Ayacucho insignitus (Roewer, 1956) Benedetti & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2022

Benedetti, Alipio Rezende & Pinto-da-Rocha, Ricardo, 2022, Systematic revision and total evidence phylogenetic analysis of the Andean family Metasarcidae Kury, 1994 (Opiliones: Laniatores), with description of two new genera and twenty new species, Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 80, pp. 309-388 : 309

3.14. Ayacucho insignitus (Roewer, 1956) comb. nov.

Figs 2D , 28

Cargaruaya insignita Roewer, 1956: 439 (desc.), figs. 11-12 (ocularium), 13 (female pedipalp). Kury 2003: 144 (cat.).

Redescription.

FEMALE: Measurements (n =1) DSW: 4.0; DWL: 4.5; CL: 1.5. FIVL: 4.2. ChL: 1.5. Coloration (in ethanol): Predominantly yellowish with dark spots at carapace, areas, lateral and posterior margin of the dorsal scutum and free tergites. Dorsum: (Fig. 7D ) Alpha-type DSS, with long and wide coda. Anterior margin with median elevation with granules sparsely distributed. Ocularium with a pair of large spines, with few scattered granules. Carapace with granules distributed on lateral and posterior regions. Areas I-IV with granules sparsely distributed, with a pair of small tubercles. Lateral margins of dorsal scutum with granules irregularly distributed throughout its length. Posterior margin of dorsal scutum and free tergite I with a row of tiny tubercles with base wider than its height, interspersed with small granules. Free tergites II-III with a row of acuminate tubercles, larger than those of tergite I and with smaller granules interspersed. DSS: alpha, with coda larger than mid-bulge. Chelicerae: (Fig. 7D ) Not swollen. Segment I densely granulate; segment II smooth; four teeth on finger. Segment III with four teeth. Pedipalpus : Small granules distributed on dorsal surface of femur. Trochanter with a ventroapical setiferous tubercle. Femur with a ventrobasal setiferous tubercle; a ventral row of six small setiferous tubercles, except at apex and base, smaller than the ventrobasal tubercle; one tall proapical tubercle. Tibia: prolateral IIi, retrolateral iIIii. Tarsus: prolateral II, retrolateral iIii. Venter: Coxa I with four tubercles. Coxae II-IV with granules sparsely distributed; with two small tubercles at the apical region between the coxae III-IV. Genital area smooth. Free sternites with a row of small granules. Anal operculum with granules sparsely distributed throughout its surface. Legs: (Fig. 7D ) Coxae I-III with a prolateral and one retrolateral apophyses; IV with few granules distributed throughout its surface; an apical spiniform apophysis. Trochanters I-IV with few granules; IV with a small blunt retroapical tubercle. Femora I-IV with granules throughout their length, without prominent tubercles. Patellae I-IV with sparse granulation. Tarsal segmentation: (n =1): 7, 12, 8, 8. - MALE: unknown.

Diagnosis.

It differs from females of Ayacucho uniseriatus comb. nov. and A. weyrauchi comb. nov. because it has one pair of median tubercles in areas I-IV; from A. inermis comb. nov., A. spiniger comb. nov. and A. querococha sp. nov. because it has sparser granulation on carapace, and it is larger than A. inermis comb. nov.; A. bambamarca comb. nov. and A. tapacocha nom. nov. because it has smaller tubercles present in the posterior margin of dorsal scutum and free tergite I-II; and A. roeweri nom. nov. because it does not present a huge median spine in free tergites I-II. (Fig. 7D ).

Remarks.

This species is known only by the female holotype, which ends up being a taxonomic problem, since it is not uncommon for females of Ayacucho , whose males are clearly morphologically distinct, to be very similar to each other. This similarity between the females justifies the not so much informative diagnosis (see above). Geographically, A. insignitus comb. nov. occurs near to three other species of the genus: A. inermis comb. nov., A. triarmatus nom. nov. and A. weyrauchi comb. nov. (Fig. 28 ). The female of A. triarmatus nom. nov. is unknown and the type locality of this species is closest to the type locality of A. insignitus comb. nov. It would be possible that A. insignitus comb. nov. was tentatively pointed as the female of A. triarmatus nom. nov., although the male of A. triarmatus nom. nov. has very minute armature in areas I-IV of the DS (compared to A. insignitus comb. nov.). Furthermore, A. insignitus comb. nov. has subtle differences in relation to females of A. inermis comb. nov. and A. weyrauchi comb. nov. Therefore, it is not possible to point out with sufficient certainty that A. insignitus comb. nov. is synonymous with one of these three species and, therefore, we prefer the more conservative option of keeping the species valid, until further evidence (e.g. collection of males from the type locality) can clarify this issue.

Distribution.

(Fig. 28 ) PERU. La Libertad. Hacienda Llaguén. Rejo Cargaruay forest.

Material examined.

Type material: Holotype ♀, ' PERU, La Libertad. Hacienda Llaguén, Rejo Cargaruay forest , 2,650m a.s.l., 14/XII/1952, Koepcke leg. (SMF RII 9706)

Figures

Figure 2. Habitus, dorsal of Ayacucho. A A. bambamarca (Roewer, 1957) comb. nov., male; B A. glauberrochai sp. nov., male; C A. inermis (Roewer, 1957) comb. nov., male; D A. insignitus (Roewer, 1956) comb. nov., female; E A. pasolinii sp. nov., male; F A. pomacocha sp. nov., male; G A. querococha sp. nov., male; H A. roeweri nom. nov., female; I A. silvae sp. nov., male; Legend bars = 1 mm.

Figure 7. Male trochanter-tibia IV of Ayacucho, dorsal and ventral view, respectively. A - B A. bambamarca (Roewer, 1957) comb. nov.; C - D A. glauberrochai sp. nov.; E - F A. inermis (Roewer, 1957) comb. nov.; G - H A. pasolinii sp. nov.; I - J A. pomacocha sp. nov.; K - L A. querococha sp. nov.; M - N A. silvae sp. nov.; O - P A. spielbergi sp. nov.; Q - R A. spiniger (Roewer, 1957) comb. nov.; S - T: A. tapacocha nom. nov.; U - V A. titschacki Roewer, 1949; W - X: A. triarmatus nom. nov.; Legend bars = 1 mm.

Figure 28. Distribution of Ayacucho spp. in Peru