Metapellobunus lutzi (Goodnight & Goodnight, 1942) Pérez-González & Mamani & Proud, 2025

Pérez-González, Abel, Mamani, Vanesa & Proud, Daniel N., 2025, On the genus Neoscotolemon (Opiliones: Laniatores: Samooidea incertae sedis) with the description of one new species, Zootaxa 5563 (1), pp. 109-165 : 159-160

Metapellobunus lutzi (Goodnight & Goodnight, 1942) comb. nov.

( Fig. 38 )

Neoscotolemon lutzi Goodnight & Goodnight 1942a: 4 ; Kury 2003: 26.

Type material: Holotype: ♂ ( AMNH, not examined), DOMINICA, Laudet , 12-Jun-1911, F. E. Lutz leg. Paratypes: 1 ♀ and 4 juveniles ( AMNH, examined), with the same data as the holotype . • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( AMNH, not examined), DOMINICA, Long Ditton near Roseau , 20-Jun-1911, F. E. Lutz leg.

Other material examined. 1 ♂ (photo voucher), 1 ♀ ( USNM), DOMINICA, Syndicate Native Trail , [15.523940°; -61.420490°], 21-Apr-2013, CarBio Team leg.

Remark: These specimens are considered to be co-specific with Neoscotolemon lutzi . Compared side by side, we did not find differences between the female specimen and the female paratype that we examined from the type locality. The male specimen matches with the original description and illustrations provided in Goodnight & Goodnight (1942) including the characteristic (and diagnostic) ocularium morphology.

Justification of the new combination. Neoscotolemon lutzi was described by Goodnight & Goodnight (1942) and was allocated under the genus Nesocotolemon because of its similarity with Neoscotolemon pictipes , mainly the presence of an ocularium with a strong median spiniform apophysis. This species was never revisited after the original description and thus it remained in this genus for more than 80 years. The examination of the types and additional material clearly shows that this species is not related with Neoscotolemon pictipes and does not belong to the genus Neoscotolemon or to the Samooidea superfamily.

Based on morphological evidence, we propose the combination Metapellobunus lutzi (Goodnight & Goodnight, 1942) comb. nov. to better reflect the phylogenetic affinities of this species and eliminate the spurious association with Neoscotolemon . Males of Metapellobunus lutzi comb. nov. lack the sexually dimorphic characteristics of Neoscotolemon such as the enlarged pedipalp with remarkably enlarged tarsus and the modified metatarsus III ( Fig. 38A–D ). Additionally, Metapellobunus lutzi does not have widely separated eyes as in Neoscotolemon ; in Metapellobunus , the eyes are close together and clearly associated with a rounded ocularium near the anterior border of the carapace ( Fig. 38A, B, D ). The cheliceral bulla also exhibits strong differences because, contrary to Neoscotolemon , the bulla is short and well-marked (as is commonly observed in Zalmoxoidea) ( Fig. 38B, D ). Moreover, Metapellobunus lutzi does not exhibit the same male genital morphology that characterizes Neoscotolemon . In Metapellobunus lutzi the male genitalia lack the apical calyx, dorsal neckline and laminar conductors that is exhibited by Neoscotolemon ; instead, Metapellobunus lutzi exhibits a capsula externa modified in a well-developed stragulum and a ventral plate with a wide and laterally protected lamina apicalis ( Fig. 38E ). The male genital morphology of Metapellobunus lutzi shows strong similarities with the male genital morphology of the Grassatores incertae sedis, Metapellobunus unicolor ( Roewer, 1912a) (pers. obs.), a harvestman species described from St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, Lesser Antilles.

Figures

FIGURE 38. Metapellobunus lutzi (Goodnight & Goodnight, 1942), male (USNM). A–D. Habitus photos: A, B. Dorsal view; C. Ventral view; D. Lateral view. E. Penis drawing, dorsal view. Stylus in green; stragulum in magenta. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B–D = 1 mm; E = 500 µm.