Sitalcina ubicki DiDomenico & Hedin

DiDomenico, Angela & Hedin, Marshal, 2016, New species in the Sitalcinasura species group (Opiliones, Laniatores, Phalangodidae), with evidence for a biogeographic link between California desert canyons and Arizona sky islands, ZooKeys 586, pp. 1-36 : 16-19

Taxon classification Animalia Opiliones Phalangodidae

Sitalcina ubicki DiDomenico & Hedin sp. n. Figures: map Figure 1; male Figure 11 A–D; female Figure 12 A–D

Type material.

Holotype male (SDSU_TAC000216, CASENT 9029999) from California, Santa Barbara County, Santa Ynez Mtns, Montecito, E Mountain Drive, 0.4 mi NE from jct. with Cold Spring Road N34.45496°, W119.65288°, elev. ca. 230 m. Collected by A. DiDomenico, K. Emata, E. Garcia, A. Schönhofer, February 18, 2012.

Etymology.

This species is named in honor of Darrell Ubick (CAS) whose foundational taxonomic research with Sitalcina made this project possible.

Diagnosis.

Similar to other members of the northern coastal clade ( Sitalcina sura , Sitalcina seca , Sitalcina chalona ) in body form, relatively large-bodied, with a tall and pointed, tuberculate EM. Male TrIV spur curved, penis PSL similar to but distinguishable from Sitalcina chalona .

Genetic data.

GenBank Accession numbers: KX064794, KX064795, KX064822, KX064823, KX064850, KX064851, KX064873, KX064890, KX064891, KX064916, KX064917, KX064946, KX064947

Description.

Integument color light orange with lighter appendages. Body finely rugose with larger tubercles along tergal margins and anteriorly on EM; 3-4 pairs of AT. EM tall, slightly pointed, eyes present. Palpal Fm with median dorsobasal row of 4 asetose tubercles and one small mesal tubercle. Palpal megaspines: trochanter 2 ventral; Fm 3 ventrobasal, one mesodistal; patella 2 mesal, one ectal; tibia and tarsus 2 mesal, 2 ectal. TC 3-5-5-5.

MALE. Holotype (paratypes SDSU_TAC000300, SDSU_TAC000301, SDSU_TAC000302): BL 2.1 (1.68-2.4). SL 1.14 (1.15-1.4), SW 1.3 (1.2-1.4). EM width 0.33 (0.35-0.4), height 0.23 (0.25-0.35). GO length 0.21, width 0.21. Leg II length 5.16 (4.2-5.12), Leg II/Scute Length 4.52 (3.14-3.66). TrIV spur short, curved. Penis VP entire, apically pointed, with 12 pairs of setae, AS absent; glans DL quadrate; PSL simple, rounded at apical end; S thick.

FEMALE. Paratypes SDSU_TAC000207 (SDSU_TAC000303, SDSU_TAC000304): BL 1.88 (1.7-2.0). SL 1.36 (1.0-1.25), SW 1.4 (1.25-1.35). EM width 0.36 (0.35), height 0.36 (0.2-0.25). Leg II length 4.48 (3.75-4.4), Leg II/Scute Length 3.29 (3.0-3.52). Slightly imbricate OVM, 6 pairs of OVS, straight, multifurcate.

Other material examined.

See Suppl. material 1: Table S1 for locality information of all specimens examined.

Distribution and habitat.

Known only from the vicinity of Montecito, Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Barbara County. Specimens were found under stones, in narrow ravine with stream, in a Quercus and Platanus forest.

Note.

This population was mentioned by Ubick and Briggs (2008), but specimens were damaged and left undescribed. The new material collected for this study is from the same general vicinity as specimens studied by Ubick and Briggs (2008); northern edge of Montecito, off East Mountain Drive.