Forsteropsalis fabulosa (Phillipps & Grimmett, 1932)

Taylor, Christopher K. & Probert, Anna, 2014, Two new species of harvestmen (Opiliones, Eupnoi, Neopilionidae) from Waitomo, New Zealand, ZooKeys 434, pp. 37-45 : 41

Taxon classification Animalia Opiliones Neopilionidae

Forsteropsalis fabulosa (Phillipps & Grimmett, 1932)

Macropsalis fabulosa Phillipps & Grimmett, 1932: 731-733, fig. p. 732.

Megalopsalis fabulosa (Phillipps & Grimmett) - Forster 1944: 186-187, figs 10-11 (misidentification of Forsteropsalis inconstans ).

Megalopsalis tumida Forster 1944: 188-189, figs 4-6 syn. n.

Forsteropsalis fabulosa (Phillipps & Grimmett) - Taylor 2011: 51, figs 99-101, 2012: 49.

Forsteropsalis tumida (Forster) - Taylor 2011: 60-61, figs 124-127.

Comments.

Forsteropsalis fabulosa and Forsteropsalis tumida were distinguished in Taylor (2011) solely by the degree of dilation of the second cheliceral segment, with the latter supposedly more inflated in Forsteropsalis tumida than in Forsteropsalis fabulosa . A number of species of Forsteropsalis and its sister genus Pantopsalis are now known to vary in cheliceral dilation ( Taylor 2004, 2011, 2013, and see Forsteropsalis photophaga below). Forsteropsalis fabulosa and Forsteropsalis tumida were both described from the Wellington district, and there seems to no longer be any justification for separating them as different species. Forsteropsalis tumida is therefore regarded herein as a junior synonym of Forsteropsalis fabulosa (syn. n.).