Forsteropsalis, 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 : 47-48

Forsteropsalis new genus

Type species. Macropsalis chiltoni Hogg 1910 .

Other included species (original combinations). Pantopsalis distincta Forster 1964 , Macropsalis fabulosa Phillipps & Grimmett 1932 , Pantopsalis grayi Hogg 1920 , Megalopsalis inconstans Forster 1944 , Megalopsalis marplesi Forster 1944 , Megalopsalis chiltoni nigra Forster 1944 , Pantopsalis wattsi Hogg 1920 . Megalopsalis turneri Marples 1944 is probably also a member of this genus, but the published description is insufficient for its identification and its type specimen needs to be redescribed before its position can be established.

Diagnosis. Forsteropsalis can be distinguished from all other genera of Monoscutidae by the small pointed apophysis present on the pedipalpal patella in both sexes except for females of Forsteropsalis grimmetti and males of F. distincta , and by the array of denticles on the medial side of the pedipalpal coxa. The new genus can be distinguished from Megalopsalis and Spinicrus by the more elongate, narrower glans on the penis. Females, including those of F. grimmetti , can be distinguished from Megalopsalis females by possessing four rather than two seminal receptacles.

Description. Dorsal prosomal plate sclerotised, metapeltidium not sclerotised. Male cheliceral fingers bowed apart proximally; mobile finger crescent-shaped, setose. Coxa of male pedipalp with array of sturdy, blunt denticles on medial surface. Femur of pedipalp denticulate in males, unarmed in females; both sexes with small, pointed apophysis on patella except female of Forsteropsalis grimmetti with large rounded apophysis and male of F. distincta without apophysis on pedipalpal patella; setae on patella and tibia comparatively few, mostly arranged in neat longitudinal rows, hypersetose areas absent except in F. grimmetti ; tarsal claw without ventral teeth. Femora of legs denticulate in males and some females; femora of remaining females and remaining segments of both sexes unarmed except for distad-pointing dorsodistal spines on femora and patellae and paired ventral spines on pseudoarticulations of tarsi. Tibia IV usually with two pseudosegments. Bristle groups on penis comparatively long. Ovipositor with four looped seminal receptacles

Etymology. Named after Ray Forster, who described many of the species included in this genus, and the Greek psalis (=scissors) which has been previously used in the names of the confamilial genera Pantopsalis and Megalopsalis . Gender feminine.

Distribution. New Zealand, including Auckland Island.

Comments. Forsteropsalis contains the majority of the New Zealand species previously assigned to Megalopsalis . Characters listed as distinguishing Pantopsalis and ‘Megalopsalis’ in Taylor (2004) actually apply to Pantopsalis and Forsteropsalis , and those species transferred by Taylor (2004) to Megalopsalis on the basis of those characters are here transferred to Forsteropsalis .

Only four species of Forsteropsalis have been included in the phylogenetic analysis; the other species have been transferred on the basis of their shared characteristics with the species analysed. Forsteropsalis marplesi is very similar to F. chiltoni and the two potentially form a species pair, as do F. inconstans and F. nigra .