Charinus acaraje, Pinto-Da-Rocha & MacHado & Weygoldt, 2002

Pinto-Da-Rocha, Ricardo, MacHado, Glauco & Weygoldt, Peter, 2002, Two new species of Charinus Simon, 1892 from Brazil with biological notes (Arachnida; Amblypygi; Charinidae), Journal of Natural History 36 (1), pp. 107-118 : 110-113

Charinus acaraje n. sp.

(®gures 8±12)

Diagnosis. A cavernicolous species with elongate pedipalps and legs. It is distinguished from most other species by the fact that femoral spine F1 is not situated close to the trochanter ±femur articulation; it is situated at about 26% of the femur length away from the articulation. It is further distinguished from most other species by its inconspicuous and small frontal process and by its extreme elongation of the antenniform legs; individual tibial articles may be up to 1.3 mm long, and by the fact that there are only ®ve, instead of six, frontal setae.

Description. Carapace 1.4 times wider than long, ®nely granulated, with the typical sculpture, anterior margin rounded, with ®ve strong frontal setae, one directly in front of the median eye tubercle and two on each side, and some smaller setae; frontal process (®gure 8) small, directed downwards and slightly posteriorly, not visible from above; median eye tubercle well developed though small and ¯at, with one seta at its posterior margin, lateral eyes also small but with lenses and normal pigmentation; a strong seta at the posterior margin of each triad, three more similar setae in oblique row between anterior margin and lateral eyes. Chelicera: smooth, with the typical charinid dentition, all teeth strongly worn, upper or distal tooth with only a small notch between both cusps, internal surface proximally with a Sshaped row of seven ®ne setae and a few more setae that merge with the ventral fringe hairs. Pedipalp (®gure 9): trochanter with a dorsal row of seven (three large) setae, an anterior row of up to 10 (six large) setae and a strong spine in about the centre of the row, and another, larger spine directly above the ventral apophysis. Femur asymmetric, with four dorsal spines on the right and three dorsal spines on the left pedipalp; spine F1 not directly distal of trochanter±femur joint, instead about 26% of the femur length away from that articulation, preceded on the right femur by a curved row of four small setae, on the left side by an irregular group of two large and two small setae; F1 is the largest, spine length decreasing towards the distal end, femur ventral (on both sides) with ®ve spines, the three large spines FI±FIII decrease in length distally, spine FI is preceded proximally by a smaller secondary spine, which, on the left palpus, reaches nearly the length of spine F1, FIII is followed distally by a small spine FIV. Tibia dorsal with the three primary spines 1±3, a spinelet distally of spine 1 and another small secondary spine 4 proximally of spine 3 (these latter spinelets are missing on the left pedipalp), distance between primary spines 1±3 larger than basal spine diameters, tibia ventral with only two spines. Basitarsus with one ventral and two dorsal spines, Ta2 about twice as long as Ta1. Distitarsus with two small spines dorsally of cleaning organ, the distal one about 2.5 as large as the proximal one; pedipalp elongate, tibia 1.7 times longer than carapace. Antenniform legs: with 23 tibial articles, tarsus incomplete; elongate, individual tibial segments reach 1.3 mm, basal tarsal segments reach up to 0.8 mm. Walking legs elongate, basitibia IV divided into four articles. Trichobothria (®gure 10): each walking leg tibia carries 19 trichobothria. The seta bc is closer to sbf than to bf; the series sf and sc each with six setae. Sternum: tritosternum elongate and narrow, with two strong apical setae, three large and several smaller basal setae; tetrasternum and pentasternum small rounded tubercles with few setae; metasternum narrow, with only four setae. Male genitalia (®gures 11, 12): genital operculum with strong and long setae in the anterior and median part, posterior margin weakly rounded, nearly straight, with few setae; spermatophore organ slightly longer than wide, with little sclerotization around the bases of the posterior lobes and in the anterior-dorsa l region.

Colour in alcohol. Carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and legs light reddish brown, tergites and sternites even lighter, transparent.

Etymology. A noun in reference to one of the most famous dishes of the bahian cooking, the`acarajeÂ’.

Measurements (in mm). Total length 9.4, carapace length 3.75, width 5.25, distance between lateral eyes 2.5; pedipalp tibia length 6.25, spine 1 2.0, spine 2 1.7, spine 3 1.1; ®rst leg femur 16.8, tibia 27, tarsus broken; second leg femur 11.3, basitibia 6.4, distitibia 3.5, basitarsus 1.7, other tarsal articles 1.2; third leg femur 10.0, basitibia 8.3, distitibia 4.8, basitarsus 2.3, other tarsal articles 1.4; fourth leg femur 8.8, basitibia I 4.1, basitibia II 1.5, basitibia III 1.45, basitibia IV 2.1, distitibia 4.45, tarsus broken.

Specimen examined. MZSP 18929 male holotype [ Brasil, Gruta Pedra do Sino , Santa Luzia, BA, leg B. S. Santos at aphotic zone, 14 October 1997]. No other specimens known .