title: A remarkable new species of the magnus species-group of Cryptocellus (Arachnida, Ricinulei) from Ecuador, with observations on the taxonomy of the New World genera.
abstract: A new ricinuleid species, Cryptocellus chimaera sp. nov., is described based on a male specimen from Northwest Ecuador (Esmeraldas, Reserva Ecológica Mache-Chindul, Estación Biológica Bilsa). This species is unique among all Cryptocellus in having very large longitudinal carapacial translucent areas together with a markedly incrassate femur of leg II. Representing only the second species of the order described from Ecuador, C. chimaera sp. nov. is assigned to the magnus species-group of Cryptocellus Westwood, 1874. Cryptocellus chimaera sp. nov. is remarkable, for its morphology resembles that of Cryptocellus magnus Ewing, 1929, especially with regard to the male copulatory apparatus, although both resemble Pseudocellus Platnick, 1980, due to the presence of diffuse longitudinal carapacial translucent areas. Along with the new species description, a comparative diagnosis and supplementary images are provided for C. magnus. Based on direct observations of some species belonging to the five species-groups of Cryptocellus, we discuss on the occurrence of different morphologies of carapacial translucent areas within the genus. We deem it important to continue the survey of morphological characters, especially within Cryptocellus, in order to increase our understanding of the species-groups and to unravel their relationships.
authors.affiliation: División Aracnología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470, CP: 1405DJR, C.A.B.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina. Associate Researcher. Laboratorio de Entomología, Unidad de Ecología y Sistemática-UNESIS, Departamento de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia; Email: rbt@macn.gov.ar.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Botero-Trujillo
authors.affiliation: 2CONACYT Research Fellow, Laboratory of Arachnology. Laboratorio Regional de Biodiversidad y Cultivo de Tejidos Vegetales, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), sede Tlaxcala, Ex-Fábrica San Manuel, San Miguel Contla, 90640 Santa Cruz Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico. Colección Nacional de Arácnidos (CNAN), Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Distrito Federal, Mexico City, Mexico.; Email: lat_mactans@yahoo.com.mx.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valdez-Mondragón
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D002965:Classification; D004484:Ecuador; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D013045:Species Specificity; D013112:Spiders / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification* / Q000502:physiology