Geraecormobius clavifemur ( Mello­Leitão, 1927 ), Mello-Leitao, 1927

Vasconcelos, Eduardo G., 2005, Notes on Geraecormobius clavifemur (Mello­Leitão, 1927) and description of Geraecormobius reitzi n. sp. (Arachnida: Opiliones: Gonyleptidae), Zootaxa 1088, pp. 1-10 : 3-6

Geraecormobius clavifemur ( Mello­Leitão, 1927)

Figs. 1–9

Weyhia clavifemur Mello­Leitão, 1927 (♂ holotype MNRJ 1496, examined); Kury, 2003: 124 (see synonymy therein).

Ilhaia meridionalis Mello­Leitão, 1927 (Ψ holotype MNRJ 1474, examined). NEW SYNONYMY.

Ariaeus tuberculatus Sørensen, 1932 (Ψ holotype, Natural History Museum London, not examined). NEW SYNONYMY.

Type locality: Brazil: Santa Catarina state: Blumenau.

New records: Brazil: Santa Catarina state: Itajaí and Florianópolis.

Diagnosis: Anterolateral margin of the carapace with tiny spines. Frontal hump high with two strong paramedian spines. Eye mound with two paramedian spines. Abdominal scute densely granulated. Free tergites unarmed in males and mostly armed in females. Coxae IV of the male with short prolateral apical apophysis. Femur IV of the male with strong dorsobasal apophyses and dorsal row of three to four robust spines.

Measurements (n=10, ♂♂): Average (± standard deviation). TL: 7.1 (± 0.69); CL: 2.3 (± 0.13); CW: 3.0 (± 0.11); AW: 5.7 (± 0.53); LACx: 1.5 (± 0.18); FL: 5.4 (± 0.24); FW: 0.8 (± 0.18); DBAd: 1.4 (0.26); RLAd: 2.9 (± 0.23).

Tarsal formula (n=10, ♂♂): 6(3)/10–12(3)/7/8.

Species description:

Body: As in Geraecormobius reitzi n. sp (see below).

Pedipalp: Trochanter with one ventral tubercle. Femur and patella smooth. Tibia with four setae (IiIi) at each ventro­ectal and ventro­mesal borders. Tarsus with three setae (IiI) at each ventro­ectal and ventro­mesal borders.

Leg IV (♂♂): Coxa with scattered granulation and short prolateral apophysis inclined backwards. Inclination of the apophysis axis of 55o–65o. Apophysis with a short secondary branch. Trochanter with strong prolateral apophysis, and three small retrolateral apophyses. Femur sigmoid and thickened at the robust dorsobasal apophysis. Retrolateral apophysis approximately in middle of the femur. Three rows of spines, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral. Prolateral row with 10–20 spines. Dorsal row with 3–6 robust spines. Retrolateral row with 6–8 spines.

Color (in 70% ethanol): Body background brown. Abdominal scutum lighter than carapace. Venter lighter than dorsum.

♂ genitalia: Follows the groundplan of Gonyleptinae ( Kury, 1992). Ventral plate with median cleft U­shaped. Three distal setae in each side of the plate and two distal short setae in ventral side of the plate. Basal lobes with three setae visible in dorsal view and additional short seta in ventral side of each lobe. Stylus smooth.

Ψ: The female lacks most diagnostic characters present in males, as do most female Gonyleptinae. Free tergites with unpaired small spines.

Measurements (n=10, ΨΨ): Average (± standard deviation). TL: 6.9 (0.54); CL: 2.2 (± 0.10); CW: 3.0 (± 0.10); AW: 5.1 (± 0.20).

Comments: The synonymy of Ariaeus tuberculatus with Geraecormobius clavifemur was based in the examination of some photographs (taken by J.P. Guadanucci in the ZMUC) of the female holotype of A. tuberculatus , which match exactly with a female of G. clavifemur . The holotype of A. tuberculatus is clearly a female of Gonyleptinae. Additionally, the spines in the anterolateral margin of the carapace and free tergites and coxa IV lacking apophyses (some females of Gonyleptinae possess a reduced apophysis on coxa IV) serve as evidence for the present synonymy. Also, both species were described from the same locality.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. G. clavifemur (MZUSP 18345). 1. male, dorsal view. 2. male lateral view. 3. female dorsal view. 4. pedipalpus of the male, ventral. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 5 – 9. G. clavifemur (MZUSP 18345), male. 5. leg IV, dorsal view. 6. leg IV, ventral view. 7. penis, dorsal view. 8. penis, lateral view. 9. chelicera, dorsal. Scale bars 5 – 6, 9: 1 mm; 7 – 8: 0.1 mm.