Discocyrtus cerayanus Carvalho & Kury 2022, n. comb.
Creators: name: Carvalho, Rafael N.
name: Kury, Adriano B.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Opiliones
Gonyleptidae
Discocyrtus
Discocyrtus cerayanus

description: Discocyrtus cerayanus (Roewer, 1929) n. comb.
(Figs 1B; 4B, D, F; 6; 7; 8)
Paradiscocyrtus cerayanus Roewer, 1929: 247, fig. 29; 1931: 104. — Mello-Leitão 1932: 206. — Soares & Soares 1954: 286. — Acosta 1996: 221. — Kury 2003: 185.
TYPE DATA. — Brazil • ♂ holotype (examined), “Ceraya” [= Minas Gerais, Serra do Caraça], wrongly identified as “Ceará” by Roewer (1931), see discussion in the geographical remarks section below; SMF RII 996/53.
RECORDS. — Without further literature records.
MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Brazil • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 2 juv; Minais Gerais, Caeté, Projeto Apolo, AP-09; 05-09.VII.2011; A. Giupponi, D. Pedroso, C. Sampaio leg.; MNRJ 7244 † (Fig. 6) • 5 ♂, 10 ♀; same data; MNRJ 7245 †.
DISTRIBUTION. — Brazil: Minas Gerais: Caeté, new record; Serra do Caraça (Fig. 5).
DIAGNOSIS. — Area IV divided into left and right halves by a median groove (Fig. 4F; 8A) (as in D. crenulatus and D. testudineus; entire in D. flavigranulatus). Stigmatic area inverted T-shape (Figs 6B, 8D) (inverted Y-shape in D. crenulatus, D. flavigranulatus and D. testudineus). Tr IV with a protuberance oriented to dorsal, which resembles a hook (Figs 6A, B; 8A, E) (armature absent or reduced in D. crenulatus, D. flavigranulatus and D. testudineus). Pa IV with proximal retroventral apophysis (Fig. 7G, J) (as in D. flavigranulatus; absent in D. crenulatus and D. testudineus). Ti IV dorsal portion with outstanding tubercles (Fig. 7E, F, H, I) (as in D. crenulatus, ordinary tubercles in D. flavigranulatus and D. testudineus). DS outline of female lambda-shaped (gamma-pyriform-shaped in D. crenulatus, D. flavigranulatus and D. testudineus). Glans ventral process almost the same height as the stylus (Fig. 8A, B) (as in D. flavigranulatus; with half of the height in D. crenulatus and D. testudineus).
REDESCRIPTION
Male specimens
SMF RII 996/53 for the external body illustrations; DS, measurements: CW 3.6, CL 2.1, AW 6.1, AL 3.6; legs I-IV measurements in the Table 4; right / left tarsal (distitarsal) counts: 6(3) / 5(3) - 9(3) / 10(3) - 7 / 7 - 7 / 7. MNRJ 7244† for color references and genitalic illustrations.
Dorsum. DS gamma-pyriform, as long as wide, with lateral margins of the AS convex, widest at areas II-III and thickest at area III, with concave posterior margin (Figs 6A, C, D; 8A, B). DS anterior margin with two sets of five acuminated tubercles, divided by a small apophysis in the center and a pair of shallow cheliceral sockets (Fig. 7A). Carapace with many tubercles on the posterior portion, with a transversal row of four prominent tubercles (Fig. 7A). Ocularium elliptical (in dorsal view), high (c. 4.5× the eye diameter), inclined frontwards, placed in the anterior portion of the carapace (Figs 6A, C; 8A, B). Ocularium armed with a pair of divergent spines (c. 3× the eye diameter) fused at baseline (Figs 6D; 8 A-C). Mesotergum is divided into four clearly defined areas (Fig. 7A). Areas I and IV are divided into left and right halves by a median groove (Fig. 7A). AS lateral borders with two rows of tubercles: one external, composed by six or seven prominent tubercles at areas II-III (Fig. 7A, B); other internal with ordinary tubercles from the anterior portion of carapace backward (Fig. 7A). All areas tuberculate (Fig. 7A, B). Area I with two pairs of dome-shaped paramedian tubercles, twice the size of the ordinary tubercles (Fig. 7A, B); area II with three pairs of prominent tubercles. Area III with an outstanding pair of domed-shaped tubercles, each one surrounded by prominent tubercles (two external and three medial, with c. twice the ordinary tubercles). Area IV with two transversal sets of three prominent tubercles (c. twice the ordinary) interspersed by ordinary ones (Fig. 7A). DS posterior border and free tergites with a transversal row of larger tubercles (Fig. 7A). Anal operculum covered by rows of ordinary tubercles (Fig. 7A).
Venter. Cx I-III parallel to each other (Fig. 6B), each with ventral transverse rows of 8-13 setiferous tubercles (Cx I rows with higher and sharper tubercles than the others). Cx II with a retroventral distal row of seven acuminate tubercles. Cx III with a retroventral distal row of nine acuminate tubercles (Fig. 7D). Cx IV much larger than the others, directed obliquely (Figs 6B, C; 8D). Stigmatic area Y-inverted-shaped, clearly sunken concerning Cx IV distal part (Figs 6B; 8D). Cx IV covered by prominent tubercles (Figs 6B, C; 8D). Cx IV posterior margin and stigmatic area with a transversal row of the prominent tubercles (Figs 6B, C; 8D). Intercoxal bridges well-marked (Fig. 6B). Stigmata visible (Figs 6B; 8D). Free sternites with a transverse row of ordinary tubercles (Fig. 6B, C).
Chelicera. Basichelicerite elongate, bulla well-marked, with marginal setiferous tubercles – two ectal, two posterior (Fig. 7A), one mesal; hand not swollen.
Pedipalpus. Tr with two geminate ventral setiferous tubercles. Fe with a ventral basal and a mesal apical setiferous tubercle. Pa unarmed (Fig. 6A).Ti with two rows of setiferous tubercles: four (IiIi) ventro-mesal; (IiIi) ventro-ectal (Fig. 6A). Ta with two rows of setiferous tubercles: three (IIi) ventro-mesal and four (IIIi) ventro-ectal.
Legs. Tr I-III each with several ventral tubercles. Fe I and III sub-straight; Fe II straight (Fig. 6A, B). Fe and Ti I-III with all faces containing rows of small tubercles; Fe III and Ti III with proventral and retroventral two rows of small acuminate tubercles. Fe II-III with an apical retrodorsal spur. Pa I-III covered dorsally by tubercles. Cx IV reaching the posterior margin of DS (Figs 6A; 8A). Cx IV tuberculate between prodorsal and ventral faces (Figs 6 A-C; 8 A, D). Cx IV with a thick prolateral distal conical apophysis, swollen at the basis, with apical portion slightly curved backwards (Figs 6 A-C; 8 A, B, D). Cx IV with a retrolateral spiniform apophysis, fused with a small secondary branch (Figs 6A, B; 8A, D). Tr IV square-shaped (Figs 6A, B; 8A). Tr IV proximal with conical prolateral and retrolateral apophyses, both curved to the dorsal portion (Figs 6A, B; 8A, E-H).Tr IV dorsal central with a pair of highlighted tubercles, longitudinally arranged (Figs 6A; 8A, E, F, H). Tr IV distal retrolateral with a conical apophysis, without acuminated apex (Fig. 7E, F, H). Tr IV prodorsal distal with a protuberance oriented to dorsal, resembling a hook (Fig. 7A, E, F). Tr IV ventral face tuberculate (Fig. 7 F- H). Fe IV C-shaped (using the right femur as a reference, in dorsal view), arched on the central portion towards dorsal (Figs 6C; 8 E-H). Fe IV proximal-medial portion with 1) a dorsal row of five prominent tubercles (Fig. 7E, F, H) and 2) prodorsal, prolateral, proventral, retroventral, retrolateral and retrodorsal rows of ordinary tubercles (Fig. 7E, F, H). Fe IV distal portion with: 1) two prodorsal spines (Fig. 7E, H); 2) a proventral and retroventral apical spur each (Fig. 7E, F); 3) three retrolateral spines (Fig. 7G, H); and 4) one retrodorsal spine (Fig. 7E, H). Pa IV dorsally tuberculate (Fig. 7I). Pa IV retroventral and retrodorsal with conical apophyses (Fig. 7G, H, J). Pa IV proventral and retroventral with rows of six and three spines, respectively (Fig. 7I, J). Ti IV with all faces tuberculate (Fig. 7I, J); retroventral central-distal with a row of 10 spines (Fig. 7J). Mt IV prodorsal, proventral, retroventral and retrodorsal with rows of setiferous tubercles. Mt IV proventral and retroventral faces with a spur.
Color (in alcohol) (Fig. 6 A-D). Ocularium, DS background and its borders Strong Orange Yellow (68). Pp Vivid Yellow (82). Chelicerae, Tr-Pa I-III, Ti-Ta II Vivid Orange Yellow (66). Ti- Ta I and III Moderate Orange Yellow (71). Ocularium pair of spines Brownish Orange (54). Area III pair of domed-shaped tubercles Dark Red (16). Articular membranes Moderate Orange Yellow (71). Cx IV medial and Tr IV Deep Orange Yellow (69). Cx IV proximal and distal and Tr IV apophyses Strong Brown (55). Fe-Ti medial IV Strong Orange Yellow (68). Ti medial- Mt IV Vivid Yellow (82).Ta II-IV Light Greenish Yellow (101).
Male genitalia. VP slightly divided into two regions: distal part forming a rectangle with latero-apical flaps, proximal part elliptical (Fig. 8A, C). VP ventral surface entirely covered with microsetae of type 1 (Fig. 8B, C). All macrosetae inserted on lateral of VP. MS A1-A3 cylindrical, thick, and acuminate, forming a triangle (with A2 more ventral than the other two) on the basal third of VP (Fig. 8B, C). MS B1 small, inserted ventrally, proximal to A2 (Fig. 8B, C). MS C1-C3 similar to the MS A, inserted on the ventrolateral border, forming a longitudinal row on the distal third of VP (Fig. 8 A-C). MS D1 small, inserted on VP ventrolateral border, closer to C3 than to A1 (Fig. 8 A-C). MS E1-E2 small, located on the laterodistal flange of VP – E1 between the height of MS C1-C2, E2 between the height of MS C2-C3 (Fig. 8B). Glans sac arising from the middle bulge on the podium, not extended as a dorsal process (Fig. 8A, B). Stylus and its ventral process axis fused basally (forming a short pedestal) at a 45° angle (Fig. 8A, B). Stylus cylindrical, almost straight, without clearly defined head and armed with a few small subdistal setae (Fig. 8A, B). Ventral process with almost the same stylus’s length, with a ventro-apical flabellum (Fig. 8A, B). Flabellum curved proximally, scallop-shaped, measuring about 40% length of the ventral process stem (Fig. 8A, B).
Intraspecific variation. The material studied does not present minor morph males. It was also not found intraspecific variation among the major morph males and females.
Female (MNRJ 7244 †)
DS lambda type. Area III with a pair of paramedian spines, with an elevated basis. Free tergites with a transversal row of ordinary tubercles. Cx IV narrower than in males, with the prodorsal apophysis reduced to a single spine and without the retroventral apophysis. Tr IV with a proximal retrolateral apophysis.Fe IV thinner compared to male, moderately curved in the proximal portion.
GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS
The male holotype of Paradiscocyrtus cerayanus (SMF RII 996/53) was originally reported as from the locality “ Brasilien (Ceraya)” by Roewer (1929: 248). As noted by Roewer (1931: 104), Mello-Leitão explained to him in a personal correspondence that Ceraya was a misspelling of the locality name and extrapolated this as being the state of “ Ceará ” in northeastern Brazil. Roewer added that all his records contained the misspelling and accepted without question Mello-Leitão’s interpretation. Subsequent authors did not pursue this question and later cataloguers – Soares & Soares (1954: 286) and Kury (2003: 185) – simply repeated “ Ceará ”. However, comparing that locality with the geographical data gathered and studied here, one cannot make sense of such an interpretation because the northeastern Brazilian fauna is quite different from the one in the Southeast (e.g. Kury 2003). Diacritics are often a source of confusion in toponyms, as exemplified in the misinterpretation by Henriksen (1932: 420) of the names “ Boyacá ” and “Choachí” (Cundinamarca, Colombia) respectively as “Boydla” and “Choact” (Medrano et al. 2020). With the benefit of cumulative decades of study of Brazilian Gonyleptidae, for us it is easier to understand that a cedilla under a C could easily have been misspelled by European collectors as a “Y”. This toponym “Ceraya” does not appear in further harvestmen literature, however, in the same paper, Roewer (1929: 255) described another Gonyleptidae as from “Caraya”, which gives us the remaining piece of the puzzle.
This way, by replacing only a single letter, Caraya (or its further distortion Ceraya) can be easily retrieved as “Caraça”, a small mountain range in Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil. Further material of D. cerayanus n. comb. studied by us corroborates this new interpretation, because the specimens hail from Caeté, Minas Gerais, which is extremely close to the Serra do Caraça (about 20 km in a straight line). Therefore, we herein rectify the incorrect interpretation of Mello-Leitão/ Roewer (1931) of “Ceraya” as “ Ceará ” to [Serra do] Caraça, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, which should be the correct type-locality of the species.
description: Published as part of Carvalho, Rafael N. & Kury, Adriano B., 2022, Review of Paradiscocyrtus Mello-Leitão, 1927 (Gonyleptidae, Opiliones), with the transfer of Paradiscocyrtus cerayanus Roewer, 1929 to Discocyrtus Holmberg, 1878 and a new interpretation of its type locality, pp. 209-225 in Zoosystema 44 (9) on pages 217-223, DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2022v44a9, http://zenodo.org/record/6517718