Megalopsalis epizephyros, Taylor, 2011

Taylor, Christopher K., 2011, Revision of the genus Megalopsalis (Arachnida: Opiliones: Phalangioidea) in Australia and New Zealand and implications for phalangioid classification 2773, Zootaxa 2773 (1), pp. 1-65 : 35-36

Megalopsalis epizephyros new species

( Figs 38 , 40 , 52–57 )

Material examined. Male holotype. Stirling Range National Park, Bluff Knoll , Western Australia, 34°23'S 118°15'E, 19 June 1996, S. Barrett, wet pitfall traps ( WAM T 72092; measured) .

Paratypes. 154 males, 1 female, ditto ( WAM T 72089, T 72091 [1 female measured], T 72092 [8 males measured]) .

Diagnosis. Megalopsalis epizephyros can be distinguished from M. leptekes and M. hoggi by the presence of ventrodistal bulges on the pseudosegments of distitarsus II. It can be distinguished from the remaining species of Megalopsalis by the presence of dorsal spines on the pedipalpal femur.

Description. MALE (N = 9). Prosoma length 1.39–1.70, width 2.20–2.45, entire body length 3.48–4.10. Anterior part of propeltidium medially medium brown, laterally silver with orange shading. Dark grey-brown patches along border between anterior and median parts of propeltidium; remainder of median part of propeltidium silver with orange shading. Dark grey-brown ridge between median and posterior parts of propeltidium. Posterior part of propeltidium dark grey-brown with silver patches. Propeltidium densely spinose on dorsal prosomal plate. Ocularium silver, densely spinose. Lateral shelves orange-brown, darker anteriorly. Mesopeltidium, metapeltidium and opisthosoma with broad silver median stripe, dark grey-brown immediately laterally to median stripe lightening more laterally to yellow-brown with silver-shaded tan punctures. Mouthparts cream; coxae medially purple, laterally mottled silver-orange. Venter of opisthosoma grey-cream with broken transverse white lines.

Chelicerae. Segment I 3.86–5.57, segment II 4.95–6.50. Golden cream with dark brown markings; both segments evenly denticulate. Cheliceral fingers of medium length; mobile finger angular crescent-shaped.

Pedipalps (fig. 53). Femur 1.73–1.93, patella 0.87–1.00, tibia 1.08–1.23, tarsus 1.99–2.15. Trochanter with long dorsal spines. Femur golden brown with dark brown band; patella and tibia golden brown with darker dorsal longitudinal stripe and black shading distally; tarsus golden cream. Femur with dorsal spine row. Patella with apophysis more than half length of patella body, apophysis silver-white with black shading distally; medial side of patella and tibia densely setose. Microtrichia on distal half of tarsus; claw with ventral tooth-row.

Legs. Leg I femur 3.19–3.68, patella 1.01–1.13, tibia 2.65–3.02; leg II femur 5.06–5.75, patella 1.28–1.49, tibia 4.70–5.16; leg III femur 2.81–3.32, patella 0.93–1.15, tibia 2.13–2.41; leg IV femur 4.50–5.19, patella 1.00–1.30, tibia 3.17–3.58. Trochanters golden cream; trochanters I and II with numerous spines on anterior face; trochanter III with one or a few small prodistal spines; trochanter IV unarmed. Femur I orange-brown proximally, with golden band about two-thirds distalwards, dark brown distally; patella with medium-brown patches on gold background; tibia banded medium brown and gold; metatarsus banded golden cream and purple-brown; tarsus golden cream. Femur I (fig. 54) densely denticulate ventrally, with prominent proventral spine row becoming longer distalwards, and with single dorsal spine row along entire length; patella with long proventral spine row and two shorter dorsal spine rows; tibia densely spinose proximoventrally narrowing to single spine row distally, prodorsal spine row for approximately half length proximally, retrodorsal row of only a few small spines proximally. Femur II orangebrown, mottled golden brown distally; patella and tibia golden cream with medium brown patches; metatarsus and tarsus as for leg I. Femur II with ventral and dorsal rows of small spines on proximal two-thirds; patella and tibia unarmed except for single medial proximoventral and posterior dorsodistal spines on patella. Tibia II with three or four pseudosegments. Tarsus II with ventrodistal bulges on proximal pseudosegments. Leg III coloration as for leg I; unarmed except for few scattered small spines on femur III. Leg IV coloration as for leg II except background colour of patella and tibia golden brown; unarmed; tibia IV undivided. Tarsi III and IV inflated proximally, with two ventral rows of brush-like setae.

Penis (figs 55–57). Posterior bristle groups elongate; glans dorsoventrally flattened anteriorly only. Pores shallowly recessed.

Spiracle (fig. 38). Anterior spines slender, reticulate, extending only partway across spiracle. Terminations of spines slightly palmate.

FEMALE (N = 1). Prosoma length 1.33, width 1.86; entire body length 4.10. Anterior part of dorsal prosomal plate in front of ocularium and ozopores iridescent white with light brown patches laterally and two light brown stripes between ocularium and anterior margin. Ocularium iridescent white. Remainder of propeltidium and mesopeltidium with light brown patches and few iridescent white spots on light tan background; lateral edges of lateral shelves iridescent white. Mesopeltidium with transverse row of iridescent white spots. Metapeltidium and opisthosoma with light tan broad median stripe; laterally mottled light brown and tan. Mouthparts and coxae cream with mediodistal purple patches on coxae; venter of opisthosoma with transverse bands of light tan and with broken bands of light brown and white patches.

Chelicerae. Segment I 0.98, segment II 1.97. Cream, with segment I dorsally broken light brown; light brown patches on segment II.

Pedipalps. Femur 1.90, patella 1.10, tibia 1.31, tarsus 2.23. Femur banded medium brown and cream; patella and tibia banded light brown and cream; tarsus cream. Patella with large rounded white-cream apophysis, slightly shorter than patella body; patella and tibia densely setose on median side. Microtrichia over distal three-fifths of tarsus.

Legs. Leg I femur 2.71, patella 0.93, tibia 2.56; leg II not preserved; leg III femur 2.44, patella 1.02, tibia 2.14; leg IV femur 4.25, patella1.15; tibia3.24. Banded medium brown and cream with silver-white patches on distalmost part of femur, patella and tibia. Tibia IV undivided.

Etymology. From the Greek adjective epizephyros , towards the west, referring to the distribution of this species relative to the similar Megalopsalis serritarsus and M. eremiotis .

Figures

FIGURES 35–38. Spiracles of Megalopsalis species. 35. Megalopsalis serritarsus, entire spiracle. 36. Same, close-up of lateral corner. 37. Megalopsalis eremiotis, close-up of lateral corner. 38. Megalopsalis epizephyros, close-up of lateral corner.

FIGURES 39–40. Modified distitarsi in Megalopsalis species. 39. Megalopsalis serritarsus (AMS KS63527), distitarsus II showing distoventral bulges on pseudosegments (scale bars = 1 mm). 40. Megalopsalis epizephyros, close-up of two pairs of brush-like setae on ventral side of distitarsus IV.

FIGURES 52–57. Megalopsalis epizephyros new species, male (all WAM T72092). 52. Body, dorsal view. 53. Left pedipalp, medial view. 54. Left leg I, ventrolateral view. 55. Penis, ventral view. 56. Glans, ventral view. 57. Glans, lateral view. Scale bars for figs 52–54 = 1 mm, fig. 55 = 0.5 mm, figs 56–57 = 0.1 mm.