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Issue: Vol. 5862 No. 2: 5 Aug. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-08-05
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5862.2.3
Page range: 245-270
Abstract views: 171
PDF downloaded: 25

The genus Kimula (Opiliones: Laniatores: Kimulidae) in Puerto Rico, Greater Antilles

División Aracnología; Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” / CONICET. Av. Ángel Gallardo 470 C1405DJR; Buenos Aires; Argentina.
Arachnology Lab; Division of Invertebrate Zoology; American Museum of Natural History; Central Park West at 79th Street; New York; NY 10024-5192; USA.
División Aracnología; Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” / CONICET. Av. Ángel Gallardo 470 C1405DJR; Buenos Aires; Argentina.
Opiliones Antillean diversity Taxonomy El Yunque National Forest genital morphology

Abstract

The Antillean endemic harvestman genus Kimula, was originally established to accommodate the single Puerto Rican species Kimula elongata, the type species of the type genus of Kimulidae. The genus and the species were originally described based only on external morphology, neglecting genital characters, and thus preventing accurate identification and delimitation of the genus and the family. Here, we used an integrative approach, combining morphological observations, a phylogenetic analysis of four molecular markers (COI, 18S, 28S, and H3), and a genetic distance analysis of COI gene sequences from three K. elongata populations found in Puerto Rico to delimit the species. The analysis supports the recognition of a new species within the genus. We describe the new species Kimula boriquen sp. nov. from El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico and provide a detailed redescription of K. elongata, including the first description and illustration of its male genital morphology. Based on the morphology of these two Puerto Rican species, we propose an updated diagnosis for Kimula sensu stricto, which may guide future revisions of the genus.

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How to Cite

Pereira, M.P., Colmenares, P.A. & Pérez-González, A. (2026) The genus Kimula (Opiliones: Laniatores: Kimulidae) in Puerto Rico, Greater Antilles. Zootaxa, 5862 (2), 245–270. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5862.2.3