Description of two new genera and five new species of clade K92 from Bahia and Esprito Santo, southeastern Brazil (Arachnida, Opiliones, Gonyleptidae).

The systematics of gonyleptid harvestmen has recently been undergoing critical changes, especially regarding the Pachylinae and the K92 clade. In a recent cladistic analysis of the latter, the authors refrained from describing some of the detected new species to minimize the bulk of the alpha taxonomy in the manuscript. Herein, as a supplement and following the results of that analysis and the dismantlement of the genus Metagonyleptes Roewer, 1913, the formalization of two genera and five species belonging to clade K92 is proposed. Cajango gen. nov. is described in Caelopyginae based on three new species from southern Bahia State. Titanoleptes gen. nov. is proposed in Sodreaninae to include Metagonyleptes calcar Roewer, 1913, Metagonyleptoides cupidensis Soares & Soares, 1946, and two new species from Esprito Santo State.

A fresh look at Cosmetus Perty, 1833 (Opiliones: Cosmetidae), with new synonymies and description of two new species from Colombia.

Cosmetus Perty, 1833 is the type genus of the most diverse subfamily of Laniatores, Cosmetinae. The genus currently includes 22 valid species with a disconnected distribution, including coastal forests of NE Brazil, dry forests of the Ecuadorian Pacific, Choc-Darien moist forests and the Venezuelan Andes. The morphology among species in the genus is quite variable, but they share almost exclusively the fused spine in area III. The type species Cosmetus varius is little known due to few, poor quality illustrations, a vague type locality, and lost type material, and was misidentified by Koch in 1840, making it difficult to define or even taxonomically revise the genus. Herein we: (1) provide distribution maps for nominal Cosmetus species; (2) recognize the poorly defined type species C. varius as a species occurring in central-eastern Bahia, agreeing with the itinerary of Spix and von Martius; (3) synonymize three other species from central-eastern Bahia with C. varius; (4) provide images of the external morphology of three Brazilian species of the genus; and (5) describe two new sympatric species from the Colombian Pacific region (Choc-Darien moist forest), thus representing the first report of the genus for the country. Both Colombian species, Cosmetus acanti sp. nov. and Cosmetus villarreali sp. nov., have similar external morphology but are remarkably different in genital morphology. Morphological evidence indicates that Cosmetus may be an artificial group. However, given the chaotic taxonomy of the family Cosmetidae, and the deep intertwining of nomenclature, we do not know at the moment where each of those species should be classified.

Contributions to the taxonomy of some Amazonian Stygnidae (Opiliones: Laniatores: Gonyleptoidea).

Some taxonomic changes are made in Amazonian Stygnidae, based on reinterpretation of generic boundaries: (1) the hitherto monotypic genus Jime Pinto-da-Rocha Tourinho, 2012 is newly recorded from Venezuela: Jime praecursor spec. nov. (Tobogán de la Selva, Amazonas state) is described and a new generic diagnosis is provided. The genital chaetotaxy is interpreted for the two known species of Jime, and (2) three species which have been originally described as Stygnoplus Simon, 1879 are herein newly transferred to Yapacana Pinto-da-Rocha, 1997 (hitherto monotypic): Y. ianomami (Pinto-da-Rocha Tourinho, 2012) comb. nov., Y. neblina (Pinto-da-Rocha Tourinho, 2012) comb. nov., and Y. tapirapeco (Pinto-da-Rocha Tourinho, 2012) comb. nov. A key for identification of males of the genus Yapacana is offered.

On Spinopilar from Rio de Janeiro state with description of three new species (Opiliones, Laniatores, Cryptogeobiidae).

The genus Spinopilar Mello-Leitão, 1940 currently has seven species distributed in eastern Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Three species are hitherto known from Rio de Janeiro state (RJ), in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. In this paper, five species from Rio de Janeiro state (RJ) are studied as follows: (1) Spinopilar armatus Mello-Leitão, 1940, the type species of Spinopilar, originally described without illustrations, is herein redescribed based on additional material from the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro city. (2) Spinopilar anomalis (Sørensen, 1932) is a species never recorded again after the original description. A new diagnosis is provided for S. anomalis based on a translation of the original Latin description. (3) Spinopilar jocheni spec. nov. is described from Barra de Guaratiba, Southeast RJ. It is characterized by the unarmed mesotergal areas. (4) Spinopilar martialis spec. nov. is described from Macaé, northern RJ. It is characterized by the pars stridens of the stridulatory organ on the pedipalpal femur, the unusual armature of scutal areas (2-2-10-10) and the extremely complex lobes of the stigmatic area in males, which connect the apophyses of coxa and trochanter IV. (5) Spinopilar magistralis spec. nov. is described from Búzios. It is characterized by extreme stoutness of leg IV and an elevated campaniform ocularium. A key is provided to 9 of the 10 species of Spinopilar and a new diagnosis is given for the genus. Two novel structures so far known only in Spinopilar are described: (1) a third type of pars stridens, which is different from the Tibangara-type and the Bissulla/Pseudopachylus-type both in topology and in structure of the ridges; (2) a proximal primary trochanteral cluster (PTC) composed of modified setae situated on the main apophysis of trochanter IV of males.

Two new species of Plistobunus from China (Opiliones: Laniatores: Epedanidae).

The present paper describes two new species of Plistobunus Pocock, 1903, from China: Plistobunus gracilipenis sp. nov. from Yunnan Province, and P. weiguang sp. nov. from Guangxi Province. Their discovery greatly expands the distribution of this genus to the northwest and further inland in China.

WCO-Lite version 1.1: an online nomenclatural catalogue of harvestmen of the world (Arachnida, Opiliones) curated in TaxonWorks.

The "World Catalogue of Opiliones" (WCO) is a collaborative effort to comprehensively index the Earth's species of harvestmen. This paper announces one component of the WCO, "WCO-Lite" a website available at https://wcolite.com/. WCO-Lite provides a graphic user interface for a second component of the WCO, "Opiliones of the World", a database on the taxonomy of the harvestmen curated in TaxonWorks (TW). WCO-Lite interfaces include: (1) a checklist of all valid taxa of the arachnid Opiliones, exhaustive up to December 2018; (2) a taxonomic tree; (3) a search engine comprising two modules; and (4) a counter of species diversity for each taxon. An e-Book companion was launched simultaneously with WCO-Lite version 1.1 on September 12, 2020 to account for the formal publication of mandatory nomenclatural changes and availability of taxonomic names. The collective components of the WCO are also being summarized in a forthcoming conventional paper-form catalogue, currently in manuscript stage.

Rediscovery of Eulibitia ectroxantha (Mello-Leitão, 1941) and synonymy of Sphalerocynorta Mello-Leitão, 1933 (Opiliones: Cosmetidae).

The species Brachylibitia ectroxantha was described by Mello-Leitão in 1941 and since then it was never again reported or studied. Its type is certainly lost and his identity was until now a mystery; it is currently considered as species inquirenda and transferred to Eulibitia in a recent revision of the genus. Herein, we designate a neotype and provide a redescription of the species based on fresh material from Belén (Boyacá, Colombia) 50km SW from the type locality, across the Chicamocha River. The species is recognizable by the blot pattern of the ladder mask of the dorsal scutum, the absence of groin warts in coxa IV and of armature in some areas of the mesotergum. Additional data about the genus is offered, and the species Cynortaambigua is herein recognized as a junior synonym of Eulibitia scalaris, involving the synonymy of the genus Sphalerocynorta Mello-Leitão, 1933.

A new genus of Kimulidae; first record of the family from Colombia (Opliones, Grassatores).

Usatama gen. nov. is described to include a new species of Kimulidae from Colombia. This is the first record of the family from the country. The new genus presents a weakly armed ocularium, feeble sexual dimorphism, and unique genital structure with three parallel horseshoe-shaped girdles in pars distalis and absence of cochleariform macrosetae.

A new species of Discocyrtoides from southern Brazilian pine forest (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae, Mitobatinae).

Discocyrtoidespinorum sp. nov. is described from the conifers forest in Paraná State, Southern Brazil. This is the second species of Discocyrtoides Mello-Leitão, 1923, the other being known from São Paulo State. It is remarkable for having greenish/yellowish spots in the dorsal scutum highly contrasting with the brown background, a feature rare in Mitobatinae, hitherto known only for Ruschia Mello-Leitão, 1940. It is the first record of this genus for Paraná State (WWF Ecoregion NT0101, Araucaria moist forests). Terminology for the male genitalia of the Mitobatinae is defined and illustrated.

A whiter shade of pale: anchoring the name Paecilaema C. L. Koch, 1839 onto a neotype (Opiliones, Cosmetidae).

The generic name Paecilaema C.L. Koch, 1839 is anchored to the nomen dubium Cosmetus u-flavum Perty, 1833, and the fixation of the latter is proposed by designating a neotype. The choice was made on a potential topotype, being a common species in metropolitan Rio de Janeiro city, SE Brazil, which has been described as new five times and is currently best known as Metavononoides bellus (Mello-Leitão, 1932). Cosmetus u-flavum has been originally included in Paecilaema along with Paecilaema limbatum Kollar in C.L. Koch, 1839, the latter here synonymized with the former. Therefore, our choice of this species is adequate in conveying Koch's original concept of Paecilaema. The most striking diagnostic feature of the species of Paecilaema is the presence of a lyra, a unique shape of blots in layers of shades of white to pale yellow on the dorsal scutum. Other patterns of scutal white blots are hereby defined and named. Paecilaema is here considered most closely related to Metavononoides Roewer, 1928. Comments are made on the diagnostic characters and the terminology of parts of the lyra is expanded with the introduction of new terms. Comments are made on the formation of the generic name Paecilaema. Taxonomic adjustments are made in the closest relatives of Paecilaema u-flavum, and the following nomenclatural acts are proposed: (1) MNRJ 3433 is designated as male neotype of Cosmetus u-flavum, type species of Paecilaema. (2) Proposed new synonymies: Poecilaema soerenseni Henriksen, 1932 = Paecilaemula bella Mello-Leitão, 1932 = Eucynorta brasiliensis Mello-Leitão, 1923 = Paecilaema limbatum Kollar in C.L. Koch, 1839 = Cosmetus u-flavum Perty, 1833. (3) Nine species originally described elsewhere but currently placed in Metavononoides are transferred to Paecilaema, either as new or as restored combinations: Paecilaemula albisecta Mello-Leitão, 1942, Poecilaemula albosigillata Mello-Leitão, 1941, Paecilaema lyra Sørensen, 1932, Metavononoides melanacanthus Ferreira, Pedroso Kury, 2005, Paecilaema muticum Sørensen, 1932, Paecilaema ornatissimum Mello-Leitão 1942, Poecilaemula peculiare Roewer, 1917, Paecilaemula preciosa Roewer 1928 and Metavononoides renneri Ferreira, Pedroso Kury, 2007. (4) The following genera, currently in the synonymy of Paecilaema, are all revalidated and given emended diagnoses: Meterginoides Roewer, 1912, Meterginulus Roewer, 1912, Paecilaemella Roewer, 1925, Pararhauculus Roewer, 1933, Soaresella Goodnight Goodnight 1947. (5) Their respective type species, currently combined under Paecilaema, are transferred back to their revalidated genera: Paecilaema rastelliferum Pickard-Cambridge 1905 to Meterginulus; Meterginus inermis Banks, 1909 to Meterginoides; Pararhauculus lineatus Roewer, 1933 to Pararhauculus; Paecilaemella festae Roewer, 1925 to Paecilaemella and Soaresella gracilis Goodnight Goodnight, 1947 to Soaresella.

Do the species with facies reclinobunoides make up a clade?-A new Lomanius (Opiliones, Podoctidae) from Vietnam and a discussion on its relationships.

Lomanius annae sp. nov. is described from southern Vietnam. The species is characterized by the greatly developed dorso-basal process on cheliceral hand of males and by the partial effacement of all mesotergal grooves. The genus Lomanius contains four generic synonyms and currently comprises eight valid species distributed in China, Java, peninsular Malaysia, the Philippines, and Taiwan. The new species displays a general morphology similar to the former genus Paralomanius, with a combination of sexually dimorphic interocular mound (which is very large and strongly leaned back in males) and pedipalpus (which is extremely elongate in males). This morphological suite of features is herein called facies reclinobunoides. The replacement name Metibalonius triceratops nom. nov. is proposed for Trispinibunus abnormis Roewer, 1915, which is a junior secondary homonym of Ibalonius abnormis Strand, 1911. Finally, numerous morphological structures found in Podoctidae are recognized and named: (1) the cheliceral comb, present on cheliceral fingers, (2) the chained tubercular ridges, present on dorsal scutum and (3) several others related to the ocular region. The distribution of these two structures among podoctid species is not fully known, but both are absent in the former Ibaloniinae. We suggest that both structures may be useful to define supra-generic groups in the clade composed of the former Podoctinae and Erecananinae.

Taxonomic revision of the Andean harvestman genus Rhaucus Simon, 1879 (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cosmetidae).

The Andean genus Rhaucus Simon 1879 is revised. Five valid species are recognized, including Rhaucus florezi sp. nov. The following nomenclatural acts are proposed. At genus level: Megarhaucus Mello-Leitão, 1941, Neorhaucus Pickard-Cambridge, 1905 and Pararhaucus Pickard-Cambridge, 1905 are considered junior subjective synonyms of Rhaucus. At species level: Neorhaucus aurolineatus Pickard-Cambridge, 1905 is considered a junior subjective synonym of Rhaucus vulneratus Simon, 1879; Rhaucus (Rhaucus) tristis Sørensen, 1932, Rhaucus (Rhaucus) muticus Sørensen, 1932 and Pararhaucus obscurus Pickard-Cambridge, 1905 are considered junior subjective synonyms of Rhaucus quinquelineatus Simon, 1879 (the latter combination is restored from current combination Flirtea quinquelineata); Flirtea paucimaculata Roewer, 1963, Rhaucus (Rhaucus) geographicus Sørensen, 1932, Metarhaucus reticulatus Roewer, 1912 and Metarhaucus fuscus Pickard-Cambridge, 1905 are considered junior subjective synonyms of Erginus serripes Simon, 1879 (that is here combined as Rhaucus serripes comb. rest.). Megarhaucus robustus Mello-Leitão, 1941 is newly combined as Rhaucus robustus (Mello-Leitão, 1941) comb. nov. Distribution maps of the species are provided. The new term multicapitate apophysis (mca) is introduced here for a special type of apophysis on coxa IV of males.

A new species of Discocyrtanus from Mato Grosso, Brazil (Opiliones: Gonyleptidae) with a key to the species of the genus.

Discocyrtanus canjinjim sp. n., belonging to the family Gonyleptidae Sundevall, 1833 is described based on nineteen specimens, eleven adult males and eight adult females, collected in the Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade, in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. This new species represents an endemic component for the harvestmen fauna of Chiquitano Dry Forests terrestrial eco-region, being the most occidental point of distribution of the genus, notably found in the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest. The new species is characterized by femur IV swollen with the same length of dorsal scutum, trochanter IV with prodorsal distal apophysis as a stout hook not bifurcated, and a unique form of genitalia in the genus. This paper also includes the first identification key to the species of the genus after its revalidation.

A classification of the penial microsetae of Gonyleptoidea (Opiliones: Laniatores).

The macrosetae of the ventral plate of Laniatores penis have been occasionally described and used for systematic purposes in the literature, to the point of having a whole system created for them in the recent study Of Kury & Villarreal (2015), in a paper where a phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily Gonyleptoidea was performed. Contrastingly, the microsetae of ventral plate of Gonyleptoidea are left undescribed in descriptive works, where the penis is often illustrated without a ventral view of the ventral plate. In some works with SEM images microsetae do appear, although they remain undescribed and/or unacknowledged (e.g., Townsend et al., 2010 figs 8-10; Coronato-Ribeiro & Pinto-da-Rocha 2015, where microsetae are visible in photos, but only barely mentioned). In the case of line drawings, exceptionally a few microsetae are shown mainly in the lateral view of the penis ventral plate (Acosta 2001, figs 17-21; Weber 1988, fig 6b). Exceptions to this treatment are Kury (2012: 41, figs 14-15) in which besides microsetae are illustrated their distribution pattern is described and Kury (2014), where even a subgroup of Gonyleptoidea was created and named-Microsetata-for species possessing a mat of microsetae on the ventral surface of ventral plate. Furthermore, among the characters used for the analysis in Kury & Villarreal (2015), the authors listed one containing five types of microsetae, which were not explained. Here, these types and their topology are described to make up for that omission.

Characterization of Platymessa with redescription of the type species and a new generic synonymy (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cosmetidae).

The genus Platymessa was originally described by Mello-Leitão and diagnosed following the Roewerian system. It originally included two species from the Colombian Andes. Subsequently, a third species was described: Platymessa transversalis Roewer, 1963, which is herein transferred to the genus Chusgonobius Roewer, 1952, forming the new combination Chusgonobius transversalis. Herein, an emended diagnosis is given to Platymessa, the type species, Platymessa h-inscriptum Mello-Leitão, 1941, is redescribed and P. nigrolimbata Mello-Leitão, 1941 is considered its junior subjective synonym. Brachylibitia Mello-Leitão, 1941, is herein considered a junior subjective synonym of Platymessa and its type species, Brachylibitia ectroxantha Mello-Leitão, 1941, considered a species inquirenda, forming the new combination Platymessa ectroxantha. Genital morphology of Platymessa h-inscriptum is described and some characters are discussed regarding their importance in cosmetid taxonomy. Novel forms of sexual dimorphism are described in coxa IV.

On the identity of Flirtea (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cosmetidae).

Flirtea C.L. Koch, 1839, is one of the oldest genera described in Cosmetidae, currently including 30 species mostly from the Andes. Its type species, Cosmetus pictus Perty, 1833, from Brazil, the type material of which is long lost, has since long been misidentified in the literature due to a redescription based on another unrelated species, while the true F. picta was widely known as Flirtea phalerata C.L. Koch, 1840. This unrelated species is here described as Cynorta pictoides sp. nov. Flirtea picta is here redescribed based on abundant material collected in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome from Bahia state, and a neotype is designated for its type species. Here, we propose a particular pattern of a white mask blot on the dorsal scutum be called "scaramuccia", and variation in this pattern is described. Genital morphology of Flirtea picta is described for the first time. Flirtea is rediagnosed and most species currently assigned to Flirtea are suggested to belong to other genera. Cynorta valida Roewer, 1928 and Paecilaema batman Pinto-da-Rocha & Yamaguti, 2013 are newly transferred to Flirtea, yielding the new combinations Flirtea valida and Flirtea batman.

Review of terminology for the outline of dorsal scutum in Laniatores (Arachnida, Opiliones).

In many Opiliones (notably the Laniatores) the five most anterior opisthosomal tergites are fused with the carapace forming the so called dorsal scutum (DS) (Latreille 1804; Simon 1879; Hadzi 1942) with a highly variable shape arising from multiple factors, such as differential development of musculature (especially of coxa IV), internal organs and influence of appendages (Loman 1903; Winkler 1957). The different degrees of fusion of the tergites were first studied by Hadzi (1942), who proposed a terminology for them. This terminology was adopted and enhanced by Kratochvíl (1958) and Martens (1978). A shield formed by the fusion of the carapace with abdominal tergites I to V is called scutum magnum (Hadzi 1942). The shield formed by the fusion of carapace with abdominal tergites I to VII is called scutum complexum (Kratochvíl 1958) and occurs in the males of Heteropachylinae Kury, 1994 (Kury 1994) and Paralolidae Kratochvíl, 1958 (Kratochvíl 1958). Finally, the scutum completum (Hadzi 1942) is formed by the complete fusion of the carapace and abdominal scutum, formed by tergites I to VIII, and occurs in the Sandokanidae (Martens 1978). In this paper we focus on the different forms of the scutum magnum.

Revalidation of the Brazilian genus Discocyrtanus, with description of two new species (Opiliones: Gonyleptidae: Pachylinae).

The genus Discocyrtanus Roewer, 1929, is herein revalidated from the synonymy of Discocyrtus Holmberg, 1878, to include besides the type species Discocyrtanus goyazius Roewer, 1929, four other Brazilian species, two of them new-Discocyrtanus bugre sp. nov. and Discocyrtanus tocantinensis sp. nov.-and two newly transferred from Discocyrtus: Discocyrtanus oliverioi (H. Soares, 1945) comb. nov., and Discocyrtanus pertenuis (Mello-Leitão, 1935) comb. nov. Three species, Discocyrtus pectinifemur Mello-Leitão, 1937, Discocyrtus fimbriatus Mello-Leitão, 1939, and Discocyrtus canalsi Roewer, 1943, are considered junior subjective synonyms of Discocyrtanus pertenuis comb. nov.. A mix-up between labeling of original illustrations of two species of Discocyrtus described by Mello-Leitão is noted.

Opiliones are no longer the same--on suprafamilial groups in harvestmen (Arthropoda: Arachnida).

A review of the names used in the arachnid order Opiliones above superfamily level is presented. Many historical branching patterns of Opiliones (for five terminals), of Laniatores (for six terminals), and of Cyphophthalmi (for six terminals) are extrapolated, compared and graphically displayed. For the first time a historical review is made of the circumscriptions of those names and comparisons are drawn to current usage. Critical clades are used as terminals and represented by the oldest valid generic name of each. Comments are made on the variant usage for 25 suprafamilial names from the literature. Cladistic definitions are provided for these names under relevant hypotheses of phylogeny. It is noted that virtually all important suprafamilial names in Opiliones changed concept over time, and the purpose of this project is to clarify the original usage compared to current, and to add historical perspective. Two options are considered for higher-level nomenclature in Opiliones: (1) a circumscriptional option, sticking to the original inclusion of the names; (2) an inertial option, where no name has priority, and follows recent use in the literature. As there is no priority for names not regulated by ICZN, option 2 prevails, because it entails massive momentum. The following new names are introduced as unranked taxa to define clades under different hypotheses of phylogeny: Tricospilata (= Triaenonychidae + Grassatores), Lomaniatores (Laniatores in the restricted sense used by Loman/Pocock), and Eulaniatores (Laniatores excluding the bizarre Synthetonychiidae). Some of the hypotheses implied by these names are conflicting and mutually exclusive, but the state of knowledge of harvestman taxonomy is quickly changing, and no hypothesis that clearly supersedes the others can be detected.

World Checklist of Opiliones species (Arachnida). Part 2: Laniatores - Samooidea, Zalmoxoidea and Grassatoresincertae sedis.

Including more than 6500 species, Opiliones is the third most diverse order of Arachnida, after the megadiverse Acari and Araneae. This database is part 2 of 12 of a project containing an intended worldwide checklist of species and subspecies of Opiliones, and it includes the members of the suborder Laniatores, infraorder Grassatores of the superfamilies Samooidea and Zalmoxoidea plus the genera currently not allocated to any family (i.e. Grassatores incertae sedis). In this Part 2, a total of 556 species and subspecies are listed.