Neogonyleptes floresi Pérez-Schultheiss 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Pérez-Schultheiss, Jorge
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Opiliones
Gonyleptidae
Neogonyleptes
Neogonyleptes floresi

description: Neogonyleptes floresi sp. nov.
(Figs. 1A, 2–3, 6A)
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 603ADE12-F32F-4466-B80D-3D7B6AF6FAB0
Neogonyleptes sp. Pérez-Schultheiss et al. 2019: 11, fig. 7.
Type series. Holotype ♂ (MNHNCL): CHILE, La Araucanía Region: Villa Las Araucarias, Carahue, Cautín, 38°29’32’’S 73°15’40’’W, 28-I-2019, J. Pérez-Schultheiss coll., under logs in Araucaria - Nothofagus park. Paratype ♂ (MNHNCL): CHILE, Biobío Region: Cayucupil, La Esperanza, Cañete, 37°46’4.7316’’S 73°12’34.6733’’W, 17-II-2019, E. Flores coll., rocky wall, trail at night. Paratype ♂ (dissected) (MNHNCL): Peleco Chico, Cañete, Arauco, 37°52’12’’S 73°23’39’’W, 27-VIII-2019, E. Flores coll., under logs.
Additional specimens. 5 ♀ (MNHNCL): CHILE, Biobío Region: Peleco Chico, Cañete, Arauco, 37°52’12’’S 73°23’39’’W, 27-VIII-2019, E. Flores coll., under logs.
Etymology. The species is named after the field naturalist, wildlife photographer, and collector of part of the type series, Edgardo Flores, in recognition of his great contribution to the knowledge of the biodiversity of the Nahuelbuta mountain range.
Distribution. Known only from three localities in the Nahuelbuta mountain range, Biobío and La Araucanía Regions, southern Chile (Fig. 7).
Diagnosis. Neogonyleptes floresi sp. nov. is closely related to N. pedrazai sp. nov., differing in general body appearance (slightly more slender and with legs relatively longer in relation to body size: Figs. 1A–B). Frontal hump clearly lower than ocularium, with small granules (Fig. 2D). Area III+IV with a large single median apophysis, proximally narrowed and apically bifurcated in two apophyses (Fig. 2A; it is proximally broad, not narrowed in N. pedrazai). Coxa II ventrally with a well-defined row of ventral granules. Opisthosomal segment II with genital portion narrowed proximally, stigmatic portion with divergent, nearly straight lateral margins (Figs. 2B, 6A). Leg IV: prolateral distal apophysis of coxa as long as trochanter, apically slightly curved and without proximal retrolateral apophysis (Figs. 2A–C, in N. pedrazai it is shorter and has a proximal apophysis); femur with a row of six slender apophyses along the retrolateral margin (Figs. 3A, 3C); tibia with a distinct major subdistal apophysis (Figs. 3B, 3D).
Description of the male holotype. Measurements: Table 1.
Coloration: Dorsal scutum and free tergites black, with fine olive-yellow mottling. Prosoma covered with small, scattered, olive-yellow spots, forming a well-defined strip on the midline, from the frontal hump to the posterior margin, where they disperse; scattered diffuse olive-yellow spots on the lateral borders of prosoma and lateral margins of dorsal scutum, reaching the base of the area III+IV apophysis. Ventrally brownish black with fine olive-yellow mottling, coxae I–IV almost completely covered with small, scattered, olive-yellow spots, except for the apical area of coxa IV and distal apophyses; genital portion of sternite II diffusely stained olive-yellow, stigmatic area brownish black. Chelicerae, pedipalps and legs I–III olive-yellow, with some areas partially covered by a fine dark reticle of variable intensity, but more intense in trochanter, femur and tibia (ventral and lateral sides only) of pedipalps. Leg IV brownish black; coxa with about a dozen vertical olive-yellow irregular stripes on proximal lateral surface, with a yellowish transverse band at the femur-patella and patella-tibia joints, and at the apex of the tibia; metatarsus yellowish.
Dorsum (Fig. 2A): Anterior margin of carapace with moderately prominent frontal hump, unarmed, with four scattered setiferous granules. Ocularium domed, slightly narrower than 1/3 of the prosomatic width, with two small conical paramedian dorsal apophyses, located slightly behind eye level (Fig. 2C). Dorsal scutum outline gammatype. Scutum areas I–II unarmed; areas I–III with small scattered setiferous granules; area I divided into left and right halves. Area III+IV provided with a large median apophysis directed backwards, abruptly bifurcated approximately in the middle of its length, with a setiferous granule on each side of its base. Lateral margin of the dorsal scutum smooth, with a row of 7–8 small setiferous granules that cover the mid-bulge of the scutum up to in front of the origin of the apophysis of area III+IV; granules separated from each other by a variable distance, generally greater than three times their diameter and with the last three granules bigger. Free tergites unarmed, each with a transversal row of small setiferous granules. Dorsal anal plate with a marginal row of small setiferous granules and 7–9 slightly bigger setiferous granules scattered over the surface.
Venter (Fig. 2B): Coxae I–IV and stigmatic area smooth, covered with scattered fine hairs; coxae I and II with a longitudinal row of 7–9 and 9–10 setiferous granules, respectively, slightly smaller on coxa II. Opisthosomal segment II (Fig. 6A), genital portion proximally narrowed; stigmatic portion with lateral margins scarcely curved, almost straight. Free sternites I–III smooth, with a row of 2–3 flat setiferous tubercles on each side, connected medially by a transverse row of fine hairs; free sternite IV with a transverse row of eight spaced setiferous tubercles.
Chelicerae: Segment I with a globose bulla, abruptly defined, with a small dorso-proximal blunt setiferous tubercle and a laterodistal seta; fixed finger with five triangular teeth, second to fourth larger, first and fifth smaller; movable finger with an irregular cutting edge, with three defined sub-triangular teeth, the two proximal largest.
Pedipalps (Figs. 2F–G): Coxa smooth, with a small seta on a dorsal prolateral bulge on the proximal third; ventrally with two low setiferous tubercles. Trochanter moderately inflated, ventrally with a large setiferous tubercle in mid-position, and two smaller tubercles located proximally and ventro-retrolaterally. Femur with dorsal side unarmed, with minute scattered setae, without a subapical prolateral seta; ventral side with a poorly defined, proximo ventral setiferous granule, and retroventral margin with two setae spaced apart in the middle. Patella unarmed, slightly granular dorsally, with flat setiferous granules. Tibia dorsally granulous, tarsus smooth; setation of the tibia: prolateral iIiIi, retrolateral iiIi (distal two close together, but without a common base). Tarsal setation: prolateral iIiiIiiii, retrolateral iiiiIiiiIiii.
Legs: Trochanters I–IV ventrally with scattered setigerous granules, more prominent in trochanter IV. Femora I–III unarmed, covered with scattered faint setiferous granules, with curvature progressively more evident towards femur III. Patellae I–III and tibiae I–III unarmed, with very low and scattered setiferous granules. Leg IV (Figs. 2A–C, 3A–D): Coxa IV with an apical prolateral apophysis longer than trochanter IV, straight in the proximal 3/5 and with a slight subapical curvature, the distal 2/5 curved ventrally, forming a concavity on the ventral surface; an apical straight conical retrolateral apophysis. Trochanter IV wider than half the length, dorsally with one prolateral proximal blunt triangular tubercle, which is connected by means of a longitudinal ridge to a robust sub-distal prolateral major apophysis, smaller than the diameter of the trochanter, with a base raised dorsally, then strongly curved in 90° and distally straight, directed retrolaterally-anteriorly; ventrally with a proximal retrolateral conical tubercle and a slightly larger distal retrolateral tubercle. Femur IV slender and straight, completely covered with small setiferous tubercles, slightly larger on the retrodorsal and ventral margins, with a longitudinal row of 8–9 short retrolateral ventral apophyses, spanning the entire length of the segment. Patella IV covered by scattered setiferous tubercles similar to those of the femur, denser dorsally. Tibia IV substraight, covered dorsally by scattered setiferous tubercles similar to those of the femur; a ventral row of 9–10 apophyses almost along the entire segment, with the distal apophysis larger than the rest; a similar retrolateral row of 6–8 apophyses and a prolateral short row of 3 apophyses, located in the middle of the segment. Tarsal segmentation: 6(3)-7(3): 9(3)-9(3): 7-7: 7-7.
Penis (Figs. 3E–G): Ventral plate slightly hourglass-shaped, distal margin straight, lateral margins slightly convex subdistally, and concave at level of truncus-glans transition; a row of four distal C macrosetae, one D, short and blunt; basal group with two curved A macrosetae and one small B macroseta. Glans with sac moderately wide. Stylus elongated, slightly curved basally, then straight and directed distally, without discernible trichomes, with a pair of small apical teeth. Ventral process of glans approximately half the length of stylus, proximal half directed distally, then abruptly curved 90° distoventrally, ending in a sharp point.
Variation. Pedipalp spination: alternative formulas observed are IiIi (tibia, prolateral) and iIiIiii (tarsus, retrolateral). Setiferous granules on the anterior margin of carapace can be reduced to only one each side (e.g., paratype male from Cayucupil). The frontal hump may bear an unusually prominent and triangular granule (e.g., paratype male of Peleco Chico). Distal apophyses of armature of area III+IV vary in the angle of divergence between 20° (paratype from Peleco Chico) and 40° (holotype). Tibia IV may have two closely contiguous ventral sub-distal major apophyses (e.g., paratype of Peleco Chico).
description: Published as part of Pérez-Schultheiss, Jorge, 2022, Two new species of Neogonyleptes Roewer, 1913 (Opiliones: Gonyleptidae: Pachylinae) from the Nahuelbuta mountain range, Chile, pp. 361-374 in Zootaxa 5168 (3) on pages 363-367, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5168.3.7, http://zenodo.org/record/6882941