Phalangodus kuryi, Villarreal & García, 2016

Villarreal, Osvaldo & García, Andrés F., 2016, Unveiling the diversity of Phalangodus Gervais, 1842 (Opiliones: Cranaidae): descriptions of four new species from Colombia, European Journal of Taxonomy 242, pp. 1-41 : 25-30

Phalangodus kuryi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F98EE1A8-FBF4-4E2B-B701-7616C6821594

Figs 13–15 , 18 ; Tables 7–8

Diagnosis

Phalangodus kuryi sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other species of the genus by the very low ocularium and paramedian paired small tubercles of area III ( Figs 13 a–b, 14a–b); ventroproximal group of tubercles of pedipalpal femora not enlarged ( Fig. 14c, g ). Femur IV unarmed ( Fig. 14d ); penis ventral plate thin in lateral view ( Fig. 15e ); MS A–D of the penis ventral plate grouped in one distal group ( Fig 15 a–c, e). Penis stylus curved ( Figs 15c ). Heteromorphism in males ( Fig. 14c, g ), evident by different sizes (length and height) of pedipalpal femora.

Etymology

The species is named after the Brazilian arachnologist Adriano B. Kury, advisor and friend, who immensely contributes to the knowledge of Opiliones worldwide.

Type material

Holotype

COLOMBIA: ♂ ( ICN AO 1436 ), Magdalena, Santa Marta, village of Minca, sector San Lorenzo , 2200 m, 30 Aug. 2014, W. Galvis and J. Moreno leg.

Paratypes

COLOMBIA: 1 ♂, 6 ♀♀ ( ICN AO 1436.1), same data as holotype; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, 1 juvenile ( FMNH AK 229), Magdalena, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Inderena Station in Cerro San Lorenzo, under stones, 1700–2200 m, 9–12 Jul. 1970, B. Malkin and P. Burchard leg.

Description

Male (ICN AO 1436)

Measurements of body and appendage in Table 7.

DORSUM. Dorsal scutum type alpha ( Fig. 13a ). Abdominal scutum widest at scutal groove II; lateral borders of dorsal scutum smooth. Carapace mostly smooth, with a group of granules on the anterolateral region. Ocularium unarmed, very low, without median depression. Integumentary dome of ozopore raised and conspicuous. Abdominal scutum well delimited, divided into four marked areas: scutal area I divided into left and right halves by invasion of the scutal area II; scutal areas I–II each with two pair of granules; scutal area III with a paramedian pair of low tubercles ( Fig. 13 a–b). Posterior border of scutum straight and unarmed, with a row of four minute tubercles on a row ( Figs 13a , 14a ). Free tergites I–III with few granules.

VENTER. Stigmatic area with two pairs of paramedian granules. Stigmata large, oval and slightly oblique. Coxa I densely covered with irregular rows of tubercles; coxa II longer than coxae I and III, with three rows of small tubercles, the median ones more conspicuous; coxa III with a curved median row of granules and distal minute tubercles sparsely distributed,with the posterior border sigmoid; coxa IV

strongly backward, with sparsely distributed granules, the lateral larger. Free sternites each with a row of small granules.

CHELICERA ( Fig. 13a ). Basichelicerite very swollen, bulla with sparsely distributed dorsal tubercles. Hand slightly enlarged, its frontal region covered by tubercles of different sizes. Fixed finger with a proximal minute tooth, three median teeth decreasing in size distally and one subdistal laminar tooth. Movable finger with a proximal wide and low tooth, a small gap and three teeth (the proximal one rounded and the two distal forming a lamella).

PEDIPALPUS ( Fig. 14c ). Trochanter with two tubercles on a dorsal protuberance, ventrally with two fused median tubercles and two ventrolateral tubercles. Femur strongly inflated, dorsally curved and ventrally straight in lateral view, with a dorsoproximal row of forward curved tubercles, ventrally with a proximal group of three small tubercles in a common base and two ventral rows of tubercles, ectal largest. Patella short (ratio FePp/PaPp = 2.0), subsquare in dorsal view, smooth. Tibia inflated, dorsally smooth; tibial setation: ectal (iiIi) (3> 1> 4> 2) (the two last one St share a common base), with a row of proximal tubercles and mesal (IiIi) (3> 1> 4> 2), with some ventral granules. Tarsus inflated, dorsally smooth, ectally with four distally shifted St (IiIi) (3> 1> 2> 4); mesally with three St (iii) (1> 2> 3) (teratological condition in the right side with a group of five small St). All spines of St reduced. Claw substraight, not swollen, its length approximately the same as tarsus.

LEGS. Coxa I with one prolateral and one retrolateral tubercles; II with two prolateral, two dorsal and three retrolateral tubercles; III with one prolateral and one retrolateral tubercles; IV with few lateral tubercles and a prolateral group of conical granules. Trochanters I–IV finely granulate; trochanter I with one large mesoventral tubercle and few retrolateral tubercles; trochanter II ditto, with a group of prolateral distal tubercles; trochanter III with tubercles irregularly distributed, the retrolateral one largest; trochanter IV slightly widened at base, irregularly tuberculate. Femur I slightly curved, femora II–IV straight; femora I–IV with longitudinal rows of small granules ( Fig. 14d ). Patellae I–IV unarmed; the III–IV slightly swollen. Tibia I–IV unarmed, straight ( Fig. 14d ). Metatarsus IV without clear ringed marks on the subdistal portion. Claws III–IV smooth. Ratio Fe IV/scutum = 1.14. Tarsal counts in Table 8.

GENITALIA. Ventral plate sub trapezoidal with subdistal constriction and distal parabolic concavity., Ventral surface of VP with two elongated fields of small and needle-like microsetae with a longitudinal medial well marked elevation ( Fig. 15 a–b). MS forming a single group distally positioned (A/D), composed by 12–13 pairs of acuminate and cylindrical setae ( Fig. 15 a–c, e). Two pairs of very small MS E close together in the distal region of the flange ( Fig. 15b ). Glans sac columnar elongate, with numerous proximal folders ( Fig. 15a, e ) Stylus curved, without processes ( Fig. 15c ). Stylar caps ringshaped without lateral or ventral projections ( Fig. 15d ).

COLORATION (in alcohol). Carapace with two paramedian areas of homogenous color paprika 38, three longitudinal stripes and posterior area reticulated squash yellow 83. Abdominal scutal areas reticulated between squash yellow 83 and pastel yellow 84. Paramedian tubercles of scutal area III, free tergites, anal operculum and coxae I– –IV venetian red 41. Chelicerae and pedipalps reticulated dark wine 44 on light amber 71.

Female (ICN AO 1436.1)

Similar to males, differing by: carapace shorter and lower, with ocularium and spines higher in lateral view ( Fig. 14b, e ); coda wider and longer; chelicerae smaller; pedipalpal femur, patella and tibia thinner; femur IV curved and slightly thinner. Sexual dimorphism evident in alpha males with pedipalpal femora much thicker than female ( Fig. 14c , f–g).

Ovipositor. dl and vl rounded with three and two large, acuminated, single-tippedsetae respectively. Dl with three pairs of ds without the basal located pair. and the lateral region of the ovipositor with a pair of short dorso-lateral setae.

Distribution

Known only from surroundings of Minca, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta ( Fig. 18 ).

Figures

Fig. 13. Phalangodus kuryi sp. nov. a-b. Holotype, ♂ (ICN-AO-1436). a. Habitus, dorsal view. b. Habitus, lateral view. c. Paratype, ♀ (ICN-AO-1436.1), habitus, lateral view. Scale bars = 5 mm.

Fig. 14. Phalangodus kuryi sp. nov. a–d. Holotype, ♂ (ICN-AO-1436). e–f. Paratype, ♀ (ICN- AO-1436.1). g. Paratype, ♂ (ICN-AO-1436.1). a. Habitus, dorsal view. b. Dorsal scutum, lateral view. c. Pedipalpal femur, ectal view. d. Right leg IV: femur, patela and tibia, dorsal view. e. Dorsal scutum, lateral view. f. Pedipalpal femur, ectal view. g. Pedipalpal femur, ectal view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 15. Phalangodus kuryi sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (ICN-AO-1436). Penis, distal portion. a. Dorsodistal view. b. Ventral view. c. Detail of MS, lateral view. d. Stylar caps, ventral view. e. Lateral view. Abbreviations: MS = macrosetae.

Fig. 18. Map of geographical records of Phalangodus spp. in Colombia (diamond with interrupted line corresponds to Boca del Monte record).