Titanoleptes hyperion, Kury & Bernabé, 2023

Kury, Adriano B. & Bernabé, Tiago, 2023, Description of two new genera and five new species of clade K 92 from Bahia and Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil (Arachnida, Opiliones, Gonyleptidae), Zootaxa 5351 (4), pp. 401-434 : 428-433

Titanoleptes hyperion sp. nov.

( Figs 27–29 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:508E2223-6F21-4317-95B7-B4F5A74FE962

“SOD-01 sp. E”— Kury et al. 2022: 81, fig. 7.

Etymology. From the Greek mythological name Ὑπερίων, one of the twelve Titans, children of Gaia and Uranus. Noun in apposition. This name is a nod to the genus name.

Type series. BRAZIL, Espirito Santo State: ♂ holotype ( MNRJ 9076 ),, Domingos Martins, Pedra Azul, Fazenda Firmino Bellon & Lurdinha Bernabé Bellon , (-20.408169°, -41.022323°), 1400 m, 27.vii.2015, T. Bernabé, A.P.L. Giupponi, P. Omena & T. Souza leg..; 5 ♂, 6 ♀, 2 juv. paratypes ( MNRJ 9104 ), Domingos Martins, Braço do Sul, Faz. Ademir Bernabé (-20.488619°, -41.055213°) 1150 m, 28.vii.2015, T. Bernabé, A.P.L. Giupponi, A.B. Kury, P. Omena & T. Souza leg.; 1 ♂ paratype ( MNRJ 18148 ), Santa Teresa, REBIO Augusto Ruschi , Roda d’Água , (19°54.575’S, 40°32.531’W), 26.viii.2006, E. Soeiro leg.; 1 ♀ paratype ( MNRJ 18464 ), Santa Teresa, REBIO Augusto Ruschi , Tracomal , 7.ix.2006, T. Bernabé leg.; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ paratypes ( MNRJ 18621 ), Santa Teresa, REBIO Augusto Ruschi , Preguiça , (19°54.640’ S, 40°32.500’ W), 25.viii.2006, T. Bernabé leg.; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ paratypes ( MNRJ 18643 ), same data; 1 ♂ paratype ( MNRJ 18669 ), ES, Santa Teresa, REBIO Augusto Ruschi , 26.viii.2006, T. Bernabé, D. Mota, T. Souza & E. Soeiro leg.; 1 ♂ paratype ( MNRJ 17958 ), Santa Teresa, REBIO Augusto Ruschi , Roda d’Água , (19°54.575’S, 40°32.531’W), 26.viii.2006, D. Mota leg.; 1 ♂ paratype ( MNRJ 17975 ), same loc. and date, T. Souza leg,; 1 ♀ paratype ( MZSP 73441 ), Santa Teresa, REBIO Augusto Ruschi , Trilha da Preguiça (S 19°54’50,8” W 40°33’8”), 30.iii.2015, A.R. Benedetti leg,; 1 ♀ paratype ( MZSP 73446 ), same locality, 30.iii.2015, A.A. Nogueira leg.; 1 ♂ paratype ( MZSP 73447 ), same data; 1 ♂ paratype ( MZSP 73442 ), Santa Teresa, REBIO Augusto Ruschi , Trilha da Cachoeira (S 19°54’50.8” W 40°33’8”), 30.iii.2015, A.A. Nogueira leg; 1 ♀ paratype ( MZSP 73445 ), same locality, 30.iii.2015, M.P. Silva leg; 1 ♀ paratype ( MZSP 73444 ), same locality, 02.iv.2015, M.P. Silva leg.; 1 ♀ paratype ( MZSP 73443 ), Santa Teresa, REBIO Augusto Ruschi , Trilha da Roda d’Água (S 19°53’40,1”S W 40°32’35,6”), 03.iv.2015, A.A. Nogueira leg.

Diagnosis. Body color in both sexes dark brown, almost black ( Figs. 1e, f ). Ocularium with two small, spherical, pale yellow tubercles that contrast with background ( Fig. 27b ). Scutal area III armed with small, contrasting, pale yellow, paramedian, rounded tubercles ( Fig. 27b ). Free tergites I–III unarmed in both sexes ( Figs. 1e, f ). Femur IV of male strongly curved to the midline at proximal fourth, armed at least with two strong retrolateral spines; RD6 of male Fe IV strongly curved ( Fig. 27a ). Glans with a circular wall around stylus ( Figs. 29a, c, d, e ).

Distribution. Brazil, Espírito Santo State, Domingos Martins; Santa Teresa.

Description of male holotype. Measurements: CL = 3.3, CW = 4.8, AL = 5.9, AW = 9.4. Pp = 9.0. Legs, I: Fe = 5.7, Ti = 3.8, Mt= 5.8; II: Fe = 9.7, Ti = 8.0, Mt = 10.1; III: Fe = 7.8, Ti = 5.2, Mt = 8.1; IV: Fe = 12.0, Ti = 7.9, Mt = 12.4.

Dorsum. Robust animal, with strong legs. Outline of DS gamma pyriform in dorsal view, quite flattened, so that Cx IV is much thicker than scutum in lateral view. Mesotergum divided into four areas, none entirely separated, of which areas III and IV are widely fused to each other. Posterior border of DS with trapezoid concavity. Carapace mid-area pentagonal, with narrow and low ocularium. Ocularium armed with a pair of paramedian small spherical tubercles. Frontal hump low, armed with a pair of small granules. Mesotergum divided into 4 scutal areas, although all of them show fusion on the sides due to obliteration of grooves. Areas III and IV moreover are extensively fused to each other. Area I long, divided into halves, broadly joined. Area II projected a little into area I. Area III strongly arched frontwards and only moderately encased into area II. Carapace smooth and unarmed, area I with a transverse row of three granules on each side; area II with a similar row of four granules, without any especially developed pair in the middle. Areas III-IV with a row of a few granules plus a paramedian pair of larger, rounded, capitate tubercles, forming a transversal line on area IV. Area V with a transverse row of a few granules. Lateral margins of scutum with a row of minute tubercles at areas I to IV. Each free tergite with a row of minute granules, free tergites I–III unarmed. Posterior border of dorsal scutum with elongate trapezoid concavity. Two ozopores, first slit-like, second rounded.

Venter. Cx I free, the other connected to the adjacent ones by tubercular bridges. Cx IV much larger than the other coxae combined. Stigmatic area posterior border deeply concave. Free tergites each with transverse row of granules. Stigmatic area with very long axis and large, elliptical slanted stigmata.

Pedipalps. Moderately elongate, shorter than body. Tr with thin neck, 1 + 3 setiferous tubercles dorsal and ventral. Fe with a row of three extremely weak ventral setiferous tubercles and much stronger meso-distal spine. Pa curved, unarmed. Ti and Ta flattened ventrally. Spination of Ti: mesal IiIi, ectal IiIi (last two geminated). Spination of Ta: mesal IiIi, ectal IiIi.

Legs. All legs slender, only leg IV with considerable armature. Fe I–II straight, III–IV arched. Femur III with multiple rows of small acuminate tubercles. Tr IV with prodorsal, median, conical apophysis which connects with apophysis of Cx IV and immense, retrolateral, distal, conical apophysis. Fe IV: elongate, curved to the middle at 1/3 length; uniformly curved to dorsal. Proventral: row of numerous, small, acuminate tubercles all along the femur length. Retroventral: row of numerous, small, acuminate tubercles, plus four larger tubercles distally. Retrodorsal: only four spines, with RD5 and RD10 the largest. Dorsal: row of small tubercles, with the five distalmost much larger. Prodorsal: row of numerous small acuminate tubercles all along the femur length. Pa IV with many rows of tubercles, Ti IV as well, but tubercles are coarser. Mt IV smooth, thin and slender. Tarsal counts: 6(3)-6(3)/10(3)- 10(3)/7-7/10-10.

Color (in 75% ethanol): Body and appendages background Grayish Brown (61), lighter on scutum and tergites. Leg IV considerably darker starting at apical portion of Cx. Venter Light Brown (57), with unobtrusive, lighter, honeycombed reticulation. In vivo it is considerably darker, with lighter granules more contrasting. Arthrodial membrane between Cx/Tr IV Very Light Blue (180); between free tergites Dark Grayish Blue (187).

Male genitalia ( Figs. 29a–e ). VP roughly T-shaped, with basal lobes narrow, and distal border with a wide parabolic cleft. Large latero-distal flange of VP projected, forming a pair of triangular ears. Field of type 1 microsetae occupying most of VP with mid-ventral part extending into podium. Basal lobe as a large square projecting dorsally from VP. Macrosetae (MS) A and B well-developed, forming an arch on latero-basal lobe, B the same size as A1–A3. MS C1–C3 elongate, straight basally, but helical distally. MS D1 very small, inserted at 1/3 of the distance between C and A/B, E1–E2 small, on flange. Flabellum subtriangular, with ventral half outline deeply serrated. Glans sac organized as an elaborate calyx, surrounding most of the stylus.

Female (MNRJ 9104). The female is essentially similar to male in color, build, appendages, and armature of dorsal scutum. Main differences are in the weak development and reduced armature of leg IV and the absence of yellow tubercles on the patellae and tibiae. Tarsal counts: 6(3)/9(3)/7/8.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Examples in vivo of some of the species treated in this paper: a–c. Cajango camacanensis sp. nov., a. Alpha male, from Una, Bahia State, Brazil; b. Beta male from São José da Vitoria, Bahia State, Brazil; c. Female from Una, Bahia State, Brazil; d. Titanoleptes calcar (Roewer, 1913), male from Prado, Bahia State, Brazil; e–f. Titanoleptes hyperion sp. nov. from Braço do Sul, Espirito Santo State, Brazil, e. Male, f. Female. Photos by A. Anker & P. Martins (a–d) and A.B. Kury (e–f). All used with permission.

FIGURE 27. Titanoleptes hyperion sp. nov., male paratype (MNRJ 18669) ES, Santa Teresa: a. Habitus, panoramic, dorsal view; b. Habitus, dorsal view; c. Same, ventral view; d. Same, sinistrolateral view; e. Same, frontal view; f. Same, posterior view. Scale bars = 1mm.

FIGURE 28. Titanoleptes hyperion sp. nov., male holotype (MNRJ 9076), from Domingos Martins, femur IV (each figure is rotated 90° along the proximal-distal axis relative to each adjacent one). From the top: retrolateral view. ventral view, prolateral view and dorsal view. All scale bars = 5 mm.

FIGURE 29. Titanoleptes hyperion sp. nov., male paratype (MNRJ 9104), from Domingos Martins, male genitalia: a. Penis, distal part, dorsal view; b. Same, ventral view; c. Same, dextrolateral view; d. Same, dorso-apical view; e. Same, apical view. All scale bars = 100 μm.