Cryptocellus sofiae, Botero-Trujillo, Ricardo, 2014

Botero-Trujillo, Ricardo, 2014, A new Colombian species of Cryptocellus (Arachnida, Ricinulei), with notes on the taxonomy of the genus, Zootaxa 3814 (1), pp. 121-132 : 123-129

Cryptocellus sofiae sp. nov.

Figures 1–22

Type material. Holotype male (adult): COLOMBIA: Vichada Department, Cumaribo, El Tuparro Natural National Park, Administrative Center, 0.5º21′15.1′′ N 67º51′43.7′′ W, 80 m elev., 21 March 2012, in litter sample from forest associated with rocky outcrop, D. A. Luna & C. Romero (ICN-Ari-009). Paratypes: COLOMBIA: 2 adult females (ICN-Ari-010 and ICN-Ari-012) and 1 adult male (ICN-Ari-011), same data as holotype. Specimens ICN-Ari-009 and 0 10 preserved in 70% ethanol; specimens ICN-Ari-011 and 0 12 dehydrated and fixed to aluminum stubs for SEM.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 1 ).

Etymology. The species is named after my lovely 7 year old niece, Sofia Carlosama Botero, who always kneels on the chair to take a curious glance at the “cute bugs” (as she says) I work with. It is a celebration of her precious company.

Diagnosis. A member of the adisi species-group, as here defined, based on the morphology of male leg III, which exhibits a relatively thin and curved tarsal process of the copulatory apparatus ( Fig. 15 ). It can be distinguished from other species in the group in having the median plates of tergites XI and XII wider than long ( Figs. 2, 4, 7 ), a moderate ventral expansion on distal half of male tarsal process (=spoon-like shaped) ( Figs. 14–16 ), and the female spermathecae touching together ( Figs. 19–20 ).

Description (male and female). The description is based on the four specimens available.

Coloration (in preserved specimens). Body and appendages with cuticle uniformly chestnut to light reddish, except for medial region of sternite XI in male, which is dark-red; carapace without pale or yellowish areas in ocular region; opisthosomal membranes yellow. Polygonal (navicular or calyx-like) setae whitish ( Figs. 2–7 , 8–10 ).

Setation. Body entirely covered with setae. Most conspicuous are the large whitish polygonal (navicular or calyx-like) setae, that vary in shape ( Figs. 2–5 , 21–22 ), on external surface of cucullus (except for distal fifth), carapace (including ocular areas and median longitudinal furrow), opisthosoma (except for medial region of sternites X and XI), pygidium, dorsal surfaces of pedipalp trochanter II and femur, leg coxae (only distally), leg trochanters I and II, femora, patellae, tibiae and metatarsi. These setae are large and not very numerous (e.g. about 60–70 setae on median plate of tergite XII; Fig. 7 ). Distal fifth of external surface of cucullus, medial region of sternites X and XI, tritosternum, pedipalp coxae, pedipalp trochanter I, prolateral, retrolateral and ventral surfaces of pedipalp trochanter II and femur, pedipalp tibia, most of leg coxae and leg tarsomeres lack these large setae, being covered instead with smaller and thinner setae ( Figs. 3, 5–6 , 8–9 ). SEM observations revealed a range of setal types on the cucullus, carapace and opisthosoma ( Figs. 21–22 ), similar to that present in C. adisi ( Adis et al. 1999) .

Carapace. Lateral margins not parallel (carapace narrowing anteriorly); anterior margin slightly concave, posterior margin convex; carapace approximately as long as wide, widest at level of leg III ( Figs. 2, 4 ); ocelli completely absent, but corresponding ocular regions noticeably elevated, with an evident depression behind them; abundant cuticular pits of variable size, randomly distributed (most containing tubercles); very few tubercles present outside the pits; a shallow, median, longitudinal furrow is present ( Fig. 6 ), beginning at level of coxae I and ending at level of coxae III.

Cucullus. Wider than long, with lateral margins not parallel (cucullus narrowing posteriorly) ( Fig. 6 ); with abundant cuticular pits of variable size, randomly distributed (most of them containing tubercles); very few tubercles present outside the pits ( Fig. 22 ).

Chelicera. Description based on left chelicera of paratype male ( Fig. 11 ). Movable finger longer than fixed finger; movable finger armed with ten separate small teeth, sub-equal in size except for third basalmost tooth and the two distalmost teeth, which are twice the size of the others; fixed finger with markedly enlarged distal tooth, followed by two separate smaller teeth (slightly larger than the largest of the movable finger) and a small basal tooth, latter similar in size to most teeth of movable finger.

Sternal region. Without cuticular pits; coxae I not meeting tritosternum; coxae II–IV meeting entirely, subrectangular, progressively decreasing in length; coxae IV pear-shaped, with posterior margin slightly curved (female) or almost straight (male); suture line of coxae II about three fifths length of that of coxae III (coxae III being larger) ( Figs. 8–9 ); coxae I with minute tubercles along posterior margin; coxae II–III with tubercles along the distal two thirds of anterior and posterior margins; coxae IV without tubercles.

Opisthosoma. Longer than wide, widest at level of junction between tergites XI and XII ( Figs. 2–5 ); with abundant cuticular pits of variable size, randomly distributed on dorsal surface (most containing tubercles); very few tubercles present outside pits ( Fig. 21 ); median plates of tergites XI–XIII with paired, shallow, lateral depressions beside median elevation; median plates of tergites XI–XIII progressively decreasing in width, lateral margins not parallel on XI–XII (narrowing posteriorly); median plate of tergites XI–XII wider than long, median plate of tergite XIII approximately as wide as long ( Figs. 2, 4 ). Sternites without cuticular pits and devoid of tubercles; male with median region of sternite XI slightly protuberant and more sclerotized (unlike that of female, which is not elevated) ( Figs. 3, 5 ). Basal segment of pygidium unnotched on either dorsal or ventral borders ( Fig. 10 ).

Pedipalps. Without cuticular pits; with some minute tubercles on ventral surface of trochanters I and II; femur curved and widened in basal half; approximately the same shape in male and female (no distinct sexual dimorphism); femur without any trace of basal tubercle in either sex; tibia longer than femur, slightly widened in basal third ( Figs. 8–9 ); both movable and fixed claws armed with minute teeth, more evident on fixed claw; movable claw noticeably larger than fixed claw.

Legs. Legs I–IV similar in shape in male and female ( Figs. 2–5 ); without cuticular pits and with few tubercles; completely devoid of any spine-like projection or similar structures; leg II not widened; leg III metatarsus not inflated (noticeably longer than wide), trochanter IV unmodified; tarsal claws strongly curved.

Male copulatory apparatus. Tarsal process connected basally to a bone-shaped (phalanx-like) base. Tarsal process bulkier than accessory piece, spoon-like, with a moderate ventral expansion in distal half forming a curved cavity along the prolateral surface where the accessory piece rests; apically with two distinct lobes (L1 and L2) forming a single canal. Accessory piece movably jointed with basal prolateral aspect of tarsal process; progressively becoming thinner and bifurcated into two prominent, sharp-pointed lobes (L ′ and L″) of similar length (snake-tongue-shaped); the accessory piece is rolled up, leaving visible the sperm transfer groove as a foldlike gap running longitudinally from the base towards the tip of L″. The bifurcation of the piece into L ′ and L″ starts at about one third of the piece from the base (its beginning is indicated by an arrow in Figs. 15–17 ). Tarsal process and accessory piece strongly curved upwards ( Figs. 14–18 ).

Spermathecae. Touching together, slightly wider than long, constricted medially to give a rounded protruding section ( Figs. 12–13 , 19–20 ).

Measurements (in mm). Male holotype (ICN-Ari-009) and female paratype (ICN-Ari-010, in parentheses): body length, excluding pygidium 3.06 (3.50); cucullus 0.50 (0.58) long, greatest width 0.66 (0.74); carapace 1.03 (1.17) long, 1.06 (1.15) wide at level of leg III (where widest); opisthosoma 1.56 (1.75) long (excluding pygidium), 1.39 (1.57) wide at level of junction between tergites XI and XII (where widest); median plate of tergite XI 0.44 (0.49) long, 0.83 (0.97) wide (where widest); median plate of tergite XII 0.39 (0.43) long, 0.67 (0.74) wide; median plate of tergite XIII 0.53 (0.60) long, 0.56 (0.62) wide; suture line of coxae II 0.08 (0.08) long, of coxae III 0.14 (0.13) long; pedipalp femur 0.49 (0.52) long, greatest diameter 0.22 (0.24); pedipalp tibia 0.71 (0.87) long, greatest diameter 0.10 (0.12); femur I 0.47 (0.49) long, 0.21 (0.23) in diameter; femur II 0.69 (0.78) long, 0.21 (0.23) in diameter.

Generic placement of the new species. Cryptocellus sofiae sp. nov., is herein assigned to Cryptocellus based on the presence of morphological features of this genus as defined by Platnick (1980): body short and wide (median plate of tergite XII wider than long); and ocular areas small in size and directed laterally at the edge of the carapace near the second legs. Some aspects of its morphology do not completely match the features described for Cryptocellus , however, and are briefly discussed below.

The coloration pattern of the cuticle of C. sofiae sp. nov. is chestnut to light reddish ( Figs. 2–7 , 8–10 ), which is a condition deemed diagnostic for Pseudocellus species, as opposed to Cryptocellus whose members are supposed to display a dark reddish-black coloration ( Platnick 1980). The light coloration of the new species is not considered to link it to Pseudocellus , however, based on the above-referred features shared with other Cryptocellus , and because adults of other species in the later genus also display a color that is not particularly dark but rather chestnut-reddish [e.g. Cryptocellus iaci Tourinho, Lo Man-Hung & Bonaldo, 2010 (Tourinho et al. 2010: figs. 7–12; Salvatierra et al. 2013: fig. 2c)].

Although the bifurcate accessory piece of the copulatory apparatus in the male C. sofiae sp. nov. ( Figs. 14–17 ) resembles that of some Pseudocellus species, this condition is now also known to occur in some other members of Cryptocellus , as discussed at the end of this paper.

Based on these considerations, and taking into account the fact that no species of Pseudocellus is so far known to inhabit South America, the new species is here considered to be a member of Cryptocellus as currently defined.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Known distribution records of the genus Cryptocellus in Colombia.

FIGURES 2 – 7. Cryptocellus sofiae sp. nov. 2, holotype male (ICN-Ari- 009), dorsal; 3, holotype male, ventral; 4, paratype female (ICN-Ari- 010), dorsal; 5, paratype female, ventral (some setae accidentally removed from the opisthosoma); 6, paratype female (ICN-Ari- 012), frontal aspect (median longitudinal furrow of carapace indicated by arrow); 7, holotype male, polygonal setae on tergites XI and XII.

FIGURES 8 – 13. Cryptocellus sofiae sp. nov. 8, holotype male (ICN-Ari- 009), sternal region, pedipalps and sternites X – XI; 9, paratype female (ICN-Ari- 012), sternal region, pedipalps and sternites X – XI; 10, holotype male, pygidium, dorsal posterior aspect; 11, paratype male (ICN-Ari- 011), dorsal aspect of left chelicera; 12, paratype female (ICN-Ari- 012), genital lip and spermathecae, anterior aspect; 13, paratype female, genital lip and spermathecae, posterior aspect.

FIGURES 14 – 20. Cryptocellus sofiae sp. nov., SEM micrographs. 14 – 18, paratype male (ICN-Ari- 011), right leg III; 14, prolateral aspect; 15, copulatory apparatus, prolateral aspect; 16, prolaterodorsal aspect; 17, apex of tarsal process and accessory piece; 18, level of junction between accessory piece and tarsal process; 19 – 20, paratype female (ICN-Ari- 012), spermathecae; 19, posterior aspect; 20, inclined posterior aspect. Abbreviations: ac, accessory piece (sperm transfer groove indicated by arrowheads, beginning of bifurcation indicated by arrow); Lc, lamina cyathiformis; L 1 – 2, lobes of tarsal process; L ′, L ″, lobes of accessory piece; mc, medial constriction of spermathecae; mP, metatarsal process; MT, metatarsus; pe, prolateral expansion of tarsal process; tP, tarsal process.

FIGURES 21 – 22. Cryptocellus sofiae sp. nov., SEM micrographs, different setal types. 21, paratype female (ICN-Ari- 012), part of tergite XIII; 22, paratype male (ICN-Ari- 011), part of cucullus.