Acuclavella leonardi, Richart, Casey H. & Hedin, Marshal, 2013

Richart, Casey H. & Hedin, Marshal, 2013, Three new species in the harvestmen genus Acuclavella (Opiliones, Dyspnoi, Ischyropsalidoidea), including description of male Acuclavella quattuor Shear, 1986, ZooKeys 311, pp. 19-68 : 36-41

Acuclavella leonardi sp. n. Figure 5 and 6, Appendix VIII: Figure 1, Figure 2

Acuclavella merickeli Shear, 1986 (in part: specimen from Pg 21-22)

Type material.

Male holotype (AMNH), and male (CAS, CASENT9039218) and female (AMNH) paratypes from a tributary of Iron Creek, Forest Service Rd 25 4.6 miles south of FS Rd 300, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Lewis County, Washington; male paratype (UWBM, WA2392/6319) and female paratype (CAS, CASENT9039224) from upper Iron Creek, FS Rd 28 0.1 miles E of FS 25, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Skamania County, Washington; female paratype (UWBM, WA2391/6027) from a tributary of Goble Creek, Cowlitz County, Washington. Further information on type localities can be found in Appendix I with the exception of female paratype from Goble Creek. This specimen was collected by the first author 3 August 2005 and deposited in a research collection; this specimen was not used in morphometric analyses, but is used to characterize the species in the description below. This specimen was collected at a location accessed via S Goble Creek Rd; 2.0 miles east of Rose Valley Rd turn right, 1.6 miles turn right, 0.6 miles park; 46.0963°N, 122.7607°W, elevation 227 meters.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of the naturalist and careful observer William P. Leonard for his work on litter-dwelling organisms in the poor-person’s rainforest of the Pacific Northwest.

Diagnosis.

Distinguished from all Acuclavella except Acuclavella makah by the combination of having paramedian tubercles as enlarged spines on area II only, and having light, strongly contrasting ends to sclerotized leg segments, giving the appearance of banding. Also distinguished from these taxa in that false leg articulations on the metatarsi of legs II are present, or single dark prolateral tubercles on the palpal patellae are present, but these features are not consistently found in Acuclavella leonardi . Scutes posterior to spines containing many raised mounds bearing warty tubercles, more distinct than in Acuclavella makah . Though the height of scutal spines is similar, the base of the spines in Acuclavella leonardi appears broader than in Acuclavella makah . Diagnostic COI sequences have been uploaded to the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD: ACUOP005-13).

Description.

Description of male. Body arched and convex dorsally (Figure 5); sides parallel or nearly so when broader posteriorly. Nearly all of body heavily sclerotized black or brown, with densely scattered hemispherical warts which irregularly house short setae apically or posteriorly. Total length 4.18 mm (n=3, 3.88-4.35 mm), carapace length 1.22 mm (n=7, 1.10-1.35 mm), carapace width 2.53 mm (n=3, 2.44-2.65 mm), length of fused tergites I-V 2.24 mm (n=7, 2.10-2.41 mm), scutum length 2.73 mm (n=3, 2.65-2.85 mm), scutum width 2.63 mm (n=3, 2.55-2.75 mm).

Eye tubercle at anterior edge of carapace prolonged into an acute spine lacking hemispherical warts on distal half; standing 1.25 mm above the surface of the carapace (n=3, 1.13-1.35 mm), 1.05 mm (n=7, 0.88-1.19 mm) from the ventral edge of the eye to the tip of the tubercle. Eye color brown, brown-gray, or gray, located basally on tubercle. Metapeltidial paramedian sensory cones raised into a sharp, acute spine standing 0.26 mm (n=7, 0.23-0.28 mm) above surface of the carapace, curving slightly towards the midline; lateral to these spines clusters of warts form tubercles.

All scutal tergites with pairs of median tubercles, these prolonged into large spines on area II only; lateral tubercles distinct. Tergite I with paired median tubercles as raised mounds adorned with warts standing 0.09 mm (n=7, 0.08-0.13 mm) above the scutal surface; two additional pairs of warty mounds reduce in size laterally. Median tubercles on area II tergite greatly enlarged into erect spines standing 1.04 mm (n=7, 0.85-1.16 mm) above the surface of the scutum; lateral to these tubercles are raised mounds adorned with warts. Area III tergite with three pairs of relatively large tubercles in the form of raised mounds adorned with warts; these not decreasing in size laterally; apical setae on each mound; median pair 0.06 mm above scutum (n=7, 0.03-0.08 mm). Tergite areas IV and V with three or four (UWBM) pairs of tubercles in the form of raised mounds adorned with warts, these not decreasing in size laterally or posteriorly; setae as previous; area IV median tubercle height 0.06 mm (n=7, 0.05-0.08 mm). First free tergite (VI) with relatively large and numerous tubercles in the form of raised warty mounds. Second free tergite (VII) as previous in the holotype and paratype (CAS); paratype (UWBM) without tubercles. Free tergite VIII without distinguishable tubercles, or with a median pair only (CAS paratype).

Abdominal sternite warty sculpturing strongest laterally and on posterior margins; sternites brown. Sclerotized areas of genital operculum relatively setose. Prosomal sternum (n=1) length 0.19 mm, width 0.37 mm; brown; without setae. Labium weakly to moderately sclerotized, wider than long or longer than wide (CAS); lengths: 0.14, 0.20, 0.08 mm, widths: 0.28, 0.16, 0.18 mm; light brown to brown; without setae. Palpal endites setose, light brown or brown. Leg II endites bearing 1 or 2 (UWBM) setae, leg IV bearing 1 setae in paratype only, all other endites without setae. Horn-shaped process of epistome decurved, projecting 0.40 mm from sulcus (n=1).

Chelicerae brown or light brown (Figure 6); darker dorsally; article II with prolateral and retrolateral striations of darker, more sclerotized cuticle; weakly so in paratypes. Cheliceral measurements (n =3): article I length 1.14 mm (1.03-1.34 mm), width 0.41 mm (0.40-0.44 mm), article II length 1.32 mm (1.20-1.38 mm), width 0.38 mm (0.35-0.38 mm), article III length 0.56 mm (0.53-0.60 mm). Dorsal surface of article I with raised, glandular area dense with setae, these capped with a white secretion in the CAS paratype; proximal end of article I with boss-like tubercles on retrolateral and proventrolateral surfaces. Palpal coxae brown or light brown (UWBM paratype), with 2 seta-bearing tubercles. Palpal measurements given in Table 4. Trochanter (Figure 6) brown, light brown, or pale brown, with 3 or 4 (UWBM paratype) seta-bearing tubercles. Palpal femora brown or white; patella white without a dark diffuse band, with dark, prolateral tubercles distally, bearing small trichia and setae distally; tibia white, with scattered setae and dense microtrichia; tarsus white, darkening distally, with vestiture of microtrichia and setae. Claw rudiment very small.

Leg measurements given in Table 4. Microsculpture of femora, patellae, and tibiae scattered, distally elevated scales, bilobed scales not observed; scales subtend setae, occasionally housing seta apically. Leg trochanters, femora, patellae, tibiae light brown, dark brown, or black, lighter at joints; metatarsi of leg III with proximal one-third to one-half light brown, brown, or black; leg IV with proximal three-quarters light brown, brown, or black; proximal end of metatarsi of legs I and II pale brown, brown, or black; remaining metatarsal areas pale brown; tarsi pale brown, darkening distally. Scaled microsculpture subequal to darkened areas, remainder with setae and microtrichia. Metatarsi of leg II with false leg articulations (n=7).

Penis length 2.48 mm (n=1), glans plate 0.37 mm, stylus 0.09 mm, stylus slightly twisted, not decurved.

Description of female. Similar to male for nearly all characters. Total length 4.71 mm (n=3, 4.45-5.06 mm); carapace length 1.35 mm (n=5, 1.25-1.44 mm); carapace width 3.01 mm (n=3, 2.81-3.13 mm); scutum length 3.63 mm (n=3, 3.19-4.30 mm); scutum width 3.70 mm (n=3, 3.12-3.50 mm); length of fused sternites I-V 2.96 mm (n=5, 2.81-3.06 mm).

Eye tubercle height above surface of carapace 1.18 mm (n =3, 1.00-1.28 mm); distance from ventral edge of eye to tip of spine 1.06 mm (n=5, 0.90-1.13 mm). Eye color dark brown, pink-gray, or light brown. Metapeltidial spine 0.22 mm (n=5, 0.18-0.25 mm).

Paramedian tubercles or tergite I height 0.08 mm (n=5, 0.05-0.13 mm) above surface of tergite; median tubercles raised mounds adorned with warts, two additional pairs of warty mounds reducing in size laterally. Tergite II paramedian tubercles greatly enlarged into erect spines standing 0.94 mm (n=5, 0.78-1.03 mm) above tergite surface; lateral to these are raised mounds adorned with warts. Paramedian tubercles of tergite III 0.07 mm (n=5, 0.03-0.10 mm); IV 0.06 mm (n=5, 0.03-0.10 mm). Tergite areas III, IV, and V with three pairs of relatively large tubercles in the form of raised mounds adorned with warts; these not decreasing in size laterally, decreasing slightly posteriorly across tergites. First free tergite (VI) adorned with raised warty mounds; tergites VII and VIII without discernable tubercles in paratypes (AMNH, CAS), tergite VII of paratype (UWBM) with tubercles as in VI.

Sternites brown. Transverse furrow and membranous lateral sutures of genital operculum less distinct than in other species. Prosomal sternum (n=1) length 0.18 mm, width 0.39 mm; pale-brown; without setae. Labium wider than long or subequal; lengths: 0.10, 0.19, 0.13 mm; widths: 0.16, 0.18, 0.19 mm; moderately or weakly sclerotized; brown; without setae. Palpal endites light brown. Leg II endites adorned with 2 setae.

Horn-shaped process of epistome decurved, projecting 0.42 mm from sulcus. Chelicerae brown or light brown; article I length 1.18 mm (n=3, 1.16-1.21 mm), width 0.43 mm (0.42-0.44 mm); article II length 1.39 mm (1.34-1.42 mm), width 0.41 mm (0.38-0.43 mm); article III length 0.59 mm (0.58-0.62 mm). Article I without raised glandular mound (Figure 6). Article II with 6 setae on prolateral dark area at cleavage of corpus and fixed finger of chela; 15 setae on ventral surface of article II; these patches discrete. Palpus dimensions in Table 4; coxae light brown or brown with two seta-bearing tubercles; trochanters brown or pale brown with 4 or 5 seta-bearing tubercles; only paratype (CAS) with tubercle on patella, only paratype (UWBM) with partial diffuse band on patella.

Leg measurements given in Table 4. Leg trochanters, femora, patellae, and tibiae brown to dark brown, lighter at joints; metatarsi of legs III with proximal one-half brown, of leg IV with proximal three-quarters light brown to brown, proximal ends of legs I and II light brown to brown, remaining metatarsal areas pale brown; tarsi pale brown, darkening distally.

Ovipositor length 0.80 mm, width 0.44 mm; corona of setae at furcal base surrounding lobes, apical setae on lobes; furca without dorsoventral differentiation.

Distribution and habitat.

Acuclavella leonardi is found in the southern Cascade Mountains of Washington State in the Cowlitz River (includes Iron Creek) and Coweeman River (includes Goble Creek) watersheds in Lewis, Cowlitz, and Skamania Counties (Appendix I). Found in coniferous forests with small perennial water-features such as side-slope seeps, springs, and headwater streams; underneath stream-side woody debris.