Genus Nerudiella gen. nov.

Figs 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159

Nuncia [part] (references to Nuncia americana): Roewer 1961: 102, pl. 19, figs 13–15; Cekalovic 1968: 6; Besch 1969: 733; Muñoz-Cuevas 1971 a: 873, fig. 28; Kury 2003: 21.

Nuncia (Nuncia) americana: Muñoz-Cuevas 1971 b: 98, figs 1–17; Cekalovic 1985: 11.

Etymology.

The generic epithet Nerudiella honors renowned Chilean poet and politician Pablo Neruda (1904–1973). Feminine grammatical gender.

Diagnosis.

Nerudiella species can be easily distinguished from other genera of Triaenonychidae by several notable characteristics. These include a relatively low to medium ocularium, which lacks an interocular apophysis or possesses a reduced apophysis (similar to that of the New Zealand Nuncia); a pedipalpal femora typically slightly curved; and presence of a subtle sexual dimorphism. The most salient feature is the male genitalia with a distinctive dorsolateral plate that originates from the genitalia’s pars basalis and extends onto the pars distalis. This plate appears wide in its lateral portion but small in dorsal view. These unique genital structures serve as reliable markers for the identification of Nerudiella species.

Type species.

Nuncia americana Roewer, 1961

Included species.

Nerudiella americana (Roewer, 1961) comb. nov., Nerudiella cachai sp. nov., Nerudiella caramavida sp. nov., Nerudiella cautin sp. nov., Nerudiella choapa sp. nov., Nerudiella curi sp. nov., Nerudiella goroi sp. nov., Nerudiella jaimei sp. nov., Nerudiella malleco sp. nov., Nerudiella penco sp. nov., Nerudiella pichi sp. nov., Nerudiella portai sp. nov., Nerudiella quenes sp. nov., Nerudiella vilches sp. nov., Nerudiella wekufe sp. nov., Nerudiella zapallar sp. nov.

Distribution.

Chile: From Coquimbo to Los Lagos Region (Fig. 4 F).