Fresiax pichicuy, 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

Fresiax pichicuy sp. nov.

Figs 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28

Material examined.

Holotype. ♂ Chile. Choapa: Pichidangui, Coquimbo, Fundo Palo Colorado , 16 km N of Pichidangui, E. Maury coll. 21. X. 1988 ( MNHNCL) . Paratypes. Chile. Choapa: Pichidangui, Coquimbo, Fundo Palo Colorado, 16 km N de Pichidangui, E. Maury coll. 21. X. 1988, 1 ♀ ( MACN). Cuesta de Zapata, A. Porta coll., 2018, 11 imm. ( MACN). Petorca: Cachagua, Quebrada El Tigre, E. Maury coll., 08. XII. 1988, 5 ♂ 2 ♀ ( MACN). Quillota: Parque Nacional La Campana, Palmas de Ocoa, E. Maury coll., 08. XII. 1987, 2 ♀ ( MACN). Petorca: Pichicuy, V región Valparaíso, Quebrada Huaquén, E. Maury coll., 29. X. 1988, 2 ♂ 3 ♀ ( MACN). Choapa, Los Vilos, Quebrada a Playa, Agua Dulce 46 km N de Los Vilos, E. Maury coll., 05. XII. 1988, 1 ♀ ( MACN). Quillota: Parque Nacional La Campana, Palmas de Ocoa, E. Maury coll., 27. X. 1988, 2 ♂ 2 ♀ ( MACN). Coquimbo: Limarí, Bosque Talinay, P. N. Fray Jorge, relict Valdivian fog forest, R. Schuh, N. Platnick coll., 08. II. 1986, 2 ♂ ( AMNH). Petorca: Pichicuy, Quebrada con Peumusboldus, A. Roig coll., 07. I. 1984, 1 ♂ ( MACN). Valparaíso, Cerro de La Campana, G. Betancourt coll., 12. III. 1979, 1 ♀. Coquimbo: Limarí, P. N. Fray Jorge, relict Valdivian fog forest, N. Platnick, K. Catley, M. Ramírez, T. Allen coll., 10. XI. 1993, 1 ♂ ( AMNH). Petorca: Cachagua, V región Valparaíso, Quebrada El Tigre, E. Maury coll., 14. XII. 1987, 7 imm. ( MACN).

Etymology.

The species name derives from the species' distribution locality, Pichicuy, located in the commune of La Ligua, Petorca province, Chile. Noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

This species can be easily distinguished from the other species in the genus by its conical forward-facing ocularium, with a 45 ° angled process. Dorsal scutum only covered in small granules. Capsula interna with digitiform structures on the apical portion. Genitalia similar to that of F. fray , slightly longer and with variations in the surface of the ventral plate and apex of the capsula interna with longer projections.

Distribution.

Chile: Valparaíso Region, Petorca Province (Fig. 4 A ).

Description of male.

Measurements: Total length 2.01, carapace length 0.64, dorsal scutum length 1.37, carapace max. width 1.03, mesotergum max. width 1.42. Appendage measurements: Pedipalps. Trochanter length 0.17, femora length 0.76, patella length 0.44, tibia length 0.67, tarsus length 0.54. Leg I: trochanter (tr) 0.16, femora (fe) 0.75, patella (pa) 0.36, tibia (ti) 0.51, metatarsus (mt) 0.54, tarsus (ta) 0.55. II: tr 0.19, fe 0.94, pa 0.39, ti 0.79, mt 0.87, ta 1.11. III: tr 0.24, fe 0.72, pa 0.26, ti 0.34, mt 0.65, ta 0.62. IV: tr 0.18, fe 0.99, pa 0.43, ti 0.82, mt 1.03, ta 0.71.

Dorsum (Fig. 23 , 24 ). Eta (η) hourglass-shaped dorsal scutum. Conical ocularium, forward-looking, with a small forward-pointing apical spine and two dorsal rows of small setiferous tubercles. Eyes located high. Dorsal scutum microgranulate, without clear delimitation of areas. Areas I – IV with four, six, eight, and ~ 17 small rounded setiferous tubercles with setae, respectively. Posterior border and free tergites with a row of small rounded setiferous tubercles. All free tergites with a row of small setiferous granules.

Chelicerae (Fig. 25 A, B ). Segment I smooth; segment II with setae and sparse granules.

Pedipalps (Fig. 25 C, D ). Trochanter smooth. Femora with a row of six dorsal spines with subdistal setae, a row of four ventral spines with setae interspersed by small tubercles with subdistal setae, the proximal one subtriangular in shape, a row of four small mesal granules with setae, and a small distal tubercle with mushroom-shaped tubercles. Patella covered in small tubercles with setae on the dorsal surface, with two small mesal setiferous tubercles. Tibia with four ectal and mesal spines with subdistal setae, nine ventral granules with setae, and dorsal surface covered in small tubercles with setae. Tarsus with three mesal and ectal spines, as well as a few setae and granules.

Legs (Fig. 26 ). Coxa I with small setiferous tubercles and a row of three long tubercles with subdistal setae, coxae II – IV microgranulate, bearing five or six bridges between legs II and III, eight between III and IV, 6–8 between leg IV and opisthosoma. Spiracles not visible. Smooth area occupies 1 / 3 of leg II, almost ½ of III, and only a small proximal portion of IV. Smooth area II with five small setiferous tubercles, III with eight small setiferous tubercles. Opisthosomal sternites III with four small setiferous tubercles on each side, IV with three small setiferous tubercles on each side, and V with an anterior row of small setiferous tubercles and a posterior row of rounded setiferous tubercles. Anal plate covered in small setiferous tubercles. Trochanter I with three small ventral and one dorsal setiferous tubercle; tibia I with a row of five tubercles with setae and a dorsal row of small setiferous tubercles; femora III with ~ 20 small setiferous tubercles. Legs II – IV covered in setae, tarsal area, and calcaneus densely setose. Calcaneus smaller than astragalus, ≥ 5 × smaller in legs I, 6 × (II), 7 × (III) and 10 × (IV). Tarsal count 3–9 – 4 – 4.

Penis (Figs 27 , 28 ). Pars distalis with a ventral plate bearing a cleft dividing the plate into two halves. Ventral surface of each half with three macrosetae and dorsal surface with one macroseta; ventral plate covered in scale-like structures. Capsula externa shorter than capsula interna, having a notch that divides the capsula externa into two halves.

Female. Similar to male, with shorter pedipalpal femora.

Female measurements. Total length 1.93, carapace length 0.60, dorsal scutum length 1.34, carapace max. width 1.07, mesotergum max. width 1.45. Appendage measurements: Pedipalps. Trochanter length 0.15. Femora length 0.65, patella length 0.34, tibia length 0.53, tarsus length 0.49. Leg I: trochanter (tr) 0.15, femora (fe) 0.62, patella (pa) 0.34, tibia (ti) 0.51, metatarsus (mt) 0.53, tarsus (ta) 0.50. II: tr 0.18, fe 0.79, pa 0.37, ti 0.70, mt 0.81, ta 1.03. III: tr 0.18, fe 0.68, pa 0.31, ti 0.57, mt 0.67, ta 0.49. IV: tr 0.20, fe 0.94, pa 0.36, ti 0.72, mt 0.87, ta 0.62.

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 23. Fresiax pichicuy 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 A, see Fig. 3.

Figure 24. Fresiax pichicuy 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 25. Fresiax pichicuy sp. nov. chelicerae: mesal A ectal B pedipalps: mesal C ectal D. Scale bars: 200 µm (A, B); 500 µm (C, D).

Figure 26. Fresiax pichicuy sp. nov. legs I A II B III C IV D. Scale bars: 200 µm (A, C); 500 µm (B, D).

Figure 27. Fresiax pichicuy sp. nov. penis: ventral A, B apical C lateral D, E dorsal F, G. Scale bars: 200 µm (A, D, F); 50 µm (B, C, E, G).

Figure 28. Fresiax pichicuy sp. nov. penis: ventral A apical B lateral C dorsal D. Colors: ventral plate (yellow), capsula externa (blue), capsula interna (red). Scale bars: 50 µm.