Sarax rimosus ( Simon, 1901 )

Miranda, Gustavo Silva de, Giupponi, Alessandro P. L., Prendini, Lorenzo & Scharff, Nikolaj, 2021, Systematic revision of the pantropical whip spider family Charinidae Quintero, 1986 (Arachnida, Amblypygi), European Journal of Taxonomy 772, pp. 1-409 : 198-201

Sarax rimosus ( Simon, 1901)

Figs 103 , 122–124 ; Table 8

Catagaeus rimosus Simon, 1901: 77 .

Phrynichosarax buxtoni Gravely, 1915b: 439–440 , fig. 4. Syn. nov.

Sarax mediterraneus Delle Cave, 1986: 161 . Syn. nov.

Phrynichosarax rimosus – Gravely 1915b: 440–441, fig. 6.

Sarax sarawakensis – Fage 1929: 357 (misidentification). — Bristowe 1952: 699. — Weygoldt 1994: 244. — Moseley et al. 2012: 89.

Phrynicosarax ramosus – Mello-Leitão 1931: 53.

Phrynichosarax buxtoni – Mello-Leitão 1931: 52. — Speijer 1937: 173. — Weygoldt 1994: 244.

Sarax brachydactylus – McClure et al. 1967: 415 (misidentification). — Moseley et al. 2012: 89.

Sarax buxtoni – Weygoldt 2002c: 135–137, figs 9–12 (misidentification). — Harvey 2003: 8.

Sarax rimosus – Harvey 2003: 8.

Sarax mediterraneus – Seiter & Wolff 2014: 233. — Seiter et al. 2015: 548–549.

Diagnosis

This species may be separated from other species of Sarax in Southeast Asia and Oceania by the following combination of characters: tegument covered in clavate setae; short, acute projection on retrolateral surface of cheliceral basal segment; pedipalp tarsus with three short spines, proximal spine subequal to middle spine, and two-thirds the length of distal spine ( Fig. 122D ).

Etymology

Although uspecified in the original description, the Latin word ‘ rimosus ’ means ‘full of cracks’ and may refer to the species or the habitat in which the holotype was collected.

Type material (examined)

Holotype MALAYSIA • ♀ [holotype of Catageus rimosus ] [with egg sac, opisthosoma detached]; Kuala Aring , Kelantan; Sep. 1899; Skeat Expedition leg.; CUMZ I.48100 .

Addtitional type material

GREECE • 1 ♀ [holotype of Sarax mediterraneus ]; Rhodos , Lindos , in Mauerspalten und Felsritzen der Stütz- und Unterbauten der Johanniterburg [in crevices in foundations of Johanniterburg castle]; 27 Apr. 1964; V. Helversen and Pieper leg.; SMF 35614 • 1 ♀, 1 juv. ♀ [paratypes of Sarax mediterraneus ]; same collection data as for preceding; SMF 35614 .

MALAYSIA • 1 ad. [holotype of Phrynichosarax buxtoni ] [sex unspecified], 1 juv. ♀; Kubang Tiga Cave , Perlis; B.H. Buxton leg.; Indian Museum [currently at SMF] .

Additional material

MALAYSIA • 1 ♀; Selangor, Bukit Malawati, Kuala Selangor ; 03°20.351′ N, 101°14.692′ E; L. Prendini and S.F. Loria leg.; 9 Jun. 2013; 8–12 m a.s.l.; secondary forest on slope of small hill (Bukit Malawati), old Chinese graveyard, granitic outcrops under moderate canopy, under stones and old concrete blocks around graves; AMCC [ LP 11996 ] • 1 ♀; Bukit Takun, Taman Templer (Templer Park); 03°18.082′ N, 10138.386′ E; L. Prendini and S.F. Loria leg.; 9 Jun. 2013; 129 m a.s.l.; primary rainforest on steep slopes at base of large limestone mountain (Bukit Takun), dense canopy and moderate to dense understory, scattered limestone and granite boulders, under stone on soil; AMCC [ LP 11997 ] .

Redescription

Tegument covered in clavate setae.

CARAPACE. Projected anteriorly; six anterior setae ( Fig. 122A ); frontal process triangular ( Fig. 122C ). Small reddish-brown granules covered by small black tubercles, densely scattered between ocular triads and among sulci. Median eyes and median ocular tubercle well developed ( Fig. 122C ); one pair of setae on median tubercle; lateral eyes well developed, pale, seta lateral to lateral ocular triad; lateral ocular triad situated near carapace margin; curved carina between ocular triads and carapace margin.

STERNUM. Tritosternum projected anteriorly with typical setation, long, surpassing base of pedipalp coxae ( Fig. 122B ); other sternal platelets narrow and projected, with pair of setae anteriorly on plaque and some smaller setae posteriorly; pentasternum with four setae near membranous region.

CHELICERAE. Short, acute projection on retrolateral surface of basal segment, opposite to bifid tooth; retrolateral surface of claw with row of setae basally to medially; claw with three teeth; more than two rows of several setae on prolateral surface of basal segment; bifid tooth on basal segment with dorsal cusp larger than ventral cusp.

OPISTHOSOMA. Ventral sacs and ventral sacs cover present.

GENITALIA. Female genital operculum with short setae posteromedially; pair of white bulges medially with slender setae apically; gonopod plunger-like, unsclerotized basally. Male gonopod as wide as long, wider in distal third ( Fig. 123C ); Lol2 fimbriate with small spines apically on projections ( Fig. 123A–B, D ); PI with smooth surface and acute apex ( Fig. 123F ); dorsal lobe short, with spines on inner margin and ventrally and apex curved laterally ( Fig. 123B–C, E ); LaM short, not fused medially and with smooth surface ( Fig. 123B ); fistula with inner spines ( Fig. 123G ).

PEDIPALPS. Coxae without seta encircled by round carina and with two prominent setae on margin. Femur with three or four dorsal spines and four ventral spines ( Fig. 122E–F ); two prominent setiferous tubercles between dorsal spine 1 and proximal margin; spine between ventral spine 1 and proximal margin, twothirds length of spine 1. Patella with four or five dorsal spines in primary series ( Fig. 122E–F ); two prominent setiferous tubercles distal to spine I; three or four ventral spines ( Fig. 122F ); large setiferous tubercle between spine I and distal margin. Tibia with ventral spine distally and two setae between spine and distal margin. Tarsus with two short dorsal spines ( Fig. 122D ); cleaning organ with 31 setae in ventral row.

LEGS. Tibia of leg I with 23 articles; tarsus I with 41 articles; first and second tarsal articles equal in length; tarsal organ close to base of tarsal claw ( Fig. 124B–D ); slit sensillae located on lateral of tip segment of tarsus I ( Fig. 124A ); rod sensilla with five seate in deep groove ( Fig. 124A, E ). Leg IV basitibia with three pseudo-articles, with sclerotized, denticulate border at apex of articles; trichobothrium bt situated in distal third of pseudo-article; distitibia trichobothrium bc situated closer to bf than to s bf; sc and sf series each with five trichobothria.

Measurements

See Table 8.

Distribution

Known from peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.

Natural history

Found under stones on the floor of primary and secondary forests, as well as disturbed habitats (e.g., graveyards).

Remarks

Sarax rimosus has been overlooked since its description. Few papers covered this species, perhaps due to the complex taxonomy of Sarax and because several species have been described in and around the Malay Peninsula, e.g., S. batuensis , S. buxtoni , S. rimosus , S. sarawakensis and S. singaporae . Reassessment of the morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis based on morphology and DNA sequences ( Miranda et al. 2021) led to the following conclusions.

1) Sarax sarawakensis is a large, sexually dimorphic species occurring on the islands of Indonesia and Malaysia, characterized by two small spines on the pedipalp tarsus; the basitibia of leg IV consisting of four pseudo-articles; and the distitibia of leg IV consisting of five trichobothria in the sc and sf series.

2) Sarax rimosus occurs only in peninsular Malaysia and is characterized by brownish coloration; two dorsal spines on the pedipalp tarsus; the basitibia of leg IV consisting of three pseudo-articles; and the distitibia of leg IV with five trichobothria in the sc and sf series. Although the type material of S. buxtoni was not examined, a large number of topotypes were studied, and no differences were obserbed between S. buxtoni and S. rimosus . Therefore, S. buxtoni is newly synonymized with S. rimosus .

3) Sarax batuensis is restricted to the dark zone of the Batu Caves in peninsular Malaysia and characterized by the basitibia of leg IV with four pseudo-articles; and the distitibia of leg IV with five trichobothria in the sc and sf series.

4) Sarax singaporae is a brown colored species, endemic to Singapore, characterized by a small pair of dorsal spines on the pedipalp tarsus; the basitibia of leg IV with three pseudo-articles ( Gravely (1915b) mentions one specimen of the type series in which the basitibia of leg IV consisting of four pseudo-articles); and the distitibia of leg IV with six trichobothria in the sc and sf series.

5) Sarax gravelyi sp. nov. is a new species from Singapore characterized by prominent reddish bands on the carapace; two relatively long spines on the pedipalp tarsus, the distal spine longer than the proximal spine; the basitibia of leg IV consisting of four pseudo-articles; and the distitibia of leg IV with six trichobothria in the sc and sf series.

The male gonopods of S. rimosus are similar to those of S. indochinensis sp. nov. Weygoldt (2002c: 136, fig. 12) illustrated the female genitalia of a specimen identified as S. buxtoni , but that gonopod is quite different from what was observed in other species of the genus. It more closely resembles the sucker-like structures of Charinus than the finger-like structures of Sarax . The apex of the finger-like projection of the specimen studied by Weygoldt (2002) may have collapsed, giving the impression of a sucker-like gonopod.

Seiter et al. (2015) synonymized S. mediterraneus with S. buxtoni based on a combination of seven characters, but their characters “i” (number of setae on the anterior margin of the carapace), “ii” (in part; number of teeth on the basal segment of the chelicera) and “v” (number of segments of the tibia of legs II and III) are not informative at any level in Amblypygi . Most Charinidae possess six setae on the anterior margin of the carapace, a character common to all species of Sarax . The same holds true for the number of teeth in the prolateral row of the cheliceral basal segment: all Charinidae possess four teeth. The tibia of legs II and III are not divided in any Charinidae . All other characters of S. mediterraneus are shared with S. rimosus : three teeth on the cheliceral claw; pedipalp patella with four or five dorsal spines; basitibia of leg IV with three pseudo-articles. Therefore, S. mediterraneus is here synonymized with S. rimosus . Seiter et al. (2015: 550) also stated that the three females in the vial identified as S. mediterraneus “belong most probably to the S. batuensis types originating from the Batu caves in Malaysia ”, but there is no evidence supporting this statement as the type material of S. batuensis is deposited at the SMF.

Figures

Fig. 103. Map plotting known distributions of species of Sarax Simon, 1892 in Southeast Asia and Oceania, with insets for Singapore (A), eastern Borneo (B), and western West Papua (C).

Fig. 122. Sarax rimosus (Simon, 1901) (CUMZ I.48100), general morphology, ♀. A. Carapace, dorsal view. B. Sternum, ventral view. C. Frontal process. D. Pedipalp tarsus, frontal view. E. Pedipalp, dorsal view. F. Pedipalp, ventral view. Scale bars: A, E–F = 1 mm; B–D = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 123. Sarax rimosus (Simon, 1901) (AMCC [LP 11996]), male gonopod.A. Ventral view.B. Posterior view. C. Dorsal view. D. Dextral side of gonopod. E. Lateral lobe I. F. Processus internus. G. Internal detail of fistula with spiny projections.

Fig. 124. Sarax rimosus (Simon, 1901) (AMCC [LP 11996]), antenniform leg I, ♀. A. Distal article of tarsus, lateral view. Insets: slit sensillae. B. Distal article of tarsus, frontal view. C. Tarsal organ near tarsal claw. D. Tarsal claw, lateral view. E. Rod sensilla and olfactory setae.