Cryptomaster leviathan Briggs, 1969

Starrett, James, Derkarabetian, Shahan, Richart, Casey H., Cabrero, Allan & Hedin, Marshal, 2016, A new monster from southwest Oregon forests: Cryptomasterbehemoth sp. n. (Opiliones, Laniatores, Travunioidea), ZooKeys 555, pp. 11-35 : 19

Taxon classification Animalia Opiliones Cladonychiidae

Cryptomaster leviathan Briggs, 1969 Figures: map 1; habitus 5A, C, 7A, C, E; somatic 6A, 8A, C, E; penis 6C, E, 9A, C, E; ovipositor 10 A–E

Cryptomaster leviathan Briggs, 1969: 41-43, figures 15-25.

Type material examined.

Holotype male and five female paratypes from 4.5 miles south of Gold Beach, Curry County, Oregon, 29 January 1967, under spruce bark in virgin spruce forest, coll. T. Briggs, V. Lee, and K. Hom.

Diagnosis.

This species differs from Cryptomaster behemoth in having the enlarged SBT of PT acute (Fig. 6A), and keel-shaped protrusion of dorsal plate of penis with apical pair of spines fully erect and directed along the longitudinal axis of the penis (Fig. 6C, E).

Genetic data.

GenBank Accession numbers: KU059639-KU059655, KU059667-KU059678, KU059690-KU059701, KU059713-KU059717, KU059729-KU059740.

Morphbank images.

SDSU_TAC000021, Morphbank Specimen ID: 855927

<http://www.morphbank.net/?id=855927>, 14 SEM images

SDSU_TAC000022, Morphbank Specimen ID: 855928

<http://www.morphbank.net/?id=855928>, 7 SEM images

SDSU_TAC000027, Morphbank Specimen ID: 855931

<http://www.morphbank.net/?id=855931>, 17 SEM images

SDSU_TAC000204, Morphbank Specimen ID: 855933

<http://www.morphbank.net/?id=855933>, 19 SEM images

SDSU_TAC000248, Morphbank Specimen ID: 856245

<http://www.morphbank.net/?id=856245>, 4 SEM images

Redescription.

MALE: Measurements of holotype male, with the average and range of all three specimens measured in parentheses (Suppl. material 1: Table S4).

Body length 3.44, scute length 2.75 (2.71; 2.5-2.89), scute width 3.06 (2.75; 2.5-3.06), prosoma width 2.05 (1.95; 1.81-2.05). Shoulder tubercles present but small. Scute microgranulate. Holotype discolored due to preservation; for other specimens, integument color contrasts dorsally at midline between prosoma and opisthosoma, although not as strongly as in females. OC width 0.59 (0.55; 0.49-0.59). Ventral surface microgranulate. GO missing in holotype, length 0.3-0.34, width 0.28-0.31.

PT with acute mesal SBT. PF length 2.01 (1.98; 1.8-2.13), PF depth 0.72 (0.69; 0.64-0.72), with 7 (sometimes 5-6) spines, with the basal pair prominent, 3 (sometimes 4) enlarged dorsal spines, and 2 enlarged prolateral spines distally. PCS with 3 anterior spines dorsally and with 2 or 3 small retrolateral spines; DCS with 2 rows of small, dorsal, forward-facing acute SBTs. PCS width 0.42, DCS length 1.6, DCS width 0.46.

Trochanter 0.57, femur 0.92, patella 0.7, tibia 1.48, metatarsus 1.72, tarsus 1.04. LII length 11.19 (11.31; 10.69-12.06): trochanter 0.62 (0.6; 0.58-0.62), femur 2.73 (2.73; 2.55-2.91), patella 0.94 (0.89; 0.77-0.95), tibia 2.3 (2.37; 2.28-2.55), metatarsus 2.49 (2.61; 2.49-2.8); tarsus 2.1 (2.11; 1.99-2.25); tibia distally and ventrally swollen, with 5 rounded SBTs, 1-3 with setae twisted. Tarsal count 5-[11 –15]-5– 6.

Penis elongate; glans laterally compressed, dorsal plate extending outward into a more angled and acute keel shaped protrusion, with two pairs of spines, apical pair erect (pointing along the longitudinal axis of the penis), subapical pair appressed to dorsal plate; ventral plate cultriform with dorsally curved apical process.

FEMALE: Nineteen total individuals examined, including five paratypes; average measurements taken for subset (Suppl. material 1: Table S4), with range of all seven specimens measured in parentheses. Descriptive characters as for males unless otherwise noted.

Scute length 2.82 (2.69-3.03), scute width 3.01 (2.84-3.13), prosoma width 1.96 (1.8-2.14). Relative to males very dark, with strong contrast at midline between light-brown prosoma and dark-brown opisthosoma. OC width 0.56 (0.51-0.6). GO length 0.37 (0.33-0.39), width 0.38 (0.34-0.4).

PT mesal SBT acute. PF length 1.84 (1.68-1.94), PF depth 0.63 (0.58-0.67), usually with 5 (up to 7) ventral spines, 4 dorsal spines (2 to 6), and 2 distal prolateral spines. PCS with 2-3 anterior spines dorsally, with 1-4 small retrolateral spines.

LII length 10.23 (9.61-10.81): trochanter 0.58 (0.54-0.67), femur 2.53 (2.35-2.63), patella 0.83 (0.76-0.89), tibia 2.16 (1.99-2.29), metatarsus 2.39 (2.16-2.55), tarsus 1.92 (1.81-2.0); tibia without distal ventral swelling.

Ovipositor with four lobes, lateral lobes largest with seven apical setae, and a single large spine with a bifurcate tip, ventral lobe smallest.

Other material examined.

See Suppl. material 1: Table S1 and S4 for locality information of all specimens examined.

Distribution and habitat.

For specific localities, habitats, and microhabitats see Suppl. material 1: Table S1. This species is distributed in southwestern Oregon including throughout the southern Oregon Coast Range from the Umpqua River to the Coquille River, and south into the Klamath Mountains to the Rogue River. The range extends east to the southern Oregon Cascade Mountains in the South Umpqua and North Umpqua River Basins. Cryptomaster leviathan is typically associated with mature coniferous or mixed coniferous and hardwood forests, but has also been found in disturbed forests and forests with few conifers. Specimens are most often found under large woody debris associated with decaying logs and stumps, and in Acer and Polystichum leaf litter.