Waigeucola palpalis Roewer, 1949

Pérez-González, Abel, 2011, New familial assignment for two harvestmen species of the infraorder Grassatores (Arachnida: Opiliones: Laniatores), Zootaxa 2757, pp. 24-28 : 26

Waigeucola palpalis Roewer, 1949

( Figs 2 a–e)

Waigeucola palpalis Roewer, 1949: 59 , figs 115 a–h. [ Phalangodidae : Samoinae]

Types: SMF 9908683 (ex RII/8683/6), one male holotype and one male paratype (examined).

Type locality: Indonesia: Waigeo Island (“ Insel Waigeu” in the original label).

Justification of the new familial assignment: Waigeucola Roewer, 1949 , is a monotypic genus originally described in Phalangodidae : Samoinae ( Roewer 1949). The type species is Waigeucola palpalis by original designation. This species is hereby considered as a member of Podoctidae because it possesses the male genitalia typical of the family ( Figs 1 c–e) with the ventral plate deeply cleft and a well developed follis. Also, the tubercular bridge in the carapace (also called “ocular bridge” in Kury & Machado 2009) exhibited by this species ( Fig. 1 a–b) is considered a possible synapomorphy of Podoctidae (Kury 2007) . No evidence was found for placing this species in another existing podoctid genus, therefore it is transferred to this family with its original valid genus.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Phalangodinus analis Roewer, 1949, male holotype; (a) dorsal habitus; (b) leg IV, prolateral view; (c – e) distal part of penis: (c) dorsal view, (d) lateral view, (e) ventral view. Abbreviations: A 1 – 4, Mesotergal areas 1 to 4; Fe, femur; Mt, metatarsus; Pa, patella; Pe, pergula; Ru, rutrum; S 1 – 4, sulci 1 to 4; Ti, tibia. Stragulum in dark grey; capsula interna in medium lighter grey. Scale bars: a, 1 mm; b, 0.5 mm; c – e, 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Waigeucola palpalis Roewer, 1949, male holotype; (a) detail of lateral carapace; (b) lateral habitus; (c – e) distal part of penis: (c) dorsal view, (d) lateral view, (e) ventral view. Abbreviations: Fo, follis; TB, tubercular bridge; VP, ventral plate. Scale bars: c – e, 0.1 mm.