Sarax sarawakensis ( Thorell, 1888 )

Miranda, Gustavo Silva de, Giupponi, Alessandro P. L., Prendini, Lorenzo & Scharff, Nikolaj, 2021, Systematic revision of the pantropical whip spider family Charinidae Quintero, 1986 (Arachnida, Amblypygi), European Journal of Taxonomy 772, pp. 1-409 : 202-203

Sarax sarawakensis ( Thorell, 1888)

Figs 103 , 125 ; Table 8

Charon sarawakensis Thorell, 1888: 354–358 .

Sarax sarawakensis – Simon 1892: 48. — Pocock 1898: 100; 1900: 131, fig. 43a–c. — Kraepelin 1901: 264. — Arldt 1908: 441. — Gravely 1915b: 441–442, fig. 8. — Giltay 1931: 24–25. — Werner 1935: 471, fig. 175. — Fage 1946b: 77, fig. 3c. — Millot 1949b: figs 337, 340–343. — Klingel 1963: 456–459, figs 10–13. — Vandel 1965: 93. — Kaestner 1968: 123. — Schaller 1971: 423–425. — Delle Cave 1986: 160–161. — Weygoldt 1994: 242; 1996a: 190, fig. 35; 1999c: 106–107, figs 4–5; 2000a: 50, figs 104, 204–205. — Harvey 2003: 8. — Rahmadi et al. 2010: 10, figs 16–20. — Wolff et al. 2015: 525.

Sarax saravakensis – Kraepelin 1895: 45–46, fig. 40 (in part); 1899: 251. — Börner 1904: 5. — Mello- Leitão 1931: 55. — Wolf 1938: 537.

Sarax sarawakensis sarawakensis – Gravely 1911: 357.

Diagnosis

This species may be separated from other species of Sarax in Southeast Asia and Oceania by the following combination of characters: carapace lateral margin slightly sinuous ventral to lateral eyes ( Fig. 125A ); sternal platelets formed by single segments ( Fig. 125B ); males with secondary sexual dimorphism on the pedipalp ( Fig. 125D–E ); basal segment of chelicerae without tooth on retrolateral margin; cheliceral claw with four teeth; pedipalp tarsus with two small spines ( Fig. 125C ); leg IV basitibia with four pseudo-articles.

Etymology

Although unspecified, the species name is evidently an adjective referring to the Malaysian state of Sarawak, in which the holotype was collected.

Type material

Holotype MALAYSIA • ♀; Sarawak; Viag. Doria and Beccari leg.; MCSG [not examined].

Additional material

INDONESIA • 1 ♀; Lampung, Raja Basa Kalianda ; 05°46.896′ S, 105°37.687′ E; 15 Mar. 2004; 1255 m a.s.l.; A. Riedel leg.; MZB Ambl. 149 [not examined] • 1 ♂; Bali, Candidasa, Tenagan ; 08°28′16.2″ S, 115°34′08.4″ E; 17 Mar. 2009; S. Huber leg.; AMCC [ LP 11594 ] • Nusa Tenggara Barat, Sumbawa, Batoedoelang ; 1927; Rensch, Sunda Exped. leg.; SMF 17.393 • 1 ♀; CUMZ I.46520 .

PAPUA NEW GUINEA • 1 ♂; Ralm [Ralum, New Britain]; 28 Jul. 1896; ZMB 8045 .

Measurements

See Table 8.

Distribution

Recorded from Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.

Remarks

Sarax sarawakensis was the first species of the genus to be described. Specimens collected across Southeast Asia were initially identified as this species over the course of many years. For example, Fage (1929), followed by others (e.g., Bristowe 1952; Weygoldt 1994), erroneously reported S. sarawakensis from the Batu Caves, in peninsular Malaysia, at a time when three other species, S. buxtoni , S. rimosus and S. singaporae , were already known from the vicinity. Delle Cave (1986) cited the presence of S. sarawakensis in Singapore, probably also a misidentification (three other species, S. gravelyi sp. nov., S. rimosus and S. singaporae , are currently recorded from Singapore).

See Rahmadi et al. (2010) for a redescription and discussion on the taxonomic history of S. sarawakensis .

Figures

Fig. 103. Map plotting known distributions of species of Sarax Simon, 1892 in Southeast Asia and Oceania, with insets for Singapore (A), eastern Borneo (B), and western West Papua (C).

Fig. 125. Sarax sarawakensis (Thorell, 1888) (AMCC [LP 11594]), general morphology, ♂. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Sternum, ventral view. C. Pedipalp tarsus, frontal view. D. Pedipalp, dorsal view. E. Pedipalp, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.