VOLUME 16
JUNE, 1956
ARTICLES 1- 8
JOURNAL OF SCIENC E
OF TH E
HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY
SERIES B DIV . 1
Published by the
HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY
HIROSHIMA, JAPA N
A New Phalangid, Opilio multidentatus n. sp. from
Southern Manchuri a
By
.,
Seisho
SUZUK I
Zoological Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Hiroshima Universit y
(With 10 Text-figures )
Suborder Palpatores
Family Phalangiida e
Subfamily Phalangiina e
Opilio multidentatus n . sp.
(Fgs . 1-10)
Male
Body large ; carapace above strongly sculptured . On the frontal margin of
carapace exist three large median spines projected forwards, the mid one largest ,
which bears three additional fine teeth near the base ; behind these present tw o
large spines projected above, out of them present five pairs of medium sized spine s
or spinules forming longitudinal series ; near the middle of frontal margin wit h
further three small teeth . In front and out of the ocular tubercle are two pairs o f
spines . On an oblique ridge which is parallel to lateral margin of cephalothora x
Figs . 1-2 . Opilio multidentatus n . sp .
1 . Dorsal surface body of male, 7 x ; 2. Cephalothorax of female, dorsal view, 13 x .
92
S. SUZUK I
one three the distance to the ocular tubercle present four spines, of which foremos t
one largest . On the anterior angle of cephalothorax with four spines, on ridge i n
front and behind opening of scent gland with one spine, respectively, and behin d
these more than ten spines along with the lateral margin of cephalothorax ; two
cephalothorax segments each with spinules or teeth of a similar size in a transvers e
series.
Ocular tubercle is separated from frontal margin of carapace by about tw o
times of its length, as long as its breadth, narrowly canaliculate, the carinae arme d
with three or four teeth, the eyes separated by three times the diameter of one o f
them ; openings of scent glands small, oval, opposite trochanters of the first legs .
Abdomen broadly oval, widest between the fourth and fifth segments an d
roundly curved behind . I – V abdominal tergites each armed with both anterio r
and posterior rows of sharp-pointed teeth, in every tergite one median teeth of th e
anterior row always a little larger, thus forming a median longitudinal series of fiv e
whitish spinules . In general the teeth of the posterior row less strong than thos e
of the anterior row . Free tergites each armed with a transverse row of a simila r
sharp-pointed teeth on the hind ridge, and less powerful spinules on the fronta l
margin, moreover, lateral margins of posterior segments with rather large spines .
1– 4 coxae bear setigerous teeth, particularly many teeth on their distal half ,
dark brownish bristles on the proximal region, frontal and hind margins glabrous .
At anterior apical end of the third coxa is a large spine, and at the same positio n
of the fourth coxa a group of large spines . Genital operculum smooth, with short ,
dark hairs, anteriorly many hairs . Sternites glabrous except for the lateral angle s
of posterior segments which furnished with a few sparsely distributed small teeth .
Genitalia . Penis greatly elongated, flatten dorso-ventrally, widest near th e
middle of corpus penis, simple, not alate near tip . Corpus penis 6 .47 mm long ,
0.63 mm wide in the middle ; glans penis 0 .54 mm long, 0 .09 mm wide from above ;
distal tube of glans 0 .08 mm long .
Chelicerae . Each segment swollen and stout, the first segment slightly elevated distally, there armed with about ten minute teeth, the second segment dorsally with many teeth .
Palps. Except tarsus all segments swollen and strong ; trochanter swolle n
distally ; dorsally and ventrally with small pointed teeth . Femur armed dorsall y
with numerous small teeth, ventrally many large setigerous spines, lateral surfac e
smooth, at terminal ends of both sides with one spine respectively . Patella laterally and tibia wholly armed with a number of very small teeth ; tarsus covered wit h
small hairs, on its inner ventral side with two longitudinal series of very fine dar k
denticles .
Legs. 1–4 legs comparatively short and strong, femora to tibiae of the firs t
and third legs remarkably stout . Trochanters armed laterally with strong spines ,
dorsally and ventrally small teeth . Femora of all legs show five ridges, alon g
each ridge furnished with sharp, black-tipped teeth forming regular longitudina l
row ; moreover on the fore and hind surface of the first femur with many teet h
(2)
Opilio multidentatus n. sp . from Southern Manchuria
93
Figs . 3-10 . Opilio multidentatus n. sp .
3. Right, female palp, lateral view, 13 x ; 4. Right, male palp, lateral view, 13 x ; 5 . Left ,
male chelicera, lateral view, 13 x ; 6 & 7 . Lateral and dorsal views of penis, 11 x ; 8. Latera l
view of glans, 39 x ; 9. Left 1st trochanter of male, dorsal view, 13 x ; 10 . Left 1st femur o f
male, dorsal view, 13 x .
somewhat irregularly arranged . Patella to metatarsus of all legs show also fiv e
ridges, but metatarsus seems somewhat to be cylindrical . Along with these ridge s
provided with regular rows of sharp-pointed, dark-tipped teeth . In the first leg tibi a
and metatarsus ventrally with a number of teeth very densely arranged, the fourt h
metatarsus ventrally with only dark bristles . Tarsus cylindrical, covered wit h
short hairs, its individual segment with a pair of bristles on the distal end of ventra l
surface, the segments of proximal half of the first tarsus with small pointed teet h
on the ventral surface . 1— 4 femora to tibiae bear 2— 3 stout spines on the dorsa l
apical end .
Colour. As the material was preserved in alcohol for many years the colou r
was somewhat bleached, but principal coloration is recorded as follows . Ground
colour above light tan, grayish, or yellowish mottled with whitish and light brow n
blotches on the cephalothorax . Two pale grayish lines start from the middle o f
frontal margin, which end near the centre of cephalothorax . 1— 3 abdomina l
tergites laterally with dark brownish markings, sides of abdomen mottled . Chelicerae grayish yellow, the first segment dorsally and ventrally with dark brow n
flecks, the second segment laterally with many brownish lines, its under surfac e
dark brown . Femur to tibia of palpus whitish yellow ; femur ventrally and dorsal-
94
S . SUZUK I
ly with dark brown blotches ; the same the ventral surface of patella and tibia ;
tarsus pale yellowish .
Venter generally lighter than dorsum ; genital operculum and sternites whitis h
to grayish, the same the coxae, but distal regions of coxae brownish . Trochanter s
of legs brown . Other segments of all legs uniformly whitish to grayish yellow, o n
the whitish surface often with light grayish spots in a longitudinal series .
Female . Carapace nearly semicircular, lateral margins curved strongly abov e
the third and fourth coxae . The marginal spines of the frontal surface of carapac e
are rather stronger than the male . Namely the median spines projected forward s
are five instead of three, and one pair projected above particularly large, stump y
and each provided with five to six additional minute teeth . The abdomen broadl y
oval and bluntly pointed behind . Chelicerae and palps never swollen, normal ,
their armaments less powerful than the male . Tarsus of palp without ventra l
teeth . Other characteristics generally equal in both sexes .
Measurements (in mm) .
Male . Total length of body 9 .5 ; cephalothorax 5 .9 wide ; abdomen 5 .6 wide .
Palps : femur 1 .75 long, 0 .75 wide ; patella 1 .00 1 ., 0 .65 w . ; tibia 1 .25 1 ., 0 .75 w . ;
tarsus 2 .30 1 ., 0 .33 w . Total length of palps 6 .30 . Femur : I 5 .3, II 8 .9, III 5 .6 ,
IV 7 .8 .
Total length of legs (except trochanter) : I 22 .3, II 39 .0, III 23 .3, I V
33 .8 .
Female . Total length of body 9 .9 ; cephalothorax 5 .1 wide ; abdomen 5 . 9
wide . Palps : femur 1 .45 long, 0 .45 wide ; patella 0 .75 1 ., 0 .50 w . ; tibia 1 .00 1 . ,
0 .45 w . ; tarsus 2 .00 1 ., 0 .33 w . Total length of palps 5 .20 . Femur : I 4 .5, II 8 .4 ,
III 4 .9, IV ? Total length of legs (except trochanter) : I 19 .2, II 35 .6, III 21 .1 ,
IV?
Types . Holotype male, Lushun (Port Arthur), Southern Manchuria, August ,
1938, T . YONEDA ; Allotype female, same data ; Paratype female, Talien, Souther n
Manchuria, June, 1938, T . YONEDA .
The specimens are deposited in the Zoological Laboratory, Hiroshima University .
Remarks . In the arrangement of the median spines at the frontal margin o f
carapace, the present species somewhat resembles Opilio trispinifrons ROEWER from
Northern China and Northern Manchuria, and 0. kubotai NAKATSUDI from Inner
Mongolia, it is also closely related to 0. spinulatus ROEWER from Northern Chin a
and Japan in the structure of palps and chelicerae, but it is distinguishable fro m
these near relatives in the following respects .
The abdominal tergites each are furnished with a single transverse row of spinules or teeth in 0 . trispinifrons, but in the new species they are always of two row s
instead of one . The dorsum is more powerfully spined in the present species tha n
0 . kubotai, though the spination of the venter is rather less powerful in the former ,
namely, the genital operculum and all sternites of 0 . kubotai have many setigerou s
teeth, but they are almost smooth in the new species . Further our species differs
from 0 . kubotai in the armament of chelicerae and palps, and in the detailed structure of penis . From 0 . spinulatus'it is separable in the arrangement of the median
Opilio multidentatus n . sp . from Southern Manchuria
95
spines at the frontal margin and in the spination on the abdominal tergites .
The author wishes to express his thanks to Mr . T . YONEDA, the collector, an d
Mr . H . TAKASHIMA, for their kind presentation of the material .
LITERATUR E
NAKATSUDI, K . 1943 . Zool. Mag ., 55 : 106-113 .
ROEwER, C . FR . 191la. Zool . Jahrb . Syst., 31 : 596 .
1911b. Arch . Naturg., 77, 1, Suppl . 2 : 41, 42 .
1912. Abh. Ver. Hamburg, 20 : 140, 143 .
1923. Die Weberknechte der Erde ( Jena) .
SAITO, S. 1936 . Rep. 1st Sci . Exp. Manchukuo ., Sec. V, Div . I, Part III :
1-11 .
Suzuki, S. 1941 . Bull . Biogeogr. Soc. Jap., 11 : 15-22.
Appendix : After this manuscript was completed the following paper of ROEWER has been mad e
available to me . He described a new species Opilio chinensis from Peking, China . Our specie s
generally resembles his species, but the former differs from the latter in the armament of chelicera .
ROEwER, C . FR . 1956 . Senck. biol ., 37 : 285 .