Architis helveola (Simon, 1898)

Santos, Adalberto J., 2007, A revision of the Neotropical nursery-web spider genus Architis (Araneae: Pisauridae), Zootaxa 1578 (1), pp. 1-40 : 24-26

Architis helveola (Simon, 1898)

Figures 12A–E, 17

Sisenna helveola Simon 1898b: 12 . Simon 1898a: 292, figs 290–291.

Sisenna helvola Simon. Roewer 1954: 123 ; Bonnet 1958: 4065 (invalid emendation).

Architis helveola (Simon) . Carico 1993: 202–204, figs 1–4, table 1; Platnick 1998: 594.

Type material. Lectotype: male (designated by Carico 1993), São Paulo de Olivença, state of Amazonas, Brazil, 3 o 27’S, 68 o 48’W ( MNHN 6895 )(examined) . Paralectotype: female, data as lectotype ( MNHN 6895 )(examined) .

Additional material examined. BRAZIL: Mato Grosso: Diamantino ( Rio Arinos ), 16 o 31’S, 53 o 13’W, October 1983, A. Cerrutti, 1♀ ( MNRJ 3823 ) . Bahia: Una ( Reserva Biológica do Una ), 15 o 18’S, 39 o 4’W, 15– 28 November 2000, A.D. Brescovit et al., 2♀ ( IBSP 45232 , 47341 ) . COLOMBIA: Vaupés: Mitú , 01 o 08’N, 70 o 03’W, 9–15 July 1990, L.E. Peña, 1♀ ( AMNH) . ECUADOR: Francisco de Orellana: ( Reserva Étnica Waorani , 1 km S Onkone Gare Camp), 00 o 39’25.7”S, 76 o 27’10.8”W, 20 January 1994, T.L. Erwin et al., 1♂, 2♀ ( USNM) .

Diagnosis. The males of Architis helveola share with those of A. tenuipes the VTA which is articulated with the apex of the pedipalpal tibia ( Figs 9A, B, 12B, C), but differ by the small vRTA which is not fused to the VTA ( Figs 12B, C). Females can be distinguished from all other Architis by the medially projected lateral lobes of the epigynum which cover the anterior half of the median field like a pair of keels ( Fig. 12D) and the non-encapsulated CD which are shorter than the spermathecae ( Fig. 12E).

Description

Male ( based on lectotype from São Paulo de Olivença, Brazil)

Body and legs homogeneously cream-coloured. Anterior eye row procurved, eyes of similar size, laterals projecting ventrally. Posterior eyes of similar size, slightly larger than anterior eyes. Femur I with nine pairs of ventral thin spines. Tibia I with five pairs of ventral spines. Tibia I with long and curved dorsal and lateral tri- chobothria. Total length 8.0. Carapace 2.9 long, 2.4 wide. Tibia I length 5.8, II 5.5, III 3.3, IV 3.6. Opisthosoma 5.1 long, 1.1 wide. The embolus apex is wide, flattened and notched ( Fig. 12B).

Female (based on IBSP 45232 from Una, Brazil)

Carapace wide and flattened ( Fig. 12A), orange, with black scales forming two longitudinal median stripes. Eye configuration as male ( Fig. 12A). Chelicerae and sternum cream-coloured, labium and endites orange. Pedipalpi and legs cream-coloured. Leg spination as male. Opisthosoma elongated, gray, dorsum with sparse white guanine spots and black scales ( Fig. 12A). Total length 11.3. Carapace 4.0 long, 3.3 wide. Tibia I length 7.3, II 6.6, III 4.4, IV 4.6. Opisthosoma 6.5 long, 1.4 wide.

Variation. Females, total length 7.5–11.3, carapace width 2.5–3.4.

Natural history. The females from Una (IBSP 45232, 47341) were collected by beating understorey vegetation during the day.

Distribution. Colombia to southeastern Brazil ( Fig. 17).