Phalangodus palpiconus ( Roewer, 1943 ) Roewer, 1943

Hara, Marcos Ryotaro, Pinto-Da-Rocha, Ricardo & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2014, Revision of the cranaid genera Phalangodus, Iquitosa and Aguaytiella (Opiliones: Laniatores: Gonyleptoidea), Zootaxa 3814 (4), pp. 567-580 : 569-572

Phalangodus palpiconus ( Roewer, 1943) comb. nov.

( Figs 1–11 )

Temucus palpiconus Roewer, 1943: 27 , fig. 20 (dorsal habitus) (see the complete citations in Kury 2003: 96).

Material examined. CHILE. [IX Región de Araucanía]: Temuco, ma holotype of Temucus palpiconus , SMF RII 13181/74.

Diagnosis. Phalangodus palpiconus differs from P. anacosmetus by the huge, oval (in dorsal view) ocularium, a pair of paramedian moderately high spines on scutal area III and straight femur IV (in dorsal view).

Redescription. Male (holotype; SMF RII 13181/74): Dorsum ( Figs 2–3 , 8 ): Measurements: DSL 10.3; DSW 9.5; CL 5.2; CW 6.8; PF 2.4; FIV 11.8; LI 24; LII -; LIII 34; LIV 34. Anterior margin of carapace with 4–5 tubercles on each side, smooth in front of the ocularium. Ocularium enlarged and conspicuous, with a pair of moderately high (up to three times the eye diameter) slightly frontwards directed spines, 3–5 tubercles on each side (between eye and spine). Carapace with 9 tubercles behind ocularium. One ozopore (anterior opening), covered by integumentary dome with slit-like opening. Lateral margin of dorsal scutum with one external row of tubercles from scutal groove I to III, one internal row of small tubercles from scutal groove II to III. Scutal area I divided in left and right halves, triangle-shaped, each one with 12–17 tubercles; area II with one transversal row of 8 tubercles; area III with a paramedian pair of moderately high (roughly of same height as those on ocularium), slightly divergent and upwards spines, 3 tubercles on each side; area IV divided in left and right halves, each one with 5–6 tubercles. Posterior margin of dorsal scutum, free tergites I–III each with one row of 18, 21, 24, 18 tubercles, respectively. Anal operculum tuberculated.

Venter ( Fig. 1 ): Coxa I–IV and anal operculum irregularly tuberculate; coxa I with the largest tubercles. Stigmatic area smooth. Free sternites each with a row of setiferous tubercles.

Chelicera ( Fig. 7 ): Segment I with 10–11 tubercles, basal ones largest; segment II with several frontal tubercles, fixed finger with 2 teeth (basal widest); movable finger with 2 wide teeth.

Pedipalp ( Fig. 9 ): Coxa with 2–4 ventral tubercles, dorsally smooth. Trochanter dorsally inflated, with 2 tubercles, ventrally with 2 apical tubercles (prolateral largest). Femur compressed, strongly convex dorsally, with 14 dorsal enlarged tubercles and several smaller ones, ventrally with an enlarged basal apophysis and several tubercles. Patella dorsolaterally tuberculate. Tibia with enlarged tubercles dorsally, with two medioventral regular rows of small setae; tibial setation: mesal IiIi, ectal IiI. Tarsus dorsally tuberculate, with two medioventral rows of small setae; tarsal setation: mesal Iii, ectal IiIi. Claw conspicuously thickened.

Legs ( Figs 4–6 ): Coxa I with 1 anterior, 1 enlarged posterior apophyses; coxa II idem, anterior one enlarged and in front of ozopore; coxa III with 1 anterior, 1 posterior apophyses directed anteriorly and posteriorly, respectively; coxa IV dorsolaterally tuberculate, with 1 short, spiniform prodorsal apical apophysis. Trochanters–tibiae I–IV tuberculate. Trochanters I–II with large ventral tubercles. Femora I–II with enlarged ventrobasal tubercle (largest on II); femur IV with one retrolateral row of tubercles increasing in size to the middle, 1 retrolateral subdistal conical, enlarged tubercle slightly curved apically. Tarsal segmentation 9, 14, 7, 7 (leg II incomplete in the holotype, but with 14 segment according to Roewer, 1943).

Penis ( Figs 10–11 ): Ventral plate subhexagonal, distal margin slightly concave, with 14–15 pairs of setae placed continuously along the lateral margin from apex to the middle (separation in distal and basal pairs of setae almost indistinct). Glans basally constricted with folds. Stylus smooth, straight, apex bent in obtuse angle, slightly swollen.

Coloration: Holotype discolored. According to Roewer (1943), body and legs dark brown, scutal groove I (between the carapace and anterior margin of scutal area I) milk-colored. Metatarsi III–IV with light brown rings.

Female. Unknown.

Type locality. “ Chile: Temuco” (probably spurious, see distribution below).

Distribution. Presumably false record from Temuco, Osorno, Chile. The second author, RPR, visited the assigned type locality and after examination of large series of material collected in Chile (MZSP, CAS, AMNH) found no record of cranaids. The biogeographic data of Cranaidae gathered so far suggest that P. palpiconus does not occur in Temuco, Chile. Considering all the available data, it is not possible to indicate where this species is found.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Phalangodus palpiconus (Roewer, 1943) comb. nov. Male holotype. 1, ventral view of habitus; 2, dorsal view; 3, left lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 4 – 11. Phalangodus palpiconus (Roewer, 1943) comb. nov. Male holotype. 4 – 5, ventral and dorsal views of right leg IV, respectively. 6, ventral view of right trochanter – femur III. 7, right chelicera. 8, right ozopore (specimen in right lateral view). 9, retrolateral view of right pedipalpal trochanter – tibia. 10 – 11, right lateral and dorsal view of penis. Scale bars: 4 – 8, 1 mm; 9, 0.5 mm; 10 – 11, 0.1 mm.