Charinus eleonorae Baptista & Giupponi, 2003

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 : 108-109

Charinus eleonorae Baptista & Giupponi, 2003

Fig. 43 ; Table 4

Charinus eleonorae Baptista & Giupponi, 2003: 80–84 , figs 1–14.

Charinus eleonorae – Trajano & Bichuette 2010: 12. — Miranda & Giupponi 2011: 66, fig. 13. — Vasconcelos et al. 2013: 496, fig. 12. — Torres-Contreras et al. 2015: 148. — Monte et al. 2015: 6, figs 1, 4. — Vasconcelos & Ferreira 2016: 185. — Miranda et al. 2016c: 19, 29.

Diagnosis

This species may be separated from other Charinus in eastern South America by means of the following combination of characters: anterior margin of carapace with corners weakly developed into small roundish knobs; median ocular tubercle indistinct; lateral eyes present, but reduced, with flattened lenses; female gonopods small, slightly longer than wide, sucker-like, with rounded opening; cheliceral claw with nine or twelve teeth; pedipalp femur with three dorsal spines and three ventral spines; pedipalp patella with four dorsal spines and three ventral spines; pedipalp tarsus with two long spines similar in length; tibia of leg I with 23 articles, tarsus I with 40 or 41 articles; leg IV basitibia with four pseudo-articles.

Etymology

Patronym honoring Dr Eleonora Trajano ( Baptista & Giupponi 2003).

Type material

Holotype BRAZIL • ♂; Minas Gerais, Itacarambi, Gruta Olhos d’Água ; 15°06′47″ S, 44°10′11″ W; 26 Jun. 2001; R.L.C. Baptista and A.P.L. Giupponi leg.; MNRJ 9070 .

Paratypes BRAZIL • 6 ♀♀, 7 ♂♂, 2 juv. ♂♂, 2 juv. ♀♀, 2 protonymphs; same collection data as for holotype; MNRJ 9033 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; MZSP [not examined] • 1 ♂, same collection data as for holotype; CZACC [now IES; L.F. de Armas, pers. com.; not examined] • 1 ♀; same locality as holotype; 10 Jul. 1993; E. Trajano leg.; MNRJ 9024 • 1 ♀, 1 juv.; same locality as for holotype; 30 Mar.–2 Apr. 1994; P. Gnaspini and E. Trajano leg.; MNRJ 9023 .

Supplementary description

CARAPACE.Ten anterior setae; frontal process triangular, not visible in dorsal view. Small granules densely scattered between ocular triads and among sulci. Median eyes reduced, median ocular tubercle absent; seta near remnants of median eyes; lateral eyes reduced, pale, seta posterior to lateral ocular triad.

STERNUM. Tritosternum projected anteriorly, with typical setation; other sternal platelets narrow, concave, with pair of setae anteriorly and some smaller setae posteriorly; pentasternum with twelve setae anteriorly and three setae near membranous region.

OPISTHOSOMA. Ventral sacs and ventral sac cover absent.

GENITALIA. Female genital operculum with prominent setae posteromedially and some smaller setae near margin; posterior margin of genital operculum with pair of shallow lateral sulci; gonopod sucker-like, with short stem and wide opening of genital atrium; gonopods unsclerotized basally. Male gonopod with base of fistula and lateral lobe sclerotized; lateral lobe 2 fimbriate.

CHELICERAE. Small tooth projecting slightly from retrolateral surface of basal segment, opposite to bifid tooth; retrolateral surface of claw with two patches of setae, one situated basally, the other medially; claw with 9–12 teeth; transverse row of around ten setae on prolateral surface of basal segment; bifid tooth on basal segment with dorsal cusp larger than ventral cusp.

PEDIPALPS. Coxal dorsal carina with three prominent setae encircled by round carina and three setae on margin. Femur with three dorsal spines and four ventral spines; small spine between dorsal spines 2 and 3; two prominent setiferous tubercles between dorsal spine 1 and proximal margin; long spine between ventral spine 1 and proximal margin; small spine between spines 1 and 2 and 2 and 3. Patella with three dorsal spines in primary series; prominent setiferous tubercle distal to spine I, one-third length of spine I; three ventral spines in primary series; long spine between spine I and distal margin. Tibia with ventral spine distally and five setae between spine and distal margin. Tarsus with two dorsal spines, proximal spine half length of distal spine; cleaning organ with 29–30 setae in ventral row.

LEGS. Tibia of leg I with 23 articles; tarsus I with 41 articles; first tarsal article shorter than subsequent articles. Leg IV basitibia with four pseudo-articles, without sclerotized, denticulate border at apex of articles; trichobothrium bt situated in proximal third of pseudo-article; distitibia trichobothrium bc situated closer to sbf than to bf, sc and sf series each with six trichobothria.

Measurements

See Table 4 .

Distribution

Known only from the type localities.

Natural history

All specimens were collected in the dark zone of the cave; none were found in the dry, upper galleries, where the phrynichid, Trichodamon princeps Mello-Leitão, 1935 , was abundant. Charinus eleonorae may be found inside small galleries or holes in the cave walls. Females carry up to 15 eggs and five embryos ( Baptista & Giupponi 2003). The cave is experiencing intense human disturbance including the installation of a water pump and construction of a water dam (L.S. Carvalho, pers. com.).

Figures

Fig. 43. Map plotting known distributions of species of Charinus Simon, 1892 in eastern South America, with inset for southeastern Brazil.