Nanophareus palpalis Roewer

Hara, Marcos Ryotaro, Pinto-Da-Rocha, Ricardo & Kury, Adriano Brilhante, 2012, Revision of Nanophareus, a mysterious harvestman genus from Chile, with descriptions of three new species (Opiliones: Laniatores: Gonyleptidae), Zootaxa 3579, pp. 37-66 : 47-50

Nanophareus palpalis Roewer

( Figs. 2 , 3 , 10 A–B)

Nanophareus palpalis Roewer 1929: 281 , fig. 46; Canals 1936: 69 (cat); Cekalovic 1985: 24 (cat); Kury 2003: 105 (cat). ( Chile; without name of more precise collection site, collector and date; 1 ma lectotype, 1 ma & 2 fe paralectotypes, indicated by Maury and designated here; SMF 986/1; examined). Lectotype lacking both LI, tarsus IV, right metatarsus and tarsus IV. Paralectotypes without most of their legs attached to the body. Therefore, we were unable to unequivocally match LI–III to the correct specimen.

Material examined. CHILE. Without further data of locality, collector name and date, 1 ma lectotype, 1 ma & 2 fe paralectotypes, indicated by Maury and designated here ( SMF 986/1).

Diagnosis for males. Nanophareus palpalis resembles N. bipartitus sp. nov. because of the unarmed frontal hump on dorsal scutum, widened ocularium, unarmed scutal area III, prolateral apical apophysis of coxa IV barely reaching the posterior margin of dorsal scutum, trochanter IV unarmed prolateral apically and femur IV without retromedian apophysis. Nanophareus palpalis can be distinguished from N. bipartitus sp. nov. by: Scutal area IV undivided and tibia IV with a retrolateral row of enlarged and pointed tubercles decreasing in size from submedian region to apex, two ventral rows of similar size tubercles, ventral apically unarmed. Nanophareus palpalis can be distinguished from the other species of the genus by: Tibia IV with a retrolateral row of enlarged and pointed tubercles decreasing in size from submedian region to apex, two ventral rows of similar size tubercles, ventral apically unarmed.

Diagnosis for females. Nanophareus palpalis can be distinguished from the other species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: Ocularium widened; ocularium and frontal hump unarmed and undivided scutal area IV.

Redescription. Male (lectotype): Dorsum ( Fig. 2 A, C, H, I): Measurements: DSL 3.70; DSW 3.30; LII 14.10; LIII 9.05; LIV 12.10 (without tarsus IV). Median frontal hump tuberculate, with 3–4 tubercles on each side of anterior margin of carapace. Ocularium widened, low, with median eminence, smooth. Carapace with sparse tubercles. Scutal area I with few tubercles close to scutal groove I and median longitudinal groove; II with two transversal rows of 6 (anterior) and 8 (posterior row) tubercles, 1–2 tubercles on the sides; III with two rows of tubercles, anterior with 6, posterior with 16 tubercles (these larger than anterior ones); IV undivided, with one row of 13 tubercles. Lateral margin of dorsal scutum with a row of enlarged tubercles inserted among small ones, more densely distributed between grooves II and III. Posterior margin of dorsal scutum and free tergites I–III each one with a row of 21, 23, 21 and 16 tubercles, respectively. Anal operculum with 16 scattered tubercles.

Venter ( Fig. 2 B): Coxa I–IV densely tuberculate. Stigmatic area with few small scattered tubercles. Posterior margin of stigmatic sternite and free sternites each one with a row of tubercles. Anal operculum tuberculate.

Chelicera: Segment I smooth, bulla weakly-marked; movable finger with 4 teeth; fixed finger with 5 teeth.

Pedipalpus ( Fig. 2 E–F): Coxa with 1 ventral, 1 dorsal tubercle. Trochanter with 1 dorsal, 2 ventral tubercles. Femur with 3 small ventral tubercles. Patella with 1 dorsal tubercle. Tibia with 4 dorsal tubercles; tibial setation: Prolateral IIiIi, retrolateral Ii[Ii] (subdistal bifid and longest, 1 short and 1 long setae). Tarsal setation: Prolateral IiIii, retrolateral iIiIii.

Legs ( Figs. 2 G, J, 3): Coxa IV densely tuberculate, with prolateral apical apophysis apically bifid, moderately long, directed backwards. Trochanters I–IV tuberculate; IV 1.5 times longer than wide, prolaterally with a conical, short, blunt median apophysis, swollen in the middle; retrolaterally with 2 submedian slightly enlarged tubercles, an apical conical, short and blunt apophysis. Femur IV slightly curved basally, proventral row of tubercles increasing in size, 1 prodorsal apical enlarged tubercle, 1 proventral apical blunt spine. Patella IV tuberculate, 1 proventral apical blunt spine. Tibia IV with one retrolateral row of enlarged tubercles decreasing in size from submedian region to apex. Basitarsus I slightly swollen. Tarsal process reduced to a seta. Tarsal segmentation: 5(3); 7–8(3); 6; 6 according to Roewer description (1929) but legs I and tarsi IV missing in this specimen.

Penis ( Fig. 10 A–B): Glans with wide sac; stylus slender, cylindrical, curved without ventral trichomes; ventral process slender, blunt apex, directed to stylus. Ventral plate distal setae conical, placed almost on ventral plate corner, slightly curved on apex; ventral plate basal setae slightly curved on apex (larger than distal group).

Coloration: As in Roewer 1929, i.e. body and all limbs pale yellow. We suppose Roewer received the type series already discolored.

Female (paralectotype): Dorsum ( Fig. 2 D): Measurements: DSL 3.80; DSW 3.20; PI 6.40; PIV 10.60. Scutal area IV with 2 anterior tubercles, one posterior row with 15 tubercles. Trochanter IV with 1 enlarged prolateral subasal tubercle, retrolaterally with 1 median, 1 apical enlarged tubercle. Femur IV with a proventral row of enlarged tubercles on distal ¼. Tibia IV with similar sized tubercles. Tarsal segmentation: 5(3);?;?; 6.

Variation in males (n=2) ( Fig. 3 A, E): Measurements: DSL 3.65–3.7; DSW 3.15–3.30; LI 7.00; LII 12.60–14.10; LIII 9.0; LIV 11.90–12.10 (without tarsus). Pedipalpus: Tibial setation: Prolateral IIiIi, IIiII, retrolateral Ii[Ii], Ii[Ii]i; tarsal setation: Retrolateral iIiIii, iIiIiii. Tibia IV with one retrolateral row of more or less conspicuous enlarged tubercles decreasing in size from submedian region to apex. Tarsal segmentation: 5(3); 7(3); 6; 6.

Variation in females (n=2): Measurements: DSL 3.75–3.80; DSW 3.05–3.20; PII 10.20; PIV 9.95–10.60. Pedipalpus: Tibial setation: Prolateral IIiII, retrolateral Ii[Ii]i. Tarsal segmentation: 5(3); 7(3); 6; 6.

Geographical distribution. Known only from the imprecise type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Nanophareus palpalis Roewer, 1929. Male (lectotype): A, habitus, dorsal view; B, idem, ventral view; C, idem, right lateral view; E, left pedipalp, prolateral view; F, idem, retrolateral view; H, ocularium, anterior view; I, right ozopore area (placed just above coxa II); J, apex of left femur IV, dorsal view. Male (paralectoype): G, left tarsus IV, dorsal view. Female (paralectotype): D, habitus, dorsal view. Abbreviations: A 1 – 4, scutal areas I – IV; Ca, carapace; Fh, frontal hump; Ft 1 – 3, free tergites I – III; Oc, ocularium; Op, opisthosoma; Pac, prolateral apical apophysis of coxa IV; Pm, posterior margin of dorsal scutum. A, D at same scale; B, C at same scale; E, F at same scale. Scale bars of A – F: 1 mm. Scale bars of G – J: 0.5 mm. Circle indicates character 36, state 1.

FIGURE 3. Nanophareus palpalis Roewer, 1929. Male left trochanter – metatarsus IV (lectotype): A, dorsal view; B, prolateral view; C, ventral view; D, retrolateral view. Male (paralectotype): E, left tibia IV, dorsal view. Abbreviations: Pro, prolateral; Ret, retrolateral. A – D at same scale. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 10. Distal part of Nanophareus spp. penis in dorsal and lateral view: A – B, N. palpalis; C – D, N. araucanus sp. nov. A, B at same scale; C, D at same scale. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.