Rhampsinitus flavobrunneus, Starêga, Wojciech, 2009

Starêga, Wojciech, 2009, Some southern African species of the genus Rhampsinitus Simon (Opiliones: Phalangiidae), Zootaxa 1981, pp. 43-56 : 45-47

Rhampsinitus flavobrunneus sp. nov.

Figs 1–5

Type. ɗ holotype ( MRAC 130.034) from „ Afrique du Sud, ZA.90” collected 1966 by N. Leleup. No precise locality is given, the material possibly comes from the vicinity of Johannesburg.

Etymology. The species name, a Latin adjective, means „yellow-brown”.

Diagnosis. A typical member of the genus: male chelicerae long and massive. First segment scarcely covered with sharp denticles, second segment with two groups of few denticles: dorso-basally and ventrally. Differing from other South African species with long chelicerae (e.g., R. crassus , R. leighi , R. transvaalicus ) by its less strongly armed chelicerae, elongate pedipalps and light (yellow) coloration. Penis shaft with characteristically broadened basis and broad, deep „spoon”.

Description. MALE: body oviform, 7.7 mm long. Carapace 3.6 mm wide, with loose scattered denticles in front of eye mound: one in middle of frontal margin and a few anterior to eye mound and on both sides. Distance between eye mound and frontal margin equalling length of eye mound, the latter approximately as long as high, a little broader than long. Long denticles present on eye rings: four on left and three on right side. Whole body surface covered with minute granules, each tergite with a single, irregular row of denticles (only in median part, sides smooth). Posterior tergites with irregular rows of short bristles. Venter smooth, some bristles in vicinity of mouth. Coxae with scattered sharp granules, most numerous on coxa I; all coxae ending with semicircles of similar but darker granules.

Chelicerae ( Fig. 1 ) very long and massive, basichelicerite 6.4 mm, second segment 7.8 mm long. Basal segment with numerous short but sharp denticles, particularly on dorsal and ventral surface. Second segment with big sharp granules dorso-basally and smaller ones ventrally. Pedipalps ( Fig. 2 ) very long and slender: femur 8.6 mm, patella 1.9 mm, tibia 4.5 mm, tarsus 7.5 mm long. Sharp granules on trochanter (dorsally and ventrally) and femur, there already much smaller. Other segments only with short hairs and bristles. Tarsus in about ¾ of its length slightly bent to the ventral side. Legs very long (BLI 2.755), slender. 1st pair not thickened. Femur length: I: 10.8 mm, II: 16.3 mm, III: 9.7 mm, IV: 11.1 mm. All femora with five rows of small sharp denticles. Smaller denticles or sharp granules present on ventral surface of tibia and metatarsus I. Other segments with very small granules or bristles, mainly ventrally. Metatarsi with false joints: I: 4–5, II: 6–7, III: 5–6, IV: 5–7.

Body brownish yellow. Carapace with brown patches. Dorsal pattern poorly visible. Median part of abdomen as well as carapace slightly darker than the sides. The only visible fragment of the saddle reaching from posterior corners of carapace obliquely to abdominal segment I; there saddle constricted and more or less clearly bordered by a whitish line. All segments with transversal rows of whitish dots.

Penis ( Figs 3–5 ) 2.8 mm long. Shaft thin, in midlength 0.22 mm wide and 0.10 mm thick, basis much wider (0.61 mm) and thicker (0.33 mm). Subapical „spoon” 0.44 mm long, very deep (0.30 mm), its margins almost reaching midpoint of glans. Glans ( Fig. 5 ) in profile banana-shaped, laterally compressed, 0.60 mm long; stylus 0.23 mm long. Penis uniformly yellow, only the dorsal „spoon” margins brownish and stylus dark brown.

Affinities. According to the key characters of Kauri (1961: 150) the new species is nearest to R. granarius Roewer, 1917 (from Johannesburg) and R. flavidus Lawrence, 1931 (from Makoetsi near Leydsdorp). R. flavobrunneus sp. nov. differs from the first species by its coloration (much lighter), from the second by the lack of long apical denticles on femur I, and from both of them by the armature of the carapace (few denticles instead of a large group in front of eye mound) and by body proportions (palps and legs relatively much longer). R. granarius and R. flavidus are perhaps the same species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Rhampsinitus flavobrunneus sp. nov., male holotype. 1, right chelicera, mesal view; 2, right pedipalpus, mesal view; 3, penis, dorsal view; 4, penis, lateral view; 5, apical part of penis, lateral view (stylus broken off).