Libitia cordata ( Gervais, 1844 )

Medrano, Miguel, Ázara, Ludson Neves de & Kury, Adriano Brilhante, 2020, The short-legged Andean cosmetids revisited: the genus Libitia Simon, 1879 with description of two new species (Opiliones, Cosmetidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 634, pp. 1-25 : 10-13

Libitia cordata ( Gervais, 1844)

Figs 5–8 , 14

Cosmetus cordatus Gervais, 1844: 117 , pl. 46, fig. 9 [“Cosmète coeur”].

Libitia cordata – Butler 1873: 115. — Simon 1879: 216. — Roewer 1912: 12; 1923: 293. — Mello- Leitão 1923: 108; 1932: 53; 1933: 109.

Libitia (Libitia) cordata – Sørensen in Henriksen 1932: 419.

non “Phalangium fusco-ferrugineum” – Olivier 1792: 125 [unavailable name].

Diagnosis

Can be separated from all the other species of the genus in having a heart-shape blot in areas I and II, without invading the carapace ( Fig. 5 A–B).

Etymology

The name is derived from the Latin adjective ‘ cordatus ’, meaning ‘heart shaped’.

Material examined

Holotype

COLOMBIA • ♀; without further locality data; MNHN.

Other material

COLOMBIA – Cundinamarca Department • 3 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀; Bogotá, Usme, Parque Entrenubes, Cerro Juan Rey ; 4.521586° N, 74.097580° W; 2700 m a.s.l.; 23–25 May 2003; L. Benavides leg.; ICN-AO 421

• 15 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; Vía la Virgen de la Peña ; 4.577788° N, 74.057366° W; 2700 m a.s.l.; 12 May 2012; M. Medrano and A. García leg.; ICN-AO 1040 .

Doubtful/unconfirmed records

“ Venezuela ”, Páramo “Boydla”, road to “Choact” [not located, probably Colombia, between Bogotá and Choachí] (Sørensen in Henriksen 1932). Guyana, Brazil ( Simon 1879; Roewer 1912, 1923). Ecuador, Chimborazo, Simbabe ( Roewer 1923)

Remarks

Olivier’s species is not an available name according to ICZN because the paper it was described in is not consistent with binominal nomenclature.

Redescription

Male (ICN-AO 1040)

MEASUREMENTS. CL = 1.6, AL = 2.7, CW = 2.5, AW = 3.4, IOD = 0.6, Fe I = 1.8, Ti I = 1.3, Fe II = 3, Ti II = 2, Fe III = 2.5, Ti III = 1.6, Fe IV = 2.8, Ti IV = 2.1.

DORSUM ( Figs 5–6 ). Dorsal scutum alpha-type, areas I–III, anterior and posterior margin of scutum, and lateral margins with granules. Free tergites with rows of granules and anal operculum finely granular. Posterior margin of dorsal scutum convex. Large white-yellowish blot invading entirely areas I and II and invading medially area III.

VENTER. Free sternites finely granular; coxae II–IV finely and uniformly granular; coxa I with longitudinal row of tubercles and smooth area corresponding to lace area of pedipalp. Anal operculum finely granular.

CHELICERAE ( Fig. 7 F–G). Basichelicerite finely and uniformly granular without notable tubercles, ectodistal small setiferous protuberance; movable finger with row of nine sharp teeth; fixed finger with six triangular teeth, decreasing in size from distal to basal part of finger.

PEDIPALPS ( Fig. 7 D–E). Trochanter with strong ventral apophysis. Femur dorsally convex without pronounced dorsal keel or tubercles, with ventral row of three well-formed setiferous tubercles and a mesodistal process. Patella with mesal keel. Shallow slit along tibia mesal surface, separating dorsal and ventral sides.

LEGS ( Figs 5 , 7 A–C). Coxa IV granulated with distal prodorsal small apophysis. Coxa IV granulated. Femur IV substraight, with two longitudinal ventral rows of small tubercles along entire length. Tarsal counts: 5(3)/6(3)/5/5.

COLOR ( Fig. 5 ). Body background Brilliant Orange Yellow (67) mottled in Dark Yellowish Brown (78) and Brownish Black (65) for margins of dorsal scutum and appendages, ladder mask Pale Greenish Yellow (104). Pedipalpus as well as trochanters and tarsomeres of legs Light Greenish Yellow (101).

Female (ICN-AO 1040)

Measurements. CL = 1.7, AL = 3.1, CW = 2.6, AW = 3.4, IOD = 0.6, Fe I = 1.6, Ti I = 1.3, Fe II = 2.6, Ti II = 1.9, Fe III = 2.6, Ti III = 1.5, Fe IV = 2.9, Ti IV = 2.4. Dorsal scutum longer than in males, with coda wider. Basitarsomeres I, III and IV not enlarged. Tarsal counts: 5(3)/6(3)/5/5.

Variation ( Fig. 6 )

Pattern of yellow spots varying from a complete spot in form of a heart, to a dissociated version of the spot in the middle of areas I and II. In some cases, small spots are present in posterior margin of cephalothorax.

Figures

Fig. 5. Libitia cordata (Gervais, 1844), ♂ (ICN-AO 1040), habitus. A. Dorsal view. B. Dorsal view, panoramic. C. Frontal view. D. Lateral right view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 6. Libitia cordata (Gervais, 1844), variation of spot pattern on dorsal scutum. A–D. ♂♂. A. ICN-AO 1040. B. ICN-AO 421. C. ICN-AO 1040. D. ICN-AO 1040. E–H. ♀♀. E–F. ICN-AO 421. G–H. ICN-AO 1040. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 7. Libitia cordata (Gervais, 1844), ♂ (ICN-AO 1040). A–C. Left femur IV, dorsal, prolateral and ventral view, respectively. D–E. Right pedipalp, ventral and dorsal view, respectively. F–G. Left chelicera, dorsal and frontal view, respectivelly. Scale bars: A–C = 1 mm, D–E = 500 μm; F–G = 200 μm.

Fig. 8. Libitia cordata (Gervais, 1844), ♂ (ICN-AO 1040), distal part of penis. A. Left lateral view. B. Dorsal view. C. Stylus. D. Lateral portion of ventral plate, microsetae. E. Ventral view. Scale bars: A, E = 50 μm; B = 100 μm; C = 20 μm; D = 10 μm.

Fig. 14. Central Colombia, showing the distribution of species of Libitia Simon, 1879 (inset: NW South- America, for context). Highlighted Colombian departments are from north to south: Boyacá (red), Cundinamarca (orange) and Meta (yellow).