Fortia, Villarreal & Kury & Colmenares, 2022

Villarreal, Osvaldo, Kury, Adriano B. & Colmenares, Pío A., 2022, A new genus with two new species of Colombian harvestmen (Opiliones: Stygnidae: Stygninae), American Museum Novitates 2022 (3991), pp. 1-16 : 3-5

Fortia , gen. nov.

DIAGNOSIS: The new genus can be distinguished from Jabbastygnus by: (1) MS A1–A3 located on a distinctive lobe (figs. 25, 26, 28, 29) (not so in Jabbastygnus ); (2) armature of carapace, with a high mound with an acute spine on top (figs. 2, 5, 7, 13, 16, 18) (with an irregular monticle in Jabbastygnus ); (3) dorsal scutum outline type epsilon (figs. 1, 6, 12, 17) (in Jabbastygnus it is type zeta); (4) mesotergum with three scutal areas (figs. 1, 6, 12, 17) (unlike Jabbastygnus , four areas, although areas III–IV are partially fused in the median portion); (5) scutal area III with a pair of high acuminate spines (figs. 1, 4, 5, 7, 12, 15, 16, 18) (unlike Jabbastygnus , with a pair of small tubercles); (6) scutal yellowish spots, metallic and shiny (figs. 1, 2, 12, 13) (unlike Jabbastygnus , with spots, when present not metallic or shiny — see comments above); (7) free tergites II–III with a median pair of larger acuminated tubercles (figs. 1, 4, 6, 12, 15, 17) (unlike Jabbastygnus , with a row of similar tubercles). (8) Stylus without dorsal process (figs. 26, 29) (present although reduced in Jabbastygnus ). (9) MS C1–C3, short and slightly thickened (figs. 25, 26, 28, 29), unlike Jabbastygnus (thin and slender). (10) MS E1 small and MS E2 enlarged (figs. 26, 27, 29, 30) (like Auranus ; unlike Jabbastygnus , with MS E1–E2 enlarged and similar; unlike Ricstynus, with MS E1–E2 extremely reduced).

REMARKS: Because of its genital morphology, the new genus is primarily compared with the genus Jabbastygnus , with which shares the following characters: LP with a flat, rounded, subquadrangular platform (figs. 25–30) + a pair of erect middorsal lobes (fig. 25) (shared with Auranus hehu Pinto-da-Rocha and Tourinho, 2012, and A. parvus Mello-Leitão, 1941 , lobes absent in Fortia sith gen. nov., sp. nov.); separated from truncus by a deeply multiwrinkled toroidal region (fig.s 25–30) (shared with Auranus hehu , A. tepui Pinto-da-Rocha and Tourinho, 2012, and Jabbastygnus ); MS A1–A3 located dorsally (figs. 26, 29), close to each other, forming a slanted row widely separated from MS B, which is ventrally inserted; interocular mound armed (figs. 2, 5, 7, 13, 16, 18) (shared with Jabbastygnus and Ricstygnus ); and dorsal scutum with yellowish spots (figs. 1, 2, 12, 13). Yellowish spots on dorsal scutum have not been previously recorded in Jabbastygnus ( Kury and Villarreal, 2015) , however, additional material examined (ICN–AO) showed to have a small yellowish spot in the form of two crescents in the posterior area of mesotergal area IV. Additionally, a detailed comparison with all other genera of Stygninae is included in table 1.

ETYMOLOGY: From reconstructed Vulgar Latin noun fortia (force, strength, might), which is ultimately the origin of the English word force, here referring to the biological/metaphysical/ spiritual power depicted in the fictional universe of the epic space-opera Star Wars (initiated with the 1977 movie of the same name by George Lucas) and relating to the contrasting species, which are juxtaposed in a yin-yang dualistic relationship as contrary forces.

INCLUDED SPECIES: Fortia jedi , sp. nov. (Magdalena, Colombia) (type species) and Fortia sith , sp. nov. (Magdalena, Colombia). Both species occur apparently in sympatry, separated by altitude. However, as the present sampling is minimal, the hypothesis of altitudinal allopatry remains to be verified.