Thrasychiroides moporanga, Pinto-Da-Rocha, Ricardo, Bragagnolo, Cibele & Tourinho, Ana Lúcia, 2014

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 : 471-474

Thrasychiroides moporanga sp. nov.

( Figs1 A–B; 2A–D; 5D–F; 6C–D)

Type material. Holotype ♂ from Reserva Biológica do Alto da Serra de Paranapiacaba (23º46’38”S, 46º18’45”W), Santo André, State of São Paulo, Brazil, 02–24.X.2009, in malaise trap, S. Nihei leg. ( MZSP 42706).

Etymology. Moporanga is an adjective from the Brazilian native Tupy language that means “ornamented” and is a reference to the colorful aspect of this species.

Diagnosis. Ocularium white with a darkish contour surrounding the eyes, with six small dorsal setae. Pedipalpal claws with 16 teeth. Chelicerae not massive but long (segment I length: 3.6). Second segment (length: 6.2) not very inflated and covered with setae, each finger with many small teeth, one basal large tooth and many smaller teeth on movable finger. Penis with posterior half of glans three times larger than the anterior. Shoulders just slightly narrowing at the arms area, without acuminate laterals forming a pair of spines. A pair of dorso-lateral and trifid setae above mid-section of glans, pointing to posterior. Ventral arms larger at base narrowing medially and pointed at apex. Apex of stylus with spine 2/3 basally curved and perpendicular to penis axis, 1/3 distal torched and directed to penis base.

Description of male (holotype). Measurements: Body length: 2.88; prosoma length: 0.84; prosoma width: 2.2; chelicerae: segment I length: 1.68, segment II: 2.84.

Coloration ( Fig. 2 A–D). Carapace darkish brown with a pair of white marginal maculations in ocularium and one maculation behind it, two pairs of very small lateral maculations on each side of carapace close to ocularium. Dorsal scutum beige with luminous white maculations on lateral third and darkish brown paired maculations on median portion. Several small rounded luminous white spots in between. Ocularium luminous white with a darkish contour (ring) surrounding the eyes, basal segment of chelicerae cream with large dorsal chestnut colored maculation lined along its extension, other segments chestnut. Pedipalps, ventral trochanter, femora, patella, tibia and tarsus with chestnut maculations, anterior half of tarsus cream. Coxae and genital operculum cream with large darker apical chestnut maculations and scattered small maculations on the surface. Free tergites darkish brown with luminous white spots, anal operculum luminous white. Ventral color mostly cream; only free sternites dark brown with white luminous, rounded maculations.

Body and appendages ( Figs 1 A–B; 2A–D). Ocularium with six small setae distributed dorsally. Small setae spread on dorsal and ventral surfaces, including legs, genital operculum, coxae, pedipalps and chelicerae. Pedipalpal claws with 16 teeth (increasing in size towards the apex), pedipalp tuft with apical setae on the inner face of femora, a line of setae surrounding the contour of patella, patella and tibia with a dorsal and a lateral line lacking setae ( Fig. 2 D), trochanter with basal apophysis and coxae with a large conspicuous basal apophysis. Chelicerae not massive but long, second segment not significantly inflated, covered with setae, each finger with one basal large tooth followed by many smaller teeth on movable finger.

Penis ( Fig. 5 D–F). Posterior portion of glans three times larger than the anterior, base concave, shoulders almost as wide as truncus, with rounded apical shoulders. A pair of long acuminate dorso-lateral and trifid setae above mid-section of glans, pointing to posterior. Ventral arms wider at base, narrowing medially and pointed at apex. Distal end of stylus with spine ( Fig. 6 C–D).

Biotope. The only record of this species is from the type locality, Reserva Biológica de Paranapiacaba, located in the municipality of Santo André (23°46'S, 46°18'W), in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. It spans an area of 336 ha covered with vegetation typical of the Atlantic Rain Forest. Average annual rainfall is 3380 mm, and altitudes range from 750 to 890 m.a.s.l.. The area has been subjected to the effects of pollution from the accelerated growth of an industrial park in the region of Cubatão (16 km E) in the 1960s and 1970s ( Gutberlet 1996).

The harvestmen fauna from Paranapiacaba has been investigated since the 1920s and over the years 729 individuals were collected that represent 46 species. This is the highest alpha diversity record of harvestmen in the State of São Paulo and the second in Brazil ( Bragagnolo & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2009). However, despite the intense sampling effort, only one individual of Thrasychiroides moporanga sp. nov. was collected by a malaise trap. This suggests that the species may be rare or may be difficult to collect using malaise traps.

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 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.