Jime praecursor, Villarreal & Kury & Colmenares, 2021

Villarreal, Osvaldo, Kury, Adriano B. & Colmenares, Pío A., 2021, Contributions to the taxonomy of some Amazonian Stygnidae (Opiliones Laniatores: Gonyleptoidea), Zootaxa 4984 (1), pp. 218-227 : 220-223

Jime praecursor spec. nov.

Figs 1–4

Type material. VENEZUELA: Amazonas: holotype ♂ ( AMNH _ IZC 00357001 ), Tobogán de la Selva Touristic Campsite, 5°23’9.53”N, 67°36’51.91”W, 154 m a.s.l., E. Infante, P. Colmenares leg. 18.2.2020 . Paratypes: 1 ♀ ( AMNH _ IZC 00357002 ), with same data as for the holotype.

Other material examined. VENEZUELA: Amazonas: 1 ♂ ( MHNLS *), Tobogán de la Selva, 5°23’27.24”N, 67°37’10.20”W [ca. 102 m a.s.l.], A. Pérez, A. Giupponi, O. Villarreal leg. 23.12.2004.

Etymology. Species name is a noun in apposition, the Latin praecursor (a forerunner, advanced guard, vanguard) as a tribute to the German arachnologist Jochen Martens, who is a steady guiding light in the modern study of harvestmen.

Diagnosis. It can be easily distinguished from the only other known species of the genus due to the shape and ornamentation of the legs IV of the males ( Figs 2E–F, H ): femur curved, with rows of large retrolateral and ventral tubercles vs. femur straight, and barely ornamented with small granules ( J. chifrudo ); patella slightly wider than tibia vs. patella more than twice the width of tibia ( J. chifrudo ); and the cephalothorax ornamentation ( Figs 1A–B, D, F–G ; 2A–B ): with a low mound finishing in a short spine, less than or equal to the spines in area III vs. a high mound finishing in a long spine, larger than the spines in area III ( J. chifrudo ). Penis ( Figs 3A–F ) with three pairs of MS-A distributed along the malleus vs. only two pairs of MS-A located close to each other in the medial part of the malleus ( J. chifrudo ); MS-C short and conical vs long and digitiform ( J. chifrudo ).

Description. Male (holotype). Measurements: Dorsal scutum length 2.31; dorsal scutum width 1.72; interocular distance 1.21; pedipalp: coxa 0.61, trochanter 0.44, femur 2.14, patella 1.28, tibia 1.02, tarsus 0.84, total 6.33; leg IV: femur 2.62, patella 0.68, tibia 1.68, metatarsus 2.98, total 7.96.

Dorsum ( Figs 1A–B, D–G ). Dorsal scutum of Iota type. Anterior margin of DS smooth, with a low anterior eminence. Interocular region with a central rounded monticule. Eye mounds smooth, located near the lateral margins. Lateral margin smooth. Area I divided, with two granules on each side; II mostly smooth, with one granule on each side; III–IV fused, with about 7–8 small tubercles on each side, one pair of paramedian subparallel spines, and one posterior pair of conspicuous tubercles. Posterior margin with a row of granules. Free tergites with a row of medium granules each.

Venter ( Fig. 1C ). Coxa I with two prominent rows of setiferous tubercles; II, with two rows of setiferous tubercles; III with two rows of setiferous tubercles and some scattered tubercles; IV with scattered setiferous tubercles and granules, 2–3 apical tubercles and 5–6 prolateral tubercles. Genital operculum with scattered granules. Free sternites with a row of granules.

Chelicerae ( Fig. 1K ). Segments I with well-defined bulla, which bears distally one ectal and one mesal setiferous tubercles, as well as four posterodorsal tubercles; II swollen, with only one anterior tubercle and a granule next to it; fixed finger with three small distal teeth, the basalmost being wider and lower; mobile finger with three basal teeth.

Pedipalps ( Figs 1F–I ; 2C–D ). Coxa dorsally with two basal tubercles, and two large ventral tubercles. Trochanter dorsally with two small basal tubercles, one dorsomedial tubercle, and two ventral tubercles placed longitudinally. Femur and patella smooth. Tibia dorsally smooth; tibia mesal IIiIi, ectal IIIiIi. Tarsus dorsally smooth; tarsus mesal IiIii, ectal Iiii.

Legs ( Figs 3E–I ). Coxae I with two dorsal tubercles; II–III with one anterior tubercle; IV with scattered small tubercles. Trochanter I with one dorsal and two ventral tubercles; II with two dorsal, two ventral tubercles, of which the distal is larger, and sparse granules; III dorsally smooth, with some prolateral granules and two ventral tubercles; IV with one dorsoapical high tubercle and 2–3 smaller tubercles, 4–5 small ventral tubercles and a retrolateral apical tubercle. Femora I–II almost smooth, with rows of barely perceptible granules; III with a retroventral, a proventral and a retrolateral rows of small tubercles, one retrodorsal and one prodorsal slightly more noticeable apical tubercles; IV slightly s-shaped, increasing in thickness distally, with a dorsal, a prodorsal, a retrodorsal and a retrolateral rows of tubercles of relatively equal size, a ventral, a proventral and a retrovental rows of tubercles increasing in size distally, one prodorsal apical tubercle. Patella I–III almost entirely smooth, with sparse minute granules; IV with sparse dorsal tubercles, ventrally with scattered rows of small tubercles and three conspicuous retroapical tubercles. Tibia I–II smooth; III with rows of minute granules, retroventral and proventral row of small tubercles; IV with rows of minute setiferous tubercles. Metatarsi I–IV smooth. Basitarsi I–IV smooth, not swollen. Tarsal process reduced. Claws subparallel, pectinated. Legs III–IV without tarsal scopula. Tarsal counts: 6(3)/12(3)/6/7.

Penis ( Figs 3D–F ). LP trapezoidal, with the distal border straight, and the lateral sides subparallel, with the “neck” or basal constriction long and not very conspicuous; without ventral crack. Stylus fine and curved, without dorsal process, and glans conspicuously swollen. MS-A1–2 large and digitiform, positioned around the malleus; MS-C1–2 short, straight and conical, in subdistal position; MS-D1 short, slightly to MS-C, MS-D2 slightly curve, large and digitiform, similar to MS-A.

Coloration. Lateral posterior borders of DS and lateral portion of mesotergal areas Dark olive brown (96), medial region of the areas, remaining abdominal scutum and chelicerae Deep orange yellow (69); carapace reticulated Strong yellowish brown (74) on Strong orange yellow (68); coxae of the legs dorsally Strong yellowish brown (74) and ventrally reticulated Strong yellowish brown on Brilliant yellow (83) background; trochanters dorsally, femur and patella of the pedipalps Brilliant yellow (83); tibia of the pedipalps Strong yellowish brown (74) and tarsus of the pedipalps Brilliant yellow (83); legs I-III proximally Light olive brown (95) and distally Dark olive brown (96); femur, patella and tibia IV mainly Deep orange (51).

Female (paratype). Dorsal scutum length = 2.41; dorsal scutum width = 1.78; interocular distance = 1.24; pedipalp: coxa = 0.56, trochanter = 0.44, femur = 2.16, patella = 1.43, tibia = 1.18, tarsus = 0.9, total = 6.67; leg IV: femur = 2.57, patella = 0.73, tibia = 1.5, metatarsus = 3.01, total = 7.81. Similar to male, with slightly smaller chelicerae, and legs mostly smooth. Pedipalpal tibia mesal IIiIi, ectal IIiIi; tarsus mesal IiIii, ectal Iiii.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality.

Natural history. The specimens collected in 2020 where found inside the standing roots of a fallen three at the margin of a creek, underneath a thick layer of highly compacted leaf litter and organic matter. Both male and female were found within centimeters of each other.

Figures

FIGURES 1A–K. Jime praecursor spec. nov., holotype male: A–E Habitus (A dorsal, B lateral, C ventral, D frontal, E posterior). F–G Panoramic views (F lateral, dorsal). H–I Tibia and tarsus of right pedipalp (H ectal, I mesal). J Tarsus IV, dorsolateral. K Chelicera, frontal.

FIGURES 2A–G. Jime praecursor spec. nov., ♂(MHNLS):A–B Habitus (A dorsal, B lateral). C–D Right pedipalp (C ectal, D mesal [tibia and tarsus]). E–I Leg IV (E prolateral; F, H dorsal; G, I ventral).

FIGURES 3A–L. Apical portion of the penis, showing the penial chaetotaxy in Jime (A–F), Stygnoplus (G–I) and Yapacana (J–L): A–C J. praecursor spec. nov. (holotype). D–F J. chifrudo (adapted from Pinto-da-Rocha & Tourinho 2012). G–I S. lomion (adapted from Villarreal-M & Rodríguez 2004). J–K Y. tibialis (adapted from Pinto-da-Rocha 1997). L Y. neblina (adapted from Pinto-da-Rocha & Tourinho 2012). MS—macrosteae.

FIGURE 4. Map, showing the distribution of the genera Jime, Stygnoplus and Yapacana.