Nerudiella vilches, Porto & Derkarabetian & Giribet & Pérez-González, 2024

Porto, Willians, Derkarabetian, Shahan, Giribet, Gonzalo & Pérez-González, Abel, 2024, Systematic revision of the South American “ Nuncia ” (Opiliones, Laniatores, Triaenonychidae), ZooKeys 1207, pp. 1-149 : 1-149

Nerudiella vilches sp. nov.

Figs 142 , 143 , 144 , 145 , 146 , 147

Material examined.

Holotype. ♂ Chile. Cachapoal: Río de los Cipreses National Reserve, Near Potrero , A. Ojanguren, A. Pérez-González, M. Ramírez, G. Azevedo, W. Porto coll., 09. I. 2018 ( MNHNCL) . Paratypes. Chile. Cachapoal: Río de los Cipreses National Reserve, Near Potrero , A. Ojanguren, A. Pérez-González, M. Ramírez, G. Azevedo, W. Porto coll., 09. I. 2018, 1 ♂ 2 ♀ 5 imm. ( MACN) . Osorno. Talca, Alto de Vilches , N. Platnick, K. Catley, M. Ramírez, T. Allen coll., 14–15 / XI / 1993, 1 ♂ 2 imm. ( AMNH) . Talca. Vilches, 132 km E. of Talca , E. Maury coll., 07–08. I. 1989, 2 ♂ 1 ♀ ( MACN) . Alto de Vilches, 70 km E Talca , S. Peck, J. Peck coll., 05. XII. 1985, 3 ♂ 3 ♀ 4 imm. ( FMNH) . Talca. Vilches , A. Roig coll., 17. I. 1984, 2 ♂ 1 ♀ ( MACN) .

Additional material.

Chile. RN Altos del Lircay, E Vilches Alto, A. Ojanguren, A. Pérez-González, M. Ramírez, G. Azevedo, W. Porto coll. 11. I. 2018 1 ♂ ( MACN).

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the type locality of the species, Vilches, located in the commune of San Clemente, province of Talca, Chile. Noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

This species can be easily distinguished from the other species in the genus by having a projecting process on the ventral femoral region of the pedipalp. The capsula externa of the genitalia does not have dorsal slits but bears a pair of lateral processes.

Distribution.

Chile: Maule Region (Fig. 4 F ).

Description of male holotype.

Measurements: Total length 4.12, carapace length 1.05, dorsal scutum length 2.42, carapace max. width 1.33, mesotergum max. width 1.83. Appendage measurements: Pedipalps. Trochanter length 0.24, femora length 0.94, patella length 0.47, tibia length 0.80, tarsus length 0.71. Leg I: trochanter (tr) 0.30, femora (fe) 0.20, patella (pa) 0.87, tibia (ti) 0.41, metatarsus (mt) 0.69, tarsus (ta) 0.76. II: tr 0.64, fe 0.30, pa 1.13, ti 0.52, mt 0.86, ta 0.94. III: tr 1.24, fe 0.29, pa 0.79, ti 0.32, mt 0.60, ta 0.62. IV: tr 0.68, fe 0.30, pa 1.16, ti 0.55, mt 0.92, ta 1.12, ta 0.74.

Dorsum (Fig. 142 , 143 ). Eta (η) hourglass-shaped dorsal scutum. Low ocularium; dorsal scutum microgranulate, without clear delimitation of areas. Areas III – IV with a row of 6–7 small setiferous tubercles; posterior margin with a row of 12 small rounded setiferous tubercles. All free tergites have two rows of small setiferous tubercles.

Chelicerae (Fig. 144 A, B ). Segment I with a small tubercle on the dorso-distal surface. Segment II with a frontal tubercle and bearing few setae.

Pedipalps (Fig. 144 C, D ). Trochanter with a small ectal and dorsal tubercle. Femora bearing a forward-curved proximal ventral spine, a ventral row of three small setiferous granules, a dorsal tubercle with subdistal setae, and three distal setiferous granules. Patella with two ventral setiferous granules. Tibia with three ectal and two mesal spines with subdistal setae, with scant granules in ventral view. Tarsus with four ectal and three mesal spines with subdistal setae.

Legs (Fig. 145 ). Coxa I – II covered with rounded setiferous tubercles, the distal one is acute and has a subdistal seta, III and IV only with microgranulation. Spiracles not obstructed by bridges. Smooth area occupying 1 / 3 of leg II (with three tubercles), ¾ of III and 1 / 3 of IV. Sternum arrow-shaped. Legs I – IV covered in setae. Tibiae I – III with a ventral and dorsal row of small setiferous tubercles, IV with a row of four distoventral tubercles with setae. Calcaneus smaller than the astragalus, ≥ 3 × smaller (leg I), 4 × (II, III), and 5 × (leg IV). Tarsal count: 3–6 – 4 – 4.

Penis (Figs 146 , 147 ). Pars distalis with a ventral plate bearing a cleft dividing the plate into two lamellae. Each lamellae has three pointed macrosetae on the ventral surface and one macroseta on the dorsal surface; capsula externa covering dorsal and lateral surfaces, without cleft; it has a pair of lateral processes that are projected ventrally. The capsula interna bears a pair of laminar processes; the apical region has a small dorsal opening and a fine process.

Female. Similar to male, with shorter pedipalpal femora.

Female measurements. Total length 3.67, carapace length 0.93, dorsal scutum length 1.90, carapace max. width 1.16, mesotergum max. width 1.77. Appendage measurements: Pedipalps. Trochanter length 0.22, femora length 0.85, patella length 0.47, tibia length 0.68, tarsus length 0.59. Leg I: trochanter (tr) 0.19, femora (fe) 0.84, patella (pa) 0.46, tibia (ti) 0.63, metatarsus (mt) 0.77, tarsus (ta) 0.67. II: tr 0.27, fe 1.12, pa 0.51, ti 0.86, mt 0.97, ta 1.30. III: tr 0.27, fe 0.82, pa 0.35, ti 0.55, mt 0.65, ta 0.66. IV: tr 0.33, fe 1.20, pa 0.56, ti 0.91, mt 1.07, ta 0.82.

Figures

Figure 3. Phylogenetics relationships of Triaenonychidae, with clade names as discussed in the main text. Phylogeny is derived from the IQ-TREE analysis. Nodes without circles have < 95 % bootstrap support to AH-aLR and UFBoot.

Figure 4. Maps showing the distribution of the species used in this work. South America (Chile and western Argentina inset). Chile in green, Argentina / South America in grey. Terrestrial ecoregions (following Olson et al. 2001) highlighted in yellow (Chilean Matorral) and orange (Valdivian temperate forests).

Figure 142. Nerudiella vilches sp. nov. habitus, male A dorsal view C lateral view E ventral view. Female B dorsal view D lateral view F ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm. Species of Clade C, see Fig. 3.

Figure 143. Nerudiella vilches sp. nov. male, SEM images of habitus A dorsal view B lateral view C, D ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (A, B, C); 500 µm (D).

Figure 144. Nerudiella vilches sp. nov. chelicerae: mesal A ectal B pedipalps: mesal C ectal D. Scale bars: 200 µm (A, B); 500 µm (C, D).

Figure 145. Nerudiella vilches sp. nov. legs I A II B III C IV D. Scale bars: 500 µm (A, C, D); 1 mm (B).

Figure 146. Nerudiella vilches sp. nov. penis: ventral A, B apical C lateral D, E dorsal F, G. Scale bars: 200 µm (A, D, F); 100 µm (B, E, G); 50 µm (C).

Figure 147. Nerudiella vilches sp. nov. penis: ventral A apical B lateral C dorsal D. Colors: ventral plate (yellow), capsula externa (blue), capsula interna (red). Scale bars: 100 µm (A, C, D); 50 µm (B).