Leptopsalis breyeri, Bartel & Dunlop & Giribet, 2023

Bartel, Christian, Dunlop, Jason A. & Giribet, Gonzalo, 2023, An unexpected diversity of Cyphophthalmi (Arachnida: Opiliones) in Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber, Zootaxa 5296 (3), pp. 421-445 : 427-428

Species Leptopsalis breyeri sp. nov.

Figs. 3–4

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BE9130E7-26A1-470C-A505-C94D70DDDAD6

Holotype. MB.A.4457, ex coll. Jörg Wunderlich, F 2636.

Type locality. Myanmar, Hukawng Valley; Burmese amber. Upper Cretaceous (Lower Cenomanian).

Etymology. Named after Horst Breyer (the grandfather of Christian Bartel), who celebrated his 100 th birthday in January 2023. This is a masculine patronym in the genitive.

Diagnosis. Large and oval body, subtriangular in profile at the anterior end. Conical ozophores in type 2 position. Eyes possibly present. Chelicerae rather small and ornamented on median segment. Pedipalps thin and unmodified. Legs robust and granular. Tarsus IV with a long and fringed adenostyle near the middle. Opisthosomal sternal sulci mostly straight and parallel. Spiracles C-shaped.

Description. Body, total L 4.68, maximum prosomal W behind ozophores 1.64, maximum opisthosomal W 1.80. Conical ozophores in type 2 position ( Fig. 3A, C ). L of ozophores 0.28, W at base 0.24, distance between base of ozophores 1.16. Possible eye lens present anterior to ozophores. Chelicerae relatively small and ornamented on median segment ( Fig. 3B, D ); basal segment L 0.51, median segment L 1.16; cheliceral fingers equivocal. Pedipalps thin, its tarsus sparsely covered with sensory setae; tarsus with a small claw on its tip; pedipalp length: fe 0.68, pa 0.32*, ti 0.40, ta 0.48. Legs robust, granular and with numerous setae on tarsus; tarsus IV bearing a relatively long and fringed adenostyle near the middle ( Fig. 4A ); leg tarsi not subdivided, bearing a single smooth claw; leg lengths: I tr 0.40, fe 1.28*, pa 0.44, ti 0.70, mt 0.32, ta 0.88*, total 4.02; II tr 0.48, fe 1.28, pa 0.44, ti 0.80, mt 0.36, ta 1.02, total 4.38; III tr 0.32, fe 1.00, pa 0.48, ti 0.80, mt 0.38, ta 0.72, total 3.70; IV tr 0.48, fe 1.20, pa 0.58, ti 0.82, mt 0.36, ta 1.12, total 4.56. Opisthosomal sternites completely granular. Sternites 2–3 fused to a subtriangular plate; sternites 4–8 free, their widths: 4, 2.06; 5, 1.87; 6, 1.69; 7, 1.44; 8, 1.13; 9, 0.81. Opisthosomal sternal sulci mostly straight and parallel. Gonostome equivocal. Spiracles C-shaped, maximum W 0.16. Anal plate rounded and unmodified, W 0.53, L 0.38 ( Fig. 4B ). Cuticle without conspicuous pits or depressions.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Leptopsalis breyeri sp. nov., male holotype (MB.A.4457). A. Whole specimen, dorsolateral view. B. Same, ventral view. C. Camera lucida drawing of A. D. Same of B. Abbreviations: ad, adenostyle; ap, anal plate; ch, chelicerae; fe, femur; mt, metatarsus; oz, ozophore; pa, patella; pp, pedipalp; ta, tarsus; ti, tibia; tr, trochanter; legs numbered from I–IV. Scale bars equal 1 mm.

FIGURE 4. Details of Leptopsalis breyeri sp. nov., male holotype (MB.A.4457).A. Close-up of tarsus IV. B. Close-up of ventral side of opisthosoma. Abbreviations: ad, adenostyle; ap, anal plate; sp, spiracle; leg IV numbered. Scale bars equal 0.5 mm.