Metagovea ligiae, Giupponi, Alessandro P. L. & Kury, Adriano Brilhante, 2015

Giupponi, Alessandro P. L. & Kury, Adriano Brilhante, 2015, A new species of Metagovea Rosas Costa, 1950 from Napo Province, Ecuador (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi, Neogoveidae), ZooKeys 477, pp. 1-15 : 3-9

Taxon classification Animalia Opiliones Neogoveidae

Metagovea ligiae sp. n. Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Etymology.

The new species is named after friend and fellow arachnologist Ligia Benavides for her work on Neotropical Neogoveidae .

Type material.

♂ holotype: Ecuador, Napo, Sumaco-Galeras National Park, Pacto Sumaco (-0.66577°, -77.59813°, 1526 m), 15-16 February 2014, A.B. Kury and A.P.L. Giupponi leg.; ♀ (1) paratype: same data as holotype (QCAZ 322). ♂ (1) and ♀ (1) paratypes: same data as holotype (MCZ 45452); ♂ (3, of which 1 mounted for SEM) and ♀ (8, of which 1 mounted for SEM) paratypes: same data as holotype (MNRJ 8434).

Diagnosis.

Small animals, maximum body length 1.5 mm; body outline on dorsal view oblong (Fig. 1A); eyes and eye lenses absent (Figs 1A, C, D); spiracles circular (Fig. 2B) (sensu Giribet and Boyer 2002: 115); ventral prosomal complex with coxae II-IV fused, coxae I free, sternum absent, area of contact with coxal lobe III forming a complex arch delimiting the coxal pores (Figs 1 B– 2D); gonostome semicircular with concave posterior margin (Fig. 2D); ventral opisthosomal region with anal glands on sternal part of corona analis (Figs 1 C– 2C); spermatopositor with two pairs of shorter robust microtrichiae A, four pairs of much elongate microtrichiae B, three pairs of subapical microtrichiae C not as long as B, two pairs of movable fingers: small apical dma located between left and right groups of microtrichiae C; much larger dmm, arising from dorso-medial lobe. Metagovea ligiae may be distinguished from Metagovea disparunguis and Metagovea oviformis by the body longer than 1.4 mm and adenostyle sinuous changing curvature (Fig. 4D) instead of parabolic. Metagovea ligiae may be distinguished Metagovea philipi by the much shorter basichelicerite, with only one ventral protuberance; pedipalpal trochanter clearly shorter than femur and incrassate distally; femur III dorso-apically with a protuberance; adenostyle double curved, single-pointed, pointing distally.

Description of male.

Measurements. Male holotype: total length: 1.5 mm, greatest width: 0.8 mm, in the posterior part of prosoma; length/width ratio: 1.88; length of chelicerae: 1.0 mm, pedipalps (trochanter to tarsus): 1.0 mm; legs I: 1.5 mm, II: 1.2 mm, III: 1.0 mm, IV: 1.3 mm.

Color (in ethanol) and tegument. Body and appendages dark brown with most of dorsal and ventral surfaces and legs showing a dense tuberculate-microgranulate structure ( Murphree 1988: 239).

Body (Fig. 1A). Prosomal region occupying less than half of the body size (Fig. 1A). Anterior margin of dorsal scutum with a pair of processes lateral to chelicerae. Lateral margin of prosoma bulging considerably behind ozophores, at widest part of body. Eyes and eye lenses absent. Ozophore conical of type 2 (sensu Juberthie 1970: 1373; i.e. dorso-laterally oriented) (Figs 1A, C, D, 2A). Dorsal scutum without special modifications. Opisthosomal mid-dorsal longitudinal sulcus absent (Fig. 1A).

Ventral prosomal complex (Fig. 1B) with coxae II-IV fused, coxae I free, sternum absent, coxae IV separated by gonostome (Fig. 1B); gonostome semicircular with concave posterior margin (Fig. 2D). Coxal lobes I much longer than wide, narrower anteriorly, subparallel, each armed with 2 posterior setae. Coxal lobes II anteriorly extremely thin, abruptly widening until mid-length where they start to narrow posteriorly, with 4 setae on wider part. Coxal lobes III longer than main part of coxal lobes IV; coxal lobes IV coarsely spiked in the middle, forming anterior-lateral margins of the gonostome. On the area of contact with coxal lobe III forming a complex arch delimiting the coxal pores. Coxae II-IV with rounded glandular fields at the concave part of respective coxal lobes.

Spiracles circular (Fig. 2B) (sensu Giribet and Boyer 2002: 115). Ventral opisthosomal region with anal glands on sternal part of corona analis (Fig. 2C, see also female). Opisthosomal tergite IX and sternites 8 and 9 fused into a corona analis (Fig. 2C). Anal plate oval. This and sternites densely covered by small conical granules and large flattened tubercles, some of them pectinate (Fig. 2C, see also female).

Chelicera (Fig. 3 A–B) elongate, with few and spaced dorsal setae; non-protruding type (sensu Giribet 2003). Basichelicerite with ectal surface granular, denser than ventro-mesal surface, but mesal with scale-bristles; dorso-mesal granules; with conspicuous dorsal crest and without ventral process. Second article elongate, widest near the base, without ornamentation. Dentition concentrated at the ends of the both cheliceral fingers.

Pedipalp (Fig. 3C) Trochanter unarmed, with few ventro-distal setae, much thickened at distal third, doubling its height. Femur cylindrical, with few rows of setae, all over its length; surface coarsely granulose, more so on basal and middle thirds. Patella thin on basal third, abruptly thickening in middle third up to the apex where it is twice as thick as basal third. Tegument smoother than femur and setation pattern similar to it. Tibia with abundant rows of setae, much denser than basal articles, slightly thinner at base, gradually thickening to apex. Tarsus fusiform, still more densely setose than tibia, ending in straight tubular claw.

Legs (Figs 4 A–D). Robust, leg formula I, IV, II, III. Trochanter to metatarsus of legs I-IV densely granulated, less on Tr-Pa III, Tr IV, smooth on Ta I–IV. All articles setose, density of setae increasing distally, reaching maximum on tarsi I–IV. Tarsus I with a distinct solea (subapical modification where sensory hairs concentrate, Fig. 4A) taking up about 2/3rds of the tarsus length. Tarsus of leg IV undivided (Fig. 4D), with a lamelliform elongate, sinuous and acuminate adenostyle, positioned basally on the dorsal side on tarsus IV (Figs 3 D– 4D). Claw of leg II (Figs 4B). With a distinct row of five teeth. Claws of legs III-IV beveled laterally.

Spermatopositor (Figs 5A, 6). Two pairs of shorter robust microtrichiae A close together on a proximal lobe. Four pairs of microtrichiae B much elongate, on the laterals. Three pairs of subapical microtrichiae C not as long as B. Two pairs of terminally fimbriate movable fingers: small apical dma located between left and right groups of microtrichiae C; much larger dmm, arising from dorso-medial lobe. More basally, near the genital orifice, a pair of sensory papillae and another of inner papillae.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality, Pacto Sumaco, Napo, Ecuador (Fig. 9).

Female

(Figs 7-8). Ventral opisthosomal region with anal glands on sternal part of corona analis as in male, consisting of isolated (on laterals, Fig. 8C) and clustered pores (Figs 8 A–B). Sternal large tubercles often pectinate (Fig. 8D). Gonostome pentagonal, with coxal lobes IV and posterior margin of gonostome much wider than in male (Fig. 7B).

Natural history.

All specimens were collected in an area of about 10 m2, under a house built partly on a small slope in a nature conservation area (Fig. 10A), but with a strongly disturbed secondary forest. The specimens were found beneath stones, wood and other “rubbish” left on the ground of sometimes compacted, sometimes loose clay, and with virtually no vegetation (Fig. 10B). The area, being in a space of 30 cm to 1 meter retreated under construction, was protected from direct sunlight, but it was indirectly lit, having no aphotic parts. The humidity was high and the animals were found in groups of 2 to 5 specimens.