Eight New Species of Charinus Simon, 1892 (Arachnida: Amblypygi: Charinidae) Endemic for the Brazilian Amazon, with Notes on Their Conservational Status

Abstract

Eight new species of Charinus Simon, 1892 are described for the Brazilian Amazon, from the states of Pará (C. bichuetteae sp. n., C. bonaldoi sp. n., C. carajas sp. n., C. ferreus sp. n., C. guto sp. n. and C. orientalis sp. n.) and Amazonas (Charinus brescoviti sp. n. and C. ricardoi sp. n.). All new species can be differentiated from the other species of the genus by the number of pseudo-articles in basitibia IV, the presence/absence of median eyes, and the shape of the female gonopod. Brazil now becomes the country with the largest diversity of Amblypygi in the world, with 25 known species. Half of the new species described here have a high degree of endangerment: C. bichuetteae sp. n. is threatened by the flood caused by the hydroelectric dam of Belo Monte, and C. carajas sp. n., C. ferreus sp. n. and C. orientalis sp. n. are endangered by the iron mining in Carajás municipality and surroundings. The Charinus species here described are endemic to the Amazon Region, so in order to assure their preservation, it is strongly recommended a special care with their habitats (type localities) which are facing increasing rates of destruction and deforestation.

Description of a new troglomorphic species of Charinus Simon, 1892 from Brazil (Arachnida, Amblypygi, Charinidae)

“…Charinus schirchii (Mello-Leitão, 1931) is also located in eastern Brazil, but it is considered a species inquirenda as the holotype specimen has been lost and so its morphological characteristics and grouping cannot be confirmed (Pinto-da-Rocha et al 2002). Species of this group also differ from the other western species by being larger, presenting chelicera with a higher number of teeth and basitibia of leg IV with four pseudoarticles (Giupponi and Miranda 2016). …”

“…Yet, until 2015, the number of known species of Charinus in Brazil was just 11, but it has rapidly almost doubled over the last year, reaching 21 described species (Vasconcelos and Ferreira 2016, Giupponi and Miranda 2016). The most specious and widely distributed group of Amblypygi is the genus Charinus .…”

“…Within the 21 known species of the genus in the country, 13 were described from individuals collected in caves: Charinus acaraje Pinto-da-Rocha, Machado and Weygoldt, 2002, Charinus mysticus Giupponi and Kury, 2002, Charinus troglobius Baptista and Giupponi, 2002, Charinus eleonorae Baptista and Giupponi, 2003, Charinus potiguar Vasconcelos, Giupponi and Ferreira, 2013, Charinus jibaossu Vasconcelos, Giupponi and Ferreira, 2014, Charinus caatingae Vasconcelos and Ferreira, 2016, Charinus iuiu Vasconcelos and Ferreira, 2016, Charinus ricardoi Giupponi and Miranda 2016, Charinus carajas Giupponi and Miranda 2016, Charinus orientalis Giupponi and Miranda 2016, Charinus ferreus Giupponi and Miranda 2016 and Charinus bichuetteae Giupponi and Miranda 2016. Among these species, Charinus troglobius , Charinus eleonorae , Charinus caatingae and Charinus ferreus represent hitherto the only strictly cavernicolous species in the country.…”

A new species of Charinus Simon 1892 from Brazil, with notes on behavior (Amblypygi, Charinidae)

“…The group is widely distributed in the tropics (Giupponi and Miranda (2016), Miranda et al (2016); but see Miranda et al (in press)), and consists of more than 200 species with the majority of the diversity in the family Charinidae Simon, 1892. Charinidae contains three genera, Catageus Thorell, 1889 with one species, Charinus Simon, 1892 with 70 species, and Sarax Simon, 1892 with 17 species.…”

“…The genus Charinus has a pantropical distribution, occurring in the Caribbean region, Central and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania, but most of the species have been described from the Americas. However, its diversity is still not completely revealed, as shown by the many new species discovered during the last decade (Armas 2006, 2010, Armas et al 2016, Giupponi and Miranda 2016, Jocqué and Giupponi 2012, Miranda et al in press, Miranda and Giupponi 2011, Miranda et al 2016, Réveillion and Maquart 2015, Seiter et al 2015, Teruel 2016, Teruel and Questel 2011, 2015, Torres-Contreras et al 2015, Vasconcelos et al 2016, Vasconcelos et al 2013, 2014). …”