Charinus dominicanus Armas & Pérez, 2001

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 : 29-30

Charinus dominicanus Armas & Pérez, 2001

Figs 12 , 21–23 ; Table 1

Charinus dominicanus Armas & Pérez, 2001: 47 , 50, 59, 62–64, figs 11, 14.

Charinus dominicanus – Armas 2004: 39; 2006b: 227–228, 242–243, fig. 6; 2010: 58, 60. — Teruel & Questel 2015: 47. — Teruel 2016: 3–7, figs 1–3, 7a, 8. — Miranda et al. 2016b: 555, 557, fig. 8; 2018a: 24; 2018b: 36, fig. 14.

Diagnosis

This species may be separated from other Caribbean and Central American Charinus by means of the following combination of characters: anterior area of carapace broadly convex, slightly narrower in males; median eyes absent ( Fig. 21A, C ); median ocular tubercle small; lateral eyes well developed ( Fig. 21A ); tritosternum bottle-shaped, extremely short (wider than long) ( Fig. 21B ); cheliceral claw with eight teeth; pedipalp tarsus with two dorsal curved spines, distal spine half length of the tarsus, proximal spine half length of distal spine; tibia of leg I with 21 articles, tarsus I with 33 articles; leg IV basitibia with three pseudo-article; leg IV basitibia trichobothrium bc situated equidistant between bf and sbf; leg IV distitibia sc and sf series each with five trichobothria.

Etymology

Adjective referring to the country in which the species occurs ( Armas & Pérez 2001).

Type material

Holotype DOMINICAN REPUBLIC • 1 ♀; Barahona Province, La Ciénaga Municipality, Los Charcos , sección San Rafael , Sierra de Bahoruco ; [18°04′ N, 71°06′ W]; IES [not examined].

Additional material (examined)

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC • 1 ♂; Sierra de Bahoruco , south of Barahona, 3.4 km N of Paraiso on DR 44, small farm with coffee plantation; 18°00′56.46″ N, 71°08′40.62″ W; 7–8 Jul. 2010; 115 m a.s.l.; J.H. Huff and S. Schoenbrun leg.; new record; AMCC [ LP 10473 ] • 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂; Sierra de Bahoruco , 3.4 km N of Paraíso on DR44, S of Barahona, small farm with coffee plantation; 12°00.94′ N, 71°08.677′ W; 115 m a.s.l.; 7–8 Jul. 2010; J. Huff and S. Schoenbrun leg.; AMNH .

Measurements

See Table 1 .

Distribution

Occurs in the southwestern part of the Dominican Republic.

Natural history

Lives under stones, sometimes in sympatry with Phrynus marginemaculatus C.L. Koch, 1841 .

Remarks

A supplementary description of the female and first description of the male are provided by Teruel (2016). Details of the ultrastructure of the gonopod and leg I are provided here for the first time ( Figs 22– 23 ). The cushion-like female gonopod is flat, with a narrow apex ( Fig. 22A–B ), and resembles that of C. vulgaris . The distal articles of tibia I have trichobothria ( Fig. 23H–I ). The distal article of tarsus I ( Fig. 23A, J ) is covered with clavate sensilla ( Fig. 23G ) and a tarsal organ projecting from the apex, near the claw ( Fig. 23D ). The clavate sensilla bear multiple linear striations on the surface and an apical pore ( Fig. 23G ). The tarsal organ has a stalk and three rounded projections at the distal margin. Each rounded projection has a small pore. The rod sensilla is formed by four setae in shallow groove ( Fig. 23E ). The setae forming the rod sensilla are punctuate ( Fig. 23F ). Gland openings are present on tarsal article 13 ( Fig. 23J ).

Figures

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

Fig. 21. Charinus dominicanus Armas & Perez, 2001 (AMCC [LP 10473]), general morphology, ♂. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Sternum, ventral view. C. Frontal process. D. Pedipalp tarsus, frontal view. E. Pedipalp, dorsal view. F. Pedipalp, ventral view. Scale bars: A, D–F = 1 mm; B–C = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 22. Charinus dominicanus Armas & Perez, 2001 (AMNH), female gonopod. A. Dorsal view. Inset: sperm sac attached to atrium entrance. B. Posterior view.

Fig. 23. Charinus dominicanus Armas & Perez, 2001 (AMNH), antenniform leg I, ♀. A. Distal tarsal articles. B. Apex of distal article showing modified claw and tarsal organ. C. Claw. D. Tarsal organ. E. Rod sensilla with olfactory setae. F. Apex of olfactory seta. G. Clavate setae. Inset: small punctures at setal base. H. Trichobothria on distal articles of tibia of leg I. I. Trichobothria on last article of tibia of leg I. J. Sensory gland opening on tarsal article 13.