Abstract
A new family of laniatorean harvestmen from northern Thailand is proposed, Suthepiidae fam. nov., which comprises one new genus and one new species, Suthepia inermis sp. nov. This family stands out by characters hitherto unknown or rarely recorded for Opiliones, and close relatives of this taxon are presently not discernible. Important characters are a short and compact penis with a massively enlarged distal part with a rich armament of sclerites and membranes which can be moved and everted by hemolymph pressure during mating; the pedipalp of males and females is without raptorial adaptations, i.e. elevated sockets (= apophyses) carrying strong distal spines are completely absent, therefore no prey capture basket is present; the male pedipalpal tarsus is enlarged and compressed, its dorso-distal double apophysis presumably contains a gland; the pedipalpal claw is weak, not longer or stronger than long hyaline setae on the dorso-distal apophysis of the tarsus. The only specimens presently known were found in litter of a few forested mountain stocks, between 450 m and 1400 m altitude. A brief overview of Southeast Asian laniatorean families is presented.
Highlights
In the last twenty years the supra-generic classification of Opiliones has undergone dramatic changes, especially with the onset of molecular techniques
Recent additions to the Southeast Asian laniatorean fauna are the families Beloniscidae (Kury et al, 2019), Tithaeidae and Petrobunidae (Sharma & Giribet, 2011), all defined on the basis of molecular genetics
In numerous, often voluminous papers Seisho Suzuki brought to our attention the rich fauna of Southeast Asian opilionids, always accompanied by meticulous drawings of the habitus, external and genital morphology showing a wealth of details (e.g., Suzuki, 1969a, b, and the two publications mentioned above)
Summary
In the last twenty years the supra-generic classification of Opiliones has undergone dramatic changes, especially with the onset of molecular techniques. The laniatorean fauna of Southeast Asia, remained relatively unchanged, with only few recently defined and/or described families. Recent additions to the Southeast Asian laniatorean fauna are the families Beloniscidae (Kury et al, 2019), Tithaeidae and Petrobunidae (Sharma & Giribet, 2011), all defined on the basis of molecular genetics. I present a previously unknown laniatorean species from the mountains of northern Thailand with unusual characters in male and female genitalia and in the male pedipalp. This species cannot be attributed to any extant opilionid genus or family and it is here proposed as a representative of a new family-level taxon
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