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Rhaucus

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Rhaucus
Dorsal-3mm
Rhaucus vulneratus male from Usme, Bogotá, Colombia-Photo copyright © Andrés García and Andrés Hernández

Suborder

Laniatores

Superfamily

Gonyleptoidea

Family

Cosmetidae

Subfamily

Metergininae

Rhaucus (Simon, 1879) is a genus of the Neotropical family Cosmetidae, subfamily Metergininae with several valid species, mostly from the highlands of the Colombian Andes on the central Cordillera Oriental. It was recently reviewed (García & Kury, 2017[1]). Four additional species were later added to the genus, including from beyond this core Colombian highland zone. One of these addition is from the Ecuadorian Andes, whilst two others are from a comparatively low altitude coastal region of Colombia.[2]

Synonymy[]

Rhaucus Simon, 1879: 213; F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1905: 572; Roewer, 1912a: 77; 1923: 349; Mello-Leitão, 1923: 113; Mello- Leitão, 1926: 334; Mello-Leitão, 1932: 57; Mello-Leitão, 1933: 106; 110; Mello-Leitão, 1935: 113; Roewer, 1943: 13; Kury, 2003: 83. Rhaucus (Rhaucus): Sørensen in Henriksen, 1932: 352.

Cynorta [part.]: Goodnight & Goodnight, 1953: 37.

Neorhaucus F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1905: 572; Roewer, 1912a: 24; Roewer, 1923: 305; Mello-Leitão, 1926: 331; Roewer, 1927: 548; Mello-Leitão, 1932: 89; Mello-Leitão, 1933: 107; Mello-Leitão, 1935: 114; Kury, 2003: 73. (Junior subjective synonym of Rhaucus by García, & Kury, (2017): 403).[1]

Pararhaucus Pickard-Cambridge, 1905: 572; Roewer, 1912a: 101; Roewer, 1912b: 142; Roewer, 1923: 378; Mello-Leitão, 1926: 335; Roewer, 1928: 551; Mello-Leitão, 1932: 88; Mello-Leitão, 1933: 107; Mello-Leitão, 1935: 114 (Junior subjective synonym of Paecilaema C. L. Koch, 1839 by Goodnight & Goodnight (1953b: 54), Junior subjective synonym of Rhaucus by García, & Kury, (2017): 403).[1].

Megarhaucus Mello-Leitão 1941a: 169. (type species Megarhaucus robustus Mello-Leitão, 1941, by original designation). See also Kury 2003a: 67. (Junior subjective synonym of Rhaucus by García, & Kury, (2017): 404).[1]

Etymology[]

Rhaukos (latinized as Rhaucus) was an ancient city of Crete. Gender masculine.

Placement[]

Originally placed in Cosmetidae Cosmetinae[3]. Subsequently in Cosmetidae Metergininae.[1][4]

Type species[]

Rhaucus vulneratus Simon, 1879, by subsequent designation, in F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1905. There were two species cited in the original description of the genus, the second species is currently placed in Flirtea.

Diagnosis[]

From García & Kury, 2017: 404 [1]) say "DS alpha type (in Cynorta, Eulibitia and Flirtea beta type), tegument granular (Figs 3a, 10a) (in Eulibitia, Flirtea and Metarhaucus smooth). Mesotergum clearly delimited, divided into four areas by well-marked grooves. Area III with a pair of tubercles varying between acuminate, dome-shaped or mammilliform (Figs 6c, 12c, 15c) (in Cynorta and Flirtea acuminate medium/high spines; in Eulibitia, very short tubercles). Pedipalpal tibia wide, spoon shaped (Figs 4b, 8b) (in Cynorta, Erginus, Eulibitia and Flirtea elongated, in Roquettea spatulate). Coxae IV with prominent multi-tuberculated clavi inguines (Figs 4h–i) (in Cynorta and Flirtea one large apophysis, in Eulibitia two irregular tubercles, in Taito wrinkled granules) and a multicapitate apophysis (mca) of at least seven tubercles (Fig. 4i) (in Cynorta three fused tubercles, in Taito two tubercles, in Platymessa two fused tubercles). Legs III–IV curved, robust and very granular, with a pair of ventral rows of spines from Fe to Ti (Figs 3d–e, 7d–e) (in Cynorta, Erginus, Eulibitia and Flirtea straight, thin and mostly smooth). Femur IV shorter than DS length (longer in Cynorta, Erginus, Eulibitia and Flirtea). VP of penis short (in Flirtea very elongated), with two lateral patches of type 4 microsetae not reaching the center of the VP in ventral view (Figs 5c, 8h) (in Cynorta covering the entire surface, in Eulibitia covering only lateral margins, in Flirtea smooth). VP of penis with two large MS A (Figs 5b, 11g, 14i) (in Cynorta one MS A extremely reduced, in Flirtea one MS A larger)."

Included species[]

  • Rhaucus artifex Pinzón-Morales & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2024: 39 - Colombia (Bolívar).
  • Rhaucus florezi García & Kury, 2017: 426 - Colombia (Boyacá).
  • Rhaucus gaiterus Pinzón-Morales & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2024: 43 - Colombia (Bolívar)
  • Rhaucus marmoratus (Roewer, 1912): 142 - Colombia (Cundinamarca). (Per Pinzón-Morales & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2024: 47)
  • Rhaucus papilionaceus (Simon, 1879): 205 - Colombia (Cundinamarca).
  • Rhaucus quinquelineatus Simon, 1879: 215 - Colombia (Boyacá, Cundinamarca).
  • Rhaucus robustus (Mello-Leitão, 1941): 169 - Colombia (Boyacá, Santander).
  • Rhaucus serratus (Roewer, 1912): 106 - Ecuador (Chimborazo). (Per Pinzón-Morales & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2024: 48).
  • Rhaucus serripes (Simon, 1879): 204 - Colombia (Boyacá, Cundinamarca).
  • Rhaucus trilineatus Sørensen, 1932 - Colombia [unknown]
  • Rhaucus vulneratus Simon, 1879: 213 - Colombia (Boyacá, Cundinamarca)*.

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In addition - Due to the synonymy of Metarhaucus fuscus Pickard-Cambridge, 1905 [type species of Metarhaucus] as a junior synonym of Rhaucus [1], several other species then in Metarhaucus could be considere implicitly transferred to a wider concept of Rhaucus than stated by authors, however, all except one have been subsequently transferred to other genera (or synonymised), as outlined below:

  • Rhaucus conspicuus (Roewer, 1927) = Rhauculus conspicuus. per Medrano, García, & Kury, 2022.
  • Rhaucus devillei (Simon, 1879) = Rhaucoides devillei, per Medrano, García, & Kury, 2022.
  • Rhaucus lojanus (Roewer, 1912) = Rhauculus lojanus, per Medrano, García, & Kury, 2022.
  • Rhaucus ohausi (Roewer, 1912) = Rhauculus lojanus, per Medrano, García, & Kury, 2022.
  • Rhaucus reimoseri (Roewer, 1933) = Reimoserius reimoseri, per Medrano, García, & Kury, 2022.
  • Rhaucus reticulatus (Roewer, 1912) = Rhaucus serripes, per García & Kury, 2017
  • Rhaucus serrifemur (Roewer, 1927) = Rhauculus serrifemur, per Medrano, García, & Kury, 2022.
  • Rhaucus trilineatus Sørensen, 1932 = restored (see Kury, Kury & Oliveira 2024).
  • Rhaucus unicolor (Roewer, 1957) = Rhauculus unicolor, per Medrano, García, & Kury, 2022.
  • Rhaucus variatus (Roewer, 1912) = junior synonym of Rhaucoides devillei, per Medrano, García, & Kury, 2022. Medrano, García, & Kury, 2022.

Notes[]

  • See false geographic records discussed in Kury 2003: 83.

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 García, A.F. & Kury, A.B. (2017) Taxonomic revision of the Andean harvestman genus Rhaucus Simon, 1879 (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cosmetidae). Zootaxa, 4338 (3), 401–440. [Issued 26 Oct 2017].
  2. ↑ Pinzón-Morales, C.A. & Pinto-da-Rocha, R. (2024) Two new species of Rhaucus Simon, 1879 reveal putative synapomorphies related to the microstructural morphology of male genitalia (Opiliones: Cosmetidae). Zootaxa, 5555 (1), 35–56. [Issued 17 Dec 2024].
  3. ↑ Kury, A. B., 2003. Annotated catalogue of the Laniatores of the New World (Arachnida, Opiliones). Revista Iberica de Aracnología, Zaragoza, vol. especial monográfico, nº 1: 1-337
  4. ↑ Medrano, M., García, A.F., & Kury, A.B. (2022) Rhaucoides Roewer, 1912, an Andean genus with fused tarsomeres: revision with a new generic synonymy and two new species (Opiliones: Cosmetidae). The Journal of Arachnology, 150(2), 191–218.

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