Neocarus simmonsi, Bernardi 1 & Zampaulo 2 & Oliveira 3, 2020

Bernardi 1, Leopoldo Ferreira de Oliveira, Zampaulo 2, Robson de Almeida & Oliveira 3, Marcus Paulo Alves de, 2020, A new species of Neocarus (Opilioacaridae) from a Brazilian ferruginous geosystem and notes on natural history, Subterranean Biology 36, pp. 11-33 : 11

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.36.54034
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BE353185-9B26-4D92-9F0F-96EBD7A5C12A
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/6DFAE428-71BE-46DF-B6C2-F9F124A27428
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:6DFAE428-71BE-46DF-B6C2-F9F124A27428
treatment provided by	Subterranean Biology by Pensoft
scientific name	Neocarus simmonsi
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Neocarus simmonsi sp. nov.

Diagnosis.

Palp genu without p -type setae, tarsus with 15-17 ch -type sensilla and typical 6 pairs of foliate setae each with 1 small and thin lobe, plus 3 larger lobes with rounded, not filiform, tips. Sexual dimorphism in setation of prodorsal shield absent. Sternal setae St2 and St3 with attenuate tips. Pregenital area in female nude, and genital area with 6-12 barbed, tapering setae with thin tip. Pregenital areas in male with 1-6 stout, ribbed, and relatively blunt-tipped setae and 3-7 smooth/light barbed and tapering setae; genital area with 0-6 stout, ribbed, relatively blunt-tipped setae and 4-7 smooth/light barbed and tapering setae. Ovipositor nude, simple tube-like structure, without terminal setiform sensilla or lobes.

Description.

Based on 13 females and 6 males.

Gnathosoma. Chelicera (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ). Basal segment in adults with 1 seta, fixed digit with 3, one of which (ch1 ") distinctly larger. Seta cht on basal segment of male chelicera shorter than seta ch1 ’’ on fixed digit. Setae ch2 ', ch2 ’’ and cht simple, with an attenuated tip. Movable digit with one ventral denticle in a basal portion. Axial scale-like processes on movable digit in both adults absent. Basal segment 166 (136-190 µm), fixed digit 231 (217-259 µm) and movable digit 79 (74-83 µm).

Subcapitulum (Figs 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 ). All four pairs of paralabial setae present: pl1 relatively large, conical, With’s organ (pl2) membranous and discoid with a biramous core; rutellum (pl3) with one row of 5 teeth, inserted dorso-lateral; pl4 small, inserted dorsal. With 4 circumbuccal (cb) and 8-13 median and subcapitular setae (vm, lvm, ldm, vp, lvp). Seta vm1 on the male subcapitulum present. Lateral lips with distinct canals (ogl1 and ogl2). Sexual dimorphism evident; in female some circumbuccal setae with a rounded tip (vm1 and/or lm1 or/and vp1).

Palp (Figs 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 7D View Figure 7 ). Trochanter with 0-1 papilliform (= p -type) and 3-4 ribbed, tapering setae (= r -type); femur with 9-11 papilliform (= p -type) and 6-8 r -type setae; genu with 2-7 p -type and 20-28 r -type setae; tibia with 21 long, lightly serrate and pointed setae, 38 r -type setae, and 2 long, thin, and smooth sensilla. Tibia and genu ventrally with a small indistinct gland. Tibia and tarsus partially fused. Tarsus with 5-6 foliate (d -type), 10 v, 20 ch, and 10-12 sm sensilla, plus 3 solenidia (= s -type sensilla). Foliate setae each with 1 small, thin plus 3 larger lobes with rounded, not filiform, tips. Modified sm3 -type sensilla on male palp tarsus absent. Lyrifissures iπ and iα distinct. Pretarsus in shape of a pair of well-developed sessile claws. Total length of palp 638 (606-733 µm).

Idiosoma. Color: Violet-blue with the usual banding pattern. Color observed for live and alcohol preserved specimens (Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ). Total length of idiosoma 1827-1926 µm.

Dorsum. Prodorsal shield with two pairs of lateral eyes. One pair of prodorsal lyrifissures present. Chaetotaxy in females and males consisting of, respectively, 186-204 and 218-242 setae. Sexual dimorphism in anterior portion of prodorsal shield absent. Dorsal idiosoma between the prodorsal shield and the preanal segment without setae, but with numerous lyrifissures arranged in transverse rows. Setation preanal segment limited to 1 dorsal, and 2 ventro-lateral setae. Anal valves with 7-12 stout, ribbed setae (9-12 in females; 7-9 in males).

Sternitogenital region (Figs 7 View Figure 7 - 9 View Figure 9 ). Sternal verrucae in adults each with 3 large pointed, and 1 composite (St1) setae. Setae St1 subequal in size to St5. Setae St2 and St3 in females and males barbed, tapering to a fine tip. Remaining sternal Sternitogenital region with 4-6 pairs of stout, ribbed setae with blunt tips. Pregenital capsules each with 1 long, tapering seta (St5) and 6-8 (female) or 5-6 (male) stout, ribbed setae. Pregenital and genital areas in female with 0-1 ribbed, stout setae (1 seta condition rare, observed in only 2 individuals), and genital area with 6-12 barbed, tapering setae with thin tip. Pregenital areas in male with 1-6 stout, ribbed, and relatively blunt-tipped setae and 3-7 smooth/light barbed and tapering setae; genital area with 0-6 stout, ribbed, and relatively blunt-tipped setae and 4-7 smooth/light barbed and tapering setae. Ovipositor simple tube-like structure, without terminal setiform sensilla. Male genital valves rectangular or curved, not triangular.

Legs. Length of legs I-IV in females and males very similar, combined as “adults”, 3884 (3619-3941), 1973 (1812-2411), 1906 (1652-2047) and 3065 (2741-3520). Eupathidium z1 on tarsus I inserted in dorsal sensory field; simple, without enlarged tip. Solenidion w a on legs II positioned on acrotarsus; w a on tarsi III-IV absent. Solenidion w d on basitarsi II-IV inserted apically, not sunk into the segment. Ambulacra II-IV in adults with 2 smooth and attenuate setae (d and l). Ventral portion of acrotarsi II-IV with 3 pairs of setae; lateral portion with 2 pairs distinctly lateral, plus 1 pair of ventro-lateral and one pair of dorso-lateral setae. Setae lv of acrotarsi II-IV with one small barb. Papilliform setae on dorsal portion of the basitarsi II-III present. On leg I in both sex, thin and smooth setae restrict to telotarsus and distal portion of basitarsus. Coronidia present on basitarsi II-IV of all adults (basitarsus II 8-14; III 10-16, IV 13-19), absent on tibiae and genua II-IV.

Material examined.

Type depository: Holotype female, UFMGAC: Brazil, Minas Gerais State, São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo city, Simmons' cave, 19°53'55"S, 43°28'22"W Datum WGS84, 10 Oct 2016, Oliveira MP & Bernardi LFO.

Paratypes: 2 female and 1 male specimens deposited at MZLQ, Cave PDI_0034, 19°53'48.99"S, 43°28'15.29"W Datum WGS84, col Oliveira MP, 06 Oct 2016; 1 female specimen deposited at MZLQ, cave PDI_0029, 19°53'29.61"S, 43°28'19.74"W Datum WGS84, col Oliveira MP, 26 Nov 2015; 1 female specimen deposited at MZLQ, cave PDI_0059, 19°54'0.75"S, 43°28'9.91"W Datum WGS84, col Oliveira MP, 09 Jan 2016; 1 male specimen deposited at ISLA, cave PDI_0039, 19°53'51.37"S, 43°28'12.51"W Datum WGS84, col Oliveira MP, 05 Oct 2016; 2 females and 1 male specimens deposited at ISLA, cave PDI_0024, 19°53'38.98"S, 43°28'39.14"W Datum WGS84, col Oliveira MP, 26 Nov 2015; 1 female specimen deposited at ISLA, cave PDI_0031, 19°53'49.62"S, 44°28'13.36"W Datum WGS84, col Oliveira MP, 06 Oct 2016; 1 male specimen deposited at UFMGAC, cave PDI_0052, 19°53'59.82"S, 43°28'7.34"W Datum WGS84, col Oliveira MP, 17 Oct 2016; 3 female and 1 male specimens deposited at UFMGAC, cave PDI_0065, 19°53'58.12"S, 43°28'14.68"W Datum WGS84, col Oliveira MP, 12 Oct 2016; 1 female specimen deposited at UFMGAC, cave PDI_0059, 19°54'0.75"S, 43°28'9.91"W Datum WGS84, col Oliveira MP, 19 Oct 2016; 1 male specimen deposited at UFMGAC, cave PDI_0084, 19°53'52.83"S, 43°28'11.95"W Datum WGS84, col Oliveira MP, 24 Nov 2015, 1 female specimen deposited at UFMGAC, cave MDIR_0015/16, 19°53'28.88"S, 43°27'40.17"W Datum WGS84, col Oliveira MP, 10 Oct 2016.

Etymology.

The specific name is in honor of George C. Simmons due his contributions to studies on caves genesis and mineralogy. Simmons produced seminal papers in iron ore caves and karst in Brazil and one of his important research projects was conducted in cave MDIR_0020 (Simmons cave), near the type locality of the new Neocarus species.

Comparative notes.

Neocarus simmonsi differs from N. potiguar Bernardi, Zacarias & Ferreira, 2012, N. proteus Bernardi, Klompen, Zacarias & Ferreira, 2013, and N. platensis (Silvestri, 1905) from Brazil by the absence of pregenital setae in the female. It differs from N. coronatus Araújo & Feres, 2018 by the presence of 6 (vs. 4) foliate setae on the palp tarsus; from N. potiguar , N. caipora Bernardi, Klompen & Ferreira, 2014, N. platensis (from Argentina and Uruguay) and N. misiones Vázquez, Bernardi & Klompen, 2020 by the absence (vs. presence) of p -type setae on the palp genu ( N. proteus and N. spelaion Bernardi, 2018 are somewhat intermediate as they carry small numbers (1-7) of p -type setae on the palp genu), and from N. spelaion by the uniformity (vs. variability) in shape of the pregenital and genital setae in the male. N. simmonsi differs from N. entrerios Vázquez, Bernardi & Klompen, 2020 and N. coronatus by the absence (vs presence) of sexual differentiation in the setae on the prodorsal shield.

The ovipositor is a unique structure and its characteristic is useful to differentiate Opilioacarida species. Neocarus simmonsi presents an ovipositor cylindrical with a rounded tip similar only to N. potiguar , but differentiates from the species with terminal lobes, such as N. misiones (three small and very distinct roundish terminal lobe), N. entrerios (with a distinct pair of papillate hooks), N. spelaion (with a rounded and distinct lobes) and N. proteus (two rounded structures plus three membranes at tip. Neocarus coronatus and N. caipora differs from all South American species due the presence of setae on ovipositor. Neocarus platensis and N. ojastii have a poorly described ovipositor structure.