Fissiphallius chicoi, Tourinho, Ana Lúcia & González, Abel Pérez, 2006

Tourinho, Ana Lúcia & González, Abel Pérez, 2006, On the family Fissiphalliidae Martens, 1988, with descriptions of two new Amazonian species (Arachnida: Opiliones: Laniatores), Zootaxa 1325, pp. 235-254 : 239-242

Fissiphallius chicoi n. sp.

Figs 1, 3, 5, 7 , 9, 11–12 , 16–18 , 22

Type material. Male holotype ( INPA 159), Brazil, Pará State, Gurupá municipality, São José community, 1.197ºS, 51.783ºW, Próvárzea, 18.X.2003, Cristina Anne Rheims & Felipe Rego leg. Paratypes: 1 female ( INPA 89), 3 females ( MNRJ 17814) with the same data as the holotype.

Etymology. The species name is a patronym in honor of Chico Mendes, a Brazilian national hero, symbol of the defense of the Amazonian environment and of rubber worker’s rights. Chico was cowardly assassinated in 1988 in Xapuri, Acre State.

Diagnosis. Eye mound armed with one pair of small sharp spiniform aphophysis ( Figs 1, 3 ). Male genitalia clearly different from those of all other congeners. Rutrum with large number of setae irregularly arranged (paired in other species), pergula narrow, without setae. Portion of truncus below pergula very thin and narrower than stragulum ( Figs 16–18 ). Ventral side of truncus, near base of stragulum, with a chitinous structure in the shape of a balcony and armed with three sharp­pointed setae ( Figs 17–18 ), two ventral rows of conic protuberances (similar laterodorsal rows of protuberances present in F. spinulatus ) (see Martens 1988: figs 17–18). Truncus basis ventrally with other balconyshaped structure and dorsally with a folded area ( Figs 16–18 ).

Description of male holotype. Measurements. Total length: 3.2 Carapace region of scutum: 1.0 long, 1.2 wide. Scutum: 2.4 long, 2.1 maximum width. Pedipalp: 2.7. Legs: 7.3/5.1/6.2/4.0

Dorsal view. Anterior border of prosoma with one median tubercle and a pair of tubercles on each side ( Fig. 1 ). Spiniform aphophyses of eye mound short ( Fig. 3 ). Scutal areas I–IV with a row of very small tubercles each (almost indiscernible), lateral margin of posterior half of dorsal scutum armed on each side with six sharp­pointed tubercles increasing in length posteriorly ( Fig. 1 ); posterior margin armed with very small tubercles (almost indiscernible). Free tergites I–III armed with sharp­pointed tubercles, the three median and the lateral ones slightly larger than others; free tergite I with 15 tubercles, III with 13, II with 11; the median one always larger than other tubercles ( Figs 1, 3, 7 ).

Ventral view. Posterior margin and sternites with tubercles increasing in length laterally, three to five lateral ones visibly larger ( Fig. 5 ). Sternite IV and V with one pair of larger median tubercles ( Fig. 5 ), anal operculum armed with an anterior and a posterior row of tubercles ( Fig. 7 ), median spine of posterior row larger ( Figs 5, 7 ).

Chelicerae. Without remarkable armature. Two tubercles on the basichelicerite, bulla short and well marked. Fingers without teeth.

Pedipalps. Coxa with one ventral tubercle carrying setae and one small dorsal protuberance. Femur ventrally with two basal and one distal setiferous tubercle, one distal setiferous tubercle in the mesal region. Patella mesally with one setiferous tubercle. Tibia mesally and ectally with one row of three setiferous tubercles. Tarsus mesally and ectally with two setiferous tubercles on each side; small setae scattered. Tarsal claw long and strong ( Figs 11–12 ).

Legs. I–IV tuberculate. Coxae IV with sharp­pointed dorsal tubercles, posterior margin of coxae II–III armed with larger tubercles ( Figs 1, 5 ). Trochanters I–IV with one sharp­pointed retrolateral tubercle ( Fig. 5 ). Femur IV with two rows of 10–11 large and thin tubercles. Patella IV with sharp­pointed distal tubercles larger than others. Tibiae with one ventroapical tubercle larger than others. Tarsi tuberculate ( Fig. 9 ). Tarsal formula: 3(2), 5(3), 5, 5.

Penis. Stragulum entire, with a long central furrow only visible distally. Apical portion of stragulum in the shape of a “parrot bill” ( Fig. 17 ). Stragulum as long as in F. s t u r m i but with shorter rutrum ( Figs 17–18 ). Rutrum medially with large number of irregularly arranged setae (paired in other species) ( Figs 17–18 ), pergula narrow, without setae. Rutrum with truncus portion of pergula very thin and narrower than stragulum ( Figs 16–18 ). Ventral side of truncus near level of stragulum basis with sclerotised structure in shape of a balcony, armed with three sharp­pointed setae and with two ventral rows of conical protuberances (similar laterodorsal rows of protuberances present in F. spinulatus ) (see Martens 1988: figs 17–18). Truncus basis ventrally with another balcony­shaped structure and dorsally with a folded area ( Figs 16–18 ).

Color (in 75% ethanol). Body yellowish, prosoma with reticulated brown stains ( Fig. 1 ). Lateral borders and median region of scutal areas I–IV with brown stains, reticulated

brown stains in between them. Posterior margin of dorsal scutum and free tergites and sternites with brown lateral stains. Anal operculum brown, with yellow stain in the middle. Pedipalps, coxae and throchanters pale yellow, all other leg segments brown. Free sternites brown. Coxae I–IV yellow, coxae IV with brown dorsal stain.

Description of the female paratype. Very similar to the male, different in the following: legs considerably shorter, tubercles of leg IV shorter.

Measurements. Total length: 3.0. Carapace region of scutum: 1.0 long, 1.2 wide. Scutum: 2.0 long, 2.0 maximum width. Pedipalp: 2.7. Legs: 5.9/4.1/5.2/3.1. Tarsal formula: 3(3), 5(3), 5, 5.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 22 ).

Figures

FIGURE 22. Northern South America showing the localities of the six nominal species of Fissiphallius. F. s t u r m i Martens, F. spinulatus Martens, F. sympatricus Martens (pentagon), F. martensi Pinto­da­Rocha (triangle), F. t u c u p i n. sp. (star), F. c h i c o i n. sp. (circle). Dotted lines = country boundaries, thin lines = rivers.

FIGURES 1 – 8. Fissiphallius chicoi n. sp., male holotype (1, 3, 5, 7); Fissiphallius tucupi n. sp., male holotype (2, 4, 6, 8). Body (1 – 2 dorsal view, 3 – 4 lateral view, 5 – 6 ventral view, 7 – 8 posterior view). Scale bars = 0.1 mm (1, 3, 5, 7), 0.5 mm (2, 4, 6, 8).

FIGURES 9 – 14. Fissiphallius chicoi n. sp., male holotype (9, 11 – 12); F. t u c u p i n. sp., male holotype (10, 13 – 14). 9 – 10 right leg IV, lateral view; 11 – 12 right pedipalp (11 ectal view, 12 mesal view); 13 – 14 right pedipalp (13 ectal view, 14 mesal view). Scale bars = 1.0 mm (9, 11 – 12), 0.5 mm (10, 13 – 14).

FIGURES 16 – 21. Fissiphallius chicoi n. sp., male holotype (16 – 18); F. t u c u p i n. sp., male holotype (19 – 21). Penis (16, 19 dorsal view, 17, 20 lateral view, 18, 21 ventral view).