Martensopsalis dogny Giribet & Baker, 2021

Giribet, Gonzalo, Baker, Caitlin M. & Brouste, Damien, 2021, Martensopsalis, a new genus of Neopilionidae from New Caledonia (Opiliones Eupnoi), Zootaxa 4984 (1), pp. 98-107 : 102-103

Martensopsalis dogny Giribet & Baker spec. nov. ( Figs 1A–B , 3D , 4–6 )

ZooBank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:21352C56-1D39-44B0-9A19-85EE3669C72F

Type material. NEW CALEDONIA: Province Sud: Holotype male ( MNHN; ex. MCZ IZ- 1524013 ; 1 leg used for DNA extraction; DNA kept in MCZ cryogenic collection; GenBank accessions MW 849412 [18S rRNA], MW 843230 [28S rRNA], MW 837103 [COI]) from Sarrameìa, Plateau de Dogny , 21°37’1.06”S, 165°53’2.15”E, 914 m elevation, C.M. Baker & G. Giribet leg. 15.11.2018, collected by sifting leaf litter . Paratypes: 1 female ( MCZ IZ-152402 ; 1 leg used for DNA extraction; DNA kept in MCZ cryogenic collection; GenBank accessions MW 849413 [18S rRNA], MW 843231 [28S rRNA], MW 837104 [COI]), 1 unsexed specimen ( MCZ IZ-151592 ; 1 leg used for DNA extraction; DNA kept in MCZ cryogenic collection; GenBank accessions MW 849411 [18S rRNA], MW 843229 [28S rRNA], MW 837102 [COI]), with same collecting data as for holotype .

Etymology. The specific epithet, a noun in apposition, refers to the type locality, an emblematic mountain of New Caledonia that served as a place for exchange between the tribes from the east and the west of Grande Terre.

Diagnosis. As for genus.

3. This specimen was accessioned in the MCZ before becoming the holotype of a new species, which, for permit requirements, had to be deposited in the MNHN. Because the species was originally catalogued in MCZbase, its collecting data and images were available online before a new taxon was described, and because one leg and its DNA remain stored in the MCZ cryo - genic collection, we kept this record with the MCZ accession number.

Description. Male (holotype; Figs 4–5 ): As for genus. Body length 1.38, maximum width 1.14; carapace length 0.60, width 1.14; ocularium width 0.42, length 0.26, located 0.28 from anterior margin of carapace. Dorsum color a combination of earth colors (brown to orange-color) with a reflective band on first opisthosomal tergite when preserved in ethanol ( Figs 4A–B ). Cheliceral articles 0.52, 0.95 and 0.31 long from basal to distal. Palpal trochanter 0.27 long, femur 1.00, patella 0.65, tibia 0.55, tarsus 1.16 ( Fig. 4C ). Penis shaft 0.69, glans short, 0.15 long and twisted clockwise ( Figs 4E , 5 ).

Female (paratype MCZ IZ-152402; Fig. 6 ): body length 1.66, maximum width 1.12, height without ocularium 1.22; carapace length 0.64, width 1.08; ocularium width 0.44, length 0.36, height 0.18, located 0.24 from anterior margin of carapace. Color as in male holotype. Ovipositor not studied.

Distribution. Only known from its type locality, the Plateau de Dogny, at an elevation above 900 m.

Comments. Martensopsalis dogny spec. nov. is the only species in this new genus that we were able to study in detail. Another specimen from high elevations at Mé Maoya (Province Nord; Fig. 1C ) was included in a phylogenetic analysis (see Fig. 7 ) which showed that it is not conspecific with the species described here. Genetic and morphological studies of additional specimens from the localities reported in Table 1 will probably reveal the presence of additional species of Martensopsalis gen. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 3A–D. Detail of the habitus showing the pointed basal apophysis on the ventral side of the palpal femur (white arrow heads) and the patellar apophysis (yellow arrow heads). A Martensopsalis sp. from Kwa We Dare. B Martensopsalis sp. from Mt. Do. C Martensopsalis sp. from Les Koghis. D Martensopsalis dogny gen. & spec. nov., spec. nov. from the Plateau de Dogny (paratype MCZ IZ-151592). Photos by D. Brouste (A–C); photo by G. Giribet (D).

FIGURES 4A–E. Martensopsalis dogny gen. & spec. nov., holotype male (MNHN, MCZ IZ-152401). A Body, dorsofrontal. B Body, dorsal. C Right palp, prolateral, showing ventrobasal femoral apophysis (arrow head). D Laterofrontal view of chelicerae. E Penis. Scale bars: 1 mm (A–B), 0.5 mm (C–E).

FIGURES 5A–B. Martensopsalis dogny gen. & spec. nov., holotype male (MNHN, MCZ IZ-152401). A Confocal image of total penis. B Detail of penis tip. Scale bar: 50 µm.

FIGURES 6A–C. Martensopsalis dogny gen. & spec. nov., female paratype (MCZ IZ-152402), habitus of body (A dorsal, B ventral, C lateral). Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 7. Simplified chronogram from Giribet et al. (in press) showing the position and divergence time estimates of Martensopsalis gen. nov. with respect to other clades of Australian and Zealandian neopilionids. Numbers indicate divergence times in millions of years.

FIGURES 1A–F. Live habitus of Martensopsalis gen. nov. A–B Martensopsalis dogny gen. & spec. nov. from Plateau de Dogny (paratype MCZ IZ-151592). C Martensopsalis sp. from Mé Maoya (MCZ IZ-151588). D Martensopsalis sp. from Mt Do. E Martensopsalis sp. from Kwa We Dare. F Martensopsalis sp. from the Humboldt rainforest. Photos by G. Giribet (A–C) and D. Brouste (D–F).