Paecilaema batman, a new species of Brazilian troglophilous harvestman that exhibits a remarkable color patches variation (Opiliones: Cosmetidae)

Ricardo Pinto-Da-Rocha,Humberto Yamaguti

doi:10.1590/s1984-46702013000400011

Abstract

A new species of harvestman, Paecilaema batman, from Brazilian limestone caves of the state of Goias, is described, and a remarkable intraspecific color patch variation is discussed. Paecilaema batman sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus by the following combination of features: chelicera similar in both sexes; prosoma without color patches; typical color patches on area I; and area III with two high spines. The new species is considered troglophilous.

Highlights

Cosmetids are distributed from central-southern USA to almost the extreme end of South America, including the Antilles (KURY 2003, KURY & PINTO-DA-ROCHA 2007), with most of the family’s impressive diversity (125 genera and 716 species, according to KURY 2011) concentrated in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America and the Andes
The genera classification relies on the Roewerian system, in which only a few, and always the same characters, such as number of tarsomeres of leg I or armature on dorsal scutum, or even worse, only tarsomeres of leg I (GOODNIGHT & GOODNIGHT 1953), are used in combination to distinguish among taxa
A few other scattered contributions have recently been published: the redescription of the type species of Cynorta Koch 1839, with a discussion on the importance of the outline of the dorsal scutum to the genera classification (KURY et al 2007); the review of Platygyndes Roewer, 1943, with comments on the use of some character (PINTO-DA-ROCHA & HARA 2011), and a key with an atlas containing the genitalic of cosmetids of Central America (TOWSEND et al 2010)

Summary

Introduction

Cosmetids are distributed from central-southern USA to almost the extreme end of South America, including the Antilles (KURY 2003, KURY & PINTO-DA-ROCHA 2007), with most of the family’s impressive diversity (125 genera and 716 species, according to KURY 2011) concentrated in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America and the Andes. Most species are reddish to blackish brown, with a nice white or yellow pattern of stripes, dots and/ or patches on the dorsal scutum This pattern gives name to the family (from Greek means ornate, beautified), is quite variable among species, and is widely used to distinguish them (KURY & PINTO-DA-ROCHA 2007). A few other scattered contributions have recently been published: the redescription of the type species of Cynorta Koch 1839, with a discussion on the importance of the outline of the dorsal scutum to the genera classification (KURY et al 2007); the review of Platygyndes Roewer, 1943, with comments on the use of some character (PINTO-DA-ROCHA & HARA 2011), and a key with an atlas containing the genitalic of cosmetids of Central America (TOWSEND et al 2010). This article aims to describe a new species of Brazilian cavernicolous harvestmen, and to call attention to the intraspecific variation of the pattern color patches

Objectives

Methods