Auranus xerxes Colmenares, Porto & Tourinho, 2016, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Colmenares, Pío A.
name: Porto, Willians
name: Tourinho, Ana Lúcia
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Opiliones
Stygnidae
Auranus
Auranus xerxes

description: Auranus xerxes sp. nov.
(Figs 3 A–D, 4A–C, 6E, 7E)
Type material: Holotype: male (INPA-OP 3412) from Reserva Biológica Uatumã, LO5-3500, (59˚14'34.23"S, 1˚49'05.55" W), Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brasil; Leg. R. Saturnino.; 24.X.2008; nocturnal searching (photo voucher). Paratypes: (INPA-OP 3409) from Reserva Biológica Uatumã, LO4-1500, (59˚15'37.22" S, 1˚48'29.70" W), Reserva Biológica Uatumã, Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brasil; Leg. R. Saturnino; 24.X.2008; nocturnal searching. 1 male and 1 female (INPA-OP 3410), Reserva Biológica Uatumã, LO2-500 (59˚16'09.91" S, 1˚47'24.27" W), Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brasil; Leg. R. Saturnino; 18.X.2008; nocturnal searching. 1 female (INPA-OP 3405), Reserva Biológica Uatumã, LO5-2500 (59˚15'05.28" S, 1˚49'04.84" W), Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brasil; Leg. R. Saturnino; x.2008; nocturnal searching. 1 female (INPA-OP 3407), Reserva Biológica Uatumã, LO1-2500 (59˚15'05.34" S, 1˚46'51.33" W), Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brasil; Leg. R. Saturnino; 23.x.2008; nocturnal searching. 1 male and 1 female (INPA-OP 3402), Reserva Biológica Uatumã, LO5-3500 (59˚14'34.23" S, 1˚49'05.55" W), Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brasil; Leg. R. Saturnino; 24.X.2008; nocturnal searching. 1 female (INPA-OP 3408), Reserva Biológica Uatumã, LO4-3500 (59˚14'31.73" S, 1˚48'30.21" W), Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brasil; Leg. R. Saturnino; 25x.2008; nocturnal searching. 2 females (INPA-OP 3406), Reserva Biológica Uatumã, LO4-2500 (59˚15'05.79" S, 1˚48'30.17" W), Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brasil; Leg. R. Saturnino; 02.x.2008; nocturnal searching. 1 male and 1 female (INPA-OP 3404), Reserva Biológica Uatumã, LO2-2500 (59˚16'10.81" S, 1˚48'29.25" W), Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brasil; Leg. R. Saturnino; 22.x.2008; nocturnal searching. 3 females (INPA-OP 3403), Reserva Biológica Uatumã, LO2-2500 (59˚15'04.74" S, 1˚47'25.97" W), Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brasil; Leg. R. Saturnino; 23.x.2008; nocturnal searching. 1male and 1 female (MNRJ 9100), Hidrelétrica de Balbina, Ilha Cachoeira (59˚22'02.3" W, 1˚51'44.3" S), Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brasil; Leg. R. Saturnino; 15.vii.2006; nocturnal searching.
Etymology: Noun in apposition, named after Xerxes I, who was the fifth great king of the Achaemenid (Persian) Empire from 486–465 BCE. He was also characterized as the villain of the recent Hollywood movie “300”.
Diagnosis: Easily distinguishable from all other Auranus by having only one spine on mesotergal area III (Figs 3 A, 6E, 7E). Also the only known species of Auranus with dorsal process on stylus (Figs 4 A–B).
Male description (holotype): Measurements: DSL: 2.79; PL: 1.16; DSW: 2.19; PW: 1.98; ID: 1.39; MH: 2.07; GOL: 0.23; GOW: 0.28.
Dorsum (Figs 3 A–B, 6E, 7E): Dorsal scutum rectangular. Prosoma: with anterior margin smooth; anterior hump with sparse tubercles, with two rows of tubercles on each side towards anterior margin; sparse minute tubercles in interocular space; lateral margins with one row of tubercles. Opisthosoma: area I divided, with two tubercles on each side; area II with 4–6 tubercles on each side; area III with one conical spine, with one tubercle in front and three tubercles on each side, with one posterior row of seven tubercles. Posterior margin with eight tubercles. Free tergites I–III with one row of tubercles. Anal operculum tuberculated.
Venter: Coxa I with two rows of four small tubercles; II–IV with sparse small tubercles. Posterior margin with one row of tubercles. Free sternites and anal operculum tuberculate.
Chelicerae: Segment I with well-defined bulla, with three proximal tubercles, and one mesal and one ectal small tubercle; II swollen and smooth, with three distal teeth; III with a larger proximal tooth and three small distal teeth.
Pedipalps (Figs 3 C–D): Coxa covered dorsally with 8–11 tubercles, with a ventral tubercle. Trochanter with one dorsal and one ventral tubercle. Femur slightly swollen distally, smooth dorsally, and with one ventral row of five small tubercles. Patella smooth, swollen distally. Tibia: ectal IiiIi, mesal IIiIi. Tarsus: ectal IiIii, mesal IiIiii.
Legs (Figs 3 E–F): Coxa I–III smooth dorsally, IV tuberculated. Trochanter I smooth dorsally, with three ventral tubercles; II with one dorsal tubercle and four ventral tubercles; III with three dorsal and three ventral tubercles; IV with one dorsal tubercle and five ventral tubercles. Femur I smooth dorsally, with two rows of ventral tubercles; II smooth dorsally, with two rows of ventral tubercles; III with sparse dorsal tubercles and two rows of ventral tubercles increasing in size distally; IV smooth dorsally, with one retrolateral and two ventral rows of tubercles increasing in size distally. Patella I–II smooth; III with sparse tubercles; IV strongly tuberculated. Tibia I– II smooth; III with a row of tubercles; IV with some dorsal tubercles, and two rows of ventral tubercles: one row of small and a row of large. Tarsal formula 7(3)/12(3)/7/7.
Penis (Figs 4 A–C). Calyx with a dorsoapical cleft and two lateral flat processes directed ventrally. Malleus slightly swollen, with a dorsal cleft, without projections. Chaetotaxy: MS A: A1–A2 inserted laterally on malleus, A3 inserted lateroventrally on malleus; MS B: one pair inserted ventrally on malleus. MS C: three pairs, cylindrical, curved and sharp, forming group placed laterally on calyx. MS D: one well developed pair, cylindrical and sharp, placed dorsal and sub-distally, almost at same height as group C. MS E: reduced to one pair (E1), sharp and curved and placed ventrally, forming group with MS C. Glans membranous, stylus short and with dorsal process.
Color (Figs 6 E, 7E): Lateral portions of prosoma and sulci light brown. Eye mounds, scutal areas, margins and legs dark brown, except trochanter, which is yellowish. Some dark reticles on chelicerae and central portion of prosoma.
Female description (paratype INPA-OP 3409): Measurements: DSL: 3.15; PL: 1.08; DSW: 2.18; PW: 1.82; ID: 1.21; MH: 2.10; GOL: 0.37; GOW: 0.39. Chelicerae smaller than male. Femur and tibia IV with two rows of ventral turbercles, which are minute instead of large. Tarsal formula: 6(3)/11(3)/6/7.
Distribution (Fig. 8): only known from the type locality.
description: Published as part of Colmenares, Pío A., Porto, Willians & Tourinho, Ana Lúcia, 2016, Taxonomic notes on the genus Auranus (Opiliones, Laniatores, Stygnidae), with description of two new species, pp. 117-129 in Zootaxa 4103 (2) on pages 122-124, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4103.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/271185