Metalacurbs foordi sp. nov., a new Lacurbsinae (Opiliones, Laniatores, Biantidae) from Ankasa National Park, Ghana

By

Pérez González, Abel
Mamani, Vanesa

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024-12-4

Original Publication

African invertebrates : a journal of biodiversity research

Volume

65

Series / Issue

Issue: 2

Pages

199--211

Subjects

Afrotropical region , genitalia , harvestmen , new species , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa Council of the Natal Museum 2001-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/afrinvertebr.65.138398

 

Abstract

Despite being one of the most conspicuous African opilionids, the members of Lacurbsinae remain one of the least known groups of harvestmen species. All eight previously-known species of Lacurbsinae are inadequately described and poorly illustrated, leaving the morphological characteristics of this subfamily obscure. After more than half a century, we describe a new species of Lacurbsinae. Metalacurbs foordisp. nov. is described, based on a male specimen collected in Ankasa National Park, Ghana, with a detailed description and illustration of its external and genital morphology. This marks the first modern taxonomic description of a species within Lacurbsinae, including an illustration and description of the male genital morphology, a crucial modern taxonomic characteristic for Opiliones and represents a starting point for the taxonomic revision of the subfamily.