Timesius paramuno, Damron & Moreno-González & Pinto-Da-Rocha, 2025

Damron, Brittany, Moreno-González, Jairo A. & Pinto-Da-Rocha, Ricardo, 2025, Systematic placement of the enigmatic genus Timesius Simon, 1879 (Opiliones, Laniatores, Nomoclastidae), with description of a new species from the Colombian Andes, Zootaxa 5661 (3), pp. 381-393 : 387-390

Timesius paramuno sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B0D2B8F3-1C6F-48C2-AF06-0EE67A41D7D1

Figs. 2C–D , 3C–D , 4C–E , 5B , 6A–C , 7

Type material. Male holotype: Colombia, Caldas Department. Villamaria, Vereda Laguna Negra , 4°59'24.2"N 75°19'57.9"W, 3,812 m a.s.l., 11–13.v.2014, J. Moreno leg., manual capture ( AMNH IZC _00171731). Female paratype: same locality as the holotype (different sampling site), 4°59'37.7"N 75°19'51.7"W, 3,759 m a.s.l., 13– 15.v.2014, J. Moreno leg., manual capture ( AMNH IZC _00171732) .

Habitat. The type specimens were collected in the Páramo ecosystem, an alpine ecosystem that can be found at high altitudes (> 3,000 m a.s.l.) in the Andean mountain range. This ecosystem is essential to regulate surface and groundwater and is characterized by high annual rainfall, low temperature, Histic Andosols, and the unique páramo vegetation, including abundant Espeletia spp. ( Asteraceae ), a dominant and characteristic plant of this ecosystem ( Fig. 7 ; Luteyn 1999; Buytaert et al. 2006). Individuals were collected inside rotten leaves of a fallen Espeletia sp.

Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective in regional Spanish language (i.e., an Americanism) referring to a native from the Páramo. The name it is treated as indeclinable.

Diagnosis. Timesius paramuno sp. nov. can be distinguished from T. vesicularis by having two short and separated tubercles on area III of dorsal scutum ( Figs. 2C, D , 3C–D ) (two long spines in T. vesicularis ) and a few vestigial whitish-yellow granules on ocularium and dorsal scutum ( Figs. 2C–D ) (small whitish-yellow granules in T. vesicularis ).

Description of the male holotype (AMNH IZC_00171731). Measurements. Dorsal scutum; maximal width: 3.95; total length: 5.2; carapace length: 2.3; width 3.0. Femur IV length: 4.4.

Coloration (ethanol 70%) ( Figs. 2C–D ). Body color brownish-yellow with infuscate black areas, and a few vestigial whitish-yellow granules on ocularium, prosoma, opisthosoma, free tergites, and anal operculum. Free tergite III and anal operculum much darker than the rest of the body. Coxae I–IV light yellow with small black spots. Chelicerae, pedipalps, and other segments of legs are the same color as the body.

Dorsum ( Figs. 3C–D ). Dorsal scutum shape zeta, anterior margin without armature, only with very small granules, posterior margin convex. Ocularium with three granules on each side, close to the eyes; prosoma with one pair of granules posterior to eyes; frontal hump lower than ocularium; sulcus between prosoma and opisthosoma evident in dorsal view; integumentary dome of ozopore not pronounced. Area I smooth and undivided, area II with one median granule on each half; area III with two short tubercles directed backwards, and five additional granules spaced posteriorly to tubercles; area IV with one pair of granules. Sulci between areas evident in dorsal view. Free tergite I with nine granules, II with 11 granules, III with seven granules, some of the granules with an apical seta.

Venter . Genital operculum appearing smooth, anal operculum with granules, some with apical setae.

Chelicerae ( Fig. 4C ). Segment I smooth except for three retrodorsal granules on the posterior margin of the bulla and various setae. Movable finger with four teeth (medial two being the largest) and fixed finder with five teeth (the three basalmost being the largest).

Pedipalps ( Figs. 4D–E ). Coxa with one ventral tubercle. Trochanter with three dorsal tubercles and single ventral tubercle. Femur with one prolateral subapical large setiferous tubercle. Femur and tibia without small dorsal tubercles. Tibia retrolateral IiiIii, prolateral iIi. Tarsus retrolateral IiIi, prolateral IiIiI. Tarsal claw same length as tarsus.

Legs. Coxa I with one prolateral and one large retrolateral tubercles, with nine ventral tubercles; II with one large prolateral tubercle before ozopore, one large retrolateral tubercle fused to one from III, ventrally smooth; III with one prolateral fused to II and one retrolateral fused to IV, ventrally smooth; IV with two tubercles on dorsal subapical region, ventrally smooth. Rest of the legs I to IV with scattered small tubercles; femora I–IV unarmed. Tarsal formula: 6(3):15(3):4:7. Metatarsus I without metatarsal carinate setae (MtCS). Leg III with four proximal tarsal segments fused; fusion enlarged dorsally and at least three times the width of the rest of the tarsi ( Fig. 5B ). Tarsal claws III–IV smooth.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 6A–C ). Laterals of ventral plate sinuous, middle part slightly enlarged; apical margin sinuous with middle portion extended further than lateral ones. Three dorsal pairs of long and apically curved distal setae (group C); two ventral pairs of short setae (group E), E1 between C2 and C3, and E2 basal to C3; two dorsal pairs of long and slender setae, directed ventrally (group A), and one basal medium sized pair of setae (group B). Glans long, stylus very short, with swollen seminal opening.

Female paratype ( AMNH IZC _00171732). Measurements. Dorsal scutum; maximal width: 4.1; total length: 5.3; carapace length: 2.5; width: 2.9. Femur IV length: 4.3. Dorsal scutum shape zeta, anterior margin unarmed, posterior margin convex. Ocularium with three granules on each side, close to the eyes. Area III with two tubercles, smaller than male. Free tergite I with nine tubercles, II with 11 tubercles, III with 10 tubercles. Cheliceral fingers with three teeth each. Pedipalpal femur with three ventral tubercles. Tibia retrolateral IiiIii, prolateral iIi. Tarsus retrolateral and prolateral IiIi. Tarsal formula: 6(3):13(3):7:7. Basitarsi I and III are about the same height as distitarsi .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Timesius Simon, 1879, dorsal (A, C) and lateral (B, D) male habitus aspects. A, B. Timesius vesicularis (Gervais, 1844). C, D. Timesius paramuno sp. nov. Scale bars= 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 3. Timesius Simon, 1879, schematic representations of dorsal (A, C) and lateral (B, D) male habitus aspects. A, B. Timesius vesicularis (Gervais, 1844). C, D. Timesius paramuno sp. nov. Scale bars= 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 4. Timesius Simon, 1879, schematic representations of prolateral (A, D) and retrolateral (B, E) male pedipalp aspects and dorsal (C) male chelicera aspect. A, B. Timesius vesicularis (Gervais, 1844). C, D, E. Timesius paramuno sp. nov. Scale bars= A, B: 1.5 mm; C, E: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 5. Timesius Simon, 1879, male third leg lateral (A, B) aspects. A. Timesius vesicularis (Gervais, 1844). B. Timesius paramuno sp. nov. Scale bars= A: 2.5 mm; B: 2.0 mm.

FIGURE 6. Timesius paramuno sp. nov., male holotype penis, schematic representation. A. Dorsal aspect. B. Lateral aspect. C. Ventral aspect. Scale bar= 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 7. Habitat of Timesius paramuno sp. nov. in Vereda Laguna Negra, Villamaria, Caldas department, Colombia.