Rhampsinitus levis Lawrence, 1931

Starêga, Wojciech, 2009, Some southern African species of the genus Rhampsinitus Simon (Opiliones: Phalangiidae), Zootaxa 1981, pp. 43-56 : 49-50

Rhampsinitus levis Lawrence, 1931

Rhampsinitus levis Lawrence, 1931: 487 , fig. 74 (type locality: Cape Peninsula). Roewer 1956: 309; Kauri 1961: 162; Staręga 1984: 63 –64.

Material examined. Republic of South Africa: 2 juveniles ( MRAC 130.014 and MRAC 130.043) from „ Afrique du Sud, Prov. du Cap, versant Est de la Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch, dans humus. ZA.39”, collected in November 1966 by N. Leleup. 1 Ψ, 3 juveniles ( MRAC 169.735) from „ Zuid-Afrika: Table Mountain base near Kirstenbosch, litter”, collected 23 January 1989 by R. Jocqué. 3 Ψ ( MRAC 174.946: 2 Ψ, RCWS II/0044: 1 Ψ), 13–28 April 1992, 2 Ψ ( MRAC 174.951), 28 April–10 May 1992, 1 Ψ ( MRAC 174.952), 10–25 May 1992 Cape Peninsula, Constantia, Vlakkenberg, fynbos near summit, all collected by B. Heydenrych.

Diagnosis. A short-legged species with characteristic triangular group of denticles in front of eye mound. Coloration generally brown. See also Kauri 1961: 148–150.

Description. FEMALE: body oviform, 6.8–7.4 mm long. Carapace 2.8–2.9 mm wide. Frontal margin in the middle with a triangular group of denticles, broad basis of this group situated at the carapace margin, the middle denticle being the largest. Similar but smaller denticles scattered over carapace (not on its side margins!). Short rows of small denticles in central part of „thoracal” tergites. Pairs of denticles on abdominal tergites I–III, on margins of „saddle”. Dorsum covered with small granules (chagreened). Eye mound a little farther from frontal margin than its length (ratio 9:7), nearly as long as wide and as high, with 5–6 triangular, relatively blunt denticles on eye rings. Venter smooth, some bristles on coxa I and in the vicinity of the mouth.

Chelicerae: basichelicerite with 2–3 larger granules or small denticles dorso-apically. Second segment with few bristles. Pedipalps short, only trochanter ventrally and dorsally with single small denticle, femur ventrally with a longitudinal row of small denticles, other segments only with bristles. Legs: femora with longitudinal rows of sharp granules. Similar smaller granules also on patellae and tibiae but there already in broken rows. Femur length: I: 3.7–3.8 mm, II: 6.5–7.7 mm, III: 3.7–4.2 mm, IV: 5.6–6.1 mm, BLI 1.263–1.389. False joints on metatarsi: I: 2–3, II: 4–5, III: 2–3, IV: 2–4, always poorly visible.

Body coloration in brownish and yellowish tones, general appearance of animal brown. Carapace brownish, with a dark brown V-shaped mark on frontal margin (within the group of denticles). Dark brown elongate dots forming a triangle around eye mound. Similar dots along lateral margins of carapace and (in broken transversal rows) on tergites. Saddle unclearly marked (rather as outline), consisting of brown triangle on carapace, continuing as a pair of patches on „thoracal” tergites (here separated by a contrasting yellow or yellowish triangular patch reaching from eye mound to posterior margin of carapace) and further on as nearly parallel, undulating margins to abdominal tergite V. Rest of abdomen lighter, brownish, with numerous yellow dots (these also present on saddle). Venter yellow, with several dark brown dots, sometimes laterally with brownish „shades”, always with brownish, subapical rings on coxae. Chelicerae and palps variegated with yellow and dark brown. Legs brown, mostly with darker subapical rings on femora, patellae and tibiae.

Distribution. All known findings of this species ( Lawrence 1931, present material) are restricted to the Cape Peninsula. The species might be (mainly?) parthenogenetic; in the material which Lawrence had at his disposal there was only one male (among 8 specimens). The new material contains only females (7) and juveniles (5), and this material has been collected partly with pitfall traps, which usually favour the capture of the more active males.