Metasarcus bolivianus Roewer, 1913

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

3.42. Metasarcus bolivianus Roewer, 1913

Figs 5C

Metasarcus bolivianus Roewer, 1913: 305 (desc.), fig.123 (female dorsal habitus, pedipalpus); Roewer 1923: 517 (rdesc.), fig. 647 (female dorsal habitus and pedipalpus); Soares and Soares 1949: 234 (cat.); Kury 1994: 349 (cit.); Kury 2003: 145 (cat.).

Chaconatus armatipalpus Roewer, 1929: 275 (key), 276 (desc.), fig. 43 (female lateral habitus, pedipalpus), fig. 43a (ocularium); Soares et al. 1992: 5 (cat.); Kury 2003: 145 (cat.), syn. n.

Metasarcus armatipalpus : Kury 1994: 349 (sist.); Kury 2003: 145 (cat.).

Redescription.

FEMALE: Measurements (n =2) DSW: 5.4-5.6 (5.4); DSL: 5.2 -5.5 (5.5); CL: 2.2 (2.2). FIVL: 11.2-12.7 (12.7). ChL: 2.0-2.3 (2.0). Coloration (according to Roewer, 1913): Body, chelicerae and pedipalpus yellow-brown, in dark tone. Black legs. Granules of areas I-II yellow. Dorsum. (Fig. 5C ) Gamma-type DSS, slightly concave with posterior margin of DS. Anterior margin of carapace with median elevation, covered with a few sparse granules. Ocularium medially depressed, unarmed. Carapace with few sparse granules. Areas I-IV with granules (in lower density on areas III-IV). Area I divided by a longitudinal groove. Areas I, II and III unarmed. Area III with a median pair of large spines, directed posteriorly located at granular elevations of integument. Lateral margins of dorsal scutum granular. Posterior margin of DS and free tergites I-II with a row of granules. Free tergite III with a median spiniform apophysis, longer than the length of this tergite, directed posteriorly, with sparse granules on its posterior margin. Chelicerae: (Fig. 5C ) Segment I covered with small granules in the bulla. Segment II, finger with three teeth. Segment III with four teeth. Pedipalpus : With granules irregularly distributed over the entire length, except tibia and tarsus. Trochanter with a ventroapical spine. Femur with a small ventroapical setiferous tubercle; a ventral row of four spines throughout its length; a proventral spine. Patella with a proventral spine. Tibia: prolateral iIIi, retrolateral iIii. Tarsus: prolateral IiI, retrolateral II. Venter: Coxae I-IV with sparse granules. Coxa I with a median row of 3-4 small setiferous tubercles. Genital area with few granules sparsely distributed. Free sternites with a row of small tubercles. Anal operculum smooth. Legs. (Fig. 5C ) Coxae I-II each one with a prolateral and a retrolateral apophysis. Coxa III unarmed. Coxa IV with few granules. Trochanters I-III smooth. Trochanter IV with one-two retroapical tubercles with wide base, rhombus. Femora I-III straight and unarmed, with small granules. Femur IV slightly curved and unarmed, with small granules. Tarsal segmentation: (n =2) 7, 14, 10, 11-12 (11). - MALE: unknown.

Diagnosis.

Very similar to females of Metasarcus fellinii sp. nov. because a long spiniform apophysis in tergite III (Fig. 5C ). Differs from M. fellinii sp. nov. because longer DS (DSL greater than 5); a sparser granulation in dorsal scutum (Fig. 5C ); longer legs (FIVL greater than 11) and coxa III unarmed (Fig. 5C ).

Remarks.

It is intriguing how Roewer described the same species from the Bolivian Chaco not only in different species and genera, but in different subfamilies ( M. bolivianus was placed in Mitobatinae and Chaconatus armatipalpus in Prostygninae ). As Kury (1994: p. 349) noted "There is no positive evidence for either of the assignments, furthermore both species are very closely related, if not the same." Possibly, this fact can be interpreted because of the Roewerian taxonomic system (see Introduction). Upon closer examination of the type material of both species and the observation of a great morphological similarity, it was possible to conclude that Kury’s suspicion was correct, and hence the synonymy made here.

Distribution.

BOLIVIA. Chaco.

Material examined.

Type material: Of M. bolivianus : Holotype ♀, ' BOLIVIA, Gran Chaco, whitout date and leg. (SMF 873). Of M. armatipalpus : Holotype ♀, ' BOLIVIA, Chaco | whitout date and leg. (SMF 1003/2) .

Figures

Figure 5. Habitus, dorsal of Metasarcus. A M. beni sp. nov., male; B M. bergmani sp. nov., male; C M. bolivianus Roewer, 1913, female; D M. clavifemur (Roewer, 1929), male; E M. fellinii sp. nov., male; F M. kurosawai sp. nov., male; G M. limachii sp. nov., male; H M. trispinosus sp. nov., male; I M. vacafloresae sp. nov., male; Legend bars = 1 mm.