Sarax dhofarensis (Weygoldt, Pohl & Polak, 2002) Miranda & Giupponi & Prendini & Scharff, 2021

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 : 221-222

Sarax dhofarensis (Weygoldt, Pohl & Polak, 2002) comb. nov.

Fig. 135 ; Table 9

Charinus dhofarensis Weygoldt et al., 2002: 292–295 , figs 1–7.

Charinus dhofarensis – Miranda et al. 2016c: 29.

Diagnosis

Based on Weygoldt et al. (2002), this cavernicolous species may be separated from other species of Sarax in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia as follows: it differs from S. omanensis comb. nov., S. socotranus comb. nov. and S. stygochthobius comb. nov., in having a plunger-like female gonopod and not possessing a slender, tubular female gonopod and the convex genital operculum, without an acuminate apex. Sarax dhofarensis comb. nov. also differs from S. omanensis comb. nov., S. socotranus and S. stygochthobius comb. nov. in the curved carina between the lateral eyes and lateral margin of the carapace.

Etymology

Adjective referring to Dhofar, the southern province of Oman, where the species occurs ( Weygoldt et al. 2002).

Type material

Holotype OMAN • ♀; Tawi Atayr Waterhole , Tawi Atayr ; 17°06′45″ N, 54°22′20″ E; S. Polak leg.; ONHM 2969 [not examined].

Paratypes OMAN • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; ONHM 2970 [not examined] • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; SMNS [not examined] • 1 ♀; Tawi Atayr , Pop Cave; 17°06′45″ N, 54°33′30″ E; 2 Nov. 1997; S. Polak leg.; ONHM [not examined] • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; Quanaf , Blown Gasket Cave; 17°06′45″ N, 54°36′15″ E; 3 Nov. 1997; S. Polak leg.; SMNS [not examined] • 1 ♀, 3 ♂♂, 1 protonymph exuvium; same collection data as for preceding; BFUL [not examined] .

Measurements

See Table 9.

Distribution

Known only from the type locality in the Dhofar Province of Oman.

Natural history

According to Weygoldt et al. (2002), the species occurs in three deep limestone caves in a large karst plateau. The caves are sinkholes of usually dry rivers that occasionally flow during the rainy monsoon season, and all have water in the deeper parts. Sarax dhofarensis comb. nov. is found in the aphotic zone in deeper parts of the caves, between 150 and 1000 m from the entrance. Individuals were observed sitting on the roof, on the cave walls or on bat guano deposits on the cave floor. The temperature in the caves is about 23°C.

Remarks

The type material was not deposited in the SMNS.

This species was originally described in the genus Charinus and is hereby transferred to Sarax based on the phylogenetic analyses of Miranda et al. (2021). See Weygoldt et al. (2002) for a description of this species.

Figures

Fig. 135. Map plotting known distributions of species of Sarax Simon, 1892 in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.