Charinus sillami Réveillion & Maquart, 2015

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 : 69-70

Charinus sillami Réveillion & Maquart, 2015

Figs 27 , 33 ; Table 2

Charinus sillami Réveillion & Maquart, 2015: 192–194 .

Charinus sillami – Armas et al. 2016: 48.

Diagnosis

Charinus sillami is the only Charinus in Amazonia and northern South America with the following combination of characters: median eyes present ( Fig. 33A, C ); tibia of leg I and tarsus I with 23 and 37 articles, respectively; leg IV basitibia with three pseudo-articles.

Etymology

Patronym honoring David Sillam-Dussès ( Réveillion & Maquart 2015).

Type material

Holotype FRENCH GUIANA • ♀; Commune de Sinnamary , Barrage de Petit Saut; 05°03′46.67″ N, 53°02′51.26″W; Mar. 2013; D. Sillam-Dussès leg.; in nest of termite, Neocapritermes taracua Krishna and Araujo, 1968 ; BMNH [not examined].

Paratypes FRENCH GUIANA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; AMCC [ LP 13448 ] • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; BMNH [not examined] • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; found in Spinitermes sp. nests; CPOM [not examined] • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; Barrage de Petit Saut ; Mar. 2014; CFR [not examined] .

Description

CARAPACE. Six anterior setae ( Fig. 33A ); carapace extended anteriorly; frontal process triangular ( Fig. 33C ). Small granules, densely scattered between ocular triads and among sulci. Median eyes present ( Fig. 33A, C ); median ocular tubercle shallow; lateral eyes well developed, seta posterior to each lateral ocular triad; lateral ocular triad well separated from carapace margin.

STERNUM. Tritosternum projected anteriorly with typical setation, long, surpassing base of pedipalp coxae ( Fig. 33B ); other sternal platelets narrow and concave, with pair of setae anteriorly; pentasternum with two setae anteriorly and without seta near membranous region.

OPSTHOSOMA: Ventral sacs and ventral sac cover absent.

GENITALIA. Female genital operculum with prominent setae posteromedially and some smaller setae near margin; pair of deep transverse sulci lateromedially; gonopod cushion-like, flat, unsclerotized basally. Male gonopod with apex of fistula and base of lateral lobe sclerotized.

CHELICERAE. Small tooth projecting from retrolateral surface of basal segment, opposite to bifid tooth; retrolateral surface of claw with medial row of setae; claw with five teeth; row of four setae on prolateral surface of basal segment; bifid tooth on basal segment with dorsal cusp larger than ventral cusp.

PEDIPALPS. Coxal dorsal carina with prominent seta encircled by round carina and two setae at margin. Femur with three dorsal spines and three ventral spines ( Fig. 33E–F ); two prominent setiferous tubercles between first dorsal spine and proximal margin; spine between ventral spine 1 and proximal margin. Patella with three dorsal spines in primary series ( Fig. 33E ); prominent setiferous tubercle distal to spine I, one-third length of spine I; two ventral spines ( Fig. 33F ); prominent setiferous tubercle between spine I and distal margin. Tibia with ventral spine distally and seta between spine and distal margin. Tarsus with two dorsal spines, proximal spine one-third length of distal spine ( Fig. 33D ); cleaning organ with 30 setae in ventral row.

LEGS. Tibia of leg I with 23 articles; tarsus I with 37 articles; first tarsal article approximately same length as subsequent articles. Leg IV basitibia with three pseudo-articles, without sclerotized, denticulate margin projecting from apex of articles; trichobothrium bt situated medially on pseudo-article; distitibia with trichobothrium bc situated slightly closer to sbf than to bf, and sc and sf each with five trichobothria.

Measurements

See Table 2 .

Distribution

Known only from the type locality.

Natural history

Found in termite nests.

Remarks

Charinus sillami possesses a proximal spine on the pedipalp femur ventrally, that is not part of the primary series (additional spines are present dorsally), not described by Réveillion & Maquart (2015). This character may be important to distinguish this species from other species of Charinus occurring in the vicinity. The distal spine on the pedipalp tarsus points forward, whereas the proximal spine is directed dorsally ( Fig. 33D ). Réveillion & Maquart (2015) mentioned that the anterior border of the carapace is dentate but, on examination, it was found to be smooth with some small tubercles, as in other species of Charinus . Additionally, the female gonopod is cushion-like and not sucker-like as stated in the original description.

Figures

Fig. 27. Map plotting known distributions of species of Charinus Simon, 1892 in northern South America.

Fig. 33. Charinus sillami Réveillion & Maquart, 2015 (AMCC [LP 13448]), general morphology, ♀. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Sternum, ventral view. C. Frontal process. D. Pedipalp tarsus, frontal view. E. Pedipalp, dorsal view. F. Pedipalp, ventral view. Scale bars: A, E–F = 1 mm; B = 0.5 mm; C–D = 0.1 mm.