Charinus susuwa Miranda & Giupponi & Prendini & Scharff 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Miranda, Gustavo Silva de
name: Giupponi, Alessandro P. L.
name: Prendini, Lorenzo
name: Scharff, Nikolaj
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Amblypygi
Charinidae
Charinus
Charinus susuwa

description: Charinus susuwa sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 2DD78A8B-3E54-4616-9425-B62D7B360D8E
Figs 80, 82; Table 5
Diagnosis
This species may be separated from C. madagascariensis and other African species of Charinus by means of the following combination of characters: troglobitic habitus, with pale color, elongated pedipalp spines, and eyes extremely reduced, to eyespots below tegument (Fig. 82A); pedipalp femur with long spine between dorsal spines 1 and 2 (Fig. 82E); pedipalp patella with long ventral spine between spine I and distal margin (Fig. 82F); tarsus with one dorsal spine (Fig. 82C).
The tarsus and tibia of leg I are missing from the holotype.
Etymology
Noun in apposition referring to the type locality, Mt Susuwa.
Type material
Holotype KENYA • ♀; Mt. Susuwa; [01°10′34.11″ S, 36°20′55.92″ E]; Mar. 1967; A.J. Sutcliffe leg.; in lava, tunnel 3 (dark zone); BMNH.
Description
CARAPACE. Six anterior setae; frontal process triangular (Fig. 82D). Small granules densely scattered between ocular triads and among sulci. Median eyes reduced to eyespots below tegument; median ocular tubercle absent (Fig. 82A); pair of setae in place of median ocular tubercle; lateral eyes extremely reduced, present only as small yellowish eyespots below tegument.
STERNUM. Tritosternum projected anteriorly with typical setation, long, greatly surpassing base of pedipalp coxae; other sternal platelets narrow and concave, with pair of setae anteriorly on plaque and some smaller setae posteriorly; pentasternum with four setae anteriorly and without seta on membranous region.
OPISTHOSOMA. Ventral sacs and ventral sac cover absent.
GENITALIA. Female genital operculum with posterior margin straight; gonopod sucker-like with wide, rounded apex.
CHELICERAE. Small, flat tooth on retrolateral surface of basal segment, opposite to bifid tooth; retrolateral surface of claw with continous row of setae, basally to medially; claw with five teeth; row of twelve setae on prolateral surface of basal segment; bifid tooth on basal segment with dorsal cusp larger than ventral cusp.
PEDIPALPS. Coxal dorsal carina with four prominent setae encircled by round carina and three setae on margin. Femur with three dorsal spines and three ventral spines (Fig. 82E–F); long spine between dorsal spines 1 and 2; two prominent setiferous tubercles between dorsal spine 1 and proximal margin; long spine between ventral spine 1 and proximal margin. Patella with four dorsal spines in primary series, proximal three spines long, fourth spine shorter (Fig. 82E); prominent setiferous tubercle distal to spine I, one-fourth length of spine I; three ventral spines (Fig. 82F); prominent spine between spine I and distal margin. Tibia with ventral spine distally and two setae between spine and distal margin. Tarsus with long dorsal spine, half length of tarsus (Fig. 82C); cleaning organ with 26 setae in ventral row.
LEGS. Leg IV basitibia IV with four pseudo-articles, with sclerotized, denticulate projection at apex of articles; trichobothrium bt situated submedially on pseudo-article; distitibia trichobothrium bc situated closer to sbf than to bf, sc and sf series each with five trichobothria.
Measurements
See Table 5.
Distribution
Known only from the type locality.
Natural history
This species was collected from a lava tunnel in the ancient volcano Mt Susuwa. The habitat and habitus indicate it is troglobitic. Phrynichus exophthalmus was also recorded from Mt Susuwa (Weygoldt 1998b).
Key to the identification of the species of Charinus in western Africa
1. Median and lateral eyes reduced (Fig. 93A); cheliceral claw with four teeth; pedipalp femur with five ventral spines (Fig. 93D) ................................................. Charinus milloti Fage, 1939 (Fig. 93)
– Median and lateral eyes unmodified; cheliceral claw with more than four teeth; pedipalp femur with three or four ventral spines ................................................................................................................ 2
2. Cheliceral claw with nine teeth; pedipalp patella with four ventral spines (Fig. 89C)........................ ........................................................................................... Charinus fagei Weygoldt, 1972 (Fig. 89)
– Cheliceral claw with fewer than six teeth; pedipalp patella with two or three ventral spines........... 3
3. Pedipalp patella with four dorsal spines and three ventral spines; pedipalp tarsus with three dorsal spines ......................................................................................... Charinus loko sp. nov. (Figs 90–92)
– Pedipalp patella with three dorsal spines and two ventral spines; pedipalp tarsus with two dorsal spines ................................................................................................................................................. 4
4. Cheliceral claw with six teeth; genital operculum with median projection......................................... ................................................................................ Charinus africanus Hansen, 1921 (Figs 84–88)
– Cheliceral claw with four teeth; genital operculum slightly convex but without median projection ............................................................................................ Charinus kakum Harms, 2018
description: Published as part of Miranda, Gustavo Silva de, Giupponi, Alessandro P. L., Prendini, Lorenzo & Scharff, Nikolaj, 2021, Systematic revision of the pantropical whip spider family Charinidae Quintero, 1986 (Arachnida, Amblypygi), pp. 1-409 in European Journal of Taxonomy 772 on pages 142-144, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2021.772.1505, http://zenodo.org/record/5536410