Charinus asturius, 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 : 108-110

Charinus asturius n. sp.

(®gures 1±7, 13, 14)

Diagnosis. Similar and closely related to Charinus brasilianus Weygoldt, 1972 . It diOEers from that species by the fact that the trichobothrial rows sc and sf contain six setae instead of ®ve and by slight diOEerences in the male genitalia. It diOEers from Charinus montanus Weygoldt, 1972 with the same numbers of trichobothria by its more slender appearance and by its pointed, instead of club-shaped, setae.

Description. Carapace (®gure 13): 1.4 times wider than long, ®nely granulated with the typical sculpture; anterior margin rounded, with six strong frontal setae and several ®ner setae along the anterior-lateral margins; frontal process large and triangular (®gure 1), in some specimens directed downwards, in others visible from above. Median eyes well developed; median eye tubercle with two small posterior setae; lateral eyes with little pigmentation, each triad with one strong posterior seta. Chelicera: smooth, with the typical charinid dentition, upper or distal tooth of the internal margin of the basal article bicuspidate, the upper cusp larger, external margin without tooth; fang with a series of up to eight small teeth; internal surface of basal article with a few scattered setae proximally. Pedipalp (®gures 2, 3, 13): trochanter with a dorsal row of up to 10 (two to three large) setae, an anterior row with up to 10 (six to seven large) setae and one spine in about the centre of the row; another anterior spine dorsally of the ventral apophysis. Femur with ®ve (six in large males) dorsal and four (®ve in large males) ventral spines; dorsal spine F1, the largest, is situated close to the trochanter±femur joint, at 7±9% of the femur length, it is preceded proximally by a curved row of two strong and two small tubercles, each carrying a seta, ventral spine FI is preceded proximally by a small anteriorventral spine, all spines decrease in length towards the distal end, spine F6, if present, is little more than a small tubercle; the protonymph has only the primary spines F1, F2, FI and FII. Tibia with six (seven in large males) dorsal and four (®ve in large males) ventral spines; the three primary dorsal spines 1±3 close together at the distal end of the tibia, distance between 1 and 2 (in large males with elongate pedipalps) less than basal spine diameter, distance between 2 and 3 less than two basal diameters; dorsal spine 1, the largest, is followed distally by a spinelet carrying a seta, the proximal spine 5 (and 6 if present) are small, tubercle-like; the protonymph has only the three large primary spines 1±3 and the most distal spinelet dorsally and spines I and II ventrally. Basitarsus with two dorsal and one ventral spine, distal spine Ta2 about 2.7 times longer than spine Ta1. Distitarsus with two small subequal dorsal spinelets above cleaning organ, the distal one slightly larger than the proximal. Pedipalp in the male elongate, tibia in the holotype male 1.9 times prosoma length; in the paratype female 0.9 and in the largest female 1.2 times carapace length. First leg: 23 to 24 tibial and 41 tarsal articles. Fourth leg: basitibia IV divided into four articles. Trichobothria (®gure 4): each walking leg tibia carries 19 trichobothria. The seta bc is much closer to sbf than to bf; the series sf and sc each with six setae. Sternum: tritosternum elongate, cone-shaped, with two strong apical setae and several smaller setae; tetrasternum a small, rounded tubercle with several setae, pentasternum even smaller with few small setae, both without any indication of a median furrow; metasternum wide, between fourth coxae, with few small setae. Genitalia: female gonopods (®gure 7) short, cone-shaped, with an apical sucker-like prehensile structure, with very little anterior-ventral sclerotization; female genital operculum rounded posteriorly, with numerous pointed setae in particular along its posterior edge. Male spermatophore organ (®gures 5, 6) wider than long, soft, with little sclerotization at the bases of the lateral and dorsal lobes and a weak U-shaped dorsal sclerotization; genital operculum rounded posteriorly, with few strong, pointed setae.

Colour in alcohol. Carapace, pedipalps and chelicerae reddish brown, tergites, sternites and legs paler without pattern or leg annulations, all parts densely decorated with dark, nearly blackish granules.

Etymology. Named in reference to the ship`PrõÂncipe da AstuÂria’ (Prince of Asturia) that sank near the type locality of the new species, Ilhabela, SaÄo Paulo State, Brazil.

Measurements (in mm). Holotype male (MZSP 18930): total length 8.7, carapace length 3.8, width 5.45; distance between lateral eyes 2.5; pedipalp tibia length 7.3, spine 1 1.95, spine 2 1.4, spine 3 0.9; ®rst leg femur 9.5, tibia 17, tarsus 14: second leg femur 6.1, basitibia 4.8, distitibia 2.5, basitarsus 1.1, other tarsal articles 1.0; third leg femur 6.85, basitibia 5.9, distitibia 2.9, basitarsus 1.1, other tarsal articles 1.0; fourth leg femur 5.9, basitibia I 3.3, basitibia II 0.75, basitibia III 1.0, basitibia IV 1.2, distitibia 2.6, basitarsus 1.2, other tarsal articles 1.0.

Paratype female (MZSP 18930): total length 7.25, carapace length 2.6, width 3.6; distance between lateral eyes 1.7; pedipalp tibia length 2.3, spine 1 1.2, spine 2 0.9, spine 3 0.45; ®rst leg femur 5.35, tibia 10, tarsus 9; second leg femur 3.6, basitibia 2.5, distitibia 1.7, basitarsus 0.7, other tarsal articles 0.7; third leg femur 4.15, basitibia 3.1, distitibia 1.9, basitarsus 0.8, other tarsal articles 0.8; fourth leg femur 3.6, basitibia I 1.75, basitibia II 0.45, basitibia III 0.5, basitibia IV 0.7, distitibia 1.75, basitarsus 0.75, other tarsal articles 0.75.

Largest female paratype (MZSP 18934): total length 10.5, carapace length 3.8, width 5.5; distance between lateral eyes 2.65; pedipalp tibia length 4.6, spine 1 2.1, spine 2 1.5, spine 3 0.85; ®rst leg femur 9.25, tibia 18, tarsus lost; second leg femur 6.3, other articles broken; third leg femur 7.15, basitibia 5.95, distitibia 2.8, basitarsus 1.0, other tarsal article 1.0; fourth leg femur 6.0. basitibia I 3.3, basitibia II 0.9, basitibia III 1.1, basitibia IV 1.25, distitibia 2.75, basitarsus 1.2, other tarsal articles 1.1.

Specimens examined. MZSP 18930 : male holotype, one female paratype: [ Brasil, SP: Ilha Bela , Morro PacuõÂba, 23 ss 44 ¾ S 45 ss 19 ¾ W, G. Machado leg. January 1998] . MZSP 18934 : one female with empty egg sac and numerous prenymphal exuviae, paratype [same data as holotype] . MZSP 16900 : four males, three females, one immature female, six protonymphs [same locality as holotype, 18 January 1999, R. Pinto-da-Rocha and G. Machado leg.] .