Triaenomeros versus Neopachyloides: major males of misplaced Ecuadorian Ampycidae exhibit unexpected strong armature (Opiliones, Grassatores, Gonyleptoidea)

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Triaenomeros versus Neopachyloides: major males of misplaced Ecuadorian Ampycidae exhibit unexpected strong armature (Opiliones, Grassatores, Gonyleptoidea)

Abstract

Ampycidae is a small Neotropical family of Gonyleptoidea (currently comprising a few dozen species) whose members have historically been scattered among unrelated harvestman taxa, so that its true composition is still being uncovered. Neopachyloides Roewer, 1913 (originally classified in Gonyleptidae, Pachylinae, but currently placed in Ampycidae) is newly considered a junior subjective synonym of Triaenomeros Roewer 1913 (currently in Gonyleptidae Gonyleptinae). Their respective type-species—Neopachyloides spinipes Roewer 1913 and Triaenomeros olivaceum (currently incorrectly inflected as olivaceus) Roewer 1913—are also synonymized with each other. Triaenomeros olivaceum occurs in the western Andean slope, with some conflicting original records from Chile. The genus in this work is firmly established in Ampycidae. The species name should be inflected as olivaceum to match the neutral gender (mentioned herein for the first time) of the generic name Triaenomeros. Two new species of Triaenomeros are described: Triaenomeros giovannii sp. nov. from Pichincha and Triaenomeros yadirae sp. nov. from Esmeraldas. Ceropachylinus peruvianus Roewer, 1956, currently placed in the genus Neopachyloides, is newly combined with Thaumatocranaus Roewer, 1932. The existence of different species of Triaenomeros in small areas indicates strong micro-endemism for this genus.

Kury, A.B. (2026) Triaenomeros versus Neopachyloides: major males of misplaced Ecuadorian Ampycidae exhibit unexpected strong armature (Opiliones, Grassatores, Gonyleptoidea). Zootaxa, 5897 (3), 257–278. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5897.3.3