Dicranopalpus catariegensis Wijnhoven & Martens & Prieto 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Wijnhoven, Hay
name: Martens, Jochen
name: Prieto, Carlos E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Opiliones
Phalangiidae
Dicranopalpus
Dicranopalpus catariegensis

description: Dicranopalpus catariegensis sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: AFE84893-3AB9-41A4-9C27-518646B4CA0C
Figs 1A–B, 4F, G, 5E, 6E, J, 9F, 21–23
Dicranopalpus gasteinensis – Ledoux et al. 2000: 7. — Ledoux & Emerit 2006: 12.
Dicranopalpus martini – Mello-Leitão 1936: 14–15. — Rambla & Perera 1995: 30.
Dicranopalpus pyrenaeus (s.l.) – Delfosse 2004: 39, 2014: 13.
Diagnosis
Medium-sized, with long brown legs. Male: prosoma pale with light brown patches, opisthosoma dark brown.
Etymology
The name of the new species refers to its east-Pyrenean distribution, combining names of the Spanish autonomous community of Cataluña and of the French department Ariège (‘cat-arieg-ensis’).
Material examined
Holotype FRANCE – Ariège • ♂; Forêt de Sauzet, SE of Col de Port; 42.897° N, 01.460° E; 1200–1400 m a.s.l.; 26 Aug. 1978; J. Martens leg.; deposited in Senckenberg Research Institute, Arachnology, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; CJM 1725.
Paratypes FRANCE • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, 5 juv.; same collection data as for holotype; deposited in Senckenberg Research Institute, Arachnology, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; CJM 9005.
SPAIN – Cataluña • 1 ♂; Lleida, Parque National Aigues Tortes, Estany de Gerber; 42.631° N, 0.996° E; 2170 m a.s.l.; 25 Jul. 2003; Ziortza Fernández leg.; ZUPV 1960.
Additional material
FRANCE – Ariège • 7 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Orlu, Jasse du Printemps; 42.6573° N, 1.9683° E; 1400 m a.s.l.; 19 Jul. 2014; S. Danflous and S. Cally leg.; CHW 468 • 4 juv.; Couflens, Salau, Cascade de Léziou; 42.740° N, 1.172° E; 1036 m a.s.l.; 8 Oct. 2014; H. Wijnhoven leg.; CHW 466 • 1 ♂; Cirque d’Anglade; 42.741° N, 1.198° E; 1200 m a.s.l.; 9 Aug. 1978; J. Martens leg.; CJM 1684 • 3 ♂♂; Vallée du Biros, river valley of the Isard near Fréchendech; 42.857° N, 0.900° E; 1100–1150 m a.s.l.; 27 Aug. 1978; J. Martens leg.; CJM 1746. – Hautes-Pyrénées • 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; Vallon de Bolou, Betpouey; 42.873° N, 0.049° E; 8 Jun. 2014; S. Danflous leg.; CHW 467. – Pyrénées-Orientales • 1 ♂; Vallespir, Serralongue; 42.383° N, 02.550° E; 1100 m a.s.l.; 15 Jul. 1994; J. Martens leg.; CJM 3432 • 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀; Prats de Mollo, Le Talaiador; 42.431° N, 2.382° E; 1850 m a.s.l.; 9 Jun. 2006; J. Cl. and P. Gauthier leg.; ZUPV 6055. Andorra • 2 juv.; Ordino, Estanys de Tristaina; 42.64° N, 1.48° E; 2300 m a.s.l.; 24 Jul. 1983; C. Prieto and A.G. Prieto leg.; ZUPV 1570.
SPAIN – Cataluña • 3 ♂♂, 1 juv.; Lleida, Espot, Embalse Ratera; 42.589° N, 0.990° E; 2141 m a.s.l.; 3 Aug. 2015; H. Wijnhoven leg.; under stones; CHW 470 • 7♂♂, 2 juv.; same collection data as for preceding; CHW 469.
Description
Male
LENGTH. 3.2, width of prosoma 2.1, BLI 1.7.
DORSUM (Fig. 4F). Ground colour pale yellowish. Prosoma pale yellowish, with light brown patches, margins near scent glands and area posteriorly of eye tubercle darkened. Ozopores oval-shaped, small. Dark brown saddle, narrow on opisthosomal tergites III–IV, widening on tergite IV. Opisthosomal tergites with paramedian pairs of white spots and transverse rows of small dark spots. Lateral areas of tergites VI–IX lighter.
EYE TUBERCLE. Slightly wider than long, not tilted backwards, canaliculated, at about its length from anterior margin, greyish silvery, midsection dark brown, provided with about ten minute black setae; eyes with narrow black ring.
VENTER AND COXAE. Uniformly pale yellowish brown, with black sensory setae.
CHELICERAE (Fig. 5E). Pale yellowish, slightly darker dorsally; segment I with ventral spur, segment I dorsally, and segment II dorsally and medially near cheliceral claw with black setae.
PEDIPALPS (Fig. 22A, C). Pale yellowish, dorsal sides of femur, patella and distal part of tibia somewhat darker; claw pectinate (Fig. 22B). Femoral apophysis slightly shorter than wide at its base; patellar apophysis as long as or slightly shorter than patella, curved upwards in lateral view (Fig. 6J); tibia mediodistally with small protrusion (Fig. 6E). Claw pectinate (Fig. 22B).
LEGS. Lengths of legs I to IV (in parentheses femur lengths): 28 (4.9); 41 (7.9); 27 (48); 35 (6.0). All leg segments cylindrical. Trochanters pale yellowish brown; femora brown with lighter distal tips, indistinct rows of small denticles and sensory setae; patellae dark brown, densely covered with small trichomes; tibiae dark brown with light tips, smooth, without spines or denticles, covered with trichomes and small sensilla chaetica; metatarsi and tarsi dark brown to black. Tibia II with 4 pseudo-articulations; metatarsi I–IV with 2, 5, 3 and 4 pseudo-articulations, respectively. Numerous bipterate setae on prolateral sides of metatarsi III and IV and in decreasing numbers on proximal tarsomeres 1–16 of leg III and 1–10 of leg IV.
PENIS (Fig. 23). Long and slender; length 1.73 (CJM 1746). Base with sclerotized extensions (occasionally broken off during preparation). Truncus widest in basal 1 /5, narrowest near distal 4 /5 (Fig. 23C–D), slightly widening to glans (Fig. 23A–B). Intrinsic penial muscle in about basal 2 /5 of truncus, tendon robust. Glans longer than wide, sclerotized dorsally, with canaliculi (Fig. 23K–N); dorsal cavity in distal half of glans; glans laterally with one pair of minute sensory setae (Fig. 23H). Horns slender. Stylus shorter than glans.
Female
LENGTH. 4.9, width of prosoma 2.5, BLI 1.8.
DORSUM (Fig. 18B). Prosoma as in male, saddle consisting of dark brown paramedian patches, narrowing on opisthosomal tergites I–IV with median area light brown. Opisthosomal tergites with paramedian pairs of white spots, lateral areas mottled with light and dark spots and patches, and transverse rows of small dark spots.
EYE TUBERCLE. Brown with silvery sheen, lighter around eyes; canaliculated, with about ten minute black setae.
VENTER AND COXAE. Pale yellowish with scattered black setae.
PEDIPALPS (Fig. 22D–E). Pale yellowish, basal half of femur distally of apophysis, dorsal side of patella, distal patellar apophysis, and median and distal tibia region somewhat darker; femoral apophysis as long
as wide; patellar apophysis robust, reaching tibial apophysis; tibia mediodistally with apophysis as long as wide. Claw pectinate.
LEGS. Leg lengths I–IV (in parentheses femur lengths): 24 (4.6); 41 (8.3); 26 (4.8); 36 (6.8) (CHW 467). Legs brown, joints light, patella dark brown, dark brown bands distally on femur and tibia. Femora lack trichomes. Tibia II with five pseudo-articulations; metatarsi of legs I–IV with 3, 5, 3 and 4 pseudoarticulations, respectively.
SEMINAL RECEPTACLES (Fig. 9F). Ovipositor with 22 segments (CHW 467), seminal receptacles located in segments 6 and 7; tube-shaped pocket, proximally with a slender lateral pocket.
Distribution and ecology
A species endemic to the eastern Pyrenees (Fig. 21). The Montseny, a massiv between Barcelona and Girona provinces where Rambla & Perera (1995) recorded the species as D. martini, seems to be an isolated southern record. Distribution data suggest that D. pyrenaeus and D. catariegensis ranges could meet in the northwestern part of Lleida province. A sample of D. catariegensis sp. nov. from the Hautes- Pyrénées (CHW 467) is within the distribution range of D. pyrenaeus. Most records are from altitudes 1200–1400 m a.s.l.; a high locality is from Espot at 2141 m a.s.l. We found adult specimens mostly on tree trunks, under loose stones and on rock faces. The sex ratio in favour of males (21M, 6F) in our samples suggests that females mostly select daytime shelters at ground level, while males rest higher up, and are thus easier to find. Juveniles live at ground level.
Phenology: insufficiently known, adults from June to end of August; juveniles from July to October, suggesting that eggs hatch in summer and autumn, juveniles overwinter and adults appear in spring.
description: Published as part of Wijnhoven, Hay, Martens, Jochen & Prieto, Carlos E., 2022, Revision of the genus Dicranopalpus from northern Spain and Corsica, with descriptions of two new species (Arachnida, Opiliones, Phalangioidea), pp. 39-73 in European Journal of Taxonomy 839 on pages 65-68, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2022.839.1931, http://zenodo.org/record/7116226