Assamhoplites martensis Porto, Kontos & Pérez-González, 2024, n. sp.
Creators: name: Porto, Willians
name: Kontos, Panagiotis
name: Pérez-González, Abel
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Opiliones
Assamiidae
Assamhoplites
Assamhoplites martensis

description: Assamhoplites martensis n. sp.
(Figs 1-5)
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 1B152754-004B-4C28-A4E4-50C9AC0E4D67
TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Ethiopia • 1 ♂; Oromia province, Ambo, Wonchi crater at high point, 6 N road, in moss grass; alt. 3200 m a.s.l.; 4.IV.1988; Russel-Smith A. leg.; BE_RMCA_ARA. Opi.236192.
Paratypes. Ethiopia • 2 ♀; same data as for holotype; BE_RMCA_ ARA.Opi.247652 • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; MACN-Ar 46909.
ETYMOLOGY. — Patronymic in honor of the German arachnologist, Professor Jochen Martens, in recognition of his contribution to advances in arachnology. Name in the genitive case.
DIAGNOSIS. — The combination of body size (3.57 mm), scutum covered by polygonal tubercles, male pedipalp three times as long as body, femur of the pedipalp notably larger than patella (60%).
DISTRIBUTION. — Only known from the type locality.
DESCRIPTION
Male (BE_RMCA_ARA.Opi.236192)
Measurements (mm). Total length: 3.57; carapace length: 1.30; dorsal scutum length: 3.03; carapace max. width: 1.69; dorsal scutum max. width: 2.03. Appendage measurements. Pedipalp. Trochanter: 0.52; femur: 3.69; patella: 2.32; tibia: 1.87; tarsus: 1.77; claw: 0.58. Leg I: trochanter (tr): 0.42; femur (fe): 1.82; patella (pa): 0.70; tibia (ti): 1.13; metatarsus (mt): 1.58; tarsus (tr): 1.03. Leg II: tr: 0.45; fe: 3.06; pa: 0.85; ti: 2.51; mt: 2.03; tr 1.99. Leg III: tr: 0.43; fe: 1.87; pa: 0.72; ti: 1.32; mt: 1.71; tr 1.20. Leg IV: tr: 0.56; fe: 2.52; pa: 0.82; ti: 1.89; mt: 2.67; tr: 1.42.
Dorsum (Fig. 2 A-C). Outline almost rectangular with iota (ι) shape. Ocularium rounded and covered by small tubercles with setae, with eyes located on the lateral rim of the ocularium. Scutum covered by small setiferous tubercles, carapace smaller than mesotergum, anterior margin bearing a row of small tubercles, and five pointed apophyses in the following order or length and robustness: 35253. Mesotergal areas clearly defined. Posterior margin and free tergites bearing a row of setiferous tubercles and a row of small tubercles.
Venter (Fig. 2 D-F). Ventral surface and anal plate covered by small setiferous tubercles.
Chelicerae (Fig. 2 G-I). Basichelicerite covered dorsally by small setiferous tubercles, proventral surface with a row of conical tubercles with setae, and two small setiferous tubercles on the mesal-distal surface. Second article elongated, bearing sparse small tubercles with setae on the frontal surface and a robust spine above the fingers. Fixed finger with a central strong thickening in frontal view. Sparse long setae on the frontal surface.
Pedipalps (Fig. 3A). Long, thin, and filiform trochanter bearing four ventral setiferous tubercles, the distal one longer than the others. Femur smooth, longer than dorsal scutum, bearing sparse setae. All articles with sparse setae. Long distal claw.
Legs. All articles irregularly covered with small tubercles. Tarsal count: 5:9:5:6.
Genitalia (Fig. 4). Pars distalis composed of an expandable capsula externa (in form of follis sensu Macías-Ordoñez et al. 2010, fig.13.4 or “prick funnel” (Stacheltrichter) sensu Martens 1977) and a capsula interna reduced to a stylus. The expansion of the capsula externa exposing their internal digitiform projections. Four macrosetae on each side of lateral margin of the pars distalis, a pair of dorsal macrosetae flanking the capsula externa and two pairs of ventral small setae. Apical rim of the pars distalis slightly convex and containing two small mounts with an apical macrosetae each.
Female (BE_RMCA_ARA.Opi.247652) (Figs 3B; 5)
Similar to male, presenting dimorphism by the presence of a raptorial pedipalp, and chelicera small and not thickened.
Measurements (mm). Total length: 3.31; carapace length: 1.10; dorsal scutum length: 3.17; carapace max. width: 1.48; dorsal scutum max. width: 1.90. Appendage measurements. Pedipalp.Trochanter: 0.33; femur: 1.05; patella: 0.51; tibia: 0.68; tarsus: 0.70; claw: 0.60. Leg I: trochanter (tr): 0.32; femur (fe): 1.32; patella (pa): 0.56; tibia (ti): 0.96; metatarsus (mt): 1.16; tarsus (tr): 0.96. Leg II: tr: 0.39; fe: 2.33; pa: 0.79; ti: 1.89; mt: 1.69; tr 1.57. Leg III: tr: 0.38; fe: 1.49; pa: 0.61; ti: 1.07; mt: 1.42; tr 1.06. Leg IV: tr: 0.43; fe: 2.03; pa: 0.65; ti: 1.51; mt: 2.10; tr: 1.28. Tarsal count: 4:8/9:5:6/7.
Female Chelicerae (Fig. 5 G-I). Basichelicerite shorter than that of males, dorsally covered by small setiferous tubercles, ventrally covered by a prolateral row of small conical tubercles. Second segment small, bearing sparse long setae, without spine above the fingers.
Female Pedipalps (Fig. 3 E-H). Female pedipalp shorter than male, composed of a raptorial trochanter with a ventral-distal tubercle bearing setae, femur with a ventral row of small setiferous tubercles, tibia and tarsus covered with long setae, the tibia with (Fig. 3B; 5H) two prolateral and one retrolateral strong spines, and the tarsus two prolateral and two retrolateral spines.
Ovipositor. Simple, bearing long distal bifid setae, as in Martens (2022: fig. 24).
description: Published as part of Porto, Willians, Kontos, Panagiotis & Pérez-González, Abel, 2024, African highland harvestman: New genus and new species of Filopalpinae Martens, 2022 (Opiliones, Assamiidae) from Wonchi crater, Oromia province, Ethiopia, pp. 577-587 in Zoosystema 46 (22) on pages 579-583, DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2024v46a22, http://zenodo.org/record/13778068