Megalopsalis nigricans (Hickman, 1957) Hickman, 1957

Taylor, Christopher K., 2013, Further revision of the genus Megalopsalis (Opiliones, Neopilionidae), with the description of seven new species, ZooKeys 328, pp. 59-117 : 82-83

Megalopsalis nigricans (Hickman, 1957) comb. n. Fig. 14

Spinicrus nigricans Hickman, 1957: 77, figs 34-40.

Material examined.

1 major male, Tasmania, Mount Wellington, 4 January 1969, J. L. Hickman, under logs (AMS KS23719); 1 major male, Tasmania, V. V. Hickman (AMS KS23737); 1 female, SW Tasmania, 12 February 1977, C. Howard, C. Johnson (AMS KS24747); 1 minor male, ditto (AMS KS24749); 2 minor males, NE Tasmania, August 1993 (QM C3.2, C5.1); 1 minor male, 1 female, SW Tasmania, Mount Rufus track, 42°07'S, 146°07'E, 29 April 1987, R. Raven, T. Churchill, open forest, pyrethrum knockdown (QM S1707).

Description.

MALE. As for Hickman (1957), except minor male (Fig. 14a): As for major male, except chelicerae not enlarged relative to female. Armature of chelicerae reduced: segment I mostly unarmed with ventral spur, segment II with dorsal longitudinal row of denticles only, with long black seta on each denticle.

Spiracle ( Taylor 2011: fig. 25). Curtain of partially reticulate spines (reticulation reduced basally) extending partway across spiracle; spines broad, terminations palmate; dense patch of lace tubercles at lateral corner, outer lace tubercles terminally anastomosing.

Comments.

This species has already been described in detail by Hickman (1957). As noted above in the discussion of the phylogenetic analysis, this is the most divergent species here assigned to Megalopsalis . Its genital morphology is unique: the shaft of the penis is distinctly short and broad (Fig. 14b), in contrast to the elongate shaft of other Megalopsalis species (see figures in Taylor 2011). The glans is strongly flattened, not proximally inflated as in other species, and the overall shape is less distinctly subtriangular than in other Megalopsalis species, being rather more oblong over the greater part. The ozopores of Megalopsalis nigricans are small and round, and not raised on lateral lobes like the larger ozopores of other Enantiobuninae .

Despite Hickman (1957) describing only the major male of this species, collections of this species in AMS and QM indicate that minor males are more abundant and majors relatively uncommon.