Tricommatus brasiliensis, ROEWER, 1912

Kury, Adriano B., 2014, Why does the Tricommatinae position bounce so much within Laniatores? A cladistic analysis, with description of a new family of Gonyleptoidea (Opiliones, Laniatores), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 172 (1), pp. 1-48 : 17-18

TRICOMMATUS BRASILIENSIS ROEWER, 1912

Tricommatus brasiliensis Roewer 1912: 159 ; Mello-Leitão 1923: 108 [non Roewer, 1912 – misidentification of Pseudopachylus eximius (Mello-Leitão, 1936) as noted by B. Soares 1946: 524]; Kury 2003a: 205.

Type data: ♂ Holotype ( SMF RI 220 , examined), Brazil, Santa Catarina, without further locality data.

False records: Mello-Leitão (1932) stated this is a ‘common species from Santa Catarina to Rio de Janeiro’, but actually only the holotype is known, all other cited specimens are misidentifications ( Kury, 2003a).

Diagnosis: Distinguished from the other two species by ocularium unarmed (instead of with a median small acuminate tubercle); coxa IV prodorsal armed with short spine (with bifid short apophysis); trochanter IV of male unarmed (with three apophyses).

Remarks: (1) When received for study, the holotype was already dissected, and the penis was not accompanying the loaned material. Much later, it was learned that the specimen was examined by Michael Weber for a monograph ( Weber, 1988). At my request, Dr Weber kindly provided scans of his genitalia drawings (used here as Fig. 16C–E ), low-resolution versions of which are on his website. (2) Study of the published descriptions of Pherania pygmaea ( Kury, 1995a) and Pherania giupponii ( Kury, 2003b) revealed that the male genitalia of these species are virtually identical to those of T. brasiliensis . The latter is mostly distinguished from the other two by impoverished armature of leg IV, which suggests that the holotype could be a beta male, maybe even belonging to one of the other two species.

Figures

Figure 16. Tricommatus brasiliensis Roewer, 1912, male holotype (SMF RI 220). A, left leg I, retrolateral view; B, right leg IV, prolateral view; C, penis, distal part, dorsal view; D, same, lateral view; E, same, ventral view. Figures C–E from Weber (1988). Abbreviations: G, glans; GZ, gelenk-zone (articular zone); S, stylus; T, Truncus. Scale bars = 1 mm (A, B); 0.05 mm (C–E).