Titanoleptes eros, 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 : 421-427

Titanoleptes eros sp. nov.

( Figs 23–26 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EB41BA5F-6C2C-4E04-97CD-DBD02ABADBAA

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

Etymology. Noun in apposition. In Greek mythology, Eros was the god of love, whose Roman counterpart was Cupid. Thus, this name mirrors another species of the genus, C. cupidensis .

Type series. BRAZIL, Espirito Santo State: ♂ holotype ( MNRJ 18440 ),, Santa Teresa, REBIO Augusto Ruschi , Cachoeira II, (19°54.396’S, 40°33.722’W), 11.viii.2006, D. Mota leg.; 2 ♂, 2 ♀, 7 juv. paratypes ( MNRJ 7077 ), Santa Teresa, Estação Biológica de Santa Lúcia , xi.2006, J. Wesley leg.; 2 ♂, 1 ♀ paratypes ( MNRJ 22 ), Santa Teresa , 22.xii.1980, E. Izecksohn & O.L. Peixoto leg.; 3 ♂, 1 ♀ paratypes ( MNRJ 18927 ), Santa Teresa , 3-5.iv.1981, C.A.G. Cruz, O.L. Peixoto, S. Silva, A. Reis & E. Izecksohn leg.; 1 ♂ paratype ( MNRJ 18941 ), Santa Teresa , 27- 28.ix.1984, O.L. Peixoto, C.A.G. Cruz & E. Izecksohn leg.; 1 ♂ paratype ( MNRJ 18951 ), Santa Teresa, REBIO de Santa Lúcia , 16-20.i.2006, AracnoLab leg.; 2 ♂ paratypes ( MNRJ-HS 872 ), Santa Teresa, 24.viii.1974, A.L. Perachi leg; 1 ♀ paratypes ( MZSP 73450 ), Santa Teresa, REBIO Augusto Ruschi , 24-30.v.2008, F. Carbayo leg.

Diagnosis. Ocularium in both sexes with two high erect spines, concolorous with background ( Fig. 23c ). Scutal area III armed with small paramedian rounded tubercles ( Figs. 23d, e ). Free tergite III armed with a median apophysis in both sexes ( Figs. 23a, f ). Coxa IV of male without retrolateral apophysis ( Fig. 23b ). Trochanter IV of male with proximal prolateral conical apophysis forming short pincer with coxal apophysis ( Fig. 24a ). Glans of penis free, without a circular wall around stylus ( Fig. 26d ).

Distribution. Brazil, Espírito Santo State, Santa Teresa.

Description of male holotype. Measurements: CL = 2.9, CW = 3.6, AL = 3.9, AW = 6.3. Pp = 8.4. Legs, I: Fe = 4.8, Ti = 3.2, Mt = 5.1; II: Fe = 10.5, Ti = 8.0, Mt = 9.8; III: Fe = 8.7, Ti = 4.6, Mt = 7.3; IV: Fe = 12.1, Ti = 7.5, Mt = 12.1.

Dorsum. Dorsal scutum outline gamma pyriform in dorsal view, quite flattened, so that Cx IV is much thicker than scutum in lateral view. Carapace mid-area cordiform, with narrow and low ocularium. Ocularium armed with a pair of paramedian, strong, divergent spines. Frontal hump low, armed with a pair of small granules. Two ozopores, first slit-like, second rounded. Mesotergum divided into 4 scutal areas, although areas III and IV are extensively fused to each other, except for the lateral thirds, where faint grooves are visible. Area I long, divided into broadly joined halves. Area II projected into area I. Area III strongly arched frontwards and moderately encased into area II. Carapace smooth and unarmed, area I with a transverse row of five granules on each side, area II with a similar row of 10 granules, without any especially developed in the middle. Areas III-IV with two rows of a few granules plus a paramedian pair of larger rounded capitate tubercles, these forming a trapezoid with posterior tubercles much smaller than anterior ones, and more widely spaced. Area V (posterior border of scutum) with a transverse row of granules. Lateral margins of scutum with a row of tubercles stretching from mid-carapace to area V, and which increase in size toward the posterior. Each free tergite with a row of larger granules, free tergite III with an immense spiniform apophysis. Posterior border of dorsal scutum with arched concavity. Venter. Cx I free, other connected by tubercular bridges. Cx IV much larger than the others combined, without any ventro-apical tubercle. Stigmatic area posterior border deeply concave. Free tergites each with a transverse row of granules. Stigmatic area with very long axis and large, elliptical, slanted stigmata.

Pedipalps. Moderately elongate, as long as body. Tr with thin neck, 1 + 3 setiferous tubercles dorsal and ventral. Fe with a row of 3 extremely weak ventral setiferous tubercles and much stronger meso-distal spine. Pa strongly 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 significant armature. Dorsal apophyses of Cx I and II: Cx I anterior single, triangular erect, posterior larger, conical, directed backwards. Cx II anterior single, triangular erect, posterior flat triangular with small accessory tubercle. Tr IV with prodorsal median conical apophysis, which connects with apophysis of Cx IV and retrolateral distal conical apophysis of the same size. Otherwise only with a few small and scattered ventral tubercles. Legs I to III entirely unarmed. Fe I–II straight, III slightly arched. Fe IV: elongate, curved to the median line at 1/2 length; neither curved to ventral nor to dorsal. Proventral: row of numerous, small, acuminate tubercles all along the femur length. Retroventral: row of numerous, small, acuminate tubercles + unarmed mid-region + 6 larger tubercles distally. Retrodorsal: row of tubercles, being the basalmost and distalmost ones larger, with RD9 the largest. Dorsal: row of small tubercles, of which Do6 to Do8 more outstanding. 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)/7-7/8-8.

Color (in 75% ethanol). Body and appendages background Strong Greenish Yellow (#99) with some darker mottling, especially on carapace. Leg IV considerably darker starting on apical portion of Cx. Venter as dorsum, with unobtrusive honeycomb reticulation.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 26a–d ). VP trapezoid, and distal border with a moderately deep parabolic cleft. Field of type 1 microsetae occupying most of VP except distal corners and not extending dorsally into podium but rather to latero-basal lobe. Basal lobe as a large, rounded polygon projecting dorsally from VP. Macrosetae (MS) A and B moderately long, forming an arch on latero-basal lobe, B only slightly smaller than A1–A3. MS C1–C3 elongate, straight basally, but distally helical. MS D1 minute, midway between C and A, E1–E2 short, situated on flange. Flabellum diamond-shaped, with ventral half outline gently serrated. Glans sac short, multi-folded, forming apically a solea projected as a short and blunt dorsal process. Stylus stalk arising from ventralmost part of glans sac; stylus inserted on stalk in candelabrum-mode. Stylus distally provided with distal denticles, which more apically form a large spiny protuberance.

Female (MNRJ 7077). The female is essentially similar to male in build, appendages, and armature of dorsal scutum. Main differences are in the apophysis of free tergite III and in the armature of leg IV, which are much reduced. Tarsal counts: 6(3)/9(3)/7/8.

Figures

FIGURE 23. Titanoleptes eros sp. nov., male/female paratypes (MNRJ 7077) from ES, Santa Teresa: a. Male, habitus, dorsal view; b. Same, ventral view; c. Same, frontal view; d. Same, posterior view; e. Same, dextrolateral view; f. Female, habitus, dorsal view; g. Female, habitus, dextrolateral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 24. Titanoleptes eros sp. nov., male paratype (MNRJ 7077) from ES, Santa Teresa, free tergites and proximal left leg IV: a. Dorsal view; b. Prolateral view; c. Ventral view; d. Retrolateral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 25. Titanoleptes eros sp. nov. male holotype (MNRJ 18440) from Santa Teresa. 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. Scale bar = 5 mm.

FIGURE 26. Titanoleptes eros sp. nov., male paratype (MNRJ 18927), ES, Santa Teresa, male genitalia, distal part: a. Dorsal view; b. Ventral view; c. Dextrolateral view; d. Detail of glans, dextrolateral view. Scale bars = 100 μm (a, c), 50 μm (b, d).