Thrasychiroides Soares & Soares, 1947a

Pinto-Da-Rocha, Ricardo, Bragagnolo, Cibele & Tourinho, Ana Lúcia, 2014, Three new species of Thrasychiroides Soares & Soares, 1947 from Brazilian Mountains (Opiliones, Eupnoi, Neopilionidae), Zootaxa 3869 (4), pp. 469-482 : 470-471

Thrasychiroides Soares & Soares, 1947a

Thrasychiroides Soares & Soares, 1947a: 82 ; Hunt & Cokendolpher 1991: 133; Crawford 1992: 45.

Emended diagnosis. General color variation from chestnut brown to darkish brown, with large stripes and maculations on lateral carapace and dorsal scutum, and rounded spots usually in median dorsal scutum ( Figs. 2–4 ). Ocularium with lighter color, usually whitish pearl with a darkish contour surrounding the eyes ( Figs. 2 A, 3A, 4A). Setae spread on the surface of the ocularium, dorsal and ventral of the body. Second segment of chelicerae of males massive, inflated and/or not expanded ( Fig. 1 B, D, F), with a prolateral spine or projection on apex and near movable finger. Pedipalp tuft with apical setae on the inner face of femora, patella and tibia with a lateral line of setae on each side, and a dorsal and a lateral line lacking setae ( Fig. 2 D, 3C, 4C). Shaft of penis with a pair of elongated sclerotized ventral movable projections resembling paired arms, connected or jointed to shaft ( Fig. 5 ), apex of projections usually with spines or inflated, dorsal contour of glans forming a waist on the height of arms expansion and sometimes a shoulder that may have spiniform acuminate lateral sides. Glans with a terminal spine ( Fig. 6 ).

Comparisons. Thrasychiroides is similar to the other South American genus, Thrasychirus , because it exhibits a prolateral spine on the apex of cheliceral segment II that is not observed in other members of the subfamily (C. Taylor, personal communication). It differs from Thrasychirus in possessing a spine the on penial stylus ( Fig. 6 ), longer glans without an “U”-shaped cleft on the distal margin (glans length about ¼ of penis length, with U-shaped cleft on distal margin in Thrasychirus , see Fig. 7 ), and a shorter shaft of about ½ penis length (about 2/ 3 in Thrasychirus ).

Distribution. All Brazilian species of Thrasychiroides occur in the mountains of the Atlantic Rain Forest zone from 890 up to 2,400 m.a.s.l. The genus is now recorded in a few localities from the States of Rio Grande do Sul to Minas Gerais. It seems that Thrasychiroides , like other enantiobunines, inhabit colder climate and permanently humid realms, which are only found on mountains in southeastern Brazil. The northernmost record of the family Neopilionidae was T. brasilicus in the State of Paraná ( Brazil). The spatial distribution of the family is extended to the north with the records of Thrasychiroides ybytyra sp. nov. for Minas Gerais ( Brazil).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal and lateral views of the holotypes of the new Thrasychiroides species. A – B. T. moporanga sp. nov., dorsal and lateral view, respectively; C – D. T. toryba sp. nov., dorsal and lateral view, respectively; E – F. T. ybytyra sp. nov., dorsal and lateral view, respectively. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 2. Photographs of the male holotype of Thrasychiroides moporanga sp. nov. A. dorsal view; B. lateral view; C. chelicera details; D. pedipalp tibia details. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Photographs of the male holotype of Thrasychiroides toryba sp. nov. A. dorsal view; B. lateral view; C. chelicera and pedipalp details. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 4. Photographs of the male holotype of Thrasychiroides ybytyra sp. nov. A. dorsal view; B. lateral view; C. chelicera and pedipalp details. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Penes of Thrasychiroides species. A – C. T. brasilicus, A. dorsal view; B. lateral view; C. ventral view. D – F. T. moporanga sp. nov., D. dorsal view; E. lateral view; F. ventral view. G – I. T. toryba sp. nov., G. dorsal view; H. lateral view; I. ventral view. J – L. T. ybytyra sp. nov., J. dorsal view; K. lateral view; L. ventral view. Scale bars = 0.05 mm. Labels. 1 = stylus; 2 = glans; 3 = arms; 4 = shaft; 5 = spine on shoulder.

FIGURE 6. Tips of penial glans of the holotypes of Thrasychiroides species. A – B. T. brasilicus.. C – D. T. moporanga sp. nov. E – F. T. toryba sp. nov. G – H. T. ybytyra sp. nov. Upper row: ventral view; Bottom row: dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.05 mm.

FIGURE 7. Penis of the holotype of Thrasychirus gulosus (MZSP 56030) A. dorsal view; B. ventral view. C. lateral view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.