Charinus belizensis, Miranda, Giupponi & Wizen, 2016

Miranda, Gustavo Silva de, Giupponi, Alessandro P. L., Prendini, Lorenzo & Scharff, Nikolaj, 2021, Systematic revision of the pantropical whip spider family Charinidae Quintero, 1986 (Arachnida, Amblypygi), European Journal of Taxonomy 772, pp. 1-409 : 20-21

Charinus belizensis Miranda, Giupponi & Wizen, 2016

Fig. 12 ; Table 1

Charinus belizensis Miranda et al., 2016b: 547–550, figs 1a, d, 2a–b, 3a, c, 4a, c, 5a–b, g, 6a, d, g, 7a, 8.

Diagnosis

This species may be separated from other Caribbean and Central American Charinus by means of the following combination of characters: median eyes and ocular tubercle absent; gonopods cushion-like; cheliceral claw with four teeth; cusps of bifid tooth of basal cheliceral segment with dorsal and ventral projections of equal size; tibia of leg I with 23 articles; tarsus I with 41 articles, first article of leg I tarsus three or four times as long as second article.

Etymology

Adjective referring to the country, Belize, where the species occurs ( Miranda et al. 2016b).

Type material (examined)

Holotype BELIZE • ♂; Cayo District, Armenia, Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch Jungle Lodge; 17°09′56.89″ N, 88°40′55.89″ W; 7 Sep. 2014; G. Wizen leg.; Caves Branch forest, nature trail, under and inside rotting logs; HUJ INV AMB 117 .

Paratypes BELIZE • 1 ♀, 1 juv.; same locality as for holotype; 2 Sep. 2014; G. Wizen leg.; HUJ INV AMB 118 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; MNRJ 9306 .

Measurements

See Table 1 .

Distribution

Known only from the type locality.

Natural history

Inhabits decomposing parts of fallen tree logs and deserted termite galleries in broadleaf forest; collected with Diplocentrus maya Francke, 1977 ( Scorpiones : Diplocentridae Karsch, 1880 ) and millipedes of the order Platydesmida Cook, 1895 . More than one individual was collected in the same log cavity, suggesting a degree of tolerance towards conspecifics. The species was observed to prey on small insects and spiders inside the log.

Remarks

A detailed description and comparison with other species of the genus, habitat and behavior can be found in Miranda et al. (2016b).

Figures

Fig. 12. Map plotting known distributions of species of Charinus Simon, 1892 in the Caribbean and Central America.