Charinus gertschi Goodnight & Goodnight, 1946

Miranda, Gustavo Silva de, Giupponi, Alessandro P. L., Prendini, Lorenzo & Scharff, Nikolaj, 2021, Systematic revision of the pantropical whip spider family Charinidae Quintero, 1986 (Arachnida, Amblypygi), European Journal of Taxonomy 772, pp. 1-409 : 55-57

Charinus gertschi Goodnight & Goodnight, 1946

Figs 3C–D , 4C–D , 5C–D , 27 , 29 ; Table 2

Charinus gertschi Goodnight & Goodnight, 1946: 323–327 , figs 1–8.

Charinus gertschi – Delle Cave 1986: 162, fig. II. — Weygoldt 2002a: 297. — Harvey 2003: 5. — Miranda & Giupponi 2011: 68, fig. 13. — Jocqué & Giupponi 2012: 55. — Vasconcelos et al. 2013: 497. — Miranda et al. 2016c: 31.

Diagnosis

This species may be separated from other Charinus in Amazonia and northern South America by means of the following combination of characters: carapace reddish-brown with darker mottling ( Fig. 29A ); six setae on anterior margin of carapace; median eyes and median ocular tubercle present ( Fig. 29C ); lateral eyes well developed; tritosternum projected anteriorly with typical setation ( Fig. 29B ); other sternal platelets wider than long; pedipalp femur with five dorsal spines and five ventral spines ( Fig. 3C–D ); pedipalp femur with additional small spine proximal and ventral to ventral spine 1; pedipalp patella with five or six dorsal spines ( Fig. 29E ); pedipalp patella with four ventral spines ( Fig. 29F ); pedipalp tarsus with two dorsal spines ( Fig. 29D ); tibia of leg I with 23 articles, tarsus I with 43 articles; leg IV basitibia with four pseudo-articles; female gonopod cushion-like and markedly sclerotized basally ( Fig. 5C–D ).

Etymology

Not specified by the authors but evidently a patronym honoring Dr Willis J. Gertsch.

Type material

Holotype GUYANA • sex unspecified; Kamakusa ; [05°57′ N, 59°54′ W]; 4 Nov. 1922; Lang and LaVarre leg.; AMNH [not examined].

Paratypes GUYANA • 1 ex., sex unspecified; same collection data as for holotype; AMNH [not examined] .

SURINAM • number and sex of specimens unspecified; Paramaribo; [05°50′03.54″ N, 55°11′59.40″ W]; Stahel leg.; MCZ [not examined] .

Additional material

VENEZUELA: 1 ♂; Estado Bolívar, Municipio Gran Sabana, Canaima National Park , Campamento Uruyén , forest SW; 05°40.803′ N, 62°28.705′ W; 28 Jul. 2009; 504 m a.s.l.; L. Prendini and J.A. Ochoa leg.; primary forest; AMCC [ LP 10076 ].

Description

CARAPACE. Frontal process large, triangular, not visible in dorsal view, slightly curved anteriorly ( Fig. 29C ). Small granules densely scattered between ocular triads and among sulci ( Fig. 29A ). Median eyes well developed, median ocular tubercle shallow ( Fig. 29C ). Lateral eyes well developed, seta posterior to each lateral ocular triad; lateral ocular lenses directed anterodorsally.

STERNUM. Tritosternum projected anteriorly into small, blunt tubercle ( Fig. 29B ), with typical setation, surpassing base of pedipalp coxae; medial platelet (tetrasternum) with two convex platelets, with one large and few smaller setae, medially on each plaque. Third platelet (pentasternum) also with two convex platelets, subequal to midline of each platelet, each with one large and few small setae medially. Sternites close to each other. Metasternum not paired, formed by single platelet, with pair of setae anteriorly.

OPISTHOSOMA. Ventral sacs and ventral sac cover absent.

GENITALIA. Female genital operculum slightly curved inwards, with several setae along margin and on surface ( Fig. 5C–D ). Gonopods rounded, cushion-like, without claws, flat, with sclerotized region basally ( Fig. 5C–D ); flaps on retrolateral margin of gonopods; genital atrium not visible, i.e., completely covered by flaps of gonopod; near margin of genital operculum ( Fig. 5C–D ).

CHELICERAE. Four prolateral teeth; first tooth bifid, Ia larger than Ib. Second tooth larger than third. Fourth tooth one-third larger than III and subequal to Ib. Retrolateral row with small elevation in dorsal region. Prolateral surface of basal segment with vertical row of six large setae. Claw with six denticles.

PEDIPALPS. Femur with six dorsal spines in primary series ( Figs 3C–D , 29E–F ); extra spine distal to last dorsal spine (smaller than last two on dextral pedipalp but similar in length on sinistral pedipalp); spine between spines 2 and 3, close to spine 3 ( Fig. 3C ); prominent setiferous tubercle dorsal to spine 1 and attached to its base, with two small setiferous tubercles proximal to spine 1 ( Fig. 3C ); five ventral spines in primary series ( Fig. 29F ); small spine distally, close to distal border; prolateral spine attached to base of spine I. Patella with five dorsal spines ( Figs 4C–D , 29E ); spine between spine I and distal margin of tibia, one-third length of spine I; one (sinistral pedipalp) or two (dextral pedipalp) small spines proximal to spine V; five ventral spines decreasing in size ( Figs 4C–D , 29F ). Tibia with two dorsal spines, proximal spine two-thirds length of distal spine; ventral spine situated in distal half of tibia, two-thirds length of basal dorsal spine. Tarsus with two small dorsal spines ( Fig. 29D ); proximal spine two-thirds length of distal spine; cleaning organ about half length of tarsus, with 31 setae in ventral row; claw long, with acute, curved tip.

LEGS. Tibia of leg I with 23 articles; tarsus I with 41 articles; modified claw at apex of leg; leg covered with many bristles, club sensilla, and pit organs. Leg IV basitibia with four pseudo-articles, with one trichobothrium submedial on last pseudo-article; distitibia trichobothrium bc equidistant between bf and sbf; sc and sf series each with five trichobothria.

Measurements

See Table 2 .

Distribution

Known from Guyana, Surinam and Venezuela.

Natural history

Epigean, found in forested areas.

Remarks

According to Goodnight & Goodnight (1946), the pedipalp patella bears seven dorsal spines, but the actual number of spines is six, as the distal setiferous tubercle was included in the count (based on their illustration). Goodnight & Goodnight (1946: 325, fig. 4) did not describe the number of spines on the pedipalp tarsus, but it is possible to see the spines on their illustration.

Figures

Fig. 3. Charinidae Quintero, 1986, pedipalp femur, prolateral and dorsal views. A–B. Charinus carinae sp. nov. (MNRJ 9293). C–D. Charinus gertschi Goodnight & Goodnight, 1946 (AMCC [LP 10076]). E–F. Sarax bispinosus (Nair, 1934) (AMCC [LP 12298]). G–H. Sarax willeyi Gravely, 1915 (SMF). Scale bars: A–D, G–H = 1 mm; E–F = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 4. Charinidae Quintero, 1986, pedipalp patellar articles, dorsal and prolateral views. A–B. Charinus carinae sp. nov. (MNRJ 9293). C–D. Charinus gertschi Goodnight & Goodnight, 1946 (AMCC [LP 10076]). E–F. Sarax bispinosus (Nair, 1934) (AMCC [LP 12298]). G–H. Sarax willeyi Gravely, 1915 (SMF). Scale bars: A–D, G–H = 1 mm; E–F = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 5. Charinus Simon, 1892, female gonopods, dorsal (left column) and posterior (right column) views. A–B. Charinus apiaca sp. nov. (MNRJ 9286). C–D. Charinus gertschi Goodnight & Goodnight, 1946 (AMCC [LP 10076]). E–F. Charinus miskito sp. nov. (SMNS). G–H. Charinus mocoa sp. nov. (SMF 68). Scale bars: A–B, F–H = 0.1 mm; C–E, I–L = 0.25 mm.

Fig. 27. Map plotting known distributions of species of Charinus Simon, 1892 in northern South America.

Fig. 29. Charinus gertschi Goodnight & Goodnight, 1946 (AMCC [LP 10076]), general morphology, ♂. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Sternum, ventral view. C. Frontal process. D. Pedipalp tarsus, frontal view. E. Pedipalp, dorsal view. F. Pedipalp, ventral view. Scale bars: A, D–F = 1 mm; B–C = 0.1 mm.