strongly compressed, concave on mesal surface, with dorsal row of 9 low tubercles and ventral row of 12 and one mesaldistal spine. Ti strongly depressed, with weakly distinct groove on mesal edge. Shape asymmetrical, with ectal side more pronounced, armed distally with a row of 10 short spines and a conical process. Corresponding mesal side with a widely spaced row of 9 short spines. Ta moderately elongate, with tight irregular ventro-ectal row of 9 short spines, a sparse ventro-mesal row of 10 long spines and a proximal mesal cluster of 4 short spines.

Legs. Elongate and moderately thick (growing thicker from I to IV), entirely unarmed. All femora straight. Tarsal claws unpectinate. Tarsal formula: 6(3)–6(3)/16(3)–?/10–9/11–11.

Color (in alcohol). Background of body (dorsal and ventral) and appendages Deep Reddish Brown (41), except leg I and Tr II which are Brilliant Yellow (83) with loose darker reticle in Deep Yellowish Brown (75). Pedipalps and chelicerae (which are honeycombed) have the same background color, but the reticle is overwhelming, being the predominant color. Mask blots Yellowish White (92), with some more vivid islands on the outline in Pale Yellow (89). Mask blot roughly similar to a schematic leuconoid cut of sponge body organization, although not solid, but a lattice with numerous rounded spots without color. A figure 8-shaped area around the spines of area III is also without color. Outline marked with a few solid rounded areas.

Genitalia ( Figs 10 a–c). Ventral plate of penis rectangular and very elongate, distal border very slightly concave. Lateral margins of dorsal part of VP straight. Four pairs of larger macrosetae inserted on lateral margin of VP: Two pairs C1–C2 greatly developed, curved and flattened, and adjacent to those, the third pair of macrosetae, D1, robust, cylindrical and straight, while D2 is much reduced and located proximally. The fourth pair of MS, A1, similar to D1 and also pointed basally. A pair of small microsetae B is located ventro-basally on VP, while E1–E2 also reduced are located more ventrally and distally to D2. Stylus moderately curved, flattened, with apical depression flanked by a double-row of long wattle. Ventral process of glans flat, thumb-shaped.

Female ( Figs 9 e–f). Very similar to male, differing only by coxa IV being entirely hidden under dorsal scutum in dorsal view and by basitarsomeres of leg I not thickened.

Remarks. Of the numerous species once assigned to Flirtea , F. v al i d a and F. batman are the only ones which match the current diagnosis of the genus, in spite of neither having been included in Flirtea in the literature.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Flirtea valida (MNRJ 19110) from Pará, male (a – d) and female (e – f): a. Dorsal view; b. Lateral view; c. Frontal view; d. Posterior view; e. Dorsal view; f. Lateral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 10. Flirtea valida (MNRJ 19110) from Pará, male, distal portion of penis: a. Dorsal view; b. Lateral view; c. Ventral view. Central scale bar (for all figures) = 0.1 mm.