Cajango pestifer, Kury & Bernabé, 2023

Kury, Adriano B. & Bernabé, Tiago, 2023, Description of two new genera and five new species of clade K 92 from Bahia and Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil (Arachnida, Opiliones, Gonyleptidae), Zootaxa 5351 (4), pp. 401-434 : 409-410

Cajango pestifer sp. nov.

( Figs. 7–9 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B1AA95C2-0684-4283-84A6-D8A7F683E7F7

“CAE-01 sp. B”— Kury et al. 2022: 81, fig. 7.

Etymology. From the Latin adjective pestĭfer, ĕra, ĕrum (destructive, baleful, noxious). Named thus due to it being collected as part of the campaigns of SEPFA (Service of Studies and Research on the Yellow Fever), and the name also refers to the rage of the character Cajango in the aforementioned novel.

Type series. BRAZIL, Bahia State: ♂ holotype, 1 ♂, 2 ♀ paratypes ( MNRJ 5430 ), Ilhéus, viii.1944, Campaign of Serviço de Estudos e Pesquisas sobre a Febre Amarela leg.

Diagnosis. Body background color yellow in both sexes, with carapace and area III more strongly shaded in brown; scutal areas only with a pair of paramedian granules each and a few scattered extra granules ( Figs. 7a, b ). Anal operculum in both sexes with a small median tubercle ( Figs. 7e, f ). Cx IV of male without retrolateral apical apophysis ( Fig. 7e ). Fe IV with dorso-basal, anvil-shaped apophysis ( Fig. 7a ). Basal lobes of VP only very gently projected to the sides as small triangles ( Fig. 9e ). Flabellum quadrangular, but this outline is distorted because of the deep serration ( Fig. 9c ).

Description of male holotype. Measurements: CL = 3.8, CW = 4.7, AL = 4.7, AW = 10.4. Pp = 9.7. Legs, I: Fe = 6.9, Ti = 5.2, Mt = 8.2; II: Fe = 14.7, Ti = 11.2, Mt = 16.0; III: Fe = 11.3, Ti = 6.4, Mt = 11.9; IV: Fe = 15.2, Ti = 11.0, Mt = 18.7.

Dorsum. Large and slender animal, with smooth tegument and elongate legs in predominantly yellow hues. DS gamma pyriform, with posterior border slightly concave. Carapace cordiform, with ocularium at its anterior portion, but set far away from anterior margin of scutum. Ocularium moderately high, armed with two slightly divergent spines. Frontal hump also moderately elevated, with two small low spines. Anterior border of scutum with one tubercle each side. Dorsal scutum glossy, except for one row of scattered tubercles on each lateral area and one transverse row on each area I to III, each row with an outstanding paramedian pair, much larger on area III. Mesotergum divided into three areas; area I divided into broadly connected halves. Area III with a paramedian pair of blunt tubercles and a few scattered granules. Area V and free tergites each with a transverse row of 4–12 granules. Anal operculum without any apophysis.

Legs. Cx IV much larger than the others taken together, slanted. Stigmatic area with elongate axis, with short branches, sternite II narrow and rounded. Cx IV oblique, visible beyond scutum in dorsal view, with strong, bent prolateral apical apophysis, provided with a small secondary branch. Without a retrolateral apical apophysis. Tr IV with two greatly developed retroapical apophyses forming a V. Fe IV with several stout and curved DO apophyses all along the podomere; strong pectination at RL1, RL2, isolated stout apophyses, from RL3 to RL10; PV and RV rows of small tubercles increasing in size apically. Tarsal counts 6(3)/14(4)/8/?.

Color (in 75% ethanol). Dorsal scutum, chelicerae, and pedipalpi background Brilliant Greenish Yellow (#98). Scutum with Grayish Brown (#61) patches covering most of carapace (including ocularium), anterior border of scutum and region around main armature of area III. Chelicerae and pedipalpi with sparse Grayish Brown (#61) reticulation. Legs I–III predominantly Moderate Olive (#107). Leg IV background Dark Grayish Olive (#111) in most regions getting darker to Olive Black (#114). Ventral Cx and stigmatic area predominantly Light Olive (#106) with dense mottling in Dark Olive (#108).

Male genitalia ( Figs. 9a–e ). Basal lobes of VP leaning upon the truncus, but mediocre, little projected to the sides. MS A1 to A3 and B1 all robust, strongly lanceolate, subequal in length and arranged into two groups: A1 and B1 more distal than A2 and A3. D1 set far from E2, midway between clusters of MS C and A. Solea of glans clearly projected apically. Flabellum fan-shaped, with few deep serrations.

Female ( Figs. 7b, d, f ). Very similar to male in habitus and colors, except for: (1) scutal area III with a pair of strong spines instead of low spines; (2) Cx IV much smaller, mostly hidden under scutum in dorsal view and without strong dorso-apical apophysis; (3) armature of Tr IV much weaker; (4) dorsal scutum outline gamma classical; (5) Fe IV not curved to the midline and without larger individual spines, although still armed with rows of substantial spines.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Cajango pestifer sp. nov., habitus, male holotype and female paratype (MNRJ 5430), from Ilhéus: a. Male, dorsal view; b. Female same; c. Male, lateral view; d. Female, same; e. Male, ventral view; f. Female, same; g. Male, frontal view; h. Male, posterior view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 8. Cajango pestifer sp. nov., male holotype (MNRJ 5430), from Ilhéus: Femur IV, ventral view. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 9. Cajango pestifer sp. nov., habitus, male holotype (MNRJ 5430), from Ilhéus, male genitalia: a. Dorsal view; b. Dextrolateral view; c. Flabellum, apical view; d. Glans, sinistrolateral view; e. Ventral plate, ventral view. Scale bars: 100 μm (a, b, e), 50 μm (d), 20 μm (c).