Charinus potiguar Vasconcelos, Giupponi & Ferreira, 2013

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 : 122-124

Charinus potiguar Vasconcelos, Giupponi & Ferreira, 2013

Fig. 43 ; Table 4

Charinus potiguar Vasconcelos et al., 2013: 490–495 , figs 1–12.

Charinus potiguar – Vasconcelos & Ferreira 2016: 185. — Armas et al. 2016: 48. — Miranda et al. 2016c: 19, 29.

Diagnosis

Based on Vasconcelos et al. (2013), this species may be separated from other Charinus in eastern South America by means of the following combination of characters: adult body size ranging from 6.72 to 13.73 mm; frontal process slightly longer than wide; eyes and median ocular tubercle weakly developed, seta posterior to each lateral ocular triad; male gonopod with lobus lateralis primus and secundus subdivided into several filamentous structures; female gonopod with bottleneck just prior to entrances and margin with small fold and V-neck; cheliceral claw with 9–13 denticles; pedipalp patella with three dorsal spines; leg IV basitibia with four pseudo-articles, distitibia with three basal trichobothria and fifteen distal trichobothria, metatarsus slightly longer than tarsus; tibia with 23 articles, tarsus I with 41 articles.

Etymology

Adjective used to describe the inhabitants of the state of Rio Grande do Norte ( Vasconcelos et al. 2013).

Type material

Holotype BRAZIL • ♂; Rio Grande do Norte, Felipe Guerra, Caverna do Buraco Redondo ; 05°34′42.98″ S, 37°39′04.99″ W; 22 Jul. 2010; D.M. Bento leg.; MNRJ 9216 .

Paratypes BRAZIL • 1 ♂; Rio Grande do Norte, Felipe Guerra, Gruta da Carrapateira; 05°33′38.22″ S, 37°39′50.32″ W; 24 Apr. 2007; R.L. Ferreira leg.; MNRJ 9214 • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; Rio Grande do Norte, Felipe Guerra, Caverna do Pau ; 05°35′34.19″ S, 37°41′14.64″ W; 8 Jan. 2007; R.L. Ferreira leg.; MNRJ 9212 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; ISLA 3924 [not examined] • 1 ♀; Rio Grande do Norte, Felipe Guerra, Caverna Buraco da Nega ; 05°31′57.16″ S, 37°50′40.73″ W; 21 Jan. 2010; D.M. Bento leg.; ISLA 1875 [not examined] • 1 ♂; Rio Grande do Norte, Felipe Guerra, Caverna da Rumana ; 05°33′54.25″ S, 37°39′07.13″ W; 10 Jan. 2010; D.M. Bento leg.; ISLA 1890 [not examined] • 1 ♀; Rio Grande do Norte, Felipe Guerra, Caverna do Geilson ; 05°35′53.23″ S, 37°41′17.56″ W; 23 Apr. 2007, D.M. Bento leg.; MNRJ 9213 • 1 ♀; Rio Grande do Norte, Governador Dix-Sept Rosado, Gruta Boca de Peixe ; 05°29′04.45″ S, 37°33′29.62″ W; 7 Jan. 2010; D.M. Bento leg.; ISLA 1888 [not examined] • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 3 Jun. 2010; D.M. Bento leg.; MNRJ 9215 • 1 ♂; Rio Grande do Norte, Baraúna, Gruta da Escada ; 05°10′07.83″ S, 37°43′40.98″ W; 29 Jul. 2010; D.M. Bento leg.; ISLA 1894 [not examined] .

Supplementary description

CARAPACE. Six anterior setae; frontal process triangular, with oval apex, not visible in dorsal view. Small granules densely scattered between ocular triads and among sulci; lateral carapace margin, ventral to lateral eyes with small carina. Median eyes present, reduced, median ocular tubercle shallow, with pair of setae; lateral eyes reduced, pale, seta posterior to lateral ocular triad.

STERNUM. Tritosternum projected anteriorly, with typical setation; other sternal platelets narrow and concave, with pair of setae anteriorly on plaque and some smaller setae posteriorly; pentasternum with 20 setae anteriorly and five setae 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, constriction near apex, creating shape of bottleneck; gonopods markedly sclerotized basally. 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 two patches of setae, medially and basally; claw with thirteen teeth and transverse row of around thirteen setae on prolateral surface of basal segment; bifid tooth on basal segment with dorsal cusp larger than ventral cusp.

PEDIPALPS. Coxal dorsal carina with two prominent setae encircled by round carina and three setae on margin. Femur with four dorsal spines and four ventral spines; two prominent setiferous tubercles between dorsal spine 1 and proximal margin; spine 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; two ventral spines in primary series; prominent setiferous tubercle between spine I and distal margin. Tibia with ventral spine distally and five setae between spine and distal margin. Tarsus with two dorsal spines, proximal spine one-third length of distal spine; cleaning organ with 28–30 setae in ventral row.

LEGS. Tibia of leg I with 23 articles; tarsus I with 41 articles; first tarsal article same length as second article. 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 six trichobothria.

Measurements

See Table 4 .

Distribution

Known only from the type localities in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte.

Natural history

The localities at which C. potiguar has been recorded are situated in a karstic limestone formation, known as the Apodi group, dated to the late Cretaceous. The area is situated in the Caatinga biome, the only semi-arid biome in Brazil, with low rainfall most of the year. Charinus potiguar is widespread within the formation, but its abundance in each cave is usually low (3.9 ± 3.4 individuals). Vasconcelos et al. (2013) suggested that caves might not be the primary habitat of the species, noting that more individuals were found in the caves during the dry season. For example, in 16 caves sampled during the dry and wet seasons, the abundance was significantly higher in the dry season than in the rainy season (t -value: -2.91, p = 0.007), which, according to Vasconcelos et al. (2013) suggests that specimens are migrating into the caves when the outside climate is unfavourable. L.S. Carvalho (pers. com.) noted that specimens can be found under rocks at the entrance of the caves. Specimens are usually found on the cave walls, although immatures were frequently found under rocks on the floor. A schizomid, Rowlandius potiguar Santos, Ferreira & Buzatto, 2013 , and several pholcid spiders, Metagonia potiguar Ferreira, Souza, Machado & Brescovit, 2011 and Micropholcus sp. inhabit the same caves (L.S. Carvalho, pers. com.). Potential prey species observed in the cave included crickets ( Endecous sp. ) and cockroaches.

Figures

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