Fissiphallius martensi, Pinto-Da-Rocha, Ricardo, 2004

Pinto-Da-Rocha, Ricardo, 2004, A new species of Fissiphalliidae from Brazilian Amazon Rain Forest (Arachnida: Opiliones), Zootaxa 640, pp. 1-6 : 2-6

Fissiphallius martensi new species

(Figs. 1­8)

Type­material: Holotype, male (MCN­1147), from Reserva Ducke, Manaus, Amazonas, BRAZIL, 6–9 August 1992, A.D. Brescovit leg. . Paratypes: same locality as holotype, 1 female, 11 December 1990, F. Apolinário leg., in termite nest (INPA); 2 females, 6­9 August 1992, A.D. Brescovit leg. (MCN­1147); 1 male, same data (MZSP­23458); 3 males, 2 females 15–23 August 1991, A.D. Brescovit leg. (MCN­1103); same data, 1 male, 1 female (MZSP­23459); 1 male, 1 female, A.D. Brescovit leg. (MCN­1224); 1 male, 1 female, same data (MZSP­23460); 1 male, 7 December 1992, H. Höfer & T. Gasnier (INPA); 2 males, 18 January 1994, A.D. Brescovit leg. (MCN­1212); 1 female, Reserva Campina, Manaus, Amazonas, 2 September 1991, A.D. Brescovit leg. (MCN­ 1213).

Etymology: Named in honor of Jochen Martens, who discovered the family Fissiphalliidae .

Diagnosis: F. martensi differs from other species of the genus/family ( F. spinulatus , F. stumi and F. sympatricus ) by having sulcus II straight (V­shaped in other species), the presence of a long spine on eye mound (small tubercles in others), spines on coxa IV, lateral margin of dorsal scute, tergites, anal operculum and sternites (other species smooth or with short tubercules), genital operculum shorter than estigmatic area (longer in others), and ventral plate of penis sword­like.

Description of the male (holotype)

Measurements (mm): Total length 2.48; cephalothorax length 0.84; maximal width 2.24; cephalothorax width 1.06.

Dorsum (Fig. 1): Anterior margin with 1­2 tubercles on each side. Eye mound close to anterior margin, with developed eyes, with large and straight anteriorly directed spine. Cephalothorax with 5 small tubercles between eye mound and groove I. Area I with 7 tubercles; II with 14; III with 13; IV with 12; posterior margin with 9 tubercles. Lateral margin with 1 pointed tubercle between sulci II–III. Free­tergites I–III with 1 enlarged lateral tubercle; I with a larger median tubercle and 7–8 smaller laterals; II with 12 lateral tubercles; III with 3 long median tubercles. Anal operculum with 3 large tubercles (larger than those on the free tergites), 7 smaller ones on posterior margin.

Venter: Genital operculum shorter than stigmatic area. Coxa I–IV with 6 pointed tubercles; tracheal openings covered by tubercles (Fig. 2); posterior margin and free tergites with 1 row of wide tubercles. Sternite IV with 1 large and curved posteriorly spine fused with anal operculum.

FIGURES. 1–4. Male holotype of Fissiphallius martensi sp. nov. 1, dorsal view of habitus; 2, ventral view of coxa IV and sternites; 3, left pedipalp; 4, tibia II. Scale bar: figures 1–2 = 1 mm; 3–4 = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES. 5–8. Penis (holotype) of Fissiphallius martensi sp. nov. 5–7, scanning of distal part: 5, dorsal; 6, lateral; 7, ventral; 8, lateral view of penis. Scale 5–7 = 0.05 mm; 8 = 0.5 mm.

Chelicera: small­tuberculate; 1 tubercle on posterior of bulla; teeth with 4 tubercles. Pedipalp: coxa with 1 ventral tubercle; femur with 5 ventral tubercles (two basal with large setae), 1 subapical on prolateral region; patella with 1 prolateral tubercle; tibia ectal IiIi, mesal IIII; tarsus ectal iIIi/IIi and mesal iIIi.

Legs: Legs I–IV tuberculate. Coxa II with 2 dorsal tubercles; IV visible dorsally to groove IV, with 6 large and thin tubercles and several small. Femur I–IV with 1 dorsal row of tubercles; IV with 1 ventral row of 6 large tubercles increasing apicad. Patella IV with 2 large ventrosubapical tubercles. Tibia II swollen ventrally (Fig. 4), others normal; IV with 1 ventral row of large tubercles; 1 retrolateral, 1 prolateral. Metatarsus IV tuberculate, calcaneus swollen. Tarsal segmentation: 4(2), 7(3), 5, 5.

Penis (Figs. 5–8): Truncus without projections. Ventral plate sword­like with 3 pairs of setae (basal pair shorter) on rutrum and 1 pair above pergula, median keel (= pergula) with two pairs of lateral setae. Capsula externa flattened, with 2 apical branches fused (arrowlike on lateral view). Stylus thin and long, hidden by capsula externa and ventral plate.

Colour: Yellowish. Cephalothorax with reticulate brown patches. Areas I–IV with dark brown patches laterally. Lateral margin with darker stripe close to posterior border. Free tergites and posterior border with 2 transverse stripes. Femur­Tibia brownish. Tibia II whitish on ventral swollen part. Coxa IV with brownish stripe. Patela IV brownish on distal third. Anal operculum with 2 brownish patches.

Description of the female paratype (INPA, 11.XII.1990)

Measurements (mm): Total length 1.9; cephalothorax length 0.74; maximal width 1.7; cephalothorax width 1.02. As male, except for the following: lateral margin with pointed tubercle close to groove II; free­tergite II with 1 median tubercle; anal operculum with 8 tubercles (3 medians larger than others); free sternites with small tubercules; area IV without long tubercle; legs covered by tubercles, smaller in male; tibia II not swollen.

TABLE I. Measurements of appendages of male holotype and female paratype (parenthized) (INPA, 11.XII.1990).

Distribution: Recorded only from Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil in Terra Firme from Central Amazonia Rain Forest.

Systematic note: Despite the striking morphological differences present in F. m a r ­ tensi, I preferred to avoid the creation of a new genus in a little known Amazonian family composed of only four species.

Biological note: Most of specimens were collected from bush and tree branches by beating. One was in an arboreal termite nest. None was obtained from soil samples or surface litter layers (0–15 cm).