Neopantopsalis thaumatopoios, Taylor, Christopher K. & Hunt, Glenn S., 2009

Taylor, Christopher K. & Hunt, Glenn S., 2009, New genus of Megalopsalidinae (Arachnida: Opiliones: Monoscutidae) from north-eastern Australia, Zootaxa 2130, pp. 41-59 : 57-58

Neopantopsalis thaumatopoios n. sp.

( Figs. 33–36 )

Material examined. Male holotype. New England National Park, New South Wales, 30°28’S 152°29’E, 13 December 1973, R. Raven, under rock (QM S2850).

Diagnosis. Neopantopsalis thaumatopoios is distinguished from N. camelus by having a more rugose ocularium, longer proventral spines on femur I, and lateral humps more angular in profile. It is distinguished from all other species by the presence of pseudoarticulations in femur II.

Description. MALE. Prosoma length 3.72, width 3.16. Dorsal prosomal plate medium brown, sloped upwards towards posterior, with lateral humps angular in profile with posterior shelf. Postocularial hump directed posteriad. Anterior and median propeltidial areas uniformly covered with small denticles, posterior propeltidial area mostly unarmed. Ocularium lighter than surrounds, rugose. Metapeltidium and dorsum of opisthosoma lighter than pro- and mesopeltidium, with tan punctures. Venter yellow-tan.

Chelicerae. Segment I 9.88, segment II 11.75. Both segments medium brown proximad, with yellow areas distad; very long and slender, with second segment broader distad and anteroposteriorly flattened; uniformly denticulate. Cheliceral fingers sinuous.

Pedipalps. Femur 1.71, patella 0.75, tibia 0.98, tarsus 2.21. White with purple bands; all segments smooth. No apophysis or hypersetose areas. Tarsal claw with small ventral teeth.

Legs. Femora 6.07, 11.00, 5.00,?; patellae 1.36, 1.56, 1.25,?; tibiae 5.47, 11.75, 4.80,? (legs IV not preserved). Banded yellow and brown. Leg I with longitudinal row of elongated spines on proventral side of femur, with longest spines at about two-thirds of the way distad. Longitudinal rows of shorter spines on dorsal and retrolateral sides. Patella and tibia smooth except for spines on dorsodistal margin of patella, and few scattered spines along longitudinal rows of setae in line with rows of spines on femur. Other legs with dorsal and retrolateral rows of spines, no proventral rows. Femur II with five pseudosegments, tibia II with eleven pseudosegments.

Penis ( Figs. 35–36 ). Left anterior bristle group reduced. Stylus recurved posteriad from glans.

Etymology. From Greek thaumatopoios , a performer, puppeteer or acrobat, referring to the resemblance of the relatively large second segment of the chelicera at the end of the narrow first segment to a bowling pin being held by a juggler.

Figures

FIGURES 33 – 36. Neopantopsalis thaumatopoios n. sp., male (QM S 2850). 33. Dorsal view of body. 34. Lateral view of body with anterior limbs. 35. Tip of penis, lateral view. 36. Tip of penis, ventral view. Scale bars for Figs. 33 and 34 = 1 mm; Figs. 35 and 36 = 0.1 mm.