Abaddon despoliator Derkarabetian &amp; Baker &amp; Hedin &amp; Prieto &amp; Giribet 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Derkarabetian, Shahan
name: Baker, Caitlin M.
name: Hedin, Marshal
name: Prieto, Carlos E.
name: Giribet, Gonzalo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Opiliones
Triaenonychidae
Abaddon
Abaddon despoliator

description: <i>Abaddon despoliator</i> Derkarabetian, sp. nov. (Fig. 6, 7 <i>A</i>, S 4) ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 96821AF1-87FD-4522-91E7-D3D9AC314C4F <i>Type material</i>: Holotype male, one female paratype, and one male paratype from Australia: Western Australia: Glenbourne Farm, south of Gracetown, 33.9139 S, 115.01587 E, elevation ~ 40 m, collected by Julianne M. Waldock and S. Hill on 21 October 2001, dry pitfall traps (deposited in MCZ and WAM; genetic voucher MCZ:IZ:134472). Two male paratypes from Australia: Western Australia: Crowea forest along Crowea Road, 34.5399 S, 116.041 E, elevation ~ 230 m, collected by Gonzalo Giribet, Stephanie W. Aktipis, and Michele K. Nishiguchi on 10 July 2004 (deposited in MCZ; genetic voucher MCZ: IZ:132893). <i>Diagnosis</i> As per genus. <i>Description</i> Male holotype (MCZ: IZ:134472_3) (average of all males in parentheses, <i>n</i> = 4). Scutum length 1.5 (1.6), width at widest point 1.2 (1.3), width at narrowest point 0.83 (0.85). Integument colour light brown and tan, with patterning of dark brown pigment (Fig. 6 <i>A</i>, S 4 <i>A</i>). Anterior margin of carapace with a large medial spine directed anteriorly, with four anteriorly directed spines on either side (three large and one small). Pedipalps smooth, except a single small spinebearing tubercle basally on the ventral surface of the femur, with little or no brown pigmentation (Fig. 6 <i>E</i>). Coxae IV with a pigmented area dorsally with dorsally directed tubercles (Fig. 6 <i>A</i>). Genital operculum of males with tubercles at the anterior margin. Legs tuberculate, tan in colour, with brown pigmentation particularly on the femurs. Leg I femur with a series of elongate spine-bearing tubercles on the dorsal and ventral surface (Fig. 6 <i>C</i>). Leg II length 4.6. Penis: glans without ventral or dorsal plates, with large lateral wing-like lamellae (Fig. 7 <i>A</i>); each side of the sensillar region with two inferior setae placed ventrolaterally and one superior seta dorsally; with very reduced dorsolateral plates; stylus arising directly from the sensillar region, elongate, cylindrical, and thin. Female paratype (MCZ: IZ:134472_1). Scute length 1.7, width at widest point 1.45. width at narrowest point 0.95. Only one female is known. Compared to all males it is slightly larger with less pigmentation (Fig. 6 <i>B</i>, S 3 <i>C</i>). Pigmented scutal tubercles generally more ordered, and typically with more spines on the posterior segments. Pigmented area on coxae IV bearing a more obvious elongate tubercle directed dorsally. Tubercles at anterior margin of genital operculum smaller. <i>Distribution</i> Known only from south-western Western Australia. <i>Comments</i> Differences can be seen between the males from each locality, suggesting a potential for multiple species, as seen in other short-range endemics in the same region (e.g. Rix <i>et al</i>. 2015; Sato <i>et al</i>. 2018; Schwentner and Giribet 2018). Given the paucity of samples available we refrain from assessing this. However, we note some obvious morphological differences here: relative to males from Glenbourne Farm locality (MCZ: IZ:134472), males from the Crowea Road locality (MCZ: IZ:132893) are slightly larger, have heavier pigmentation on the body and legs, and have slightly longer legs (Fig. S4 <i>A</i>, <i>D</i>). <i>Etymology</i> The specific epithet is a Latin noun used in apposition meaning ‘despoiler’, and as with the genus name, is in reference to the fictional character ‘ Abaddon the Despoiler’ from the Warhammer 40,000 science fiction universe.
description: Published as part of <i>Derkarabetian, Shahan, Baker, Caitlin M., Hedin, Marshal, Prieto, Carlos E. &amp; Giribet, Gonzalo, 2021, Phylogenomic re-evaluation of Triaenonychoidea (Opiliones: Laniatores), and systematics of Triaenonychidae, including new families, genera and species, pp. 277-288 in Invertebrate Systematics 167 (1)</i> on pages 142-143, DOI: 10.1071/is20047, http://zenodo.org/record/4531309
description: {"references": ["Rix, M. G., Edwards, D. L., Byrne, M., Harvey, M. S., Joseph, L., and Roberts, J. D. (2015). Biogeography and speciation of terrestrial fauna in the south-western Australian biodiversity hotspot. Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 90, 762 - 793. doi: 10.1111 / brv. 12132", "Sato, S., Buckman-Young, R. S., Harvey, M. S., and Giribet, G. (2018). Cryptic speciation in a biodiversity hotspot: multi-locus molecular data reveal new velvet worm species from Western Australia (Onychophora: Peripatopsidae: Kumbadjena). Invertebrate Systematics 32, 1249 - 1264. doi: 10.1071 / IS 18024", "Schwentner, M., and Giribet, G. (2018). Phylogeography, species delimitation and population structure of a Western Australian shortrange endemic mite harvestman (Arachnida: Opiliones: Pettalidae: Karripurcellia). Evolutionary Systematics 2, 81 - 87. doi: 10.3897 / evolsyst. 2.25274"]}