Metalacurbs foordi Pérez-González & Mamani, 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Pérez-González, Abel
name: Mamani, Vanesa
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Opiliones
Biantidae
Metalacurbs
Metalacurbs foordi

description: Metalacurbs foordi sp. nov.
Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Material examined.
Type material: Holotype: Ghana • 1 ♂; Western Region, Ankasa National Park; [5.2172, - 2.6514]; 180 m a. s. l.; 22 Feb 2013; B. A. Huber leg.; forest near entrance, day collecting; (ZFMK Op 835).
Etymology.
Patronym in honour of our dear and long-time good friend, the late Stefan Foord (1971–2023), in recognition of a productive, passionate and dedicated life to the research and development of African Arachnology; name in the genitive case.
Diagnosis.
The new species can be easily distinguished not only from the other species in the genus, but also from all species of Lacurbsinae by the presence, in males, of basally enlarged metatarsus II (Fig. 4 D) and a dorsal spiniform apophysis on femur IV (Fig. 6 A – D). Only Metalacurbs oedipus (Roewer, 1958) and Metalacurbs villiersi (Roewer, 1953) exhibit a tibia IV stout and enlarged as in Metalacurbs foordi sp. nov., but the tibia IV outline and armature are completely different amongst these three species (compare Fig. 6 A – C, E versus Roewer 1953: 620, fig. 5 and Roewer 1958: 236, fig. 4).
Description.
Male holotype (ZFMK Op 835). Body measurements: Total body length 2.78, carapace length 0.73, scutum magnum length 2.30, carapace maximum width 1.14, abdominal scutum maximum width 1.81. Appendage measurements in Table 1.
Dorsum: Outline with a theta (θ) shape, campaniform (bell-shaped) (Figs 1 A, 2 A). Carapace wider than long, with a small and rounded frontal hump; anterior border slightly convex (Figs 1 A, 2 A). Cheliceral sockets not marked (Fig. 2 A). Eyes separated, eye mounds high along the mid-line of the carapace; interocular area is smooth with a small transversal elevation (Figs 1 A, E, 2 A). Carapace straight in lateral view (Fig. 1 E). Abdominal scutum convex in lateral view (Fig. 1 E). Sulcus I deep and well-marked, in dorsal view medially slightly curved to posterior body region (Fig. 2 A). Mesotergal areas defined; sulci II – V notably wide, shallow and complete (Figs 1 A, 2 A). Mesotergal area I larger than mesotergal areas II – IV (Figs 1 A, 2 A). Mesotergal areas I – II with two lateral tubercles; mesotergal area IV with two medial tubercles; tubercles of mesotergal area II longer than tubercles of mesotergal areas I and IV; mesotergal area III with two medial long spiniform apophyses (Figs 1 A, E, F, 2 A). Mesotergal area V with a row of five small pointed tubercles (Figs 1 G, 2 A). Lateral borders of abdominal scutum with a row of rounded granules, but at level of posterior mesotergal area II and anterior mesotergal area III with larger tubercles (Figs 1 A, 2 A). Free tergite I with a row of six tubercles, with the two most lateral tubercles longer than medial ones; free tergite II with a row of seven tubercles; free tergite III with a row of lateral tubercles and one medial spiniform apophysis [broken] (Figs 1 A, E – G, 2 A).
Venter: Coxa I with setiferous granules (Fig. 1 B, C); anterior and posterior borders of coxa III with a row of granules connecting with coxae II and IV, respectively; posterior granules of coxa III larger than anterior granules (Fig. 1 B – D); free sternites with a row of setiferous granules (Fig. 1 D, F, G); anal operculum with two small tubercles (Fig. 1 E – G). Spiracles not concealed (Fig. 1 D).
Chelicerae: Basichelicerite unarmed, with an elongated and slightly marked bulla (Fig. 2 B). Cheliceral hand with sparse setae and rounded frontal setiferous granules (Fig. 2 B, C). Fixed and movable finger with a row of conical teeth (Fig. 2 C).
Pedipalps: Raptorial, with spines concentrated on tibia and tarsus (Fig. 2 D, E). Coxa elongated, slightly shorter than basichelicerite; proximally with one dorsomesal and one dorsoectal granule; ventrally with small granules (Figs 1 A – C, 2 A). Trochanter rounded. Femur straight; ventrally with a row of four proximomedial pointed tubercles and one mesal spine in the third proximal region (Fig. 2 D – F). Patella elongated ventrodistally with one ectal pointed tubercle and one mesal spine (Fig. 2 D, E). Tibia ventrally with four ectal spines followed by a pointed setiferous tubercle (Fig. 2 E) and three mesal spines (Fig. 2 D). Tarsus shorter than tibia; ventrally armed with two ectal and two mesal spines (Fig. 2 D, E). Claw elongated and pointed (Fig. 2 D).
Legs: Coxa IV with prolateral pointed setiferous tubercles and two spiniform apophyses, one distal and one subdistal (Figs 1 A, B, D, F, 2 A). Trochanter II with one dorsal tubercle (Fig. 4 A, B); trochanter IV apically with one retrolateral and one prolateral spiniform apophysis (Figs 1 F, 6 A – D). Femur I unarmed (Fig. 3 A, B); femur II with a dorsal row of short tubercles (Fig. 4 B); femur III with a row of longer dorsal pointed tubercles than in femur II (Fig. 5 B); femur IV distally slightly thickened, armed with longitudinal rows of pointed tubercles on all surfaces; ventrodistal tubercles longer; dorsally with one spiniform apophysis at the beginning of the distal third and one spiniform apophysis on the distal edge; ventrally with a prolateral subdistal spiniform apophysis (Fig. 6 A – D). Patellae I – II unarmed (Figs 3 A, B, 4 A, B); patella III with dorsal tubercles, the most distal longer and sharp-pointed (Fig. 5 A – C); patella IV with sharp-pointed tubercles, the most distal tubercles longer (Fig. 6 A – E). Tibiae I – II unarmed (Figs 3 C, 4 C); tibia III with a dorsoproximal tubercle (Fig. 5 C); tibia IV ventrally enlarged, dorsally with four proximal tubercles, followed by small tubercles decreasing in size, distally with a prolateral and retrolateral pointed tubercle; ventral surface with a row of prolateral tubercles increasing in size, followed by a curved, strong and pointed prolateral apophysis and by a short conical and blunt-tipped apophysis; ventrodistally with two retrolateral short blunt-tipped apophyses (Fig. 6 A – C, E). Metatarsi I and III thin and unarmed, with pseudoarticular rings (Figs 3 D, 5 D); metatarsus II unarmed, proximally swollen (obclavate) and distally thin with pseudoarticular rings (Fig. 4 D); metatarsus IV proximally broadened, ventroproximally with conical tubercles; dorsoproximally with three pointed tubercles (Fig. 6 A – C, F). Tarsi III – IV with a dense scopula (Figs 5 E, 6 G). Tarsal formula: 4 (2): 9–10 (3): 5: 6 (Figs 3 E, 4 E, 5 E, 6 G).
Colour (specimen preserved in 80 % ethanol): General body appearance yellowish-brown; carapace and coxae I – III with dark reticulations; mesotergal areas I – IV, lateral border of scutum magnum, posterior border of area V and free tergites I – III darker; posterior border of stigmatic area and free sternites dark yellowish-brown (Fig. 1 A – G); lighter colouration at the level of cheliceral insertion, creating a false appearance of a marked cheliceral socket; pseudoarticular rings lighter (Fig. 1 A). Appendages light yellowish-brown (Fig. 1 A); trochanters I – IV, distal portion of femora I – IV, patellae I – IV and tibiae IV with dark brown reticulations (Figs 3 A, B, 4 A, B, 5 A, B, 6 C – E); tibia I – III, proximal portion of metatarsi II, IV dark brown (Figs 3 C, 4 C, D, 5 F, 6 F).
Genitalia: General shape of penis tubular (Fig. 7 A, E) apically enlarged (Fig. 7 C, D), making the pars basalis and pars distalis clearly defined (Fig. 7 C). Pars distalis with a ventral enlarged, rounded and laterally compressed portion, that connects to a ventral thin and wide lamina apicalis; the junction between these two regions forms a semicircular edge (Fig. 7 D). Lamina apicalis with a dorsal pseudotubular-shaped fold (Fig. 7 B, D); lamina apicalis with two ventral pairs of small and acute macrosetae (Fig. 7 F). Pars distalis with a basal pair of lateral small and acute macrosetae, pointed to the apical region, located just below the narrow-rounded portion (Fig. 7 D). Narrow-rounded portion of pars distalis with two ventral and one ventrolateral pair of small, acute macrosetae (Fig. 7 F). Glans with basal capsula externa articulated with the truncus and with a jack-knife movement during the hydraulic expansion. Capsula externa as a rigid sclerite (similar to the stragulum in Zalmoxoidea) with two long and curved projections basally fused; apically, each projection with an enlarged laminar portion tapering to a pointing end, extending laterally over the rounded portion of the pars distalis (Fig. 7 A, D); dorsally with a wide mediobasal cleft (leaving part of the capsula interna exposed) becoming mediodistally very narrow so that the curved projections are in contact (Fig. 7 B). Capsula interna, barely visible through transparency, rigid, with a stylus and conductors largely fused, only separated at the apical end; conductors with straight apical margin; stylus pointed with a subapical opening of ductus ejaculatorius (Fig. 7 B, D).
Female. Unknown.
Distribution.
Known only from the type locality (Fig. 8).
description: Published as part of Pérez-González, Abel & Mamani, Vanesa, 2024, Metalacurbs foordi sp. nov., a new Lacurbsinae (Opiliones, Laniatores, Biantidae) from Ankasa National Park, Ghana, pp. 199-211 in African Invertebrates 65 (2) on pages 199-211, DOI: 10.3897/afrinvertebr.65.138398