Sitalcina borregoensis Briggs, 1968

DiDomenico, Angela & Hedin, Marshal, 2016, New species in the Sitalcinasura species group (Opiliones, Laniatores, Phalangodidae), with evidence for a biogeographic link between California desert canyons and Arizona sky islands, ZooKeys 586, pp. 1-36 : 14

Taxon classification Animalia Opiliones Phalangodidae

Sitalcina borregoensis Briggs, 1968 Figures: map Figure 1; habitus Figure 2B; male Figure 8 A–D

Sitalcina borregoensis Briggs, 1968: 30. Ubick and Briggs 2008: 22, fig. 25.

Type material examined.

Holotype female from California, San Diego County, Anza- Borrego Desert State Park, Mountain Palm Springs, collected by T. Briggs, April 5, 1967 (CAS).

Diagnosis.

This small-bodied species is most similar to Sitalcina rothi and Sitalcina oasiensis , with a low EM and a flattened body profile in both sexes. Females can be diagnosed by the moderately imbricate OVM. Males possess a TrIV spur that is approximately straight, and longer than in Sitalcina oasiensis . The distal end of PSL is conspicuously serrate.

Genetic data.

GenBank Accession numbers: KX064802, KX064803, KX064830, KX064831, KX064855, KX064856, KX064876, KX064898, KX064899, KX064924, KX064925, KX064954, KX064955.

Description.

FEMALE. As in Ubick and Briggs 2008.

MALE. Integument color pale orange, appendages lighter. Body finely rugose with a few large tubercles on posterior tergites, one pair anteriorly on EM; 3 pairs of AT. EM low, flattened, eyes present. Palpal Fm with median dorsobasal row of 4 asetose tubercles and one small mesal tubercle. Palpal megaspines: trochanter one ventral and small; Fm 3 ventrobasal, one mesodistal; patella 2 mesal, one ectal; tibia and tarsus 2 mesal, 2 ectal. TC 3-5-5-5.

Measurements taken from following specimens: SDSU_OP3011 (SDSU_OP3010): BL 1.32 (1.24). SL 0.75 (0.84), SW 0.75 (0.78). EM width 0.19 (0.18), height 0.12 (0.10). GO length 0.17 (0.14), width 0.17 (0.14). Leg II length - missing (2.78), Leg II/SL - missing (3.31). TrIV spur present, nearly straight. Penis VP entire, apically pointed, with 8 pairs of setae, AS absent; glans DL quadrate; PSL serrate distally; S not visible.

Other material examined.

New males were collected on 19 February, 2012 from the vicinity of the type locality. Suppl. material 1: Table S1 provides additional locality information for specimens examined.

Distribution and habitat.

Known only from the vicinity of Mountain Palm Springs, Anza Borrego Desert State Park. New collections are from a north-facing slope, under the first layer of granite rocks in a small ravine adjacent to a palm grove (Figure 2A).