Biantes spatulatus, Gong & Martens & Zhang, 2018

Gong, Xuyun, Martens, Jochen & Zhang, Chao, 2018, Two new species of Biantes from China and Malaysia (Opiliones: Laniatores: Biantidae), Zootaxa 4461 (4), pp. 587-599 : 593-597

BIantes spatulatus sp. nov.

( Figs 8–9 , 28–43 , 50–52 )

Type material. Holotype: male, MALAYSIA: Perak, Temenggor Lake [N05°32´, E 101°21´], alt. 306m, October 24, 2015, Z.Z. Gao leg. (MHBU-Opi-15ZC1112). Paratype: one female (MHBU-Opi-15ZC1113), same collecting data as holotype .

Diagnosis. Patella of pedipalp with a meso-ventral setiferous tubercle, its length almost equal to the sum of the length of the tibia and tarsus. Conductor of penis smooth, without any apophyses; the tip conical, pointing downward; the titillator spoon-shaped; the ventral plate without spongy body.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin word “ spatulatus ” meaning “spoon-shaped”, referring to the shape of the titillator of the penis. It also alludes to the spathe in the aroid plant family surrounding the spadix inflorescence, which bears the flowers.

Description. Male (holotype): habitus as in Figs 8 , 28 , 50–51 . Coloration ( Figs 50–51 ): Entire body yellow, without reticulations, opisthosomal scutum light mahogany.

Dorsum ( Figs 8 , 51 ). Dorsal scutum granular and trapezoid in shape, widest portion of body at scutal area V. Anterior margin of carapace with two shallow cheliceral sockets and five small tubercles laterally. Eyes widely separated from each other with circum-ocular tubercles, adjacent to the latero-posterior region of carapace; the distance between eyes shorter than the width of scutal area I. The mesotergal sulci inconspicuous. Scutum and free tergites without enlarged tubercles.

Venter. Genital operculum a rounded pentagon ( Fig. 35 ). Coxae tuberculate. Coxa I with conspicuous tubercles with setae on top ( Fig. 29 ). Coxae II, III and IV only with minute tubercles. Genital operculum with a few setatipped granules. Free sternites with a row of minute tubercles with setae on top. Spiracles clearly visible.

Chelicerae ( Figs 30–32 ). Basal segment of chelicera with distinct dorsal bulla, no prominent armaments except a few small setiferous tubercles. Cheliceral claw unarmed, with sparse setae only. Fingers relatively short, inner edges toothed as illustrated ( Fig. 32 ): moveable finger with five teeth, fixed finger with four teeth.

Pedipalps ( Fig. 33 ). Coxa with one dorsal setiferous tubercle. Trochanter smooth. Femur straight, unarmed, with only a few ventral setae. Patella slim and markedly elongate, the length almost equal to the sum of the length of the tibia and tarsus, also with a meso-ventral setiferous tubercle. Tibia with two ventromesal setiferous tubercles and three ventroectal ones. Tarsus with two setiferous tubercles on each side of ventral surface. Tarsal claw curved, approximately the same length as the tarsus.

Legs ( Fig. 34 ). All segments smooth, with only scarce short setae. Femur IV slightly curved. Distitarsus I with two tarsomeres, distitarsus II with three tarsomeres. Distitarsi III–IV with scopulae ( Fig. 34 ). Tarsal claws smooth. Tarsal formula (I–IV): 3/5/5/5.

Penis ( Figs 38–43 ). The basal third of the shaft slender and slightly broadened, the distal half more strongly enlarged but nearly parallel-sided until apical portion (pars distalis; Figs 38, 40 ). The ventral plate nearly rectangular, with slightly indented apical margin. Two spoon-shaped titillators enclose nearly two thirds of capsula interna in penis resting state ( Fig. 38 ). In the everted state, titillators bent perpendicular to truncus shaft, forming two characteristic spoon-shaped structures (“spathes”, see above). The tips of the two conductors closely associated to each other, in the resting state surrounded by both titillators, just like the nib of fountain pen ( Fig. 38 ). On top of the inner side of both conductors a triangular, conical proximal pointing tip ( Figs 41, 43 ). Stylus slender, hidden between the conductors. Pars distalis of truncus with 12 ventral setae: four setae on the ventral plate, six setae near the base of the ventral plate, two additional setae placed slightly more proximally ( Figs 40, 43 ).

Female paratype: ( Figs 9 , 36–37 , 44–46 , 52 ). In general, appearance similar to the male ( Figs 9 , 52 ), with only a slight difference in inner edges of finger of chelicera ( Fig. 37 ) and in genital operculum ( Fig. 36 ). Ovipositor ( Figs 44–46 ) conical. Distal tip divided into two external lobes. Each lobe with five setae: two on the ventral side and three on the dorsal side.

Measurements. Male (female paratype): body 1.47(1.58) long; scutum 1.32 (1.26) long, 1.15 (1.10) wide; carapace 0.51 (0.46) long, 0.81 (0.73) wide. Interocular distance 0.46 (0.43) (not including the eye). Pedipalp claw 0.32(0.31) long. Penis 0.65 long. Measurements of pedipalp and legs as in Table 2.

Habitat. The specimens were collected by leaf litter sifting in dark, moist forest habitat under dense canopy.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Figures

FIGURES 6–9. Body of holotype and paratype, dorsal view. 6–7. Biantes calyptroideus sp. nov. 6. Male. 7. Female. 8–9. Biantes spatulatus sp. nov. 8. Male. 9. Female. Scale bars: 1mm (6–7); 0.5 mm (8–9).

FIGURES 28–37. Biantes spatulatus sp. nov. male holotype and female paratype. 28. Male body, lateral view. 29. Right coxae I–IV of male, lateral view. 30. Left chelicera of male, medial view. 31. Same, ectal view. 32. Cheliceral fingers of male, frontal view. 33. Left pedipalp of male, medial view. 34. Right tarsus IV of male, retrolateral view. 35. Genital operculum of male, ventral view. 36. Genital operculum of female, ventral view. 37. Cheliceral fingers of female, frontal view. Scale bars: 1 mm (28); 0.5 mm (29, 33); 0.25 mm (30–32, 34); 0.125 mm (35–37).

FIGURES 38–46. Biantes spatulatus sp. nov. genitalia of male holotype and female paratype. 38. Penis, dorsal view. 39. Same, lateral view. 40. Same, ventral view. 41. Pars distalis of penis (everted), dorsal view. 42. Same, lateral view. 43. Same, ventral view. 44. Ovipositor, dorsal view. 45. Same, ventral view. 46. Same, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.25 mm (38–40); 0.125 mm (41–46).

FIGURES 47–52. Photographs of male holotype and female paratype of Biantes calyptroideus sp. nov. and Biantes spatulatus sp. nov.. 47–49. Biantes calyptroideus sp. nov.. 47. Male body and parts of appendages, dorsal view. 48. Female body and parts of appendages, dorsal view. 49. Male body and parts of appendages, lateral view. 50–52. Biantes spatulatus sp. nov.. 50. Male body and parts of appendages, lateral view. 51. Male body and parts of appendages, dorsal view. 52. Female body and parts of appendages, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm (49); 0.5 mm (47–48; 50–52).