Karos morronei, Cruz-López, 2018

Cruz-López, Jesús A., 2018, A new leaf-litter harvestman species of the genus Karos (Opiliones: Stygnopsidae: Karosinae), with a reanalysis of the morphological phylogeny of the genus, Zootaxa 4378 (4), pp. 533-548 : 535-539

Karos morronei sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–25 )

Type material. HOlOtype male ( CNAN-T 0038), EjidO La MOjOnera, Zacualtipán de Ángeles, 20°37’34’’N, 98°37’6.9’’W, HidalgO State, MexicO, 24.v.2016, J.J. MOrrOne leg. TwO male and fOur female paratypes (CNAN- T0039), same data as hOlOtype. One male and One female paratypes were used fOr SEM.

Other material examined. Female (CNANOp0326) and nymph (CNANOp0327) Of K. morronei , bOth DNA vOuchers, with the same data as types . Male and female ( CNAN) Of K. morronei , 2.5 km N frOm intersectiOn Zacualtipán-SantiagO TianguistengO, Zacualtipán de Ángeles, 20°40’29.2’’N, 98°40’7.9’’W, HidalgO State, MexicO, 04.ii.2017, L. Olguín, J. Cruz, G. COntreras and D. Barrales, leg.

Etymology. PatrOnymic in hOnOr tO Juan J. MOrrOne, whO has cOntributed tO the knOwledge Of taxOnOmy Of COleOptera, as well as Cladistics and BiOgeOgraphy in America. AdditiOnally, he cOllected the type specimens.

Diagnosis. Karos morronei sp. nov. differs frOm K. monjarazi and K. singularis in having twO small and separated acuminated tubercles On the Ocularium, instead Of twO lOng tubercles that are very clOse tO each Other. It can be distinguished frOm K. barbarikos , K. hexasetosus , K. parvus , K. projectus and K. tersum by the scutal shape in males: the new species has the mid-bulge cOvering lateral margins frOm sulcus I tO mesOtergal area III, instead Of being strOngly marked frOm sulcus I tO almOst the cOrner Of mesOtergal area V in the species mentiOned abOve. Legs IV in K. morronei sp. nov. are cOvered by several strOng, rOunded and acuminated tubercles, unlike in K. parvus , K. projectus , K. hexasetosus and K. tersum , which have legs IV cOvered by small spinifOrm tubercles. AlsO, males Of K. morronei sp. nov. have legs II and IV slightly lOnger than females, with sexual prOpOrtiOns Of femOra II: 1.24 and IV: 1.17, being K. projectus the mOst similar species in sexual prOpOrtiOns Of femOra II: 1.35 and IV: 1.18. Femur, tibia and metatarsus IV in males are thicker than in females; this easily distinguishes K. morronei sp.

nov. frOm the remaining species, in which males and females have similar thickness in legs IV. Males Of K. morronei sp. nov. can be differentiated frOm K. barbarikos by lacking a dOrsO-mesal tridentate apOphysis On trOchanter IV, and lacking laterO-apical prOjectiOns On fOllis. It can alsO be differentiated frOm K. tersum in apical metatarsus IV, which is swOllen in the new species. K. morronei sp. nov. has MS E1 and E2 just bellOw Of MS C2 and A1 respectively, a similar pOsitiOn Observed Only in K. barbarikos and K. tersum . Finally, the new species has legs cOlOred in clear/dark bands, a similar cOnditiOn having Only been Observed in K. singularis .

Barcoding. The GenBank accessiOn numbers fOr the cytOchrOme Oxidase subunit I (CO1) fOr the vOucher CNANOp0326 is MF099775 , and fOr CNANOp0327 is MF099776 . The length Of bOth sequences is 552 pair Of bases. They represent the same haplOtype.

Description (male hOlOtype).

Measurements: Scutum (1.7); legs measurements see Table 1.

Color ( Figs. 1, 2 ): BackgrOund cOlOr brOwn in the bOdy, with dark areas On anteriOr part Of sulci I, V-shaped mark pOsteriOr tO Ocularium, anteriOr pOrtiOn Of all mesOtergal areas, and cOntinuOus rOw near tO lateral margins Of scutum. Chelicerae and pedipalps yellOwish, with dark reticular grid frOm femur tO tibia. Similar cOlOratiOn On legs, but with nOticeably clear/dark bands, mOre prOminent On legs IV.

Dorsum ( Figs. 1–7 ): Scutum gamma, mid-bulge rOunded frOm sulcus I tO mesOtergal area III. COnstrictiOn I well-marked, cOnstrictiOn II shallOw, cOda restricted frOm sulcus IV tO pOsteriOr cOrners Of scutum, almOst straight. Scutum cOmpressed dOrsO-ventrally. PrOsOma with rectangular shape; Ocularium in the middle, with elliptical base, lOw and armed with twO apical acuminated tubercles. Bulge frOntal tO Ocularium incOnspicuOus, cOvered by accumulatiOn Of rOugh pit glands. Area pOsteriOr tO Ocularium with a few acuminated tubercles, nOt fOrming a “V”. All dOrsum surface rugOse, mesOtergal sulci nOticeably sinuOus. MesOtergal area I with a few acuminated tubercles, with twO On central pOrtiOn and twO Or three Outside, near tO lateral margins Of mesOtergum. Tubercles On area II with similar arrangement Of area I, but in greater number. On areas III and IV there is transverse rOw Of scattered tubercles On each One, central tubercles sOme stacked. Transverse and straight rOw Of tubercles On the pOsteriOr margin Of scutum, and On each Of the free tergites. Lateral pegs fOrming a cOntinuOus rOw, elliptical befOre midbulge, triangular On mid-bulge and rOunded pOsteriOrly; with an additiOnal rOw Of acuminated tubercles On midbulge inner tO lateral pegs. Lateral channels prOjected as clear areas tear-shaped On the middle Of mid-bulge, cOrners Of area V and free tergites I and II.

Venter ( Figs. 8, 9 ): All ventral surface cOvered by scattered and small tubercles, except On cOxae III, wherein these tubercles are almOst absent. COxae IV cOvering almOst all ventral surface. Stigmatic area inverted Y-shaped, lOng, shaft slightly cOnstrained near tO the arms. DepressiOn inverse U-shaped behind Of the arms, cOvered by rOugh pit glands. DOrsal prOlateral apOphysis Of cOxa IV strOng, spinifOrm, withOut retrOlateral apOphysis.

Chelicerae ( Figs. 10–13 ): Small, bulla nOt hyperthelic. MOvable finger with fOur median teeth, incOnspicuOus. Fixed finger with three median small teeth. Fixed finger with external serrula On the bOrder Of ventral grOOve.

Pedipalps ( Figs. 14, 15 ): Femur dOrsally cOnvex, with few and scattered tubercles, ventrally with fOur tO five scattered spinifOrm setiferOus tubercles, the basalmOst lOnger. LOng setiferOus tubercle On mesO-apical pOrtiOn. Patella small, cylindrical, with a few small tubercles On almOst all the dOrsal surface, and with twO mesal setiferOus tubercles. Tibia cylindrical, with armature as fOllOws: iiII (3> 4> 1> 2) and iII (2> 3> 1), On mesal and ectal margins, respectively; dOrsally cOvered by spinifOrm setae. Tarsus smOOth, with a few setae On dOrsal surface, and with armature as fOllOws: IIii (1> 2> 3> 4) On bOth margins. Tarsal claw slightly curved, with similar length as tarsus.

Legs ( Figs. 16, 17 ): Legs I tO III slender, cOvered by small tubercles and a few setae. Legs IV cOvered by strOng, scattered, rOunded and acuminated tubercles; femur, tibia and metatarsus thickened, mOre nOtOriOus in the middle Of the tibia. Tarsal cOunt: 4(2):6(3):5:5.

Penis ( Figs. 18–21 ): Pars distalis cOmpressed dOrsO-ventrally, apical margin cOnvex. TwO pairs Of MS C and A, and One pair Of MS B, all Of them fOrming a lOngitudinal rOw On the lateral sides Of pars distalis; MS B shOrter than MS C and A. Spaces between Of MS C, A and B similar. TwO pairs Of MS D, lateral tO the base Of fOllis. TwO pairs Of MS E setae On ventral surface, fOrming a rectangle, MS E1 and E2 just belOw Of MS C2 and A1, respectively. MicrOsetae absent frOm ventral surface Of the ventral plate. FOllis nOticeably lOng, almOst seven times lOnger than wide. Stylus arising frOm the inner fOllis, spinifOrm prOjectiOns slightly visible in the inner side Of fOllis.

Female (paratype, Figs. 2 , 4 , 7 , 17 , 22–25 ). Differs frOm the male in the fOllOwing cOmbinatiOn Of characters: Mid-bulge Of scutum slightly prOjected, at the same level Of cOda, cOvering frOm sulcus I tO mesOtergal area II.

COxae IV shOrter, with dOrsal prOlateral apOphysis small; shaft Of stigmatic area shOrther and wider than stigmatic area Of males. Legs II and IV slightly shOrter than males, with sexual prOpOrtiOns Of femOra II: 1.24 and IV: 1.17. Legs IV nOticeably thinner and with mOre reduced armature than males. Tarsal cOunt (n = 4): 4(2):5(3):5:5. Distal tip Of the OvipOsitOr with fOur external lObes and eight peripheral setae that insert intO well-fOrmed sOckets and have undivided tips. Lateral anteriOr and pOsteriOr surfaces between marginal setae On external lObes cOvered with denticles, sOme Of these bi Or tridentate denticles withOut evidence Of basal pOres.

Distribution. This species is knOwn Only frOm twO clOsely placed sites near Zacualtipán de Ángeles, HidalgO State, MexicO.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Karos morronei sp. nov., dorsal habitus: 1, male holotype (CNAN-T0038). 2, female paratype (CNAN- T0039).Scale bars:0.5 mm.

FIGURES 3–5. Karos morronei sp. nov., scutum, dorsal and lateral views of male and female paratypes (CNAN-T0039): 3, male. 4, female.5, male. Scale bars:500 mm.

FIGURES 6–7. Karos morronei sp. nov., prosoma, frontal view of male and female paratypes (CNAN-T0039): 6, male. 7, female.Scale bars: 250 mm.

FIGURES8–9.Karos morronei sp. nov., ventral view of male andfemale paratypes (CNAN-T0039):8, male.9, female.Scale bars:500 mm.

FIGURES 10–13. Karos morronei sp. nov., chelicera, male paratype (CNAN-T0039): 10, cheliceral hand, frontal view. 11, cheliceralfingers.12, externalserrula on fixedfinger.13,chelicera, mesalview.Scalebars, 10: 200mm, 11 and 12: 50 mm, 13: 250 mm.

FIGURES14–15. Karos morronei sp. nov., pedipalp, male paratype (CNAN-T0039):14, meso-ventral view.15,detail oftibia and tarsus, mesal view.Scale bars, 14: 250 mm, 15: 200 mm.

FIGURES 16–17. Karos morronei sp. nov. retrolateral view of leg IV, male and female paratypes (CNAN-T0039). 16, male. 17, female.Scale bars: 500 mm.

FIGURES 18–21. Karos morronei sp. nov., penis. 18, dorsal view. 19, ventral view. 20, detail of MS E. 21, apex of stylus. Macrosetae onventral plate are identified as follows: A = MS A, B = MS B, C = MS C, D = MS D, E1 = MS E1, E2 = MS E2. Scale bars, 18, 19: 100 mm, 20: 25 mm, 21:10 mm.

FIGURES 22–25. Karos morronei sp. nov., ovipositor. 22, ventral view. 23, lateral view. 24, detail of denticles on posteriorlateral surface between peripheral setae.25, apices of peripheral setae. Scalebars, 22:100 mm, 23:150 mm, 24: 15 mm, 25: 20 mm.