Gyndesops denisi Roewer, 1943

Pinto-da-Rocha, Ricardo, Benedetti, Alipio Rezende, de Vasconcelos, Eduardo Gomes & Hara, Marcos Ryotaro, 2012, New systematic assignments in Gonyleptoidea (Arachnida, Opiliones, Laniatores), ZooKeys 198, pp. 25-68 : 45-46

Gyndesops denisi Roewer, 1943 Fig. 17

Gyndesops denisi Roewer, 1943: 29, fig. 23 (♂); Kury 2003: 129; (male holotype, Brazil [Brasilien: Nova Teutonia], SMF 8833/117, examined).

Description.

Penis (Fig. 17 A–B, holotype): ventral plate subrectangular, basal half of lateral margin projected laterad, distal margin slightly concave, 3 distal pairs of cyli ndrical setae, 1 pair of median setae (long left seta and moderate sized right seta), 3 basal pairs of cylindrical setae (median largest). Glans sac almost reaching distal margin of ventral plate. Stylus with swollen apex, smooth. Ventral process with large shaft, apex flabelliform with serrated lateral margins.

Taxonomical note.

Originally, Gyndesops denisi was allocated in Pachylinae , and later transferred to Gonyleptinae by Kury (2003), without further explanation. It is known that Gonyleptinae and Pachylinae are possibly not monophyletic. A phylogenetic analysis of Gonyleptidae is currently being carried out and indicates, however, that most Gonyleptinae have a deep cleft in the distal margin of the penis ventral plate, as well as some other features, absent in this species. Since Gyndesops denisi (i) does not possess such cleft in the penis ventral plate, and (ii) the exterior morphology might be misleading regarding Gonyleptinae and Pachylinae , we opted to allocate it back in Pachylinae .