Lacronia

Lacronia
Lacronia ceci from Brazil.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Opiliones
Suborder: Laniatores
Family: Gonyleptidae
Genus: Lacronia
Strand, 1942
Synonyms

Luederwaldtia

Lacronia is a genus of Pachylinae (Arachnida, Opiliones, Gonyleptidae), which includes four Brazilian species. A striking diagnostic character is the trochanter IV of male with strong medial prolateral apophysis forming a pincer with the dorso-apical apophysis of coxa IV. Two of these species present neon green stripes on the mesotergum (Kury, 2003b), which is uncommon in this subfamily.

Taxonomic history

This genus was at first called Luederwaldtia Mello-Leitão, 1923, but the name was already preoccupied, being a junior homonym of Luederwaldtia Schmidt, 1922 (Hemiptera). Strand (1942) proposed the valid replacement name Lacronia, which was ignored by most subsequent authors and unearthed only 60 years later (Kury, 2003a).

Species

  • Lacronia camboriu Kury, 2003 – Santa Catarina (coast)
  • Lacronia ceci Kury & Orrico, 2006 – Rio de Janeiro (mountains)
  • Lacronia ricardoi Kury, 2003 – São Paulo (southern coast)
  • Lacronia serripes (Mello-Leitão, 1923) – São Paulo (islands in northern coast)

Ecological remarks

Lacronia ceci is the first species of the genus to be found in highlands away from the coast. The other three species of Lacronia are known from coastal environments: Lacronia serripes is known only from small islands. The other two were found in continental "restinga" biome. Individuals of both sexes of Lacronia ceci were found inside bamboo (Guadua taguara) hollows or in immediately surrounding areas. No individuals were found in other locations during diurnal collectings. Lacronia camboriu and L. ricardoi were found inside bromeliads, suggesting that the species of this genus are related to phytotelmata (Kury & Orrico, 2006).

References

  • Kury, A. B., 2003a. Annotated catalogue of the Laniatores of the New World (Arachnida, Opiliones). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología, vol. especial monográfico 1: 1-337.
  • Kury, A. B., 2003b. Two new species of Lacronia Strand from Southern Brazil (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae, Pachylinae). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 7: 29-37.
  • Kury, A. B. & Orrico, Victor G. D., 2006. A new species of Lacronia Strand, 1942 from the highlands of Rio de Janeiro (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae, Pachylinae). Revista Ibérica de Aracnologia, Zaragoza 13: 147-153.
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