Revision of the genus Megalopsalis (Arachnida: Opiliones: Phalangioidea) in Australia and New Zealand and implications for phalangioid classification 2773
Author
Taylor, Christopher K.
text
Zootaxa
2011
2011-02-23
2773
1
1
65
https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.2773.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.2773.1.1
11755334
5290745
5971A49B-D463-472F-B68F-2BDE485A3EAE
Tercentenarium
new genus
Type
species:
Megalopsalis linnaei
Taylor 2008b
.
Description.
As for
type
and only known species (see
Taylor 2008b
).
Etymology.
From the Latin
tercentenarium
, three-hundredth anniversary, as the
type
species was given the species name ‘
linnaei
’ to mark the three-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Carl Linnaeus. Gender neuter.
Comments.
The distinctiveness of this species from other species included in
Megalopsalis
was previously discussed when it was first described by
Taylor (2008b)
, though at that time it was not placed in a distinct genus as the
type
species of
Megalopsalis
had not yet been examined.
Megalopsalis linnaei
differs significantly from other species of
Megalopsalis
in numerous features, most notably the distinctive male genital morphology with a heavily sclerotised penis possessing a left lateral accessory plate at the junction between shaft and glans (
Taylor 2008b
, fig. 13). Males also lack the enlarged chelicerae of other
Megalopsalis
species
, instead possessing small chelicerae with a unique dorsodistal apophysis (
Taylor 2008b
, fig. 3), and females have an unusual ‘keyhole’ opening in the genital operculum (
Taylor 2008b
, fig. 10). In the phylogenetic analysis conducted herein, it did not form a clade with other
Megalopsalis
(see above), but instead lay in a trichotomy with ‘Monoscutinae’ and a clade containing all other
Enantiobuninae
or show up as sister to ‘Monoscutinae’ alone. In view of its phylogenetic and morphological distinction, it is here placed in a new separate genus.