Ricinoides sp.

Botero-Trujillo, Ricardo, Sain, Colby E. & Prendini, Lorenzo, 2021, Systematics Of The “ Giant ” Ricinulei (Ricinoididae: Ricinoides) Of West Africa, With Descriptions Of Five New Species And Comparative Morphology Of The Male Copulatory Apparatus, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2021 (448), pp. 1-68 : 64-65

Ricinoides sp.

Figures 3, 5

Ricinoides feae (Hansen, 1921) : Murienne et al., 2013: 2, figs. 1, 2 (misidentification); Fernández and Giribet, 2015: 6, 7 (misidentification).

Ricinoides aff. feae (Hansen, 1921) : Murienne et al., 2013: 2, figs. 1, 2; Fernández and Giribet, 2015: 7.

Ricinoides afzelii ( Thorell, 1892) or Ricinoides feae (Hansen, 1921) : Penney et al., 2009: 66–68, figs. 2, 3.

2021 BOTERO-TRUJILLO ET AL.: SYSTEMATICS OF WEST AFRICAN “GIANT” RICINULEI 65

REMARKS: The phylogenetic analyses of Murienne et al. (2013) and Fernández and Giribet (2015) included material, misidentified as R. feae , from Guinea-Bissau. Comparison with the type specimens of R. feae indicate that these specimens belong to a closely related, undescribed species. Unfortunately, the specimens were carelessly damaged in the process of DNA extraction: legs were removed from the adults and the male copulatory apparatus broken, eliminating or damaging the structures necessary for diagnosis and description. Consequently, the description of this species is postponed until intact material becomes available. The male specimen from the Gambia is unsuitable for description as the sinistral leg III is abnormal and the dextral copulatory apparatus damaged. Although a complete comparison of all the taxonomically informative characters cannot be conducted, given the condition of the few males available, all these specimens are presumed to belong to the same undescribed species. They are also probably conspecific with the specimens reported by Penney et al. (2009) from two other Gambian localities: Abuko Nature Reserve (13°23′28.38″N 16°39′00.18″W) and Bijilo Forest Park (13°26′16″N 16°43′32″W). These specimens, which Penney et al. (2009) regarded as likely belonging to either R. afzelii or R. feae , were not collected, however, and photographs of the habitus of the live animals are the only record available.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: THE GAMBIA: Lower River: Kiang West, Keneba [13°19′52″N 16°00′34″W], 8.viii.1957, D.H. Murphy, moist litter in secondary forest, 1 ♂ ( BMNH 13588975 old 1958.10.7.1), 31.vii.1957, D.H. Murphy, deciduous litter in relict riverine forest, 1 ♀, 1 larva ( BMNH 13588976 old 1958.10.7.2-3), 4. ix.1957, 1 ♀, 1 tritonymph, 1 larva ( BMNH 14041443 old 1958.10.7.4-6), 19.i.1958, 2 protonymphs ( BMNH 14041444 old 1958.10.7.7-8). Western Region: Brikama [13°16′N 16°39′W], 12.vii.1993, P. Olivier, border of primary forest, 2 ♀ ( MRAC 177.186 ). GUINEA-BIS- SAU: Bafatá Region: Bambadinca, property of Riverzoo Farm, 12°00′09″N 14°53′25.9″W, 29.vi.2005, J. Huff and V. Vignoli, secondary growth bordered by river and grass savannah, leaf litter sifting, 3 tritonymphs, 6 deutonymphs, 10 protonymphs ( AMCC [ LP 4664 ]) ; Bambadinca , 19 km S, 11°53′03.9″N 14°50′08.5″W, 1.vii.2005, J. Huff and V. Vignoli, wet savannah with marginal secondary rainforest, leaf litter sifting, 1 ♂ ( AMCC [ LP 4662 ]), 1 tritonymph, 1 deutonymph ( AMCC [ LP 4663 ]) ; Bambadinca , 22 km S, 12°04′53.6″N 14°48′03.7″W, 30.vi.2005, J. Huff and V. Vignoli, mango plantation behind village, leaf litter sifting, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( AMCC [ LP 4661 ]), 4 tritonymphs, 1 deutonymph, 5 protonymphs, 2 larvae ( AMCC [ LP 4658 ]), 12°04′53.6″N 14°48′03.7″W, 2.vii.2005, J. Huff and V. Vignoli, wet forest with permanent pond, under log, 1 ♀ ( AMCC [ LP 4660 ]) . SENEGAL: Kédougou Region: Kédougou, W along road to Salemata , 12°33′10.6″N 12°13′39.4″W, 4.vii.2005, J. Huff and V. Vignoli, sparse forest with small boulders, hand collected under rocks and logs, 1 ♀ ( AMCC [ LP 4659 ]) .