Fortia sith Villarreal & Kury & Colmenares 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Villarreal, Osvaldo
name: Kury, Adriano B.
name: Colmenares, Pío A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Opiliones
Stygnidae
Fortia
Fortia sith

description: Fortia sith, sp. nov.
Figures 12–24, 28–30
TYPE DATA: Ƌ holotype (AMNH_IZC 00146659), COLOMBIA, Magdalena, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, trail from San Pedro de la Sierra, 2800 m. Dec. 1974 – Jan 1975. C. Gibson and R. Robins. From tank of bromeliad Vriesea capituligera.
DIAGNOSIS: See diagnosis in F. jedi, sp. nov.
DESCRIPTION: Measurements. DSL = 4.2, DSW = 3.6, ID = 2.3; Pedipalp: Co = 0.7, Tr = 0.9, Fe = 3.2, Pa = 1.25, Ti = 1.9, Ta = 1.6, total = 9.55; Leg IV: Fe = 4.8, Pa = 1.5, Ti = 3.4, Mt = 5.1, total = 14.8. Dorsum (figs. 12, 17). DS outline epsilon. Anterior margin of prosoma with five anterolateral tubercles; cheliceral sockets shallow. Eyes separated into two small mounds with some anterior granules, placed posteriorly on carapace. Interocular region with small granules and one central high mound, placed slightly forward on the carapace and covered with sparse granules, ending with a high spine on top. Lateral margin with a row of minute granules. Mesotergum divided into three areas: I divided medially into two triangular halves, with one small granule on each side; II mostly smooth, with only two granules on each side, invading medially area I and reaching carapace; III with one small tubercle on each side and a pair of paramedian high spines. Posterior margin slightly convex with two paramedian small tubercles. Free tergite I with a row of granules, and a paramedian pair of tubercles, II–III with a row of tubercles and a pair of acuminated short spines of roughly the same length. Venter (fig. 14). Coxa I with a row of five tubercles and an apical wide tubercle; II–III with one median row of small tubercles and sparse granules; IV densely granulated. Genital operculum finely granulated. Free sternites with a row of small granules. Chelicerae (figs. 12–14, 16, 17). Segment I with some setiferous granules on ectal and mesal sides of bulla; II swollen, with scattered setiferous granules on anterior side, fixed finger with a distal keel with four low barely distinguishable teeth; mobile finger with a large basal tooth and with three distal teeth (I_Iii). Pedipalps (figs. 19, 20). Coxa dorsally with a proximal low hump with three tubercles on it; ventrally with two conspicuous tubercles, one central and one apical. Trochanter with one dorsal and one ventral tubercle. Femur thin, proximal third curved, contouring the cheliceral hand, and distal third swollen; dorsally with a row of setiferous granules and an apical tubercle; an ectal and a mesal row of granules; ventrally with a row of six equally spaced tubercles. Patella distally swollen, with two dorsal small tubercles, ventrally smooth. Tibia dorsally with sparse small tubercles, ventrally smooth; tibia mesal IIiIi, ectal IIiIii. Tarsus dorsally and ventrally smooth; tarsus mesal IiIiii, ectal iIiiii. Legs (figs. 21–24). Coxae I with two dorsal tubercles, one anterior and one posterior; II with an anterodorsal tubercle; III smooth; IV with sparse prolateral small tubercles and an apical larger and conical tubercle. Trochanter I dorsally smooth and one retrolateral granule; II with one dorsoapical conical tubercle and sparse minute granules, sparse retrolateral granules; III with sparse granules and a retroapical tubercle; IV with sparse prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral granules, one slightly larger dorsoapical tubercle and a retrolateral spine. Femora I–II with retroventral and proventral rows of minute granules; II with pro and retrodorsal apical apophysis; III with one prodorsal and one prolateral row of small tubercles, a proventral row of tubercles, a retroventral row of tubercles increasing in size, a retrolateral row of tubercles decreasing in size distally, apically with a prodorsal tubercle and a retrodorsal spine; IV distally swollen, with an incomplete dorsal, prodorsal, retrodorsal, and prolateral row of small tubercles, one proventral and one retroventral row of tubercles significantly increasing in size distally, and a retrolateral row of large tubercles decreasing in size distally, also two pro- and retrodorsal spines. Patella I–II granulated; III evenly covered with low tubercles; IV evenly covered with tubercles larger than those in III except for the ventral side, with large retrodorsal and retroventral apical tubercles. Tibiae I–II thin, slightly thicker distally, while III–IV are visibly stronger and swollen distally; I–II with rows of granules; III with rows of small tubercles on dorsal, prolateral, and retrolateral surfaces, and a retroventral row of tubercles increasing in size distally; IV with rows of small tubercles on dorsal, prolateral, and retrolateral surfaces, also a proventral row of tubercles and a retroventral row of larger tubercles increasing in size distally. Metatarsi I–IV smooth. Basitarsus I with the first two basal segments slightly swollen. Tarsal process present. Tarsal claws III–IV subparallel, unpectinated. Tarsal segmentation: 7(3)/14(3)/6(3)/7(3). Penis (figs. 28–30). Truncus subapically thickened and encircled by multiple small wrinkles. Malleus with two dorsolateral lobes, forming a dorsal concavity where the glans rests. Malleus lobes contain MS A1–A3 that form a dorsolateral arch and MS B forms part of the same arch, but is separated by a wide gap and inserted ventrally. MS A1–A3 larger than MS B. Lamina parva formed by: (1) a columnar base, slightly compressed laterally bearing MS C–E; and (2) a concave subquadrangular platform; middorsal lobes absent. MS D1 small, dorsolateral, at the junction glans/stylus; MS C1–C3 dorsally slightly curved and flattened, forming a transverse row just below platform; MS E1 short, MS E2 long, both pairs forming a trapezium isosceles in ventral view. Coloration (in alcohol, figs. 12–16). Dorsal scutum, cheliceral segment I, and legs I–II brown. Cheliceral segment II reddish brown, with a light reticle on the majority of its surface, and a dark reticle on the basal region. Pedipalps dark brown with a darker reticle. Legs III–IV dark brown. Dorsal scutum with light, metallic spots on internal corners and lateral border of area I, median zone and lateral border of area II, and median zone, lateral border and posterior border of area III.
FEMALE: ♀ paratype (AMNH_IZC 00146660), same data as holotype. Measurements. DSL = 4.14, DSW = 3.6, ID = 1.9; Pedipalp: Co = 1.02, Tr = 0.6, Fe = 2.62, Pa = 1.3, Ti = 1.7, Ta = 1.3, total = 8.54; Leg IV: Fe = 3.86, Pa = 1.2, Ti = 2.5, Mt = 4.2, total = 11.76.
FEMALE DESCRIPTION: Similar to male, except chelicera not swollen; ornamentation of leg IV conspicuously less developed; basitarsus I not swollen.
DISTRIBUTION: Known only for the type locality.
ETYMOLOGY: Noun in apposition from neologism sith, an ancient monastic and kraterocratic organization devoted to the dark side of the energy field known as The Force, and main antagonists of the Star Wars fictional universe. Only this time the sith apparently has the high ground. Specific epithet in reference to the dark coloration of the type specimens.
description: Published as part of Villarreal, Osvaldo, Kury, Adriano B. & Colmenares, Pío A., 2022, A new genus with two new species of Colombian harvestmen (Opiliones: Stygnidae: Stygninae), pp. 1-16 in American Museum Novitates 2022 (3991) on pages 8-11, DOI: 10.1206/3991.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7399574