Typopeltis guangxiensis Haupt & Song, 1996

Seraphim, Gabriel, Giupponi, Alessandro Ponce de Leao & Miranda, Gustavo Silva de, 2019, Taxonomy of the thelyphonid genus Typopeltis Pocock, 1894, including homology proposals for the male gonopod structures (Arachnida, Thelyphonida, Typopeltinae), ZooKeys 848, pp. 21-39 : 26-29

Typopeltis guangxiensis Haupt & Song, 1996

Studied material.

CHINA: Guangxi: Nanning: Gao Feng Park, 22.955023, 108.365636, 136 m, 13.vii.2016, leg. A. Giupponi, A. Kury, I. Kury & C. Zhang (3 females, MNRJ 08249); same locality, 13.vii.2016, leg. A. Giupponi, A. Kury, I. Kury & C. Zhang (3 juvenile males, 2 juvenile females, MNRJ 08250). Fangshenggang: Shi Wan Danshan National Park, 21.90538, 107.90366, 276 m, 11-12.vii.2016, leg. A. Giupponi, A. Kury, I. Kury & C. Zhang (1 male, MNRJ 08251); same locality, 11-12.vii.2016, leg. A. Giupponi, A. Kury, I. Kury & C. Zhang (2 juvenile males, MNRJ 08252).

Emended diagnosis (after Haupt 1996).

Males (about 30 mm in total length without flagellum and chelicerae) larger than females (see measurements); very long patellar apophysis with narrow base and almost straight, blunt tip with three small blunt terminal projections. Male gonopod trapezoidal, LoL1 reniform with longitudinal sclerotized streaks, Me square, covered by denticles, with four longitudinal crests partially formed by collapsed spines (observable only in SEM). Female gonopod with bulbar RS with wide base and well-marked CCh with large bevel in upper inner portion; ACh concave.

Description.

Colouration (in alcohol). Male blackish red, carapace colour becoming lighter from anterior to posterior region. Pedipalps darker in relation to body; legs II–IV lighter compared to carapace. Middle eyes black; lateral eyes yellow. Females slightly lighter than males, more reddish in general.

Carapace (Fig. 4A). Granules without specific pattern. Keel present between median and lateral eyes. Deep line flanked by granules from posterior region of median eyes to slightly above fovea. Chelicerae similar to T. laurentianus , but setae apparently thinner and denser ventrally. Chelicerae claw curved inwards, with thick base and narrow apex, with keel longer than half-length of chelicerae claw (Fig. 5A).

Sternum (Fig. 4B). Typical tri-segmented sternum; inconspicuous mesosternum.

Tergites (Fig. 4E, G). Acute granules present at posterior border of each tergite, absent in small central region of posterior border of tergites I–V. Ommatoids subcircular.

Pedipalps (Fig. 4C, D). Coxa covered in setae, with higher concentration in ventro-apical and latero-apical portions. Trochanter dorsally armed with 5 spines; spines I, II, III increasing in size, facing inwards; spine IV more than twice larger than others, rhomboid and paired with spine III in apical position; spine V smallest, rhombus (I <II <III <IV> V) (Fig. 4C). Two short, broad-based subequal spines ventrally (Fig. 4D). Femur dorsal face covered in thick granules, with few ectal setae and single reduced mesal spine (Fig. 4C). One ectal-ventral spine much larger than dorsal one (about four times) (Fig. 4D). Patella dorsal face with many pores with no apparent pattern, patellar apophysis slender, with small spines on anterior face, enlarged apex with three globular expansions (Fig. 4C). Ventral face without spines (Fig. 4D). Tibia dorsally armed with large conical apophysis with sharp tip, slightly smaller than tibia, covered in setae, with two longitudinal series of small spines, dorsal series with eight small spines, ventral series with fourteen spines (Fig. 4C). Ventrally armed with two ectal conical spines, distal almost double the size of subdistal (Fig. 4D). Tarsus armed dorsally with longitudinal series of fourteen small spines (Fig. 4C), armed ventrally with ten spines (Fig. 4D).

Leg I (antenniform) with nine tarsomers, first very short (as small ring); second, third and last tarsomers longer than others. Number of tarsomeres may vary if there is regeneration of tarsomeres. Apical portion of tibia with two dorsolateral trichobothria, absent on femur and patella. Femur covered with thick granules, patella and tibia with smooth appearance. All articles covered with setae, dorsally and ventrally. Legs II–IV. Trochanter and femur with granules. Coxa, tibia and tarsus smooth, last two with concentrated setae. Dorsal-apical trichobothrium present on tibia, thin acuminate spur on ventro-apical region of tibia. Basitarsus with two spurs, one mesal and one ectal; ventral region with two longitudinal rows of five spiniform setae. Distitarsus divided into three tarsomers (I> II <III), I equal or greater than II + III. Tarsomere I with two longitudinal rows of nine to ten spininiform setae each. Tarsomeres II and III with similar structure, but with three and four setae, respectively.

Sternites (Fig. 4F). Genital plate wider than long (one and a half times wider than long). Sternite mostly smooth, with granules concentrated on sides. Sternite II with large number of setae and central acute granule on posterior margin. Flagellum with thirty-eight articles.

Male gonopod (Fig. 5B, C, D). LoL1 broader than long, reniform, with thin longitudinally sclerotized striations, slightly curved and sinuous in terminal portion; Fi with sclerotized borders, with inverted trapezoid shape with rounded edges. In basal portion, Fi and LoD are not fully fused. LoL2 globose and partially covered by LoL1; LaM as two parallel plates, originating in Me and supported by Fu (Fig. 5C). Me square, covered by denticles, with four longitudinal crests formed partially by collapsed spines (Fig. 5D). Female gonopod (Fig. 6H), RS of bulbous shape, with base narrower than more dilated portion, not much longer than wide; ACh chitinous, concave, with two CCh sclerotized at base of RS, with large chamber in upper inner portion. On sides of Ach, the two long and thin sclerotized structures (observed in T. laurentianus sp. n.) are absent.

Natural history.

Collected on the ground of forested areas in the outskirts of Nanning (Guangxi, China), living under logs and stones in shady and humid places. The specimens were abundant in habitats associated with human disturbance, such as roadsides, trails, and abandoned constructions in the forest.

Measurements.

(male)

Prosoma (length): 14.0 mm; Prosoma (width): 8.0 mm; Opisthosoma (length): 16.8 mm; Opisthosoma (width): 10.3 mm. Pedipalp- Trochanter: 4.3 mm; Femur: 3.5 mm; Patella: 5.6 mm; Patellar apophysis: 4.2 mm; Tibia: 4.0 mm; Tibial apophysis: 2.1 mm; Tarsus: 3.8 mm. Genital Plate- Length: 6.0 mm; Width: 9.0 mm.