Anoropallene palpida (Hilton, 1939)

Bamber, Roger & Takahashi, Yoshie, 2005, Some littoral sea spiders (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida) from Ecuador, with a new species of Anoplodactylus Wilson, 1878 (Phoxichilidiidae), Zootaxa 815, pp. 1-8 : 3

Anoropallene palpida (Hilton, 1939)

Child, 1979, 40–41, figure 3, literature.

Material: 1 gravid female, Playas, Guayas Province, 02º38.23’S 80º23.3’W, 0 9 February 2002, low water ( BMNH 2004.2899); 1 male with eggs and larvae, 1 subadult male, Playas, 29 July 2001, high water ( BMNH 2004.2900–2901); 2 juveniles, Cenaim, Guayas Province, 01º57.62’S 80º43.72’W, 0 7 May 2001, low water ( BMNH 2004.2902–2903). Remarks: Other specimens have been taken from Data, Guayas Province, 02º41.42’S 80º20.17’W.

This species was previously known from the Pacific coasts of South California and Panama to south Peru. Child (1992a) recorded it from Ecuador (Salinas: 02º11.5’S 80º56.31’W, 5 m depth). Auxiliary claws are absent in this species. The present subadult male has a 1­articled palp but does show the apophysis on the fifth oviger article; the juveniles have all pairs of legs present, but underdeveloped ovigers.