Matta Crosby, 1934

Brescovit, Antonio D. & Cizauskas, Igor, 2019, Seven new species of the spider genus Matta Crosby from caves in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil (Araneae, Tetrablemmidae), Zootaxa 4559 (3), pp. 401-444 : 402-403

Matta Crosby, 1934

Matta Crosby, 1934: 20 (Type species, M. hambletoni Crosby, 1934 ).

Diagnosis. Species of the genus Matta can be distinguished from other Neotropical Tetrablemmidae by having only the two eyes, separated ( Figs 23A , 27A ) or fused ( Figs. 2A , 16A , see Lehtinen, 1981, figs. 297-298). The eyes may be absent ( Figs 7A , 14A ) and the species could be confused only with Monoblemma blind Neotropical species (see Brignoli, 1978, fig 5), but differed by the strongly raised carapace ( Figure 2B ) and male palp with embolic projection and conductor ( Fig. 3B, F ). Matta species exhibit high carapace and apophysis in the male chelicerae as in Caraimata species (see Lehtinen, 1981, figs 304-305), but can be distinguished from this genus by the presence of a pair or absence of eyes, while species of Caraimata having four eyes (see Lehtinen, 1981, fig 299, 302).

Composition. Ten species: Matta hambletoni Crosby ; M. angelomachadoi Brescovit ; M. mackenziei Shear ; M. zuiuda sp. n., Matta pititinha sp. n., Matta humhum sp. n., Matta cambito sp. n., Matta humrrum sp. n., Matta nuusga sp. n., and Matta teteia sp. n.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Matta zuiuda sp. n., male IBSP 186465 (A–F), A carapace, frontal view B lateral view C ocular area, frontal view D chelicerae, apophysis, frontal view E chelicerae, apophysis, detail, frontal view F chelicerae, apophysis, lateral view.

FIGURE 3. Matta zuiuda sp. n., male palp, IBSP 186465 (A–F), A prolateral view B retrolateral C distal area, prolateral view D same, retrolateral view E same, ventral view F same, frontal view (Abreviations: C, conductor; E, embolus; Pe, projection of embolus).

FIGURE 7. Matta pititinha sp. n., male IBSP 196145 (A–F), A carapace, frontal view B chelicerae, details, frontal view C same, lateral view D carapace, lateral view E leg I, retrolateral view F same, prolateral view.

FIGURE 14. Matta humhum sp. n., female IBSP 186519 (A–F), A carapace, frontal view B same, lateral view C carapace, setae dorsal, lateral view D thoracic groove, detail, dorsal view E carapace, lateral view F pedipalp, distal area G abdomen ventral area H same, vulva plate.

FIGURE 16. Matta cambito sp. n., male IBSP 196166 A carapace, frontal view B chelicerae, frontal view C carapace, lateral view D same, detail chelicerae, lateral view E same, dorsal view F same, ocular area, detail, frontal view G abdomen, ventral view H same, epiandrous area, ventral view.

FIGURE 23. Matta nuusga sp. n., male IBSP 186512 A carapace, frontal view B chelicerae, frontal view C carapace, ocular area, dorsal view D chelicerae, detail, lateral view E leg I, prolateral view F same, retrolateral view.

FIGURE 27. Matta teteia sp. n., male IBSP 196165 A carapace, frontal view B same, chelicerae, lateral view C same, ocular area, dorsal view D palpal tibiae, lateral view E leg I, prolateral view F same, retrolateral view.