Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886

Sharma, Prashant P., Kury, Adriano B. & Giribet, Gonzalo, 2011, Zalmoxidae (Arachnida: Opiliones: Laniatores) of the Paleotropics: a catalogue of Southeast Asian and Indo-Pacific species, Zootaxa 2972, pp. 37-58 : 42-43

Genus Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886

Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 , p. 64; Thorell, 1891, p. 82–83; Roewer, 1912, p. 126–127; Müller, 1917, p. 253–254; Roewer, 1923, p. 85; Goodnight & Goodnight, 1957, p. 81; Suzuki, 1977, p. 12; Staręga, 1989, p. 4.

Chondrobunus Loman, 1902 , p. 207 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Roewer (1912); type species: Chondrobunus granulatus Loman, 1902 , by monotypy].

Euzalmoxis Roewer, 1915 , p. 15 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species: Euzalmoxis neoguinensis Roewer, 1915 , by monotypy].

Hoplozalmoxis Roewer, 1915 , p. 18 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species: Hoplozalmoxis pallida Roewer, 1915 , by monotypy].

Acrozalmoxis Roewer, 1915 , p. 16 [type species: Acrozalmoxis neoguinensis Roewer, 1915 , by monotypy]. New synonymy.

Parazalmoxida Roewer, 1917 , p. 93 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species: Parazalmoxida solitaria Roewer, 1917 , by monotypy].

Gjellerupia [partim.]: Roewer, 1915, 109 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species: Gjellerupia neoguinensis Roewer, 1913 , by monotypy].

Zalmoxilla Roewer, 1926 , p. 546 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species: Zalmoxilla mitobatipes Roewer, 1926 , by monotypy].

Zalmoxana Roewer, 1927 , p. 294 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species: Zalmoxana dammermani Roewer, 1927 , by monotypy].

Metagjellerujia Goodnight & Goodnight, 1947 , p. 328 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species: Metagjellerujia jewetti Goodnight & Goodnight, 1947 , by original designation].

Foella Goodnight & Goodnight, 1948 , p. 1 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species Foella remingtoni Goodnight & Goodnight, 1948 , by original designation].

Camanastus Roewer, 1949a , p. 20. [type species: Camanastus insularis Roewer, 1949 , by original designation.] New synonymy.

Zalmoxomma Roewer, 1949a , p. 25 [type species: Zalmoxomma occidentalis Roewer, 1949 , by original designation]; Staręga, 1989, p. 4; 1992, 295. New synonymy.

Papuastus Roewer, 1949a , p. 26; Staręga, 1989, p. 4 [type species: Papuastus maculosus Roewer, 1949 , by original designation]. New synonymy.

Pygozalmoxis Roewer, 1949a , p. 28 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species: Zalmoxis neocaledonica Roewer, 1912 , by original designation].

Gagirius Roewer, 1949a , p. 28 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species: Gagirius neoguinensis Roewer, 1949 , by original designation].

Sepikusta Roewer, 1949a , p. 29 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species: Sepikusta armata Roewer, 1949a , by original designation].

Linabia Roewer, 1949a , p. 29 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species: Zalmoxis armatipes Strand, 1910 , by original designation].

Gjellerupiola [partim.] Roewer, 1949a, p. 29 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species: Gjellerupiola minima Roewer, 1949 , by monotypy].

Papuodes Roewer, 1949a , p. 29 [junior subjective synonym of Zalmoxis Sørensen, 1886 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1957); type species: Papuodes convexus Roewer, 1949a , by original designation].

Savoa Forster, 1949 , p. 144 [type species: Savoa bonka Forster, 1949 , by original designation]. New synonymy.

Zalmoxista [partim.]: Roewer, 1949b, p. 143–144 [type species: Zalmoxis australis Sørensen, 1886 , by original designation]. New synonymy.

Type species. Zalmoxis robustus Sørensen, 1886 , by subsequent designation: Roewer (1949a: 20).

Gender. Masculine (see remarks). All specific names are accordingly emended. The names bonka , insula , lavacaverna and spinicoxa are unaltered because they are nouns in apposition.

Diagnosis. Ocularium wider than long, unarmed or tuberculate. First scutal area large, without a dividing transversal furrow. Transverse sulci distinct; first orthogonal to longitudinal axis, others angular and anteriorly concave ("V"-shaped), with exceptions. Free tergites and anal plate variably armed with spines or tubercles. Spiracles typically visible. Coxae IV larger than coxae III. Pedipalpal segments robust and spined. Tarsal formula 3, 5–9, 5, 6. Distitarsus I with two articles, distitarsus II with three articles. Male genitalia comprising a stragulum overlying the stylus. Lamina ventralis divided into distal rutrum and basal pergula, both variably bearing setae; stragulum articulated to truncus like a jackknife. Sexual dimorphism typical, but variable; male leg IV usually arcuate and with stouter spines, especially on femur IV, tibia IV and/or opisthosomal segments.

Remarks. Sørensen (1886) described the genus Zalmoxis to include two new species. Z. robusta Sørensen, 1886 and Z. pygmaea Sørensen, 1886 . He did not choose a type species, which was acceptable before 1931, and treated the genus as feminine. Subsequently, Hirst (1912) described Zalmoxis austerus , treating the genus as masculine; Roewer (1912) treated Zalmoxis as feminine. The origin of the name is the Greek Ζάλμοξιϛ, a Thracian male divinity. ICZN article 30.1.2. states that "a genus-group name that is or ends in a Greek word transliterated into Latin without other changes takes the gender given for that word in standard Greek dictionaries". Therefore, in spite of the feminine form assumed by Sørensen, the correct gender should be masculine, and we follow this hereafter.