Metasiro sassafrasensis, Clouse, Ronald M. & Wheeler, Ward C., 2014

Clouse, Ronald M. & Wheeler, Ward C., 2014, Descriptions of two new, cryptic species of Metasiro (Arachnida: Opiliones: Cyphophthalmi: Neogoveidae) from South Carolina, USA, including a discussion of mitochondrial mutation rates, Zootaxa 3814 (2), pp. 177-201 : 189-190

Metasiro sassafrasensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 3 G–I; 4C, F, I, L; 5; 6D; 9; 10A, B, G; 11A, B; 13A)

Metasiro americanus ( Davis, 1933) , partim

Taxonomic notes. Original 1969 collections by Peck and Fiske examined by Shear (1980) and reported as M. americanus .

Material examined. Males (n=8), females (n=7), and juveniles (n=1), with the following collection details: Pickens County, South Carolina, USA, at Jocosse Gorge, Sassafras Mt., off F. van Clayton Highway (lat. 35.06228, long. -82.79500, elev. 760 m), over ridge in old forest, around rotting log, leg. P. Sharma and R. Clouse, 15 March 2010. Holotype, male, specimen IZ-134535(105644-7171). Paratypes, from collections IZ-134534–5, 7 males ( SPM 007168 and 7172–7), 7 females ( SPM 007169–70 and 7178–82); male specimens SPM 007176 and 7177 dissected for genitalia, and SPM 007176 disarticulated for appendage measurements. Twelve specimens were sequenced for molecular analysis. All specimens are deposited in MCZ.

Description. Morphology as in the original description of M. americanus and of M. savannahensis sp. nov. (see above; leg characters of M. sassafrasensis sp. nov. illustrated in Fig. 5 ; chelicer, palp, claw, and solenidia of M. sassafrasensis sp. nov. illustrated in Fig. 9 ). Microtrichial formula of spermatopositor: 3, 6, 4+4+4 ( Figs. 10 A, B, G; 11A, B; 13A). Body and appendage article measurements and proportions available in Tables 5–7 .

Molecular diagnostic characters. In our COI amino acid fragment (described above) no. 87 is valine (not leucine). See Table 3.

Distribution and etymology. Known only from the type locality, Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina, for which the species is named.

M. americanus M. savannahensis M. sassafrasensis sp. nov.

sp. nov.

male male male male

holotype paratype paratype

7420 (from Davis, 1933) 7185 7176 range size (all)

Chelicer Article I 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.1 (whole)

Article III 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 Palp Patella 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.1 Tibia 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.1 Tarsus 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.1 Leg I Patella 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.1 Tibia 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.1 Metatarsus 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.1 Tarsus 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.0 Leg II Patella 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.1 Tibia 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.1 Metatarsus 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0

Tarsus 0.8 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.2 Leg III Patella 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.5 0.2 Tibia 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.7 0.2 Metatarsus 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.2 Tarsus 0.9 0.8 1.0 0.8 0.2 Leg IV Patella 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.1 Tibia 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0

Metatarsus 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.2 Tarsus 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.1

Figures

FIGURE 3. Male specimens of Metasiro, showing dorsal (left column), lateral (middle), and ventral (right) views: A – C, M. americanus specimen IZ- 133813 (105663) - 7436; D – F, M. savannahensis sp. nov. holotype, specimen IZ- 133799 (105645) - 7184; and G – I, M. sassafrasenesis sp. nov. holotype, specimen IZ- 134535 (105644) - 7171.

FIGURE 5. Legs of M. sassafrasensis sp. nov. specimen IZ- 134535 (105644) - 7176: A, leg I; B, leg II; C, leg III; D, leg IV.

FIGURE 10. Ventral views of spermatopositors from specimens of M. sassafrasensis sp. nov. (A and G, IZ- 134535 (105644) - 7176; B, IZ- 134535 (105644) - 7177), M. savannahensis sp. nov. (C, IZ- 133799 (105645) - 7185; D and H, IZ- 133806 (105652) - 7335), and M. americanus (E, IZ- 133812 (105662) - 7418; F and I, IZ- 133812 (105662) - 7420). Ventral microtrichia indicated by numbers 1 – 3 or 1 – 4 on each specimen. Close-up views show denticles on shafts of microtrichia (G) and the irregular placement of ventral microtrichia (H – I).

FIGURE 9. A, chelicer, B, claw of leg II, C, palp, and, D, dorsal tarsal setae of leg II of M. sassafrasensis sp. nov. specimen IZ- 134535 (105644) - 7176.