Cyphophthalmi, Simon, 1879

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 : 439

Cyphophthalmi gen. sp.

Fig. 14

Material. Specimen F2493, ex coll. Jörg Wunderlich; Myanmar, Hukawng Valley; Burmese amber, Upper Cretaceous (Lower Cenomanian).

Remarks. Specimen F2493 ( Fig. 14A–B ) is another male as it bears a prominent adenostyle on tarsus IV. Due to its poor preservation it is not possible to describe this specimen. Nevertheless, one of its tarsi IV is complete and bears a lamelliform adenostyle ( Fig. 14B ) which is not typical for modern members of the family Stylocellidae but is present in some of the species described here. This type of adenostyle also excludes Ogoveidae . It can be found in the families Sironidae , Pettalidae , Troglosironidae and in a few neogoveids. However, the families Troglosironidae and Neogoveidae can be excluded for this fossil as the claw on its leg II is smooth. Therefore we assume that the affinities of this specimen lie with the families Sironidae , Pettalidae or with an extinct lineage of Stylocellidae , seen e.g. in Sirocellus iunctus gen. et sp. nov. The specimen is illustrated here for the sake of completeness.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Cyphophthalmi gen. sp., male specimen F2493. A. Whole body, ventral view. B. Close-up of tarsus IV. Abbreviations: ad, adenostyle; cl, claw of tarsus IV; legs numbered from I–IV. Scale bars equal 1mm (A) and 0.5 mm (B).