Spinopilar armatus Mello-Leitao 1940
Creators: name: Kury, Adriano B.
name: Araujo, Débora C.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Opiliones
Gonyleptidae
Spinopilar
Spinopilar armatus

description: Spinopilar armatus Mello-Leitão, 1940
Figs 3, 5–9
Spinopilar armatus Mello-Leitão 1940: 102. Kury 2014: 10.
Type material examined. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro: H olotype ♂ (MNRJ 94), Rio de Janeiro, Duque de Caxias: Pilar.
Other material examined. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro: 1 ♂ (MNRJ 4508) Rio de Janeiro, Floresta da Tijuca, A.P.L. Giupponi, R.L.C. Baptista & D.R. Pedroso leg. 2001; 1 ♂ (MNRJ 4796) Rio de Janeiro, Floresta da Tijuca: Trilha do Alto da Bandeira, A.P.L. Giupponi & D.R. Pedroso leg. 15.10.1999; 7 ♂, 6 ♀ (MNRJ 2251), Nova Iguaçu, Tinguá, farm adjacent to REBIO do Tinguá, 22°39’15.38”S, 43°26’16.76”W [39 m elevation], A. Chagas, A.P.L. Giupponi, A.B. Kury & C. Sampaio leg. 11.3.2010.
Literature records. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro, Floresta da Tijuca; Nova Iguaçu, Tinguá, farm adjacent to REBIO do Tinguá (Kury 2014).
Diagnosis. May be distinguished from all other Spinopilar by the male Ti IV shaped like a baguette (Figs 3A, D, F) and the ocularium low, with spine tilted backwards (Figs 5F–G). Differs from other species (except S. martialis and S. magistralis) by the fusiform Mt IV of male (Figs 3D–F).
Complementary description. Male (MNRJ 2251, contrasted with female (MNRJ 2251). Measurements: CL = 0.66, CW = 0.99, AL = 1.03, AW = 1.58. Fe I = 0.89, Fe II = 1.43, Fe III = 1.22, Fe IV = 1.65.
Dorsum (Figs 3A, C–D, 5A, F–G). Dorsal scutum roughly bell-shaped: abdominal scutum wider than carapace with sides almost parallel. Carapace with well-marked C-shaped groove, entirely smooth; lateral ridges deep; preocular mound very high, with scattered acuminate tubercles. Ocularium low, stadium-shaped, situated in the middle of the carapace, armed with erect acuminate spiniform apophysis tilted backwards. Lateral margins of scutum with 2 irregular rows of setiferous tubercles extending from area I to area V. Mesotergum divided into 4 areas by deep substraight grooves. Median armature of areas I–IV increasing in size backwards. Scutal areas I–IV each armed with a pair of paramedian blunt tubercles. Area V and free tergites I–III each with a transversal row of 10–20 subequal acuminate tubercles. Anal operculum with uniformly distributed rounded tubercles.
Venter (Figs 5B, E, 6A–D). Coxae I–IV and stigmatic area densely covered by stout setiferous tubercles. Free sternites each with row of setiferous tubercles. Cx I to III arched, transversal to main body axis; Cx II curved around Cx I, almost as wide as coxae I and III, in situ much longer than Cx III. Cx II and III delimit a narrow sternum. Maxillary lobe of Cx II as a small triangle. Cx I movable. Cx II linked to Cx III by two pairs of unequal lateral tubercular bridges; Cx III linked to Cx IV by six pairs of large lateral tubercular bridges. Cx IV slanted, barely larger than all others combined. Stigmatic area roughly Y-shaped, only faintly separated from Cx IV, fused to sternite II, with lateral grooves highlighting the stigmata (Figs 5B, 6A). Posterior margin of complex stigmatic area + sternite II without median lobe. Stigmata small, entirely transversal and free (Fig. 6A). Cx IV, Tr IV and stigmatic area forming a ventral complex of 3 overlaid apophyses as follows: (1) Cx IV has a weakly biramous apophysis, mesal branch short rounded, applied against stigmatic apophysis and ectal branch as a fasciolate hyaline truncated apophysis (FAp, sensu Kury 2014) applicable against Tr IV (Figs 6B, D); (2) stigmatic area has a robust lateral spade-shaped protuberance truncated in the apex (Fig. 6B); (3) Tr IV (densely covered by scaly tubercles) has a ventro-mesal apical stout apophysis with truncate apex, widely surpassing stigmatic protuberance 2, and in mid-length with a secondary branch as a FAp, matching corresponding FAp of Cx IV (Fig. 6B). Tr IV furthermore has a cluster of 4 meso-basal very thick striated setae (primary trochanteral cluster, PTC, Figs 6B, C) and a secondary cluster (STC) of two such setae associated with FAp (Fig. 6B).
Chelicera/Pedipalp (Figs 7A–D). Basichelicerite with well-developed bulla, separated from peduncle by a narrow waist. Its mesal surface covered with patches of denticles. Cheliceral hand weak, monomorphic. Pp Tr with 1 large ve megaspine, Fe with 2 small megaspines, Pa unarmed. Pp Fe cylindrical, only gently convex dorsally and moderately compressed, without stridulatory organ. Spination of Pp cage: Ti mesal IiIi, ectal IÎi, Ta mesal IiIi, ectal IiIi.
Legs. Cx IV: immensely developed, expanding greatly laterally and posteriorly reaching posterior border of scutum, armed with a distal prodorsal spiniform apophysis (Fig. 5A) and retroventral FAp (Figs 6B, D). Tr IV: extremely robust, armed with a huge recurved retrolateral apophysis bearing inner FAp (Figs 6A–B) and retrolateral PTC formed by four striated setae (Figs 6B–C). Fe IV (Figs 5E, 6A, 8B–D): cylindrical, substraight, bearing several rows of apophyses of varied size, mostly small, the larger ones are a retrolateral row, a few dorsobasal ones and a pair of retroventral and proventral spurs. Ti IV (Figs 3A, D, F): uniformly incrassate, much thicker than Fe; unarmed except for retroapical spur. Mt IV (Figs 3D–F): basal two-thirds spindle-shaped swollen. Tarsal counts: 5(3)/6(3)/5/6.
Genitalia. Distal part of truncus abruptly bent as a botuliform oblique malleus (so that original dorsal surface is now apical and original apical is now ventral) and an erect large lamina parva (LP) (Fig. 9A). Well-developed haematodocha (hyaline button of Kury 2014) present at dorsal transition zone between truncus and malleus (Figs 9A, C). Lamina parva prismatic, subrectangular (in ventral view) with rounded corners (Figs 9B, D). Nine pairs of macrosetae (MS) A to E arranged as follows: MS A1 stout, inserted on latero-apical surface of malleus, close to the base of LP (Figs 9C, G). MS A2 stout, inserted on apical surface of malleus, close to the base of follis (Figs 9C, H). MS B1 as strong as A1–A2, located in the middle of lateral surface of malleus, next to A1 (Fig. 9C). MS C1–C3 short, striated, inserted close to each other, located on the ventro-latero-distal edge of LP (Figs 9C–D, G). MS D1 very short, located of the lateral surface of LP, close to C3 (Figs 9C–D). MS E1–E2 similar in size to MS C, forming a quadrangle on ventro-distal surface of LP, E2 much larger than E1 (Fig. 9D). Follis columnar, turgid, without folds or grooves and with a terminal harder ring (Fig. 9H). Stylus smooth and simple, without dorsal accessory plate (DAPG), without head (but with tapering apex), slightly sinuous (Figs 9E–F). Skirt ungrooved, crescent-shaped, without an axis, radiating in dorsal view around a hollow center, with serrate margins (Figs 9E, F).
Sexual dimorphism. Female (Fig. 3B) in general color and proportions of body/appendages (except leg IV) very similar to male.
Dimorphism in outline of dorsal scutum, lobes of sternites absent, armature of leg IV much reduced. Dorsal scutum: in male typical gamma; in female modified gamma, with posterior half strongly flaring. Cx IV in female much reduced, barely surpassing dorsal scutum in dorsal view and posteriorly barely reaching mesotergal area II, unarmed.
description: Published as part of Kury, Adriano B. & Araujo, Débora C., 2021, On Spinopilar from Rio de Janeiro state with description of three new species (Opiliones, Laniatores, Cryptogeobiidae), pp. 148-181 in Zootaxa 4984 (1) on pages 157-160, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4984.1.14, http://zenodo.org/record/4926797