Tropicosa baguala sp. nov.

(Figs 1–6, 30)

Type material. Male holotype from Parque Estadual Itapu „, Viam„o, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, ca. 30°20'42"S 51°01'31"W, 28.v.2004, A.C.K. Ferreira leg. (MCTP 18040). Female paratype, same locality and collector, 29.vii.2003 (MCTP 18025) .

Etymology. The species name came from the southern Brazilian popular interjection “ bagual ”, which is used to nominate something extremely big, plus feminine “a” in concordance to genitive of the genus name.

Other material examined. BRAZIL: Rio Grande do Sul: 1♁, Uruguaiana, Imbaá, ca. 29°43'17"S 56°56'24"W, i.2009, R. Alves leg. (MCTP 26336) ; 1♁, ditto (MCTP 26337); 1 ♁, ditto (MCTP 26338); 1 ♁, ditto (MCTP 26339); 1 ♁, ditto (MCTP 26355); 1♁, Cidreira, Dunas, ca. 30°10'22"S 50°13'01"W, 17.iv.2003, J.A.M. Pinto leg. (MCTP 33970) ; 1♁, Viamão, Parque Estadual Itapuã, ca . 30°20'42"S 51°01'31"W, 08.ix.2003, (MCTP 18042); 1 ♁, ditto (MCTP 18044); 1 ♁, ditto, 12.vi.2004, (MCTP 18045); 2 ♁, ditto, 14.v.2004, (MCTP 18041); 6 ♁, ditto, 15.vii.2003, (MCTP 18022); 3 ♁, ditto (MCTP 18026); 1 ♁ 1♀, ditto (MCTP 19702); 1 ♁, ditto, 21.x.2003, (MCTP 18036); 1 ♁, ditto, 22.ix.2003, (MCTP 18033); 1 ♁, ditto (MCTP 18034); 1 ♁, ditto, 26.vi.2004, (MCTP 18023); 1 ♁, ditto (MCTP 18032); 1♀, ditto (MCTP 19701); 1 ♁, ditto, 28.v.2004, (MCTP 18037); 1 ♁, ditto (MCTP 18039); 1 ♁, ditto (MCTP 18040); 1 ♁, ditto (MCTP 18043); 1 ♁, ditto, 29.vii.2003, (MCTP 18025); 1♀, ditto (MCTP 18027); 1 ♁, ditto (MCTP 18029); 1 ♁, ditto (MCTP 18030); 1 ♁, ditto (MCTP 18046); 2 ♁, ditto (MCTP 18038); 1 ♁, ditto, 30.iv.2004, (MCTP 18028), all collected by A.C.K. Ferreira.

Diagnosis. Males of Tropicosa baguala sp. nov. are recognizable by the large, spoon-shaped tegular lobe with three marginal ridges (Fig. 5a, b, g); the broad, triangular ventral process of median apophysis and by the absence of a subterminal apophysis (Fig. 5e, h). Females can be recognized by the short, parallel triangular hoods of the epigynum (Figs 1a, b, 2c) and by the wider median septum (Fig. 1d).

Description. Male. Holotype (MCTP 18040). Color in ethanol (Fig. 6a‒g): Carapace brown, covered by short white bristles except on the longitudinal median band. Longitudinal median band yellow, uniform towards the back (Fig. 6a). Ocular area black, covered with dense white bristles; pars cephalica covered by sparse, large white bristles (Fig. 6b, d). Chillum membranous, divided by a sclerotized mesal portion. Cheliceral basal condyle large, cheliceral fang with no protrusion. Sternum yellow and longer than wide, covered by short, black, and sparse bristles (Fig. 6e). Labium darker at the base, endites and labium clearer in their distal portion. Legs: all segments background yellow except femora, which have irregular stripes (Fig. 6c). Opisthosoma all covered by tiny white bristles and sparse black bristles; dorsum olive with a yellow heart mark flanked by two dark, irregular stripes. Chevron marks among the heart mark and spinnerets (Fig. 6a). Group of strong, curved, white and black bristles covering the dorsal anterior part, near the prosoma. Venter yellow, sparsely covered by black bristles and black dots; anterior spinnerets thicker and darker than posterior ones; all spinnerets cylindrical (Fig. 5i).

Cymbium piriform with a bunch of setae apically (Fig. 5b). Subtegulum short and rounded, curved sperm ducts clearly visible. Ventral process of median apophysis triangular and pointed (Fig. 4d); median apophysis curved apically (Figs 4a, 5b). Terminal apophysis hyaline, curved and with almost the same width along its entire length (Fig. 4b). Palea rounded, expanded, and partially sclerotized (Fig. 5e, h). Embolus slender, tip hidden in ventral view, visible in apical view (Fig. 5h). Tegular lobe broad, with three irregular protuberances (Fig. 5g).

Leg formula IV>I>II>III. Spination pattern: femur I p 0-0-2 d 1-1-1 r 2d-0-d1, II p d1-d1 d 1-1-1 r 2d-0-1, III p d1-d1 d 1-1-1 r d1-d1-d1, IV p d1-d1 d 1-1-1 r 0-0-d1; patella I d 1bristle-1bristle, II p 1 d 1bristle-1bristle, IIIIV p 1 d 1bristle-1bristle r 1; tibia I-II p d1-1 d 1bristle-1bristle v 2-2-2ap r 1-1, III-IV p d1-1 d r1-1 r 1-1 v 2-2-2ap; metatarsus I-II p 0-d1-d1 d 1bristle-1 bristle r 0-d1-d1 v 2-2-1ap, III-IV p d1-d1-2 d 1bristle-0 r d1-d1-2 v 2-2-1ap.

Measurements: TL 11.81, CL 5.62, CCW 2.26, CTW 3.80, CCH 2.0, CTH 2.14. Eyes: AME 0.22, ALE 0.19, PME 0.59, PLE 0.52, AME-AME 0.12, AME-ALE 0.12, PME-PME 0.29, POQ length 0.94, POQ posterior width 1.35, POQ anterior width 0.84, AER 1.02, PER 1.26. Opisthosoma length 6.20, width 3.40. Pedipalp segments: 1.94+0.62+0.56+1.09=4.21. Legs: I 4.70 + 2.08 + 3.99 + 3.92 + 2.33 = 17.02, II 4.10 + 1.80 + 3.42 + 3.69 + 2.19 = 15.20, III 3.98 + 1.42 + 2.98 + 4.07 + 1.78 = 14.23, IV 4.98 + 2.03 + 4.27 + 5.90 + 2.43 = 19.61.

Female. Paratype (MCTP 18025). Color in ethanol (Fig. 3a‒g): Prosoma and opisthosoma, and chelicerae as in male. Chillum membranous and divided, basal condyle as in male. Sternum longer than wide, yellow, with fuzzy transversal dark stripe; sternum covered by short, black, and sparsely distributed bristles; endites yellow and convergent; labium darker than the endites; both endites and labium yellowish in their distal portion. Legs: All segments as in male, spinules abundant on tarsus IV (Fig. 3g). Opisthosoma: dorsum light olive, covered by tiny white and median black bristles (Fig. 3a); pattern in dorsal and ventral area as in male, except females have a conical pale band inside a wide yellowish band; spinnerets as in male.

Epigyne (Figs 1‒2): width of transversal septum almost equal to median septum (Figs 1a, 2d). Hoods shallow and triangular (Fig. 1b). Transversal septum straight, with rounded borders (Figs 1a, 2a). The copulatory opening is in the narrowest part between the median and transversal septum (Fig. 2d). Internal genitalia: fertilization ducts membranous. Head of spermatheca triangular, with bud-like projections (Figs 1b, 2b); stalk of spermatheca straight, base of spermatheca short and bulbous (Fig. 1b).

Leg formula IV>I>II>III. Spination pattern: femur I p 0-0-2 d 1-1-1 r d1-d1-0-d1 II p 0-d1-d1 d 1-1-1 r 0-1d-1d, III p d1-1d d 1-1-1 r d1-d1-d1, IV p d1-d1 d 1-1-1 r 0-0-d1; patella I d 1bristle-1 bristle, II p 1 d 1bristle-1 bristle, III p 1 d 1bristle-1ap r 1, IV p 1 d 1 bristle-1bristle r 1; tibia I p 0-1-0 d 1 1bristle1-1bristle v 2-2-2ap, II p d1-1 d 1bristle-1bristle v 2-2-2ap, III-IV p d1-1 d r1-1 r d1-1 v 2-2-2ap; metatarsus I p 0-0-1 d 2bristles-1 bristle-0 v 2-2-1ap r 0-0-1, II p 0-d1-2ap d 2bristles-1bristle-0 v 2-2-1ap r 0-0-1, III p d1-d1-2ap d 1bristle-1bristle r d1-d1-0-2ap v 2-2-1ap, IV p d1-d1-2ap d 1bristle-1bristle r d1-d1-2ap v 2-2-1-2ap.

Measurements: TL 6.72, CL 3.33, CCW 1.44, CTW 2.30, CCH 1.15, CTH 1.02 (2.14). Eyes: AME 0.15, ALE 0.11, PME 0.35, PLE 0.29, AME-AME 0.09, AME-ALE 0.07, PME-PME 0.21, POQ length 0.58, POQ posterior width 0.81, POQ anterior width 0.54, AER 1.07, PER 1.31. Opisthosoma length 3.39, width 2.90. Pedipalp segments: 1.14 + 0.45 + 0.57 + 0.86 = 3.02. Legs: I 2.25 + 1.06 + 1.69 + 1.73 + 1.12 = 7.85, II 2.16 + 1.16 + 1.60 + 1.63 + 1.06 = 7.61, III 2.05 + 1.02 + 1.51 + 1.87 + 1.14 = 7.59, IV 2.48 + 1.10 + 2.19 + 2.99 + 1.40 = 10.16

Variation. Males n = 25, range, mean±s.d.: TL 9.55–12.22, 11.03±0.89; CL 4.87–6.22, 5.61±0.38; CW 3.33– 4.78, 4.06±0.38. Females n = 3, range, mean±s.d.: TL 9.44–12.87, 11.28±1.42; CL 4.89–5.56, 5.22±0.27; CW 3.11–4.00, 3.59±0.37.

Distribution. Southern Brazil and Argentina (Fig. 30).