Spaeleoleptes H. Soares, 1966

Pereira, Maria Paula, Gallão, Jonas E., Bichuette, Maria E. & Pérez-González, Abel, 2024, Hidden in the caves: a new troglobitic species of Spaeleoleptes and the type species redescription (Opiliones, Laniatores), European Journal of Taxonomy 921, pp. 36-63 : 41

Genus Spaeleoleptes H. Soares, 1966

Figs 3–14

Spaeleoleptes H. Soares 1966: 111 .

Type species: Spaeleoleptes spaeleus H. Soares, 1966 , by original designation.

Spaeleoleptes – Kury 2003: 28.

Spaeloleptes – Kury & Pérez-González 2007: 193, incorrect subsequent spelling.

Etymology

The derivation of the generic name is incorrect; it should be spelled ‘Spelaeoleptes’ ( KurY 2003) from the Greek σπήλαιον (spelaion=cave, cavern) and part of the pre-existing genus Gonyleptes . Although incorrect, the original name, Spaeleoleptes , has to be kept according to article 32.5.1 of the currently valid ICZN (1999), because it is considered as an incorrect latinization of the Greek σπήλαιον. Gender masculine.

Placement

Spaeleoleptes was originally described in Phalangodidae : Minuinae (= Kimulidae ).The genus was considered family uncertain by Kury (2003) and transferred to Escadabiidae by Kury & Pérez-González (2007).

Species included

Spaeleoleptes spaeleus H. Soares, 1966 and Spaeleoleptes gimli sp. nov.

Emended diagnosis

Spaeleoleptes clearlY differs from the other genera of Escadabiidae bY the unique combination of the following characters: legs I and II sexually dimorphic, males with tibia I thickened, with a glandular/ sensorial? region with “droplet-like” pegs (sensu Willemart et al. 2010) present mainly on the retrolateral surface ( Figs 5 , 10 ); glandular/sensorial? region with “droplet-like” pegs ventrallY on patella and tibia II in males ( Figs 5 , 11 ); post-ocularium region armed with two pointed tubercles, which maY be reduced to two granules ( Figs 3D , 7B ); bodY hourglass-shaped, covered bY setiferous tubercles; coxa and femur IV not thickened; ocularium globose, without apical projection; ocularium and chelicerae not sexuallY dimorphic. The genital morphologY differs from that of other genera of Escadabiidae bY the presence of verY robust, thickened and folded conductors, totallY or partiallY covering the capsula interna; an capsula interna with two lateral projections; two pairs of reduced ventral setae on the pars distalis and apical lamina very broad ( Figs 6 , 14 ).

Distribution

The genus is restricted to two caves in Eastern Brazil. Spaeleoleptes spaeleus from Lapa Nova do Maquiné, Cordisburgo municipality, State of Minas Gerais (cave belonging to the Bambui geomorphological group), and S. gimli sp. nov. fom Gruta Natal cave, Itaetê municipality, State of Bahia (cave belonging to the Una geomorphological group) ( Fig 2 ).

Figures

Fig. 3. Spaeleoleptes spaeleus H. Soares, 1966, male holotype (MZUSP 28463). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Habitus, right lateral view. Square indicatesglandular/ sensorial? region of leg I, more detail in Fig. 5. D. Carapace, lateral view. Arrows indicate the pointed tubercles on the posterior region of the ocularium. E. Male pedipalp, mesal view.

Fig. 4. Spaeleoleptes spaeleus H. Soares, 1966, female paratype (MZUSP 28462). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Habitus, left lateral view. D. Carapace, lateral view. E. Carapace, dorsal view.

Fig. 5. Spaeleoleptes spaeleus H. Soares, 1966, male holotype (MZUSP 28463), glandular/sensorial? region. A. Modified region of right tibia I, dorsal view. B. Detail of glandular/sensorial? region on right tibia I, retrolateral view. C. Modified region of patella and tibia II, lateral view. D. Detail of glandular/ sensorial? region on patella and tibia II, ventral view.

Fig. 6. Line drawings of male genitalia of Spaeleoleptes spaeleus H. Soares, 1966, male holotype (MZUSP 28463). A. Full genitalia, dorsal view. B. Detail of pars distalis, dorsal view. C. Detail of capsula interna, dorsal view. D. Detail of pars distalis, lateral view. E. Same, ventral view. Red lines: capsula interna. Blue lines: conductors. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 7. Spaeleoleptes gimli sp. nov., male paratype (LES 027942), dorsal view. A. Habitus. B. Detail of carapace. C. Detail of antero-lateral margin of carapace. Arrows indicating the two projections. D. Detail of right coxa IV.

Fig. 8. Spaeleoleptes gimli sp. nov., male paratype (LES 027942). A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Lateral carapace showing the ozopore region. C. Habitus, ventral view. D. Epistome, anterolateral view. E. Detail of spiracle area.

Fig. 9. Spaeleoleptes gimli sp. nov., male paratype (LES 027942). A. Right chelicera, ectal view. B. Right chelicera, mesal view. C. Right chelicera, frontal view. D. Right pedipalp, ectal view. E. Right pedipalp, mesal view. F. Detail of the two basal major spines on ventral femur of right pedipalp, ectal view. G. Detail of major spine on right pedipalp with very small and sparse microtrichia, ectal view. H. Detail of spines on mesal distal femur of right pedipalp, mesal view.

Fig. 10. Spaeleoleptes gimli sp. nov., male paratype (LES 027942), leg I. A. Right leg I, dorsal view. B. Detail of distal area of tíbia I, dorsal view. C. Detail of glandular/sensorial? region on tibia I, dorsal view. D. Detail of glandular/sensorial? openings, dorsal view. E. Detail of glandular/sensorial? openings with ‘‘droplet-like’’ pegs.

Fig. 11. Spaeleoleptes gimli sp. nov., male paratype (LES 027942), leg II. A. Right leg II, ventral view. B. Detail of patella II, ventral view. C. Detail of tibia II, ventral view.Arrows point to some of the glandular/ sensorial? openings. D. Detail of glandular/sensorial? openings with ‘‘droplet-like’’ pegs, ventral view.

Fig. 12. Spaeleoleptes gimli sp. nov., male paratype (LES 027942), right legs. A. Leg II, retrolateral view. B. Detail of distal region of metatarsus II, dorsal view. C. Leg III, retrolateral view. Inset shows detail of distal region of metatarsus III, dorsal view, scale 100 µm. D. Leg IV, retrolateral view. Inset shows detail of distal region of metatarsus IV, dorsal view, scale 100 µm.

Fig. 13. Spaeleoleptes gimli sp. nov., male holotype (LES 00341), habitus. A. Dorsal view. B. Ventral view. C. Lateral view.

Fig. 14. Line drawings of male genitalia of Spaeleoleptes gimli sp. nov. male holotype (LES 00341). A. Full genitalia, dorsal view. B. Detail of pars distalis, dorsal view. C. Detail of capsula interna, dorsal view. D. Detail of pars distalis, lateral view. E. Same, ventral view. Red lines: capsula interna. Blue lines: conductors. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 2. Distribution map of Spaeleoleptes H. Soares, 1966 species. The purple circle is the Lapa Nova do Maquiné cave, locality of the type species S. spaeleus H. Soares, 1966. The yellow circle is the Gruta Natal cave, locality of the new species S. gimli sp. nov. Dark grey, karst areas.Abbreviations: MG =Minas Gerais State; BA=Bahia State.