Revision of the South American Fonckia ( Opiliones : Gonyleptidae : Pachylinae ) with the description of two new species Marília

Fonckia Roewer, 1913 is revised and two new species are described in it: Fonckia contulmo sp. nov., from Monumento Nacional Contulmo, Araucania, Chile, diagnosed mainly by the enlarged tubercles on the lateral margins of the dorsal scutum, between the median region of scutal area II and the posterior margin of the scutal area III; and Fonckia sosia sp. nov., from Parque Nacional Conguillio, Malleco, Chile, distinguished mainly by the absence of a dorso-basal apophysis on femur IV of the male and a spiniform, enlarged retroapical tubercle on tibia IV of the male. We propose the generic synonymy of Diconospelta Canals, 1934 under Fonckia Roewer, 1913, and the specific synonymy of D. vazferreirae Mello-Leitao, 1946 under F. processigera (Sorensen, 1902). We also propose the new combination F. gallardoi (Canals, 1934) comb. nov. As a consequence, the genus is henceforth composed of four species. We present an identification key for the species of Fonckia, as well as diagnoses and a discussion of the Chilean Pachylinae.

The Chilean opilionid fauna is composed of about 90 endemic species, although some of its components also occur in the Argentinean side of the southern Andean Cordillera (KURY 2003).The Chilean regions with rather expressive numbers of species are the Región de Los Lagos (38 species) and Región del Bío-Bío (33 species) (KURY 2003).The remaining regions have noticeably less species, some of them with virtually no records at all.Laniatores, the most diverse suborder in the Neotropics (PINTO- DA-ROCHA et al. 2007), are also the best represented in Chile in terms of numbers of species.Most of the Chilean laniatorids are either included in the Triaenonychidae or Gonyleptidae.Among the Chilean Gonyleptidae, Pachylinae, with 55 species, is the most diverse.
Upon examining the endemic southern Andean Pachylinae, we noticed a remarkable resemblance among species of two genera, Fonckia Roewer, 1913 andDiconospelta Canals, 1934.This resemblance had been already pointed out by ACOSTA & MAURY (1998), who suggested that F. processigera and D. gallardoi could be synonymous.However, both species were described based on specimens of different sexes and for that reason their synonymy has yet to be established.SØRENSEN (1902) described Gonyleptes processiger and placed it in Gonyleptidae.Later, ROEWER (1913) created Fonckia for this species, keeping it in Gonyleptinae.MELLO-LEITÃO (1931), following the trend in harvestmen systematics of his time, which was based on the analysis of only a few characteristics (for details see BRAGAGNOLO & PINTO-DA-ROCHA 2009, DASILVA & GNASPINI 2009, DASILVA & PINTO-DA-ROCHA 2010, HARA & PINTO-DA-ROCHA 2010 and references therein), suggested that Fonckia is related to the gonyleptid genera Progonyleptoides Roewer, 1917, Stephanocranion Mello-Leitão, 1931(junior synonym of Gonyleptellus Roewer, 1930according to KURY (2003)) and the Peruvian genera Lucma Roewer, 1930, Huasampillia Roewer, 1913 (senior synonym of Lucma according to SOARES & SOARES (1949)) and Huadquina Roewer, 1930. CANALS (1934) described Diconospelta for D. Gallardoi (sic) in Pachylinae.MELLO-LEITÃO (1946) described D. vazferreirae, based on a female.RINGUELET (1959) corrected the spelling for D. gallardoi and described the female of that species.ACOSTA & MAURY (1998) first noted the resemblance between Fonckia and Diconospelta, indicating D. gallardoi as a junior synonym of F. processigera.However, because the synonymy was neither formally indicated (i.e. using "new synonymy" or equivalent statement) nor justified, it has not been subsequently recognized, and both species are listed as valid in Kury's catalog, which first moved Fonckia to the Pachylinae (KURY 2003).
In a recent collecting expedition to Chile, the third author and colleagues collected many pachylines, and among them, previously undescribed species that could be either allocated into Fonckia or Diconospelta.In order to clarify their taxonomic placement, we herein revise the two genera.In addition, we provide an identification key, diagnoses and a discussion of the relationships among Fonckia and other Chilean Pachylinae genera.
Redescription.Male: Dorsum.Anterior margin of prosoma with median frontal hump, smooth or with sparse granules.Ocularium unarmed.Dorsal scutum (except for anterior margin) densely granulated, with five transversal grooves delimiting four scutal areas (scutal groove IV conspicuous only in the middle in F. processigera, F. contulmo sp.nov.and F. sosia sp.nov.).Scutal area I divided by a longitudinal median groove in right and left halves.Lateral margins of dorsal scutum with a row of whitish to beige tubercles from ocularium to groove II.Scutal area III with a pair of paramedian spines of large base and blunt apex.Posterior margin of dorsal scutum, free tergites I-III each one with a row of tubercles.Chelicerae.Isomorphic in males and females, with 1 small tubercle or smooth on bulla.Pedipalps.Coxa smooth or with sparse tubercles; trochanter with 1-2 ventral tubercles.Femur with 1-5 small ventral tubercles on basal half, 1 retrolateral subapical tubercle; patella-tarsus dorsally with tubercles; tibiatarsus with unbranched setae.Legs.Coxa I-III each one with 1 prolateral, 1 retrolateral apophyses (retrolateral apophysis of coxa II fused at apex with prolateral apophysis of coxa III); IV with small setiferous tubercles and a long prolateral apical apophysis, its apex slightly curved ventrally.Trochanters-tibiae I-IV tuberculated.Trochanter IV with prolateral apophyses.Femora I-II substraight; III-IV straight or slightly curved, ventrally with two conspicuous rows of tubercles, armed ventro-apically with enlarged spiniform tubercles on apex or distal 1/3.Tibia III ventrally with two rows of enlarged, pointed tubercles increasing in size apically, 2 apical spines; IV idem, but on distal 1/2 or 1/3.Penis.Ventral plate reaching subdistal part of glans, subrectangular with a median lateral constriction, its distal margin straight or slightly concave, distal half thicker than basal half in lateral view; 4-5 pairs of distal setae; 1 pair of median small setae (except F. gallardoi); 1-3 pairs of basal setae.Glans projected dorsally; stylus cylindrical and long, with ventral projections on distal 1/2 to 1/4; ventral process cylindrical, apex truncated with small ventral projection.Stylus and ventral process curved dorsally.
Female.Similar to male, but coxa IV with spiniform prolateral apical apophysis smaller than male.Trochanter IV without prolateral apophyses (except in F. sosia sp.nov., which has both prolateral apophyses, but smaller than in male).Femora-tibiae III-IV like male (except in F. processigera, which leg III is smooth and femur-tibia IV with armature less developed than in male).Female of F. contulmo sp.nov.unknown.

Key to the males of Fonckia
1. Femur IV with a dorso-basal apophysis directed upwards, with curved apex (Fig. 9 Fonckia contulmo sp.nov. Figs 1-5, 21, 22, 33 Diagnosis.Fonckia contulmo sp.nov.resembles F. gallardoi and F. sosia sp.nov.by: posterior corners of dorsal scutum with a cluster of tubercles (Fig. 1) and male patella IV with at least an enlarged, pointed proventral apical tubercle (Fig. 5).Fonckia contulmo sp.nov.can be distinguished from those species by: enlarged tubercles on lateral margins of dorsal scutum between median region of scutal area II and posterior margin of scutal area III (Fig. 1); male femur IV swollen at basal 1/2-1/3, which is densely covered with enlarged tubercles, largest ones on prolateral face (Figs 4 and 5); and penis ventral plate with distal bifid setae and three pairs of basal setae (Figs 21 and 22).
Etymology.In reference to the type locality, the beautiful Parque Nacional Contulmo.The specific epithet means passageway in the Mapudungun language.
Fonckia gallardoi (Canals, 1934) comb.nov.Diagnosis.Fonckia gallardoi resembles F. contulmo sp.nov.and F. sosia sp.nov.by: posterior corners of dorsal scutum with a cluster of tubercles (Fig. 6) and male patella IV with at least an enlarged, pointed proventral apical enlarged tubercle (Figs 9 and 10).Fonckia gallardoi can be distinguished from those species by: prolateral apical apophysis on male trochanter IV enlarged, long (length longer than this podomere width) and curved; and presence of a dorso-basal apophysis on male femur IV (Fig. 9).
Diagnosis.Fonckia processigera can be easily distinguished from the other three species of Fonckia by lacking a cluster of tubercles on the corners of the posterior margin of the dorsal scutum (Fig. 11), and ventral plate of penis with one pair of basal setae (other species of the genus with two to three pairs of setae, see Figs 27 and 28).
Fonckia sosia sp.nov.25,26,29,30,33 Diagnosis.Fonckia sosia sp.nov.resembles F. gallardoi and Fonckia contulmo sp.nov.by: posterior corners of dorsal scutum with a cluster of tubercles and male patella IV with at least an enlarged, pointed proventral apical enlarged tubercle.Fonckia sosia sp.nov.can be distinguished from those species by the combination of the following features: pair of paramedian spines on scutal area III with dark apex; male trochanter IV with prolateral apical apophyses less developed (in relation to F. gallardoi and F. contulmo sp.nov.); male femur IV without dorso-basal apophysis; male tibia IV with spiniform, enlarged retroapical tubercle.
Remarks.Relationships of Fonckia: KURY (2003) transferred Fonckia, which was originally placed in Gonyleptinae, to Pachylinae, without justifying it.Regardless, the systematics of both subfamilies is outdated, and needs to be studied and revised to comply with modern standards.The monophyly of Gonyleptinae, which includes harvestmen with three scutal areas and without other remarkable characteristics, has not been tested in the context of a morphological cladistic analysis , which adds another level of uncertainty to the issue.The presence of a relatively short row of beige to whitish tubercles on the lateral margin of the dorsal scutum (from the ocularium to approximately the middle of scutal area I), as far as we know, is unique to Fonckia and we suggest this character as a putative synapomorphy for the genus.The cluster of tubercles on the posterior corners of the dorsal scutum is a possible additional putative synapomorphy of Fonckia.If this hypothesis is correct, the absence of this feature in F. processigera needs to be interpreted as a reversal.Alternatively, this character may be interpreted as a synapomorphy of the remaining three species (F.contulmo sp.nov., F. gallardoi and F. sosia sp.nov.).The prolateral apophyses on trochanter IV of males of Fonckia (a median conical apophysis and one long, robust apical apophysis) resemble the condition found in many Chilean genera such as Eubalta Roewer, 1923, Chilegyndes Roewer, 1961and Metagyndes Roewer, 1913 and some Southeastern Brazilian genus such as Graphinotus Koch, 1839 and even a species of Eusarcus Perty, 1833 (E.armatus).Up to now, we only have information regarding the male genitalia of Metagyndes, Graphinotus (unpublished data) and Eusarcus (HARA & PINTO-DA-ROCHA 2010), none of which resemble the male genitalia of Fonckia.The latter presents some interesting characteristics, such as the glans projected dorsally, stylus and ventral processes strongly curved dorsally and apex abruptly truncated, which are shared with another set of Chilean genera: Neogonyleptes Roewer, 1913, Sadocus Sørensen, 1886and possibly Spinivunus Roewer, 1943.Considering all the evidence gathered thus far, it seems that Fonckia is more closely related with the Chilean genera.However, the available data does not al- 2):227-237, April, 2013