Cajango ednardoi Kury & Granado, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kury, Adriano B.
name: Granado, Alexia De A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Opiliones
Gonyleptidae
Cajango
Cajango ednardoi

description: Cajango ednardoi sp. nov.
(Figs 1–5)
Etymology. The species name is a noun in the genitive case, referring to Ednardo Pereira Martins, the discoverer of the new species, in recognition of his relentless dedication to nature conservation in the Jequitinhonha region.
Diagnosis.
C. ednardoi is most similar to C. pestifer and C. vindicator due to the following characteristics: (1) dorsal scutum and free tergites exhibit a green coloration, notably darker at the anterior border of scutum and carapace. Although these species share a similar pattern, C. pestifer and C. vindicator display dark yellow shades instead of green. However, the yellow tonality observed may only be present in old ethanol-preserved specimens, as these species are not known in vivo. In contrast, C. camacanensis is uniformly dark brown. (2) Cx IV lacks a retrolateral apical spiniform apophysis, while C. camacanensis possesses such an apophysis; (3) the dorso-apical apophysis of Cx IV is reduced to a small button, whereas in C. camacanensis it is much larger and spiniform.
C. ednardoi is most similar to C. pestifer by the strong dorsal and retrolateral spination of Fe IV, while in the other two species the spination is much more sparse.
C. ednardoi may be distinguished from all other species by (1) the short apophysis uniramous retroapical apophysis on Tr IV, while all the others have stout, biramous apophyses; (2) the strong proventral, retroventral and retrolateral spination of male Fe III, while in the others there are no spines; (3) the anal operculum entirely unarmed, while in the others it has a median cardioid or lanceolate apophysis (much reduced in C. pestifer); (4) the darker area on the carapace is subtriangular, occupying only the middle part of the carapace, while in the others which have this light/dark contrast it covers the whole carapace; (5) the dorso-basal row of seven hemispherical tubercles on femur IV of male, absent in all other species.
Type data.
α ♂ holotype, 1 ♀ paratype (MNRJ 3735) Brazil, Minas Gerais, Jequitinhonha, Torre, near state road MG-105, -16.3452°, -41.0891°, alt.: 1094 m, 30 Mar 2024, AA Granado, AB Kury & EP Martins leg.
6 α ♂, 9 ♀ paratypes (MNRJ 3736), same data as holotype.
1 α ♂, 1 β ♂, 2 ♀ paratypes (MNRJ 3737) Brazil, Minas Gerais, Jequitinhonha, Muriqui, road to Quilombo de Mombuca, -16.3348°, -41.0061°, alt.: 1070 m, 31 Mar 2024, AA Granado, AB Kury & EP Martins leg.
1 α ♂, 1 ♀ paratypes (MZSP, ex-MNRJ 3732) Brazil, Minas Gerais, Jequitinhonha, Muriqui, road to Quilombo de Mombuca, -16.3348°, -41.0061°, alt.: 1070 m, 10 Jan 2024, EP Martins & SHN dos Santos leg.
1 α ♂, 2 ♀ paratypes (CAVAISC, ex-MNRJ 3738) Brazil, Minas Gerais, Jequitinhonha, Torre, near state road MG-105, -16.3452°, -41.0891°, alt.: 1094 m, 06 Mar 2024, EP Martins, BCB da Silva & SHN dos Santos leg.
Unvouchered record
1 ♀, Brazil, Minas Gerais, Almenara, Limoeiro, -16.0603°, -40.8549°, alt.: 738 m, 18 Apr 2024, 12:34h, several photos shared by EP Martins.
Description.
Male holotype (MNRJ 3735). Measurements of holotype and of one female paratype in Table 1.
Dorsum. Robust gonyleptid, with smooth tegument, elongate and profusely spiny legs. Body and appendages in predominantly green and brown hues (Figs 1a–d). DS gamma pyriform, with posterior border slightly concave. Carapace pentagonal, with ocularium at its anterior portion, but set far away from the anterior margin of scutum. Ocularium moderately high, armed with two parallel strong spines (Fig. 3a). Preocular mound is also moderately elevated, with two small acuminated tubercles. Double ozopores, domed, anterior the largest, both matching three stout dorsal apophyses of coxa II.
Anterior border of scutum with one spine on each side. Dorsal scutum chagriné, unarmed, except for one row of tubercles on lateral area and one transverse row on each area I to III. Area III with a paramedian pair of rounded tubercles (Fig 3b). Mesotergum is divided into three areas; area I divided into broadly connected left and right halves. Area V and free tergites each with a transverse row of 4–12 granules. Anal operculum unarmed.
Venter. Coxae I-III small and parallel to each other, coxa IV immensely developed, much larger than the others taken together and slanted. Stigmatic area Y-shaped, posterior margin concave with very large spiracles. Free sternites unarmed, anal operculum unarmed.
Chelicera. Weak chelicerae, basichelicerite with a thin peduncle and weakly developed bulla, both unarmed. Cheliceral hand weak, fingers armed with weak teeth.
Pedipalpus. Short and weak pedipalps; trochanter with dorsal protuberance bearing 3 setiferous tubercles and 2 large ventral setiferous tubercles. Cylindrical femur, slightly convex dorsally with 1 basal setiferous tubercle and another mesoapical. Patella unarmed. Tibia megaspines ectal IiI, mesal IiIi. Tarsus ectal IiIiii and mesal IiIi. Ventral part densely covered with thick setae. Claw smooth.
Legs. Cx IV oblique, visible beyond scutum in dorsal view, with strong, bent prolateral apical falciform apophysis, provided with a small secondary branch. Without a retrolateral apical apophysis. Trochanter IV quadrate, with two main apophyses: the first prolateral medial and the second small, retroapical.
Femora I–III straight all covered with light colored small setiferous tubercles, loosely arranged in longitudinal rows. Femur III with proventral and retroventral rows of such tubercles gradually increasing to become dark-colored spines. Femur III besides with a retrolateral row of 6 spines only in the distal 2/3 (Fig. 3e).
Patella IV with several rows of acuminated strong proventral and retroventral tubercles. The proventral row with 2 spines and the retroventral row with 4.
Tibia III with two retroventral and proventral rows of acuminated tubercles increasing in size distally. Tibia IV with 3 rows of small spines: proventral, retroventral, and retrolateral (Fig. 3f).
Calcaneus of metatarsus I longer than astragalus and thickened (Fig. 3d). Tarsal counts 6(3)-6(3)/10(3)-10(3)/7- 7/8-8.
Femur IV (Fig. 4).
Fe IV with six longitudinal rows of spiniform apophyses:
Dorsal row: diastema in proximal fourth + 6 strong spines in medial 2 fourths + 7 small spines in distal fourth.
Prodorsal row: 7 tightly packed pre-pivotal rounded tubercles in proximal fourth + sturdy, bifid, low pivot + 15 tubercles in the 3 distal fourths.
Prolateral row: diastema in proximal fourth + 5 scattered small tubercles in medial 2 fourths + 5 small acuminate tubercles in distal fourth.
Proventral row: 9 small rounded tubercles in proximal fourth, the basalmost is formed by 4 fused tubercles + 12 tubercles in the 3 distal fourths, increasing in size apically.
Retroventral row: basal spines disturbed by the adjacent ReLat spines and by the antipivot; there seems to be 5 main spines in proximal fourth, the 4th one larger, bifid + 10 spines in the 3 distal fourths, distalmost ones increasing in size.
Retrolateral row: 2 robust spines in proximal fourth, the basalmost bifid, with 2 subequal branches + 5 very large spines in the 3 distal fourths + 1 small apical spine.
Antipivot: ventro-basal stout cone, in the same direction of the ventral condyle.
Color (in vivo). Dorsal scutum Grayish Green (#150) with Brilliant Greenish Yellow (#98) spots, mostly on its margins, with triangular Brownish Black (#65) patch covering anterior part of carapace, including ocularium. Chelicerae and pedipalpi with Brilliant Yellow (#83) spots and a Brownish Black (#65) background. Trochanter’s distal portion Strong Orange Yellow (#68) fading to Light Yellow (#86) at the legs’ junction. Coxa IV and legs Dark Gray (#266), articular membranes Pale Blue (#185). Ventral Cx Light Olive Brown (#94) and Moderate Olive Brown (#96) with Vivid Greenish Yellow (#97) blotches. Stigmatic area predominantly Light Greenish Yellow (#101).
Male genitalia (Fig. 5). Truncus thickened apically, deeply excavated on sides, forming podium + pre-podium, champignon-shaped. Ventral plate (VP) convex subrectangular blade on distal truncus, with a pair of robust basal lobes folded dorsally. Macrosetae A1–A3 subequal, sturdy, forming arch on rim of basal lobes. B1 extremely reduced. C1–C3 elongate, slender. C1–C2 set closely together. C1 arched; C2 and C3 much longer, helicoidal apex. D1 very small, on laterals of VP. E1–E2 relatively large, prostrated, on a rudimentary flange. Glans sac short, with well-developed solea. Pedestal trapezoidal. Stylus insertion on pedestal, candelabrum-type. Head of stylus poorly developed. Flabellum rounded, with marginal serrations.
Sexual dimorphism. Females are very similar to males in habitus and colors (Figs 1f–g), except for: (1) scutal area III with a pair of high acuminate spines (Fig. 3c) instead of low blunt tubercles in males (Fig. 3b); (2) Cx IV poorly developed, mostly hidden under scutum in dorsal view and without strong dorso-apical apophysis; (3) armature of Fe III, Ti III, Tr IV, Ti IV much weaker; (4) dorsal scutum outline gamma classical; (5) Fe IV not curved to the midline and without larger individual spines, although still armed with rows of substantial spines. Tarsal counts: 6(3)-6(3)/12(3)-11(3)/7-7/8-8. Measurements are in Table 1.
description: Published as part of Kury, Adriano B. & Granado, Alexia De A., 2025, MicroCT Scan visualization of femur IV apophyses: a promising tool for phylogenetic reconstruction in K 92, exemplified by a new species of Cajango (Arachnida: Opiliones: Gonyleptidae), pp. 209-221 in Zootaxa 5563 (1) on pages 212-219, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5563.1.14, http://zenodo.org/record/14595829