Neopantopsalis continentalis ( Roewer 1923 )

Taylor, Christopher K. & Hunt, Glenn S., 2009, New genus of Megalopsalidinae (Arachnida: Opiliones: Monoscutidae) from north-eastern Australia, Zootaxa 2130, pp. 41-59 : 51

Neopantopsalis continentalis ( Roewer 1923) n. comb.

Pantopsalis continentalis Roewer 1923: 866 , fig. 1032; Forster 1949: 63. Spinicrus continentale (Roewer) : Hickman 1957: 73.

Type locality. Winton, Queensland, 22°23’S 143°02’E ( Roewer 1923). No material examined.

Comments. The original description of N. continentalis by Roewer (1923) is unfortunately brief, and inadequate to identify the species involved. In establishing his new genus Spinicrus and transferring Pantopsalis tasmanica to it, Forster (1949) mused that it was ‘highly probable that on examination of the type specimen… [ P. continentalis ] will also be placed in Spinicrus ’, but did not personally do so. Hickman (1957) included this species under the name Spinicrus continentale in his key to the genus, but did not discuss it further, and it is unclear whether he did so due to examination of specimens or by inference from Forster (1949).

The holotype specimen at the Senckenberg Museum, Germany, was not available for direct study due to transport restrictions, but Peter Jäger kindly supplied photos of the holotype and a sketch of its genitalia. The holotype is a minor male of uncertain affinities. The absence of armature on the dorsal prosomal plate or ocularium in Roewer’s (1923) illustration (unfortunately not clearly visible in the photos supplied) originally suggested a relationship with Neopantopsalis psile , but the glans of the penis is proportionately longer than in that species and resembles that of N. quasimodo . While probably a member of the N. quasimodo complex, N. continentalis is distinguishable from that species in the strict sense by the lack of armature on the dorsal prosomal plate and by having proportionately longer bristle groups on both sides of the penis.

Until the identity of N. continentalis can be more clearly established, it is omitted from further consideration. Minor males of Neopantopsalis generally show a reduction in secondary sexual characteristics, and even with a complete investigation into the N. quasimodo complex it may be difficult to conclusively identify N. continentalis .