Stenochrus portoricensis Chamberlin, 1922

Villarreal, Osvaldo, Sánchez, Nestor, Ascenção, Antonio de, Carvalho, Leonardo S., Delgado-Santa, Leonardo & Moreno-González, Jairo A., 2023, The alien species Stenochrus portoricensis (Schizomida: Hubbardiidae): decreasing the Wallacean shortfall in the New World, Iheringia, Série Zoologia (e 2023005) 113, pp. 1-9 : 2-4

Stenochrus portoricensis Chamberlin, 1922

( Figs 1–34)

Stenochrus portoricensis – MONJARAZ-RUEDAS et al., 2019:69, figs 10C, 20B; TERUEL & QUESTEL, 2019:3, figs 1, 2; LAUTERBACH et al., 2020:51, figs 1A-E; MONJARAZ-RUEDAS et al., 2020:16; TERUEL & HERNÁNDEZ-BARROTO, 2020:2, figs 2, 3; HERNÁNDEZ-BORROTO et al., 2021:fig. 2; KRAJČOVIČOVÁ et al., 2021:69, figs 1, 3; MONJARAZ-RUEDAS et al., 2022:2.

Distribution. NORTHAMERICA: Bermuda, Mexico, and the USA (Florida). THEANTILLES: Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthélemy, and Virgin Islands. CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica (new country record), Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. SOUTHAMERICA: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador (Galapagos Islands and mainland: Guayaquil), and Venezuela (new country record). EUROPE: Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Spain (Canary Islands and mainland: Sevilla).

Material examined. COSTA RICA, Guanacaste: ♀ (11°03’15.7”N 85°21’27.2”W, 344 masl, collected on bromiliad on tree, between 1 and 3 meters), 15.vii.2017, R. Pierre leg. (CIUQ-020368) (new country record). VENEZUELA, Mérida : 4♀, Sucre , Lagunillas (Laguna de Urao Natural Monument, Yohama Park , 08°30’15.70”N 71°23’45,87”W, 1039 masl, under a dry trunk at the edge of a channel of water runoff towards the Laguna de Urao ), 31.x.2012, N. Sánchez leg. (CAULA-SCH-0011) (new country record). COLOMBIA, Santander (new record) : 2♀, Girón (07°04’14.86”N 73°10’23.11”W, 848 masl, collected in a human settlement), 10.xii.2012, S. GarcÍa leg. (ICN-Sc); Valle del Cauca : 2♀, 1 juv., Buga (El VÍnculo Natural Regional Park , 03°50’4.3”N 76°17’54.8”W, 1022 masl, collected in a dry tropical forest edge), 16.v.2010, J.A. Moreno leg. (ICN-Sc) (new record) ; ♀, Buga (El VÍnculo Natural Regional Park , 03°50’4.3”N 76°17’54.8”W, 1022 masl, collected in a dry tropical forest edge), 12.i.2010, J.A. Moreno leg. (ICN-Sc) (new record) ; ♀, 1 juv., Buga (El VÍnculo Natural Regional Park , 03°50’4.3”N 76°17’54.8”W, 1022 masl, collected in a dry tropical forest edge), 16.v.2010, J. A. Moreno leg. (ICN-Sc) (new record) ; ♀, Buga (El VÍnculo Natural Regional Park , 03°50’4.3”N 76°17’54.8”W, 1022 masl, collected in a dry tropical forest edge), 16.v.2010, J. A. Moreno leg. (MUSENUV 24629) (new record) ; ♀, Buga (El VÍnculo Natural Regional Park , 03°50’4.3”N 76°17’54.8”W, 1022 masl, collected in a dry tropical forest edge), 16.v.2010, J. A. Moreno, leg. (MUSENUV 24627) (new record) ; ♀, Buga (El VÍnculo Natural Regional Park , 03°50’4.3”N 76°17’54.8”W, 1022 masl,collected in a dry tropical forest edge), 16.v.2010, J. A. Moreno leg. (MUSENUV 24630) (new record) ; 2♀, 4 juvs, Dagua , ( El Naranjo , 03°46’45.47”N 76°43’15.69”W, 500 masl, collected in an anthropized forest, under rocks), 10.v.2012, J. A. Moreno leg. (ICN-Sc) (new record) ; ♀, Cerrito (El Hatico Farm, 03°38’34.48”N 76°19’40.52”W, 980 masl, collected in an anthropized dry tropical forest), 15.xii.2005, J. Cabra-GarcÍa leg. (MUSENUV 24631) (new record); 1 juv, Cerrito, ( El Hatico Farm , 03°38’34.48”N 76°19’40.52”W, 980 masl, collected in an anthropized dry tropical forest), 9.i.2009, C. Bermúdez leg. (ICN-Sc) (new record). BRAZIL, Pará : 6♀, Marabá (1º Grupo de Artilharia de Campanha de Selva, Regimento Floriano , 05°21’34.2”S 49°03’28.4”W, 118 masl, secondary terra firme forest), 10.x.2016, L. S. Carvalho leg. (CHNUFPI 2147) (new record) ; 3♀, 2 juvs, 11.x.2016, same locality and collector (CHNUFPI 2512) ; 6♀, 10.x.2016, same collector ( UFMG 20291 ) ; ♀, same locality and collector ( UFMG 21475 ) ; 3♀, 11.x.2016, same locality and collector ( UFMG 21476 ); Pernambuco : ♂, ♀, Camaragibe, Road to Aldeia dos Camarás, Km 08, 07°59’8”S, 34°58’37”W, 105 masl, 7.xii.2014, P. Grossi leg. (CHNUFPI 4071) and 1 ♀ (CHNUFPI 4072) (new record); 8♀, SÃo Vicente Ferrer , near road PE 089, 07°37’14.2”S, 35°27’47.3”W, 389 masl, secondary forest and banana plantation, 28.v.2015, L.S. Carvalho leg. (CHNUFPI 1640) (new record); Minas Gerais ; 5♀, 2 juvs, Matozinhos, MineraçÃo Belocal LTDA, Cave BM 157, 19° 32’12.36”S, 44°05’55.44”W, 878 masl, 17–21/IV/2020, F. O. Borges leg.( ISLA 82136) (new record); Rio de Janeiro : 2♀, 2 juvs, Paraty, Paraty Mirim,Trilha do Saco do Mamanguá , 23°15’48.41”S, 44°36’53.18’”W, 360 masl, 11.ii.2020, M. Pessoa-Silva & M.Teixeira leg.( IBSP 196 ) (new record) ; ♀, 4 juvs, Rio das Ostras, Reserva Biológica UniÃo, Estrada BuracÃo , 22°25’52.52”S, 42°02’1.05”W, 47 masl, 5.ii.2020, M. Pessoa-Silva & M.Teixeira leg. ( IBSP 195 ) (new record) ; ♀, Reserva Biológica UniÃo ( Estrada Três Pontes ), 6.ii.2020, M. Pessoa-Silva & M. Teixeira leg. ( IBSP 195 ) and ♀ ( IBSP 200 ) (new record) ; 2♀, Rio de Janeiro, Monumento Natural dos Morros do PÃo de Açúcar, Trilha da Urca , 22°57’9.11”S, 43°09’38.51”W, 2 amsl, 7.ii.2020, M. Pessoa-Silva & M. Teixeira leg. ( IBSP 194 ) ; 2♀, Parque Nacional da Tijuca , 22°57’2.77”S, 43°17’9.92”W, 616 masl, E. S. S. Álvares leg. ( UFMG 8838 ) (new record) .

Additional material tentatively identified as S. portoricensis . BRAZIL, Bahia: 2 juv., Salvador, Parque Metropolitano de Pituaçu , 12°57’40.95”S, 38°25’19.08”W, 6 masl, 27.iii.2012, M. Martha and M. Peres leg. ( IBSP 91 , 92 ) .

Remarks. The external morphology and genitalia did not differ from other populations of S. portoricensis from other countries ( Figs 1, 2). Spermathecae from 14 localities were dissected, prepared and studied ( Figs 11-24), but no relevant differences were found. The internal lobes in the Colombian populations from Dagua ( Fig. 15) and El VÍnculo ( Fig. 14) and the Costa Rican specimen from Santa CecÍlia ( Fig. 11) are straighter and shorter than the remaining populations ( Figs 12, 13, 16–24). In the female studied from El VÍnculo, the outer lobes have a slightly more anterior position compared to the chitinized arch and the internal lobes, and the shape of the arch is a bit longer and more opened in the anterior branch. However, as only one female was studied per location, it is impossible to know if these variations are constant in the populations, or even if it could be due to the effects of preparing the spermathecae for study. The populations studied presented a large variation in the shape of the chitinized arch. The Brazilian specimens from Marabá and SÃo Vicente Ferrer have a shorter and wider arch ( Figs 18–20), whereas the specimens from Mérida, Venezuela and some Colombian populations (Girón, El VÍnculo, Cali) have a deeper arch ( Figs 12-14, 17). Another variable aspect is the shape of the posterior branch of the chitinized arch, which is generally rounded (e.g., Figs 11, 16, 22-24). However, in the Colombian specimens from Girón and Cali it is acute ( Figs. 13, 17).

Natural history. Stenochrus portoricensis seems to have great ecological plasticity and apparent tolerance to disturbance ( MONJARAZ-RUEDAS et al., 2022), which could have allowed it to colonize and expand its populations. A great diversity of microhabitats has been recorded for this species, such as botanical gardens, greenhouses, anthropized areas, including gardens, houses or aqueducts, forests or even caves. In this work, specimens inhabiting bromeliads on trees, between 1 and 3 meters above the ground are recorded for the first time, as observed in Surazomus arboreus ( COKENDOLPHER & REDDELL, 2000) . Also, according to the brooding data available, from Germany, the Dominican Republic [mistake: referred to as Cuba by GIRIBET & MORENO-GONZÁLEZ, 2021: Table 1], and the U.S.A. populations, the females of S. portoricensis may carry on between 3–15 young and 1– 16 eggs ( GIRIBET & MORENO-GONZÁLEZ, 2021). On the other hand, Stenochrus portoricensis has been observed living in sympatry with at least other unidentified species of schizomid ( Surazomus sp. ) ( ARMAS & DELGADO-SANTA, 2012); termites ( Prorhinotermes simplex (Hagen, 1858) and Cribetermes discolor (Banks, 1919)); and ants ( Themnothorax canescens (Santschi, 1908) , Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius, 1793) , Monomorium pharaonis (Linneaeus, 1758) , and Solenopsis saevissima (Smith, 1855) ( MIGLIORINI et al., 2019)) ( REDDELL & COKENDOLPHER, 1995). Whereas, the knowledge on the diet of S. portoricensis is restricted to laboratory conditions and includes preys such as Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen, 1830) ( Diptera ), small termites ( Blattodea ), Psocids (Psocoptera: Psocidae ), and zorapterans (Zoraptera) ( BRACH, 1976). Finally, little is known about the predators of S. portoricensis , there is a single record of an adult female being preyed upon by Phrynus marginemaculatus C. L. Koch, 1841 ( ARMAS, 1989).