2003. The Journal of Arachnology 31:394±399

THIRD SPECIES OF GUASINIIDAE (, ) WITH COMMENTS ON FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Ricardo Pinto-da-Rocha: Depto. de Zoologia, Instituto de BiocieÃncias, Universidade de SaÄo Paulo, Rua do MataÄo, Travessa 14, No. 321, 05508-900 SaÄo Paulo/SP, . E-mail: [email protected] Adriano B. Kury: Museu Nacional, Quinta da Boa Vista s/n, SaÄo CristoÂvaÄo, 20.940-040, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

ABSTRACT. Guasinia persephone, a new species of the family Guasiniidae, is described from the soil of an inundation forest in Brazilian Amazonia. This family was hitherto only known from two species from . Male genitalia of the new species are described in detail. A close relationship of Guas- iniidae with Zalmoxidae and Fissiphalliidae is proposed on basis of genital morphology. This is the third species of blind Laniatores from Brazil and the ®rst from leaf mold, one is from termite nests and the other is from a cave. Keywords: Guasiniidae, Neotropics, Opiliones, anophthalmy, Brazil, Amazonia, Arachnida

The family Guasiniidae (correct spelling for size and the strictly de®ned microhabitat. The a family name based on the generic name Guas- recognition of the Guasiniidae (GonzaÂlez-Spon- inia GonzaÂlez-Sponga 1997, see Kury & Pinto- ga 1997) was a welcome departure from the da-Rocha 2002) is the most recently discovered conservative approach by the same author family of Laniatores (GonzaÂlez-Sponga 1997). (GonzaÂlez-Sponga 1987), who preferred to keep The other recently described families are Fissi- the polyphyletic family Phalangodidae, discard- phalliidae Martens 1988 and Agoristenidae SÏil- ing the use of Minuidae and Zalmoxidae. havy 1973 from the Neotropics and Pentany- The discovery by Dr. Joachim Adis (Max- chidae Briggs 1971 from the Nearctic. Planck Institute, PloÈn, Germany) of new ma- GonzaÂlez-Sponga (1997) provided descriptions terial from upper soil layers near Manaus of two monotypic genera of Guasiniidae, with (Central Amazonia) is here described as a new only very schematic drawings of the penis of species. This minute opilionid expands the both species and related them to the Oriental distribution range (recorded only from Vene- zuela) of the family Guasiniidae much south- family Oncopodidae Thorell 1876. wards and offers the opportunity to illustrate Guasiniidae, together with Fissiphalliidae and discuss the male genitalia and attempt to and Ogoveidae, both with three described spe- relate this family to other laniatorid families. cies, are the least diverse families among Opil- The material studied is deposited in the In- iones. According to Roewer's system, which stituto Nacional de Pesquisas da AmazoÃnia dominated the past 90 years of Opiliones sys- (INPA, C. MagalhaÄes); Museu de Zoologia da tematics, guasiniids should be included in the Universidade de SaÄo Paulo (MZSP, R. Pinto- ``wastebasket'' family Phalangodidae Simon da-Rocha), Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro 1879. However, as distinct from members of the (MNRJ, A.B. Kury) and Senckenberg Muse- Fissiphalliidae, which are externally very simi- um (SMFD, M. Grasshoff). lar to zalmoxids, Guasiniidae were described on SYSTEMATICS well-delimited external characters. It can be rea- sonably expected to ®nd Fissiphalliidae de- Family Guasiniidae GonzaÂlez-Sponga scribed among the Phalangodidae of Roewer, 1997 however it is highly improbable that a guasiniid Genus Guasinia GonzaÂlez-Sponga 1997 has been described previously in Phalangodidae Guasinia GonzaÂlez-Sponga 1997: 53. or another family due to the striking structure Type species.ÐGuasinia delgadoi GonzaÂ- of the pedipalps, as well as the minuscule body lez-Sponga 1997, by original designation.

394 PINTO-DA-ROCHA & KURYÐNEW BRAZILIAN GUASINIIDAE 395

Figures 1±5.ÐGuasinia persephone new species, male: 1, Habitus, dorsal view; 2, Same, lateral view; 3, Carapace, dorsal view; 4, Right ozopore and dorsal surface of coxa II; 5, Detail of ozopore, scale 4 times larger than Fig. 4.

Emended diagnosis.ÐStridulatory appa- naus, State of Amazonas, Brazil (03Њ02ЈS, ratus on mesal surface of cheliceral hand. Tar- 60Њ17ЈW). Holotype male, date 26 July 1983, sal counts 3±4(2)/4±8(2±4)/5/5±6 (see re- (INPA). Paratypes: 23 February 1982, 1 & marks). Guaiquinimia GonzaÂlez-Sponga 1997 (INPA); 1 ( (MNRJ); 1 & (INPA); 29 Sep- differs from Guasinia by the very stout tember 1982, 2 & (INPA); 1 & (SMFD); 25 smooth and spined basichelicerite with back- March 1983, 1 ( (SMFD); 28 March 1983, 1 wards projection, and 13 segments on tarsus & (MZSP); 1 ( (MNRJ); 25 April 1983, 2 (, II. 3 & (MNRJ); 2 & (INPA); 2 & (SMFD); 1 ( Remarks.ÐAs currently understood, there (MZSP); 26 May 1983, 2 (,2& (INPA); 27 is little reason to separate both guasiniid gen- June 1983, 3 & (INPA); 1 ( (MZSP); 24 July era, but a synonymy would be premature at 1983, 1 & (INPA); 26 July 1983, 1 & (INPA); this stage. 2 (,1& (MZSP); 3 & (MNRJ); 24 August Guasinia persephone new species 1983, 2 (,3& (MZSP); 1 & (MNRJ); 2 & Figs. 1±15 (SMFD); 2 & (INPA). Type material.ÐAll material collected by Etymology.ÐThe species name is treated Joachim Adis from Igapo TarumaÄ Mirim, Ma- as a noun in apposition to Persephone, a 396 THE JOURNAL OF ARACHNOLOGY

Figures 6±11.ÐGuasinia persephone new species, male: 6, Leg I; 7, Leg II; 8, Leg III; 9, Leg IV; 10, Pedipalp; 11, Chelicera. Scale bars ϭ 0.5 mm.

Greek goddess who was kidnapped by the god covered with minute granules, and a stripe of Hades (not Adis) and had to live with him in coarse granules in the middle region (from an- the underground realm all her life. terior margin to groove I). Eye mound ill-de- Diagnosis.ÐDiffers from G. delgadoi by ®ned (Fig. 3); eyes completely lacking. Only the male metatarsus II undivided and armature one transversal slit-like ozopore in lateral po- of leg IV with large tubercles (Fig. 9). Cara- sition (Figs. 4, 5). pace without posterior convexity. Tarsal Chelicera (Fig. 11): Cheliceral hand with counts 3(2), 4(2), 5, 5. Segmentation of tarsi stridulatory apparatus formed by numerous I±II and IV is lower than G. delgadoi that pos- granules on mesal surface and two larger me- sesses 4(2), 8(4) on legs I±II and 6 on leg IV sal teeth. Hand not in¯ated, similar in both (see remarks). Transverse grooves of carapace sexes. I±V well de®ned (Fig. 1), differing from the Pedipalp (Fig. 10): Coxa and trochanter other species of the family. with mesal ®eld of numerous granules. Tro- Description.ÐMeasurements (holotype, in chanter with one ventral and one basal setifer- mm): Dorsal scute length 1.3; cephalothorax ous tubercles. Femur with curved prolateral length 0.5; mesotergum width 0.8; cephalo- subapical tubercle, ventral row of four tuber- thorax width 0.65. Dorsum (Figs. 1±2): Out- cles. Patella with mesal subdistal tooth. Tibia line of scute attenuate hourglass-shaped. All with three small setae on each side. Tarsus scutal grooves transverse and well marked. with small setae, plus longer distal setae. Scutal areas I±V and free tergites I±III densely Claws short. covered with large granules. Carapace densely Legs (Figs. 6±9): Legs I±IV ®nely granu- PINTO-DA-ROCHA & KURYÐNEW BRAZILIAN GUASINIIDAE 397 lated. Coxae I±IV with stout tubercles. Tro- deep (humus layer ϭ matting of humus with chanter I with two ventral and two dorsal tu- ®ne humus). The humus stratum is slightly de- bercles; femur III with one short dorsal veloped (covering 5%), seedlings of abundant subapical tubercle; trochanter IV with two trees occur in large numbers, shrubs are ab- ventral (apical much larger, bi®d, forming a sent, there are 1300±2000 trees/ha, totaling 47 straight angle) and two large dorsal (posterior species. The tree roots spread as far as 8 m longer) tubercles; femur IV with two short on the forest ¯oor. Annual precipitation ranges dorsal sub basal, one short ventral sub basal, between 1000±2500 m (lowest monthly pre- one longer than femur diameter on ventro-me- cipitation 0±60 mm). Rainy months January± dian followed by four short tubercles; patella April; dry months July±September tempera- IV with four ventral tubercles increasing in ture between 24.3±27.4ЊC. The igapo is an- size; tibia IV with nine ventral tubercles in- nually ¯ooded for 5±6 months. The water lev- creasing in size and one ventral subapical tu- el ¯uctuations are between 5.5±14 m, mean bercle. Metatarsus II undivided. Tarsal seg- 10 m (see Adis 1981). mentation: 3(2), 4(2), 5, 5. Remarks.ÐThe tarsal counts of leg II of Male genitalia (Figs. 12±15): Ventral plate the two Venezuelan species provided by Gon- modi®ed as apical portion of truncus separat- zaÂlez-Sponga (1997) are not compatible with ed from the shaft by a constriction; lateral his own drawings. GonzaÂlez-Sponga (1997) margins of ventral plate twisted around the stated that G. delgadoi had 7(3) segments main axis of truncus and are fused to each (GonzaÂlez-Sponga 1997: 55) and that Guai- other, resulting in a funnel-shaped calyx; ven- quinimia longipes had 10±12(4) segments tral plate with two groups of setae; basal (GonzaÂlez-Sponga 1997: 58), although the group formed by 3 ϩ 3 large foliaceous-spat- drawings (his ®gs. 6 & 13) clearly show 8(4) ulate setae with rounded apex; distal group is and 13(3), respectively. Male genitalia of the formed by 2 ϩ 2 small cylindrical acuminate new species appear at ®rst to be incompatible setae; distal portion of truncus proximal to with GonzaÂlez-Sponga's drawings, which lack ventral plate depressed forming a cavity the large basal setae of the ventral plate. Our where glans structures are inserted; accesso- own observation is that even if those setae are ries of glans well developed as a membranous very large, they are ¯attened and applied sac projected into two paired lobes (titilla- against the truncus, so their presence is easily tors); conductors and other parastyli absent, overlooked using an optical microscope, rec- stylus free. onciling penial morphology of G. persephone Female: Measurements (INPA, 29.Septem- with both Venezuelan species. ber.1982, in mm): Dorsal scute length 1.2; cephalothorax length 0.5; mesotergum width DISCUSSION 0.8; cephalothorax width 0.65. Similar to male This is the third anophthalmic Brazilian except as follows: cephalothorax less tuber- species of Opiliones. The ®rst totally blind culate. Legs with fewer and shorter tubercles; Brazilian opilionid to be described was Cae- legs I±III granulate; trochanter IV with 2 sin- cobunus termitarum Roewer 1927 (originally gle branched tubercles on ventral and dorsal; in Phalangodidae, but family uncertain, see femur IV with 1 sub-basal, 1 median and 1 Kury 2003), described from termite nests in subapical short tubercles; patella IV with 1 Rio de Janeiro state. The second was the cave- ventroapical tubercle. Tarsal segmentation: dweller Giupponia chagasi PeÂrez & Kury 4(2), 4(2), 5, 5. 2002 from Bahia state (PeÂrez & Kury 2002). Habitat.ÐAll of the material was obtained The other two species of Guasiniidae de- from inside the soil, similar to the species de- scribed by GonzaÂlez-Sponga (1997), Guasinia scribed by GonzaÂlez-Sponga (1997), who delgadoi and Guaiquinimia longipes are also found guasiniids inside bark under litter. The eyeless. type locality, TarumaÄ-Mirim, is an inundation- The presence of well-developed accessory forest of black-water, also called igapoÂ. The of glans (Figs. 12±15) forming a solid unfold- type-locality is on the lower course of the Tar- able bi®d plate articulated with the truncus re- umaÄ-Mirim river near the mouth of Rio Ne- lates Guasiniidae with the Zalmoxidae, Fissi- gro, 20 km upstream from Manaus, in Central phalliidae and Icaleptidae (Kury & PeÂrez Amazonia. The soil A-horizon is 10±15 cm 2002). The short pedipalpal claw, tarsus twice 398 THE JOURNAL OF ARACHNOLOGY

Figures 12±13.ÐGuasinia persephone new species, penis: 12, Dorsal; 13, Lateral. Scale bar ϭ 0.1 mm. PINTO-DA-ROCHA & KURYÐNEW BRAZILIAN GUASINIIDAE 399

Figures 14±15.ÐGuasinia persephone new species, Distal portion of penis: 14, Dorsal view; 15, Lateral view.

as long as tibia and tarsus with reduced ven- LITERATURE CITED tral setae seem to be autapomorphies of the Adis, J. 1981. Comparative ecological studies of the family (Fig. 10). GonzaÂlez-Sponga (1997) no- terrestrial fauna in central Amazonian ticed the similarity of the pedipalps of Onco- inundation-forests. Amazoniana 7(2):87±173. GonzaÂlez-Sponga, M.A. 1987. AraÂcnidos de Vene- podidae and Guasiniidae. But on closer ex- zuela. Opiliones Laniatores I. Familias Phalan- amination, Oncopodidae have a very different godidae y Agoristenidae. Academia Cienc. FõÂsi- somatic and genital morphology, possessing a cas, MatemaÂticas y Naturales. Caracas. huge glans that folds against the truncus and GonzaÂlez-Sponga, M.A. 1997. AraÂcnidos de Vene- many somatic autapomorphies (see Martens zuela. Una nueva familia, dos nuevos generos y 1986; Schwendinger 1992). In the absence of dos nuevas especies de Opiliones Laniatores. Acta Biologica Venezolana 17(3):51±58. other putative synapomorphies to unit both Kury A.B. 2003. Annotated catalogue of New families, this similarity between the structures World Laniatores. Sociedad Iberica de Aracnolo- of their pedipalps can be only homoplasious. gia. The calyx formed by the ventral plate also oc- Kury, A.B. & A. PeÂrez G. 2002. A new family of curs in some Caribbean species that are cur- Lanitores from northwestern rently in the Stygnommatidae (Abel PeÂrez, (Arachnida: Opiliones). Revista IbeÂrica de Arac- nologia 6:3±11. pers. comm. 2002). Kury, A.B. & R. Pinto-da-Rocha. 2002. Opiliones. Pp. 345Ð362. In: J. Adis (ed.). Amazonian ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Arachnida and Myriapoda, Pensoft, So®a. Martens, J. 1986. Die Grossgliederung der Opili- We thank to Joachim Adis (PloÈn) for send- ones und die Evolution der Ordnung (Arachni- ing us the material and MaÂrcio Cruz (Labora- da). Pp. 289Ð310. In Congreso Internacional de toÂrio de Microscopia, IBUSP) for help with Aracnologia. 10Њ Jaca, Espanha, vol. I. SEM photos. We are also grateful to Abel PeÂrez G., A. & A.B. Kury. 2002. A new remarkable troglomorph gonyleptid from Brazil (Arachnida, PeÂrez G. for the helpful comments on the Opiliones, Laniatores). Revista IbeÂrica de Arac- manuscript. This study has been supported nologia 5:43±50. by grant #20406/98-2 from the FAPESP Schwendinger, P.J. 1992. New Oncopodidae (Opil- #99/05446-8, #00/05729-9 (RPR) and grant iones, Laniatores) from South-East Asia. Revue #520406/98-2 from the Conselho Nacional de Suisse de Zoologie 99:177±199. Desenvolvimento Cientõ®co e TecnoloÂgico Manuscript received 4 November 2002, revised 12 (CNPq) to ABK. March 2003.