Charinus troglobius Baptista & Giupponi, 2002

Miranda, Gustavo Silva de, Giupponi, Alessandro P. L., Prendini, Lorenzo & Scharff, Nikolaj, 2021, Systematic revision of the pantropical whip spider family Charinidae Quintero, 1986 (Arachnida, Amblypygi), European Journal of Taxonomy 772, pp. 1-409 : 135-137

Charinus troglobius Baptista & Giupponi, 2002

Fig. 43 ; Table 4

Charinus troglobius Baptista & Giupponi, 2002: 106–110 , figs 1–14.

Charinus troglobius – Baptista & Giupponi 2003: 79–80. — Trajano & Bichuette 2010: 12. — Miranda & Giupponi 2011: 66, fig. 13. — Vasconcelos et al. 2013: 496, fig. 12. — Monte et al. 2015: 5. — Torres-Contreras et al. 2015: 145–146. — Vasconcelos & Ferreira 2016: 185. — Miranda et al. 2016c: 19, 29.

Diagnosis

Based in part on Baptista & Giupponi (2002), this species may be separated from other Charinus in eastern South America by means of the following combination of characters: corners of anterior carapace margin produced into truncated processes; median eyes and median ocular tubercle absent; lateral eyes reduced to small whitish spot on each side of carapace, without clearly defined lens; sternal platelets narrow, convex and rounded, tritosternum small, slightly larger than tetrasternum; pedipalps articulating transversally with cephalothorax, but not horizontally; pedipalp spines longer than in other species of genus; pedipalp femur with two dorsal spines and two ventral spines; pedipalp tarsus with two long spines, second spine longer than first; proventral corners of walking legs spiniform; leg IV basitibia + distitibia with 17 trichobothria (1 + 16); leg IV basitarsus much longer than distitarsus.

This is the most markedly troglomorphic Brazilian species of Charinus , in which the eyes are completely absent and the leg articles and pedipalp spines extremely elongated.

Etymology

Latin adjective referring to the troglobitic habitus of the species ( Baptista & Giupponi 2002).

Type material

Holotype BRAZIL • ♂; Bahia, Carinhanha, Serra do Ramalho , Gruna do Zé Bastos ; 14°16′53.92″S, 43°46′24.29″W; 28 Jun. 2001; R.L.C. Baptista and A.P.L. Giupponi leg.; MNRJ 9067 .

Paratypes BRAZIL • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; MNRJ 9069 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; MNRJ 9078 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; MNRJ 9081 • 2 ♀♀, 9 ♂♂; same collection data as for holotype; MNRJ 9068 • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; IES ex MNRJ 9079 [not examined] • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; MZSP ex MNRJ 9080 [not examined] • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; MNRJ 9082 • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; IES 3.2972 and IES 3.2973 [not examined] .

Additional material

BRAZIL • 1 juv.; Bahia, Serra do Ramalho, Lapa do Boqueirão ; 29 Jun. 2001; R.L.C. Baptista and A.P.L. Giupponi leg.; MNRJ 9034 .

Supplementary description

CARAPACE. Margin of carapace ventral to lateral eyes with rounded projection; six anterior setae; frontal process triangular, with oval apex, not visible in dorsal view. Small granules densely scattered between ocular triads and among sulci. Median eyes and median ocular tubercle absent; pair of setae in place of median ocular tubercle; lateral eyes reduced to three small, whitish lenses, with seta posterior to lateral ocular triad.

STERNUM. Tritosternum short, with four long setae and several smaller setae posteriorly; other sternal platelets narrow and concave, with pair of setae anteriorly on plaque and some smaller setae posteriorly; pentasternum with four setae anteriorly and seta on membranous region.

OPISTHOSOMA. Ventral sacs and ventral sac cover absent.

GENITALIA. Female genital operculum with prominent setae posteromedially and some smaller setae near margin; gonopod sucker-like and barrel shaped. Male gonopod with base of fistula and lateral lobe sclerotized; lateral lobe 2 fimbriate.

CHELICERAE. Small tooth projecting from retrolateral surface of basal segment, opposite to bifid tooth; retrolateral surface of claw with continous row of setae, basally to medially; claw with ten teeth; transverse row of setae on prolateral surface of basal segment absent, with longitudinal row of dense setae, instead; bifid tooth on basal segment with dorsal cusp larger than ventral cusp.

PEDIPALPS. Coxal dorsal carina with six prominent setae encircled by round carina and three setae on margin. Femur with two or three (dextral pedipalp of male paratype) dorsal spines and two ventral spines; dorsal spines situated in distal third; four prominent setiferous tubercles between dorsal spine 1 and proximal margin; setiferous tubercle between ventral spine 1 and proximal margin. Patella with three dorsal spines in primary series; prominent setiferous tubercle distal to spine I, one-third length of spine I, and prominent setiferous tubercle between spines I and II, slightly shorter than first setiferous tubercle; two ventral spines in primary series; extra spine between spine I and distal margin. Tibia with ventral spine distally and three prominent setiferous tubercles proximal to ventral spine; twelve or thirteen setae between spine and distal margin. Tarsus with two dorsal spines, proximal spine one-third length of distal spine; cleaning organ with 29–31 setae in ventral row.

LEGS. Tibia of leg I with 23 articles (up to 47 on regenerated legs); tarsus I with 40–42 articles (up to 62 on regenerated legs); first tarsal article shorter than second and subsequent articles. Leg IV basitibia with four pseudo-articles, with sclerotized, denticulate margin projecting from apex of articles; trichobothrium bt situated in proximal third of pseudo-article; distitibia trichobothrium bc situated closer to sbf than to bf, sc and sf series each with five trichobothria.

Measurements

See Table 4 .

Distribution

Known from Carinhanha in the Brazilian state of Bahia.

Natural history

According to Baptista & Giupponi (2002), all specimens were collected on muddy walls near water bodies, in the dark zone of caves. A troglomorphic harvestman, Giupponia chagasi Pérez & Kury, 2002 , was also found in the cave. Other taxa observed in the cave include spiders ( Ctenidae Keyserling, 1877 : Ctenus sp. ), millipedes ( Chelodesmidae Cook, 1895 ), crickets ( Phalangopsidae Blanchard, 1845 : possibly Endecous sp. ), cockroaches ( Epilampridae Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865 ) and beetles ( Cholevidae Kirby, 1837 ).

Figures

Fig. 43. Map plotting known distributions of species of Charinus Simon, 1892 in eastern South America, with inset for southeastern Brazil.