Flavonuncia mahaka, Abel & Pérez-González, 2025

Abel, Willians Porto & Pérez-González, Abel, 2025, Madagascar, the real Treasure Island! Malagasy uncharted diversity of a rare ancient lineage of armored harvestmen (Opiliones, Laniatores, Buemarinoidae), Zoosystema 47 (14), pp. 203-229 : 214-217

Flavonuncia mahaka n. sp.

( Figs 10-14 ; 23C, H, M )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:497B2497-7BB3-4F63-8315-BB2E5B198D80

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Madagascar • ♂; Toliara, Parc National Andohahela , Col de Tanatana 33.3 km NW Tolagnaro; Elev. 275 m; 24°45’31”S, 46°51’13”E; coll. B. L. Fisher et al.; 22-24. XI.2006; sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood) montane rainforest; collection code: BLF15100 ; CASTYPE 21650 .

Paratypes. Madagascar • 5 ♂, 35 ♀; same data as for holotype; CASENT 9072050 • 1♂; SEM voucher; same data; MACN-Ar 46001 • 3♂, 3 ♀; same data; MACN-Ar 46002 .

ETYMOLOGY. — The species epithet, mahaka , is a trickster deity of Malagasy mythology. Noun in apposition.

COMPARATIVE DIAGNOSIS. — Differs from all known Flavonuncia species by the presence of three tubercles on the dorsal distal femur of the pedipalp and by the penis morphology showing a pair of high sclerotized processes on the ventral plate ( Fig. 14 ).

DISTRIBUTION ( Fig. 1 ). — Known only from the type locality.

DESCRIPTION

Male (holotype CASTYPE 21650)

Measurements. See Table 1 .

Dorsum ( Figs 10A, C ; 11A, B ). Outline hourglass-shaped of Eta (η) type. Ocularium conical, eyes situated at ocularium midpoint. Mesotergal scutum without tubercles or apophyses, carapace smaller than mesotergum, mesotergal areas not cleared defined, areas I-II with 1-2 small setiferous granules, area III with five, area IV with eight, the posterior border with a row of c. 12 granules. Free tergites bearing a row of granules on each tergite.

Venter ( Figs 10E ; 11C, D ). Coxae ventral surface covered by setae; coxa I bearing 6-7 granules; almost all ventral surface covered by cerotegument, except by the proximal coxae II-III; proximal coxa II with three tubercles bearing basal setae, coxa III with three tubercles, two of those with basal seta; small bridge present, spiracles not visible.

Chelicerae ( Fig. 12A, B ). Basicheliceritae bearing a small tubercle on dorsal distal surface, cheliceral hand bearing five small ectal tubercles with subdistal setae, three small mesal granules, and four mesal setae.

Pedipalps ( Fig. 12C, D ). Trochanter with 2-3 ventral and 1-2 small dorsal tubercles, femur bearing a ventral row of small tubercles and three distal acute tubercles, mesal view with three remarkable tubercles, patella with five mesal tubercles, tibia ventral surface bearing sparse small tubercles, with a medial and 2-3 apical acute tubercles with subdistal setae, tarsus bearing four ectal and five mesal tubercles with setae.

Legs ( Fig. 12E, H ). Astragalus longer than calcaneus. Tarsal count: 3-6-4-4.

Genitalia ( Figs 13 ; 14 ; 23C, H, M ). Ventral plate bearing five macrosetae in the ventrolateral surface, apical part of the ventral plate acute composing two highly sclerotized processes ( Fig. 14 ). Capsula interna longer than the ventral plate, ventral view with a cleft separating the capsula interna into two halves, distal capsula interna with a complex structure ending in a thin free stylus visible in ventral view.

Female (CASENT 9072050) ( Fig. 10B, D, F ). Similar to male, showing dimorphism in body coloration, females having a dark brown opisthosoma, males yellowish with brown stripes. Pedipalps larger in males.

Figures

FIG. 10. — Flavonuncia mahaka n. sp. (CASENT 9072050): A, C, E, male, B, D, F, female. Scale bars: 500 µm.

FIG. 11. — Flavonuncia mahaka n. sp., SEM images of male paratype (MACN-Ar 46001) habitus: A, dorsal; B, lateral; C, D, ventral. Scale bars: A, B, 500 µm; C, D, 200 µm.

FIG. 12. — Flavonuncia mahaka n. sp., SEM images of male paratype (MACN-Ar 46001): A, B, chelicera, ectal (A), mesal (B); C, D, pedipalp, ectal (C), mesal (D); E-H, legs I (E), II (F), III (G), VI (H). Scale bars: A, B, E-H, 200 µm; C, D, 500 µm.

FIG. 13. — Flavonuncia mahaka n. sp., SEM images of male paratype (MACN-Ar 46001): A, B, chelicera, ectal (A), mesal (B); C, D, pedipalp, ectal (C), mesal (D); E, H, legs I (E), II (F), III (G); VI (H). Scale bars: A, B, E-H, 200 µm, C, D, 500 µm.

FIG. 14. — High sclerotized area (arrows) on ventral plate of Flavonuncia mahaka n. sp., illustrated in male genitalia (CASENT 9072050), in a temporary microscope slide: A, ventral; B, lateral view. Not to scale.

FIG. 23. — SEM images comparing the penis shape and size of: A, F, K, Flavonuncia pupilla Lawrence, 1959; B, G, L, Flavonuncia ubicki n. sp.; C, H, M, Flavonuncia mahaka n. sp.; D, I, N, Flavonuncia vazimba n. sp.; E, J, O, Flavonuncia zanahary n. sp.; dorsal view (A-E); lateral view (F-J); ventral view (K-O). Colored structures: ventral plate (yellow), capsula interna (magenta). Scale bars: 50 µm.

FIG. 1. — Map showing the geographic distribution of revised material of Flavonuncia Lawrence, 1959: black cross: F. zanahary n. sp.; red cross: F. pupilla Lawrence, 1959; black triangle: F. ubicki n. sp.; black diamond: F. vazimba n. sp.; white circle with a black cross: F. mahaka n. sp.