Heteropachylus crassicalcanei, (SOARES, 1977), 2011

Mendes, Amanda Cruz, 2011, Phylogeny and taxonomic revision of Heteropachylinae (Opiliones: Laniatores: Gonyleptidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 163 (2), pp. 437-483 : 473-474

HETEROPACHYLUS CRASSICALCANEI ( SOARES, 1977)

COMB. NOV. ( FIGS 17 , 18 , 25E, F , 28 )

Aesotrinoma crassicalcanei Soares, 1977: 252 , figures 1–6. Kury, 2003a: 142. Mendes & Kury, 2003: 151.

Chavesincola crassicalcanei: Sigrist & Carvalho, 2008: 39 . [This combination was never formally proposed; the authors used data from an unpublished MSc thesis ( Mendes, 2005), not valid for taxonomic purposes.]

Distribution: Species known only from type locality. WWF Ecoregion: NT0103, Bahia coastal forests.

Material examined: m holotype ( MNRJ5216 ), BRAZIL, Bahia, Salvador. Rio Vermelho. vi.1955. Becker J; m paratype ( HEMS382 ), same data as holotype .

Diagnosis: Three mesotergal areas ( Fig. 17A ). Mesotergal area I divided by longitudinal groove; complete groove between mesotergal areas II and III ( Fig. 17A ); mesotergal area III at the same level as the other areas and with unpaired armature ( Fig. 17A, D ); free tergites II–III with projected corners and median blunt conical apophysis ( Fig. 17A, B, D ); free tergite III without longitudinal keel, not fused to the dorsal scutum in males ( Fig. 17A, B ). Dorsal anal operculum covered by tubercles, elevated in the middle ( Fig. 17B, D ). Femur IV ( Fig. 18 ) with bifid dorsobasal apophysis, lacking dorsodistal one. Male genitalia ( Fig. 25E, F ): fourth pair of setae larger than the first three and dislocated to the median portion of the ventral plate.

Measurements: Male holotype. CL: 1.6; MCW: 2.3; ASL: 3.4; MASW: 5.0; FL: 3.8. Male paratype. CL: 1.8; MCW: 2.3; ASL: 3.1; MASW: 4.9; FL: 3.1.

Description

Male holotype: Dorsum ( Fig. 17A ). Scutum outline pyriform, widest at mesotergal area II. Anterior margin of carapace with three small tubercles on each side. Frontal hump covered with granules. Eye mound with pair of paramedian tubercles ( Fig. 17A, C ) and some smaller granules near the eyes. Carapace smooth. Mesotergum divided into three areas by shallow grooves, areas not well marked; mesotergal area I divided into left and right halves by median longitudinal groove; mesotergal areas I–II with pair of small paramedian granules each; mesotergal area III bearing median spiniform apophysis pointed upwards. Posterior margin smooth. Free tergites I–II fused to the scutum, with row of small granules each; free tergite II with a blunt apophysis on each corner and median blunt apophysis dorsally directed with two rounded tubercles on its base, one on each side; free tergite III smooth, with posterior border substraight, projected corners and median blunt apophysis dorsally pointed ( Fig. 17A, B, D ). Lateral areas of mesotergum each with row of tubercles, the sizes of which increase towards the posterior margin of the dorsal scutum, reaching the groove between areas II and III ( Fig. 17A, D ). Dorsal anal operculum covered by tubercles concentrated in the middle, forming an elevation ( Fig. 17B, D ). Appendages. Pedipalps ( Fig. 17A, D ) – trochanter with two ventral setiferous granules. Femur with ventral row of setiferous granules, subapical mesal spine reduced. Tibia with four mesal (Ii + [Ii]) and two ectal ([Ii]) spines. Tarsus with four mesal (IiIi) and four ectal (IiIi) spines. Legs – calcaneus I length about half length of metatarsus I, lighter in colour and conspicuously thicker than the astragalus. Coxa IV armed with apical prolateral blunt apophysis. Trochanter IV armed with apical prolateral blunt apophysis and retrolateral distal curved short apophysis. Femur IV ( Fig. 18 ) short, distinctly curved in dorsal view and with two curvatures (‘S-shaped’) in lateral view, bearing rows of tubercles; with bifid dorsobasal apophysis preceded by a basal rounded tubercle and granules and followed by medial row of rounded tubercles, the sizes of which decrease towards the apex; retrolateral surface with row of rounded tubercles equally sized, prolateral surface with row of about five large rounded tubercles located on the distal half, larger at the median portion of the row; apex ( Fig. 17E ) with retrolateral conical apophysis, pointed upwards in apical view, and prolateral rounded tubercle with acuminated apex. Tarsal counts: 6/11/6/6. Male genitalia ( Fig. 25E, F ). Ventral plate with cleft ‘U’-shaped at the distal border; lateral apexes of ventral plate curved. Group of three distal short setae; two basal long setae. Glans with thumb-like dorsal process. Stylus with apical setae subequally sized. Colour (in alcohol). Background colour of body and coxa, trochanter, and femur IV dark brown; Legs I–III light brown, except the tarsi, which are yellow and calcaneus I pale. Female. Unknown.

Note: Male genitalia in bad state of conservation, probably because of presumed past treatment with KOH.

Figures

Figure 17. Heteropachylus crassicalcanei comb. nov. Male holotype MNRJ 5216. A, habitus, dorsal view. B, ventroposterior view. C, frontal view. D, habitus, lateral view. E, patella and apex of femur IV. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figure 18. Heteropachylus crassicalcanei comb. nov. Male holotype MNRJ 5216. Right trochanter, femur and patella IV. A, dorsal view. B, ventral view. C, prolateral view. D, retrolateral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figure 25. Male genitalia of species of Heteropachylus. A, B, Heteropachylus ramphonotus sp. nov. holotype IBSP 994. A, dorsal view; B, lateral view. C, D, Heteropachylus inexpectabilis comb. nov. MNRJ. C, dorsal view; D, lateral view. E, F, Heteropachylus crassicalcanei comb. nov. MNRJ 5216. E, dorsal view; F, lateral view. G, H. Heteropachylus gracilis sp. nov. paratype IBSP 450. G, dorsal view; H, lateral view. I, J, Heteropachylus peracchii HEMS 665. I, dorsal view; J, lateral view. K, L, Heteropachylus spiniger lectotype SMF RI 798. K, dorsal view; L, lateral view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Figure 28. Geographical distribution of the species of Heteropachylus.