Spinopilar, Mello-Leitao, 1940

Kury, Adriano B. & Araujo, Débora C., 2021, On Spinopilar from Rio de Janeiro state with description of three new species (Opiliones, Laniatores, Cryptogeobiidae), Zootaxa 4984 (1), pp. 148-181 : 152

Key to the species of Spinopilar (males only)

Spinopilar anomalis is left out of the key for the moment because of the several lacunae in its description. However, the information extracted from the original description (analyzed below) indicates that this species does not match any others.

1. Cave-dwelling species, with appendages much elongate (especially Fe II straight and extremely long), slender and unarmed; Fe IV straight and twice as long as dorsal scutum; mesotergal areas densely covered with very low and small tubercles; Cx IV prodorsally unarmed; Fe IV densely covered with row of granules, otherwise unarmed........................ S. moria

1’. Epigean species, with shorter appendages (Fe II shorter than scutum); Fe IV either straight or curved, about as long as dorsal scutum; mesotergal areas with variable armature but not as above; Cx IV always with at least one prodorsal spiniform apophysis; podomeres of leg IV may bear armature................................................................ 2

2(1). Tr IV with short (shorter than Tr IV width) lobe-like retrolateral apophysis; both Fe and Ti IV slender and elongate, Ti even longer than Fe........................................................................................ 3

2’. Tr IV with extremely robust retrolateral anterior apophysis, longer than the Tr width and armed with FAp and/or primary trochanteral cluster of special setae; Ti IV thick and short..................................................... … 4

3(2). Tr IV with immense ventro-apical apophysis, almost as long as Fe IV................................. S. armatipes

3’. Tr IV without ventro-apical apophysis.......................................................... S. insignitus

4(2). Ocularium short, at most twice as high as cornea diameter.................................................... 5

4’. Ocularium very high (about 5 times as high as cornea diameter), campaniform.................................... 6

5(4). Mesotergum entirely smooth and unarmed; Mt IV thin; ocularium conical, entirely unarmed......... S. jocheni spec. nov.

5’. Armature of mesotergum made of short acuminate spines; Mt IV spindle-shaped; ocularium low, flattened, with a moderately strong spine tilted backwards................................................................... S. armatus

6(4). Stigmatic area with large conk-shaped median lobe on its posterior margin and lateral halter-shaped protuberance (hLP); configuration of tubercles on scutal areas unique: areas I-II with one pair, III-IV with a row of tubercles (median pair larger)...................................................................................... S. martialis spec. nov.

6’. Stigmatic area with only simple lateral lobes, without median lobe; scutal areas I–II either unarmed or with pair of tubercles; areas III-IV either with a pair or with a row of tubercles...................................................... 7

7(6). Mesotergal armature as acuminate spines....................................................... S. apiacaensis

7’. Mesotergal armature as small granules.................................................................... 8

8(7). Fe and Ti IV not especially thick; Mt IV non-fusiform........................................... S. friburguensis

8’. Fe and Ti IV strongly incrassate; Mt IV fusiform......................................... S. magistralis spec. nov.