Dichromatobolus gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 2BC93D12-96E1-4ECC-B83D-44249A06E099

Type species

Dichromatobolus elephantulus gen. et sp. nov. Monotypic.

Diagnosis

Massive, short, differs from all other known genera of Pachybolidae in matUre males being only eight times longer than wide. Coloration UniqUely differing between sexes, females grey, males red (Fig. 1A). Transverse ridge on mentum of gnathochilarium absent (Fig. 4A). Male legs with tarsal pads and unusually spinose tarsi (Fig. 4D). Shares anterior telopods with apical process of telopodite (Fig. 4 E–F) with Zehntnerobolus Wesener, 2009, from which Dichromatobolus gen. nov. differs strongly in habitUs and posterior gonopods. Simple, apically swollen posterior gonopods (Fig. 5 A–C) are shared with Corallobolus Wesener, 2009, from which Dichromatobolus gen. nov. differs in habitUs and anterior telopods.

Etymology

After the differences in the color pattern between the sexes, and ʻ-bolUsʼ, a common sUffix for genUs names of the Spirobolida . Masculine.

Taxonomic position

The posterior gonopods being connected by a sclerotized sternite as well as the absence of apodemes on the anterior gonopods (Fig. 4 E–F) place Dichromatobolus gen. nov. in the suborder Trigoniulidea Attems, 1909, family Pachybolidae . The closest relative of Dichromatobolus gen. nov. is unknown.

Remarks

There is a second potential species,> 100 mm in length, with specimens from Manongarivo, Ananambao (FMNH-INS 56254), all unfortunately female. Their wide body with short legs and grey color (all other larger Spirobolida genera on Madagascar are black/ red, Wesener et al. 2009) might indicate a relationship to Dichromatobolus gen. nov.