Thaumatocranaus Roewer, 1932

Hara, Marcos R., Bragagnolo, Cibele & Pinto-Da-Rocha, Ricardo, 2017, Revision of Thaumatocranaus Roewer, 1932, with description of two new species (Opiliones: Laniatores: Gonyleptoidea), Zootaxa 4254 (4), pp. 457-472 : 459

Thaumatocranaus Roewer, 1932 new subfamilial assignment

Thaumatocranaus Roewer, 1932: 277 (key), 307 (desc); Mello-Leitão 1935: 97 (sys); Soares & Soares 1948: 586 (key), 619 (cat, diag); Kury, 2003: 99 (cat).

Type species. Thaumatocranaus mirabilis Roewer, 1932 , by monotypy.

Other species included. T. magnificus sp. nov. and T. splendidus sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Ampycinae (see diagnosis in Villarreal M. & Kury, 2012) with a pair of enlarged tubercles on each corner of anterior margin of DS, low ocularium with a pair of enlarged tubercles, lateral margins of DS with external row of tubercles increasing in size posteriorly, becoming slightly large and blunt or large, conical and slightly acuminated. Scutal grooves I and IV conspicuous; scutal grooves II–III inconspicuous in the middle and shallow on the sides, weakly delimitating three scutal areas, scutal areas I–II with a paramedian pair of slightly enlarged pointed tubercles, scutal area III with a pair of spiniform apophyses. Only free tergite III armed with a median robust apophysis. Coxa IV with prolateral apical and retrolateral apical apophyses.

Redescription. Male: Dorsum ( Figs 1 A, C–E, 2E, 3A–E, 5A–E): Anterior margin of carapace with a weakly marked frontal hump, a row of tubercles on each side and 1 pair of enlarged tubercles on each corner (internal largest). Ocularium low, with tubercles sparsely distributed and 1 paramedian pair of enlarged tubercles. Dorsal scutum with well-marked lateral longitudinal grooves and scutal grooves I and IV; scutal grooves II–III inconspicuous in the middle and shallow on the sides, weakly delimitating three scutal areas. Scutal areas I–II with a paramedian pair of slightly enlarged pointed tubercles; scutal area III with a paramedian pair of spiniform apophyses. Body shape type gamma. Lateral margin of dorsal scutum with an external row of tubercles increasing in size posteriorly, becoming slightly large and blunt ( T. mirabilis ) or large, conical and slightly acuminated, and an internal irregular row of tubercles. Only one ozopore on each side. Posterior margin of dorsal scutum and free tergites I–III each with a row of tubercles; free tergites I–II unarmed; free tergite III with a robust bifid ( T. mirabilis ) or unbranched median apophysis and few sparsely distributed tubercles. Anal operculum unarmed, tuberculate.

Chelicerae: Segment I with well-marked bulla; both fingers toothed (triangle- to laminar-shaped projections).

Pedipalps ( Figs 1 F, G, 3F, G, 5F, G): Trochanter inflated, ventral face with a pair of enlarged setiferous tubercles. Femur unarmed, with sparse tubercles and 1 ventrobasal slightly enlarged tubercle, without prolateral subapical seta. Tibia and tarsus dorso-lateral face with few tubercles, variable setation.

Legs ( Figs 2 A–D, F, G, 4, 6): Coxa I with 1 prolateral, 1 retrolateral apophyses; coxa II ditto, retrolateral apophysis apex fused to prolateral apophysis of coxa III; coxa III with 1 prolateral, 1 retrolateral apophyses; coxa IV tuberculate, with 1 prolateral and 1 retrolateral apical, conical apophyses. Coxa IV sides slightly visible in dorsal view, only apical region most visible (in dorsal view). Trochanters I–IV tuberculate; trochanter IV unarmed prolaterally (except T. mirabilis ). Femora–tibiae I–IV with tubercles roughly organized in 6 longitudinal rows (a pro- and a retrodorsal rows, a pro- and a retrolateral rows and a pro- and a retroventral rows), tubercles on femora– tibiae I–II smaller than those on III–IV. Femora I–III roughly straight, femur IV straight to slightly curved inwards (in dorsal view). Patellae–metatarsi I–III minute tuberculate. Metatarsi I–IV unarmed. Tarsal claws smooth.

Penis ( Fig. 7 ): Glans with sub cylindrical stylus, without dorsal or ventral process. Ventral plate conspicuous, subhexagonal shaped. Distal margin of ventral plate with a median narrow cleft, and a dorso mesal projection on its mesal apical corner ( Fig. 7 C, D, F), with MS C, dorsal subdistal–median MS D, ventral subdistal–median small MS E, MS A and MS B.

Female: Unknown.

Geographical distribution. Central Ecuador and Southeastern Colombia (known only from the type localities of the included species).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Thaumatocranaus mirabilis Roewer. Male (holotype): A, habitus, dorsal view; B, ditto, ventral view (schematic illustration, omitting small tubercles); C, ditto, right lateral view; D, ocularium, anterior view; E, right ozopore area, dorsolateral view; F, right pedipalp, retrolateral view; G, ditto, apex of femur – tarsus prolateral view. Abbreviations: A 1 – 3, scutal areas I – III; Fh, frontal hump; Ft 1 – 3, free tergites I – III; Oc, ocularium; Op, opisthosoma; Pac, prolateral apical apophysis of coxa IV; Pm, posterior margin of dorsal scutum; Pr, prosoma (Ca, carapace = fused dorsal tergites of prosoma). A, C at same scale; F, G at same scale. Scale bars: A – C: 1 mm; F, G, 0.5 mm; D, E: 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 2. Thaumatocranaus mirabilis Roewer. Male (holotype): A, right leg I, apex of metatarsus – tarsus I, prolateral view; B, right femur III, prolateral view; C, right trochanter IV, dorsal view; D, apex of right femur IV, dorsal view; E, anal operculum, posterior view; F, right trochanter – tarsus IV, dorsal view; G, ditto, ventral view. Abbreviations: Pro, prolateral; Ret, retrolateral. A, B at same scale; F, G at same scale. Scale bars: A, B, F, G, 1 mm; C – E, 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 7. Distal part of Thaumatocranaus spp. penises: A, T. mirabilis, dorsal view, B, ditto, right lateral view, C, ditto, ventral view; D, T. magnificus sp. nov., dorsal view, E, ditto, left lateral view; F, T. splendidus sp. nov., dorsal view, G, ditto, left lateral view. Abbreviations: Gl, glans; MS A – E, ventral plate macrosetae A – E; St, glans stylus; Vpl, ventral plate. A – C at same scale. D, E at same scale. F, G at same scale. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.