Gonyleptes horridus Kirby, 1819

Pinto-da-Rocha, Ricardo, Benedetti, Alipio Rezende, de Vasconcelos, Eduardo Gomes & Hara, Marcos Ryotaro, 2012, New systematic assignments in Gonyleptoidea (Arachnida, Opiliones, Laniatores), ZooKeys 198, pp. 25-68 : 33-34

Gonyleptes horridus Kirby, 1819 Figs 6 A–D 7

Gonyleptes horridus Kirby, 1819: 452, pl. 22, fig. 16 (♂); Kury 2003: 128; (male holotype, Brazil, NHM 1863.41, examined from detailed photos).

Gonyleptes bicuspidatus Koch, 1839: 13; (2 females syntypes, Brazil, NHMW, not examined; 2 males & 2 females syntypes, Brazil, ZMB 905, not examined). Syn. n.

Collonychium bicuspidatum Bertkau, 1880: 108, pl. 2, fig. 39 (♀); (female nymph holotype, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro [Copacabana], ISNB, not examined). Syn. n.

Metagonyleptes hamatus Roewer, 1913: 213, fig. 89 (♂); (male holotype, Brazil, São Paulo, SMF 891, examined). Syn. n.

Paragonyleptes simoni Roewer, 1930: 379, fig. 12 (♂); (male holotype, Brazil, Santa Catarina, Serra Azul, SMF RII 1333, examined). Syn. n.

Gonyleptes borgmeyeri Mello-Leitão, 1932: 305, fig. 167 (♂); (male holotype, MNRJ, lost, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Petrópolis). Syn. n.

Gonyleptes curvicornis Mello-Leitão, 1932: 305, fig. 166 (♂); (male holotype, MNRJ, lost, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Itatiaia). Syn. n.

Gonyleptes melloleitaoi Kury & Alonso-Zarazaga, 2011: 54 (replacement name for Gonyleptes curvicornis Mello-Leitão, secondary homonym of Weyhia curvicornis Roewer).

Material examined.

BRAZIL. Locality not specified further, male holotype of Gonyleptes horridus , examined by digital photos (NHM 1863.41). São Paulo: São Paulo, male holotype of Metagonyleptes hamatus (SMF 891). Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro ( Gávea), 1 male (MZSP 1370). Santa Catarina: (Serra Azul), male holotype of Paragonyleptes simoni (SMF RII 1333).

Diagnosis.

Gonyleptes horridus can be recognized by: the relatively larger size; anterior border of carapace smooth (without tubercles or spines in the corners); frontal hump on anterior border of carapace and ocularium with white small tubercles; prolateral apical apophysis of coxa IV long, with abrupt curvature backwards. Gonyleptes horridus , Gonyleptes perlatus and Gonyleptes pustulatus can be distinguished from all other species of Gonyleptes by the robust and bifid (two distal tips) retrolateral apical apophysis of coxa IV. Females of Gonyleptes horridus and Gonyleptes perlatus present dimorphic sulfur yellow spines on the free tergites, not present in females of Gonyleptes pustulatus . Gonyleptes horridus can be distinguished from Gonyleptes perlatus by the armature pattern of femur IV of the males (see note on Gonyleptes perlatus below). Gonyleptes horridus has relatively smaller tubercles on posterior part of the lateral margins of abdominal scutum than in Gonyleptes perlatus .

Description.

Dorsal scutum length 7-9 mm. Anterior margin of carapace without tubercles or spines. Median frontal hump on anterior margin of carapace and ocularium with a pair of tubercles on each one (Fig. 6A). Four scutal grooves delimiting three scutal areas. Scutal areas I, II with low white tubercles in the median region; III with high paramedian tubercles. Lateral margin of dorsal scutum with flattened white tubercles. Pedipalps approximately same length as dorsal scutum. Prolateral apophyses of coxa IV elongated, strongly curved backwards, dorsal branch longest. Retrolateral apophysis of coxa IV bifid. Femur IV straight, with dorsobasal apophyses and longitudinal rows of spines (Fig. 6 B–C). Penis with typical Gonyleptinae -like pattern ( Kury 1992b). Tarsal segmentation: 6(3); 10-12(3); 7-8; 8-9. Females with dimorphic cones (one yellowish huge median spine) on free tergites II and III. General coloration brown with white tubercles (Fig. 6D). Penis (Fig. 7 A–C; MZSP 15496): ventral plate with a deep U-cleft on anterior margin (its distal tips convergent), 3 distal, 1 median and 4 basal pairs of setae, ventrally with a subdistal and a median pair of setae. Stylus sigmoid, with ventral subapical trichomes. Ventral process robust, apex as a flabellum with several small projections on distal margin.

Taxonomical note.

All synonyms given in Kury (2003) for Gonyleptes horridus refer, in fact, to Gonyleptes curvicornis (Roewer, 1913). The type material of Gonyleptes curvicornis Mello-Leitão, 1932 was lost, but the original descriptions and illustrations are sufficient to propose the present synonymy. The types of Metagonyleptes hamatus Roewer and Paragonyleptes simoni Roewer are identical to that of Gonyleptes horridus Kirby. The record of Gonyleptes horridus in Santa Catarina (type locality of Paragonyleptes simoni) is dubious. The synonymy of Gonyleptes bicuspidatus with Gonyleptes horridus is here proposed based on the reasoning of Kury (2003), who considered this nominal species as synonym of Collonychium bicuspidatum . In turn, Collonychium bicuspidatum is clearly a synonym of Gonyleptes horridus .