Taxonomic revision of the Andean harvestman genus Rhaucus Simon, 1879 (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cosmetidae)

Abstract

The Andean genus Rhaucus Simon 1879 is revised. Five valid species are recognized, including Rhaucus florezi sp. nov. The following nomenclatural acts are proposed. At genus level: Megarhaucus Mello-Leitão, 1941, Neorhaucus Pickard-Cambridge, 1905 and Pararhaucus Pickard-Cambridge, 1905 are considered junior subjective synonyms of Rhaucus. At species level: Neorhaucus aurolineatus Pickard-Cambridge, 1905 is considered a junior subjective synonym of Rhaucus vulneratus Simon, 1879; Rhaucus (Rhaucus) tristis Sørensen, 1932, Rhaucus (Rhaucus) muticus Sørensen, 1932 and Pararhaucus obscurus Pickard-Cambridge, 1905 are considered junior subjective synonyms of Rhaucus quinquelineatus Simon, 1879 (the latter combination is restored from current combination Flirtea quinquelineata); Flirtea paucimaculata Roewer, 1963, Rhaucus (Rhaucus) geographicus Sørensen, 1932, Metarhaucus reticulatus Roewer, 1912 and Metarhaucus fuscus Pickard-Cambridge, 1905 are considered junior subjective synonyms of Erginus serripes Simon, 1879 (that is here combined as Rhaucus serripes comb. rest.). Megarhaucus robustus Mello-Leitão, 1941 is newly combined as Rhaucus robustus (Mello-Leitão, 1941) comb. nov. Distribution maps of the species are provided. The new term multicapitate apophysis (mca) is introduced here for a special type of apophysis on coxa IV of males.