Promitobates difficilis Mello-Leitao 1931
Creators: name: Bragagnolo, Cibele
name: Pinto-Da-Rocha, Ricardo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Opiliones
Gonyleptidae
Promitobates
Promitobates difficilis

description: Promitobates difficilis (Mello-Leitão, 1931)
(Figs. 4 B, 7B, 9B, 11B, 13B, 15A, 16D–F)
Batomites difficilis Mello-Leitão, 1931b: 141, fig. 11; 1935a: 109 (cit.); [BRAZIL, Santa Catarina; 3 lectotype, 8 Ƥ paralectoptypes, here designated, MNRJ 11395, examined].
Promitobates difficilis: B. Soares, 1945b: 368 (cat.); Soares & Soares, 1949b: 237 (cat.); Kury 2003: 151 (cat.; syst.).
Diagnosis. Three areas on dorsal scutum; area III with a pair of apophyses tapered on apex. It can be distinguished from the other species by the dorsal scutum with tiger-like stripes and by the sulphurous yellow tubercles on dorsal scutum.
Male redescription. Measurements (n=8). Dorsal scutum maximum width 3.9–4.5 (4.3); dorsal scutum total length 3.9–4.7 (4.6); prosoma length: 1.4–1.9 (1.7); length of external apophysis of coxa IV 0.8–1.6 (1.5); femur IV length 15.5–34.3 (34.1). Tarsal formula: 7; 13–16; 8–9 (8); 8.
Dorsum (Figs. 4 B, 7B). Anterior margin of prosoma with frontal hump with scattered small tubercles and one or two tubercles at corners. Ocularium with a pair of spiniform apophyses (apex rounded) divergent and directed anteriorly. Prosoma with tubercles behind ocularium and arranged in “V”. Area I with two median transverse rows of tubercles and small tubercles up to the posterior groove. Area II with transverse rows of tubercles up to the posterior groove. Area III with a pair of high spiniform apophyses tapered on apex, scattered tubercles on median region, and a row of tubercles up to the posterior groove. Lateral margin of dorsal scutum with a row of tubercles that is placed from ocularium to area II and 2–4 enlarged tubercles. Posterior margin of dorsal scutum with a row of tubercles increasing in size to the corners and two spiniform paramedian apophyses. Free tergites with small tubercles at corners. Anal operculum unarmed.
Chelicera. Segment I with two small tubercles; II unarmed.
Pedipalp. Trochanter with granulated dorsal hump and one small ventral spine. Femur with a small ventral basal spine and an enlarged prolateral subapical spine. Tibial setation: mesal IiIi; ectal IiIi/IIi. Tarsus setation: mesal IIi; ectal IiIi/IIi.
Venter. Coxa I with median row of five setiferous tubercles, four apical tubercles; trochanter I with one median tubercle. Coxa II with a median row of eight small tubercles and two apical tubercles; trochanter II with one median tubercle. Coxa III with small tubercles, roughly distributed in rows, the anterior one and the posterior one with tubercles increasing in size distally; trochanter III with median tubercle. Coxa IV with scattered tubercles and one row of tubercles on posterior margin; genital area unarmed; free sternites with one row of small granules; anal operculum unarmed.
Legs (Fig. 9 B). Coxa I with one posterior dorso-basal apophysis; coxa II with one anterior dorso-basal apophysis and one posterior; coxa III with an anterior dorso-basal apophysis; coxa IV densely tuberculated, with one small internal apophysis and one external apical bifid apophysis. Trochanters I–III with small scattered tubercles; IV with a dorsal subapical apophysis, an external basal apophysis, and a small internal pointed tubercle. Femur IV more than 10 times longer than dorsal scutum, straight, with minute tubercles.
Coloration (Fig. 15 A). Dorsal scutum with black tiger-like stripes; sulphurous yellow tubercles on prosoma, dorsal scutum and posterior margin; black apophyses on area III and apex of coxa IV.
Penis (Fig. 16 D–F). Sides of ventral plate convex, slightly curved apically, and corner of anterior margin rounded and directed ventrally; three pairs of distal setae, median smallest; three pairs of basal setae arranged in “V” and one pair of small ventral basal setae. Stylus unarmed, apex straight and swollen. Ventral process shorter than stylus, with spoon-shaped apex with serrate margins slightly directed ventrally.
Female redescription. (Figs. 11 B, 13B). Measurements (n=4). dorsal scutum maximum width 3.9–4.6 (4.3); dorsal scutum total length 4.1–4.8 (4.5); prosoma length 1.3–2.0 (1.8). Femur IV: 11.2–15.5 (14.8). Tarsal formula: 7; 13–15; 8; 8. Body more convex than male. Apophyses of area III larger than that on male and slightly directed posteriorly. Posterior margin of dorsal scutum with one pair of median pointed apophysis; free tergites unarmed. Coxa IV with reduced external apical spiniform apophysis, internal apophysis absent. Trochanter IV with an internal spiniform tubercle; femur IV shorter than male.
Geographical distribution. Northern Atlantic Rain Forest of Santa Catarina to southeastern Paraná States (Fig. 3 A).
Other material examined. BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: Joinville (Serra da Dona Francisca), 12.XII.2007, M.B. da Silva et al. leg., 2 3 & 2 Ƥ (MZSP 27413). Paraná: Morretes (Porto de Cima), 18.VIII.1988, M.V. Segalla & Pollati leg., 1 3 (MHNCI 6119); idem (Parque Estadual do Marumbi), 07.II.1988, R.L.C. Baptista leg., 1 3 (MNRJ 6209); São José dos Pinhais (Usina de Guaricana), 7.VIII.1988, R. Pinto-da-Rocha, M.V. Segalla & J.C. Moura- Leite leg., 1 3 (MHNCI 6130), Guaratuba (Usina de Guaricana), 04.II.1989, R. Pinto-da-Rocha et al. leg., 2 3 & 2 Ƥ (MHNCI 6118); idem (Vila Cubatão), 07.II.1989, R. Pinto-da-Rocha et al. leg., 1 Ƥ (MHNCI 6116); idem (Rio Bonito), 25°62’32’’S – 48°54’34’’W, XII.2005, M.B. da Silva et al. leg., 5 3 (MZSP 27397); Ponta do Paraná (Reserva Ecológica da Ilha do Mel), 24.XI.1987, V. Moraes et al. leg., 1 3 (MHNCI 6122); Limeira (Serra da Prata), 22.III.1992, M. Pichorin leg., 1 3 (MZSP 29493); idem, 28.I.1992, 1 3 (MZSP 29445); idem, 28.I.1992, 1 3 & 1 Ƥ (MZSP 29405).
description: Published as part of Bragagnolo, Cibele & Pinto-Da-Rocha, Ricardo, 2012, Systematic review of Promitobates Roewer, 1913 and cladistic analysis of Mitobatinae Simon, 1879 (Arachnida: Opiliones: Gonyleptidae), pp. 1-48 in Zootaxa 3308 on pages 16-17, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.280969