Filopalpus, Martens, 2022

Martens, Jochen, 2022, From the Ethiopian Bale Mountains hotspot-Filopalpinae subfam. nov., a new taxon of Laniatorean harvestmen based on external and genital morphology (Arachnida, Opiliones, Assamiidae), Zootaxa 5159 (2), pp. 221-244 : 224-225

Filopalpus gen. nov.

Type species: Filopalpus joschmidti sp. nov.

Included species: Five species from Ethiopia described in this paper.

Diagnosis: As given for the subfamily Filopalpinae subfam. nov. Small species from 2.3 to 3.5 mm; showing marked sexual dimorphism in pedipalpal formation; male pedipalp filiform with extremely elongated femur and patella, several times longer than body length, a pedipalpal catching basket is absent; female pedipalp as long as body length or slightly shorter, pedipalpal catching basket formed by equipment of tibia and tarsus with short or medium-sized apophyses with strong seta on top. Body completely wrapped by small polygonal tubercles nearly touching each other, enlarged to single rows of pointed apophyses on the free Abd tergites, such equipment reduced on ventral side. In front of prosoma several pointed apophyses directed forward, a large upward-directed one on Tu oc surpassing prosomal frontal edge. Male genital morphology typical for Assamiidae with eversible prickly funnel on dorso-distal side of truncus.

Etymology: It refers to the extremely slender and elongated pedipalps of males. It is composed of Latin filus for thread, and (pedi) palpus, the arthropod tactile appendage. The gender is masculine.

Distribution: Currently known from several localities in the Bale Mountains, Oromia State, Ethiopia. The five species described here span a wide altitudinal range from about 1700 m a.s.l. up to the afro-alpine zone above 4000 m.

Key to the presently accepted species of Filopalpus gen. nov.

(Males of F. altomontanus sp. nov. and of F. niger sp. nov. are unknown):

1 Male (always with long thread-like pedipalp without conspicuous apophyses and/or setae, pedipalp considerably longer than body length; Figs 1–2 , 10 , 22 , 25 , 46 )..................................................................... 2

– Female (always with compact pedipalp shorter than body, with ventral armament of strong setae on tibia and tarsus, a “grasping hand”; Figs 7-8 , 20 , 27 , 33, 39-40, 49-50 , 57 , 60, 63-64 )...................................................... 4

2 Pedipalp four times longer than body ( Figs 1–2 , 10 ).................................. Filopalpus joschmidti sp. nov.

– Pedipalp less than four times longer than body ( Figs 25 , 46 )................................................... 3

3 Dorsal armament of body with two pairs of strong paramedian tubercles on abdominal areae I and III, with one pair on abdominal areae II and IV ( Figs 46–47 )................................................. Filopalpus bale sp. nov.

– Dorsal armament of body with one pair of strong paramedian tubercles of abdominal areae I–III ( Figs 25–26 )........................................................................................ Filopalpus kakaensis sp. nov.

4 Femur of pedipalp rather slender, with few low tubercles ventrally, strong setae on tibia and tarsus positioned only on low apophyses, these as deep as long or apophyses absent ( Figs 20 , 33 , 57 , 68 )....................................... 5

– Femur of pedipalp slender, no tubercles present, tibia and tarsus with strong setae, positioned on elevated apophyses, longer than deep ( Figs 63–64 )...................................................... Filopalpus altomontanus sp. nov.

5 Tibia of pedipalp with a single long and strong ventral seta ( Figs 20 , 68 )......................................... 6

– Tibia of pedipalp with two long and strong ventral setae ( Figs 33 , 57 )........................................... 7

6 Femur, patella and tibia of pedipalp stout, tarsus markedly inflated ( Fig. 68 ).................. Filopalpus niger sp. nov.

– Femur, patella and tibia and tarsus of pedipalp slender ( Fig. 29 )........................ Filopalpus joschmidti sp. nov.

7 Pedipalpal claw as long as tarsus ( Fig. 57 ).............................................. Filopalpus bale sp. nov.

– Pedipalpal claw shorter than tarsus ( Fig. 33 )........................................ Filopalpus kakaensis sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Filopalpus joschmidti sp. nov. Body dorsal view. 1–3, 5. Male; 4, 6 female. 1–2. Left pedipalp stretched out and surpassing length of leg II; 1. and 2–3. represent different males (note different equipment of apophyses of rear end of opisthosoma). 4. Female with short pedipalp; 5–6. Distal part of prosoma; note cover of hedgehog-like tubercles with seta on top.A and b in Figs 1 and 2 indicate the pedipalp (a) and leg II (b). Photographs by Jean Severin (1) and Joachim Schmidt (2–6).

FIGURES 7–10. Filopalpus joschmidti sp. nov. 7–8. Female paratype; 9–10. Male holotype. Body dorsal view (8), lateral view (7, 10) and ventral view (9). Scale: 1 mm.

FIGURES 11–24. Filopalpus joschmidti sp. nov. Male holotype (11–17; 21–23) and female paratype (18–20; 24). 11–12. Penis dorsal and lateral views. 13–15. Glans dorsal, ventral and lateral views. 16–19. Chelicera pro-lateral and retro-lateral views. 20. Pedipalpus retro-lateral view. 21. Pedipalpal femur-patella joint, retro-lateral view male. 22. Pedipalp retro-lateral view. 23. Pedipalpal tibia and tarsus. 24. Ovipositor distal part. Scales: 11–12: 0.3 mm, 13–19: 0.1 mm, 20: 0.5 mm, 21: 0.13 mm, 22: 0.25 mm, 23: 0.5 mm, 24: 0.05 mm.

FIGURES 25–28. Filopalpus kakaensis sp. nov. Male holotype (25–26); female paratype (27–28). Body lateral view (25, 27) and dorsal view (26, 28), Scale: 1 mm.

FIGURES 40–50. Filopalpus bale sp. nov. Male holotype (40–48) and female paratype (49–50). 40–41. Penis dorsal and lateral view. 42–45. Glans ventral, dorsal and lateral view, in 39 and 40 seen from different angles. 46–50. Habitus, lateral view (46–49), dorsal view (47, 50) and ventral view (48). Scales: 40–41: 0.3 mm, 42–45: 0.05 mm, 46–50: 1.2 mm.

FIGURES 29–39. Filopalpus kakaensis sp. nov. Male holotype (29–32, 34–37) and female paratype (33, 38–39). 29–30. Penis, dorsal and lateral view. 31–32. Glans dorsal and lateral view. 33. Pedipalp retro-lateral view. 34. Pedipalpal trochanter and base of femur. 35. Pedipalpal tibia and tarsus, retro-lateral view. 36–39. Chelicera retro-lateral (36, 38) and pro-lateral view (37–39). Scales: 29–39: 0.3 mm.

FIGURES 51–57. Filopalpus bale sp. nov. Male holotype (51–52, 55–56) and female paratype (53-54, 57). 51–54. Chelicera, retro-lateral view (51, 53), pro-lateral view (52, 54). 55. Tibia and tarsus, retro-lateral view. 56–57. Pedipalp retro-lateral view. Scales: 51–55: 0.3 mm, 56–57.

FIGURES 58–65. Filopalpus altomontanus sp. nov. Female holotype. 58–60. Habitus in dorsal (58), ventral (59) and lateral view (60). 61–62. Chelicera in pro-lateral-view (61) and retro-lateral view (62). 63. Pedipalp, retro-lateral view. 64. Pedipalpal tibia and tarsus, retro-lateral view. 65.Apophysis and sensory hair on pedipalpal tarsus. Scales: 58–60: 0.6 mm, 61–62: 0.3 mm, 63: 0.5 mm, 65: 0.025 mm.

FIGURES 66–70. Filopalpus niger sp. nov. Female paratype. Habitus in lateral view (66) and dorsal view (67). 68. Pedipalp in retro-lateral view. 69–70. Chelicera in retro-lateral view (69) and pro-lateral view (70). Scales: 66–67: 0.6 mm, 68: 0.5 mm, 69–70: 0.3 mm.