CYNORTINAE MELLO- LEITÃO, 1933

Medrano, Miguel, Kury, Adriano Brilhante & Mendes, Amanda Cruz, 2022, Morphology-based cladistics splinters the century-old dichotomy of the pied harvestmen (Arachnida: Gonyleptoidea: Cosmetidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 195, pp. 585-672 : 614-615

CYNORTINAE MELLO- LEITÃO, 1933 NOM. REST.

Cynortinae Mello-Leitão, 1933: 105.

Comment: The nomen Cynortinae is available (Kury, 2018), being currently under the synonymy of Cosmetinae , but it is herein restored to include a monophylum (clade I) of 11 terminals that we group into five genera. The real extension of this clade is currently unknown and, depending on future revisions, can easily reach 100–120 species. Cynorta C.L. Koch, 1839 , with 145 valid species ( Kury et al., 2021) is one of the most diverse genera in Opiliones and surely one of its worst nightmares. Out of the five species included in our analysis, only the type species, * Cynorta conspersa ( Perty, 1833) (redescribed in Kury et al., 2007) remains and it is paired with a species incorrectly placed in Gryne (see below). Both species occur in the Lower/ Mid-Amazon basin. Cynortoides includes here two traditional species: * Cynortoides cubana ( Banks, 1909) and Cynortoides v-album ( Simon, 1879) plus two newly combined ones that have been incorrectly described in Cynorta following the Goodnight’s scheme, as explained in the Introduction. There are currently eight species officially included in Cynortoides ( Kury et al., 2021) , but not all of them might belong here, probably only the ones from the Greater Antilles. Holovonones Roewer, 1912 has only two species from Mexico and Central America, of which only the type-species was included in the analysis. Metagryne Roewer, 1912 has currently four species from disparate localities. As a member of Discosomaticinae , all of them are included in our analysis: Metagryne albireticulata Roewer 1952 is here made part of the new genus Qarikichkauru (see above). Metagryne bicolumnata Roewer 1959 is here made part of the new genus Kayania gen. nov. (see below). Metagryne elegans Roewer 1947 is here made part of the new genus Marronia gen. nov. (see below). And only the type-species, * Metagryne ferruginea Roewer, 1912 , is left in the genus. The monotypic Paragryne Roewer, 1912 appears as the sister-group to the lonely Metagryne and, as such, we decided to synonymize both monotypic genera. Their combined distribution (Bahia and Paraguay) suggests a distribution in the interior forests, where more potential species of Metagryne need to be investigated. Vonones Simon, 1879 is one of the infamous trio spared in Goodnight & Goodnight’s (1953) revision, when it engulfed 19 junior genera. It currently has six species, four of which are included as terminals here. The two American species of Vonones ended up in Libitioides (see above), while the other two used here remained as ‘true’ Vonones : * Vonones octotuberculatus Simon, 1879 and Vonones planus Goodnight & Goodnight, 1942 from the Lesser Antilles. After being once more shrunk by the revalidation of its numerous synonyms ( Kury, 2003), it now includes only species from the Caribbean.

Diagnosis: Small animals, with variable length of legs, from elongate ( Cynorta ) to short (in Vonones ). DS outline beta-type (alpha-type in Holovonones and Vonones ). DS without chevron (except in Cynortoides ). Lateral borders of scutum in posterior view following the general body curvature. Armature of scutal areas variable, often with paramedian armature on all areas, stouter on areas III or IV. Area III always armed. Chelicera sexually dimorphic, with hand moderately swollen and basichelicerite thicker in males (except in Metagryne ). Movable finger of cheliceral hand without distal teeth. Femur IV of male distally incrassate or clavate, with serrulae of teeth in more than one surface (except in Cynorta ); this trait can be much more exaggerated in Cynortoides [e.g. Cynortoides lithoclasica ( Avram, 1981) , which has the femur crooked as a multi-serrate stout hook]. Fe IV may be entirely thickened in Holovonones . Penial MS-A1 much reduced.

Type genus: Cynorta C.L. Koch 1839 .

Included genera: Cynorta C. L. Koch 1839, Cynortoides Roewer, 1912 , Holovonones Roewer, 1912 , Metagryne Roewer, 1912 and Vonones Simon, 1879 .

Combined distribution: From Mexico to Paraguay, skipping the Andes, but including the Greater and the Lesser Antilles ( Fig. 8 ).

Figures

Figure 8. Strict consensus of trees obtained with K = 6.2878 and 7.4809, indicating larger groups as defined herein, with asserted distributions juxtaposed (cont.). * indicates type species of the genera. Navajo rugs equal as Figure 7.