The Opiliones tree of life: shedding light on harvestmen relationships through transcriptomics.

Opiliones are iconic arachnids with a Palaeozoic origin and a diversity that reflects ancient biogeographic patterns dating back at least to the times of Pangea. Owing to interest in harvestman diversity, evolution and biogeography, their relationships have been thoroughly studied using morphology and PCR-based Sanger approaches to infer their systematic relationships. More recently, two studies utilized transcriptomics-based phylogenomics to explore their basal relationships and diversification, but sampling was limiting for understanding deep evolutionary patterns, as they lacked good taxon representation at the family level. Here, we analysed a set of the 14 existing transcriptomes with 40 additional ones generated for this study, representing approximately 80% of the extant familial diversity in Opiliones. Our phylogenetic analyses, including a set of data matrices with different gene occupancy and evolutionary rates, and using a multitude of methods correcting for a diversity of factors affecting phylogenomic data matrices, provide a robust and stable Opiliones tree of life, where most families and higher taxa are precisely placed. Our dating analyses using alternative calibration points, methods and analytical parameters provide well-resolved old divergences, consistent with ancient regionalization in Pangea in some groups, and Pangean vicariance in others. The integration of state-of-the-art molecular techniques and analyses, together with the broadest taxonomic sampling to date presented in a phylogenomic study of harvestmen, provide new insights into harvestmen interrelationships, as well as an overview of the general biogeographic patterns of this ancient arthropod group.

The smallest spider of Uloboridae, a new species of conifaber opell, 1982 (Arachnida: Araneae) from Brazil

A new species, Conifaber manicoba n. sp., is described based on a female from the state of Para, Brazil. It is characterized as being the smallest uloborid female and by having the thoracic region posteriorly depressed.

First Amazonian species of Maracaynatum, with comments on the genus (Opiliones: Laniatores: Samoidae).

Among Opiliones, the family Samoidae Sørensen, 1886 is a group of small Laniatores with a wide tropical distribution. Neotropical samoids are distributed mainly in the Caribbean subregion, with species recorded from insular localities and the Venezuelan coastal range. Previously, for continental South America only three genera and just a few specimens of unidentified Samoidae have been recorded from Brazil. In this paper we describe Maracaynatum isadorae sp. nov., the first record of the genus for Brazil and the first samoid described for the Amazon biome. We also provide an emended diagnosis for the genus and a map with its distribution.

Taxonomic notes on the genus Auranus (Opiliones, Laniatores, Stygnidae), with description of two new species.

Among the Amazonian families of harvestmen the members of Stygnidae are better known due to the recent revision of the family and efforts of specialists describing new taxa in the last few years. Species of Amazonian genus Auranus Mello-Leitão, 1941, have been collected in several inventories that were carried out in different locations of the Amazon basin. In this paper we provide a new diagnosis for Auranus, and the description of two new species: Auranus leonidas sp. nov. and Auranus xerxes sp. nov. from the Brazilian states of Roraima and Amazonas, respectively. We also offer complementary genital descriptions of Auranus hehu Pinto-da-Rocha & Tourinho 2012, Auranus parvus Mello-Leitão, 1941, and Auranus tepui Pinto-da-Rocha & Tourinho 2012. Five species are recognized in Auranus, including the two new species described in this paper. The lamina parva modified into a calyx is proposed as putative synapomorphy for the genus Auranus. Therefore, A. hoeferscovitorum, which does not possess this character, is removed from Auranus. Instead we propose for it the new combination Verrucastygnus hoeferscovitorum comb. nov. We also provide a key to the males of Auranus, and a map with the distribution for all species examined in this work.

The integumentary ultrastructure of Cryptocellus bordoni Dumitresco and Jurvara-Bals, 1976 (Arachnida, Ricinulei).

Ricinulei is an order of Arachnida composed of rare and little known species. The species of Ricinulei possess a rich variety of fine integumentary structures that have been poorly investigated in a few species. Besides, several structures are still undescribed and their function not yet addressed. In this paper we provide a detailed study of the integumentary morphology of Cryptocellus bordoni Dumitresco and Jurvara-Bals, 1976 using Light and Scanning Electron Microscopy. We describe and present photos of the new and already known fine integumentary structures. We compare the new structures to those previously described for other Ricinulei species and discuss their taxonomic implications and the placement of C. bordoni in the genus Cryptocellus.

Taxonomic notes on Holcobunus Roewer, 1910, with descriptions of three new species, and new records for Holcobunus nigripalpis Roewer, 1910 (Opiliones: Eupnoi: Sclerosomatidae).

Three new Brazilian species of Holcobunus Roewer, 1910 are described, thus increasing the total number of species in the genus to five: Holcobunus bicornutus Mello-Leitão, 1940, H. nigripalpis Roewer, 1910, Holcobunus dissimilis sp. nov. (type locality: Espírito Santo, Santa Teresa, Reserva Biologia Augusto Ruschi), Holcobunus ibitirama sp. nov. (type locality: Espírito Santo, Ibitirama, Santa Marta, close to Parque Nacional Caparaó), and Holcobunus uaisoh sp. nov. (type locality: Minas Gerais, Fervedouro, Parque Estadual Serra do Brigadeiro). A new record for Holcobunus nigripalpis Roewer, 1910 from Minas Gerais is also provided and the morphological variation in both penis and somatic morphology in the genus are presented and discussed. These observations enhance our understanding of both the diversity and distribution of Holcobunus.

Three new species of Thrasychiroides Soares & Soares, 1947 from Brazilian Mountains (Opiliones, Eupnoi, Neopilionidae).

Three new species of the genus Thrasychiroides are described from the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest mountains: Thrasychiroides moporanga sp. nov. (type locality: Reserva Biologica de Alto da Serra de Paranapiacaba, State of São Paulo), T. toryba sp. nov. (type locality: São Francisco de Paula, State of Rio Grande do Sul) and T. ybytyra sp. nov. (type locality: Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, State of Minas Gerais). The male genital of Thrasychiroides brasilicus Soares & Soares, 1947 is illustrated for the first time. A remarkable structure on the penis of Thrasychiroides species is described and defined as pair of "arms", also considered a putative synapomorphy of the genus.

A new Amazonian species of Cryptocellus (Arachnida, Ricinulei), with descriptions of its integumental structures and all free-living life stages.

A new species of Cryptocellus Westwood, 1874 is described, based on males, females and all free-living immature stages. Cryptocellus muiraquitan sp. nov. from Juruti, Pará, Brazil, is a member of the foedus group of species and probably closely related to Cryptocellus icamiabas Tourinho & Azevedo, 2007, C. abaporu Bonaldo & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2003 and C. simonis Hansen & Sørensen, 1904. The new species is illustrated using stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The large diversity of integumental structures of the new species is described and compared to that of previously studied species of Cryptocellus and Pseudocellus Platnick, 1980.

Two new species of Phareicranaus Roewer, 1913 (Opiliones: Laniatores: Cranaidae), with notes on gregarious behavior and maternal care in Phareicranaus manauara.

In this paper we describe two new species of Phareicranaus Roewer, 1913: Phareicranaus rohei sp. nov. from the state of Amazonas, Brazil and Phareicranaus tizana sp. nov., from the state of Zulia, Venezuela. The number of known species of this genus increases to 47. We discuss and suggest the possible relationships of these species with their relatives and assign them into the clades proposed by Pinto-da-Rocha & Bonaldo (2011). Additionally, we conducted field observations at the type locality of Phareicranaus manauara (Pinto-da-Rocha, 1994), provide the first descriptions of maternal care and gregarious behavior, and discuss the occurrence of this behavior in the genus.

Description of the male, larva and nymphal stages of Cryptocellus iaci (Arachnida, Ricinulei), with an overview of tarsal sensilla and other integumental structures.

The male, larva and nymphal stages of Cryptocellus iaci Tourinho, Lo Man-Hung & Bonaldo, 2010, a species previously known only from a single female, are described based on specimens from around the type locality, in an area of both Terra Firme forest and igapó (flooded forests), at the Jufari River, Roraima State, Brazil. The specimens were illustrated using live photography, stereomicroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, allowing us to examine and describe the large diversity of tarsal sensilla and other integumental structures in Cryptocellus and to compare them to those of the previously studied Pseudocellus. Based on the male somatic characters Cryptocellus iaci is placed in thefoedus species-group. Cryptocellus iaci has two sensilla of type 1 on the distal tarsomeres of legs III (DT III), while only one has been reported for Pseudocellus spp., suggesting a potential value in this type of character for systematic studies of the group.