Myrmecotypus rapaxoides, Silva-Junior & Bonaldo, 2024

Silva-Junior, Cláudio J. & Bonaldo, Alexandre B., 2024, A revision of the South American species of the ant-mimicking spider genus Myrmecotypus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1894 (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae), Zootaxa 5555 (4), pp. 451-496 : 489-493

Myrmecotypus rapaxoides spec. nov.

Figs 24A–J

Type material. Holotype, ♂, BRAZIL: Amazonas , Coari, Porto Urucu, 04°52’16.1’’S, 65°19’45.9’’W, 27.X.2008, L.S. Carvalho, J.A.M. Fernandes, D.F. Candiani, S.C. Dias & A.B. Bonaldo leg. ( MPEG ( ARA)38947).

Paratypes: BRAZIL: Amazonas , Coari, Porto Urucu, 04°53’0’’S, 65°20’13.1’’W, 1♀, 27.X.2008, L.S. Carvalho, J.A.M. Fernandes, D.F. Candiani, S.C. Dias & A.B. Bonaldo leg. ( MPEG ( ARA)38948); Amazonas, Manaus, Reserva Ducke, 1♀, 26.VII.1992, J. Adis leg. ( IBSP, IB-10736 ) .

Etymology. The specific name derives from the combination of the name “ rapax ” and the suffix “-oīdēs” (Latin), referring to the general similarity of this species to the ant Camponotus rapax (Fabricius, 1804) .

Diagnosis. Males of Myrmecotypus rapaxoides spec. nov. resemble those of M. tahyinandu in having an elongated and narrow thoracic region and male palp with a narrow sperm duct, nearly the same width as the embolus, but differs by the absence of the prolateral pre-embolic ridge and keels in the embolus (both present in M. tahyinandu ) (compare Figs 24G, H with 6G, H). Females resemble those of M. tahyinandu by the recurved epigynal transverse ridge, with large marginal sclerotized area, but it differs by the absence of a groove below the epigynal ridge (compare Figs 24I, J with 6I, J) and in having a dorsally white abdomen and a white spot below the epigastric groove (black without markings in M. tahyinandu ; compare Figs 24D–F with 6D–F).

Description. Male (holotype). Total length 7.99. Carapace 4.60 long, 1.53 wide. Sternum 2.23 long, 0.76 wide. Abdomen 3.10 long, 1.85 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.17, ALE 0.07, PME 0.10, PLE 0.11. Eye inter-distances: AME-AME 0.11, AME-ALE 0.04, ALE-PLE 0.13, PME-PME 0.19, PME-PLE 0.15, AME-PME 0.13. Carapace long and narrow, dark-brown, with strong constriction between cephalic and thoracic regions, covered with feathery hairs, reinforced on sides and anteriorly. Endites brownish, with promargin yellowish, labium brownish, with distal area yellow. Chelicerae dark-brown, three promarginal teeth of different sizes, middle largest, and two equal and equidistant retromarginal teeth. Sternum brownish, elongate and narrower between legs III. Abdomen elongate, with nearly complete yellowish dorsal scute covered in feathery and long hairs. Ventral scute quadrangular-shaped, yellowish, tracheal scute yellowish-brown. Coxae I and II translucent white, III and IV dark-brown. Femora I and II white, proximal area darker, darker ventrolaterally and dorsally; patellae and tibiae I and II white dorsally and ventrally, darker pro- and retrolaterally; metatarsi I and II darker, tarsi I and II white. Legs III and IV dark-brown, with tarsi white. Leg measurements: I—femur 2.38 / tibia 2.67 / metatarsus 2.00; II—femur 2.13 / tibia 2.13 / metatarsus 1.70; III—femur 2.60 / tibia 2.02 / metatarsus 1.81; IV—femur 3.89 / tibia 2.76 / metatarsus 2.93. Spination: I-femur do 1-0-1-1, rl 1-0-0-0; tibia ve 2-2-2 (3-3); metatarsus ve 2-2/ II-femur do 1-0-1-1, r 1-0-0-0; tibia ve 2-2-2; metatarsus ve 2-2/ III-femur do 1-0-1-1; pl 1-0-0-1; rl 1-0-0-1; tibia do 0-0-1, pl 1-0-1, rl 1-0-1; ve 2-2; metatarsus pl 1-1-0, rl 1-1-0, ve 2-2/ IV-femur do 0-1-1-1, pl 0-1-0-1; tibia do 0-0-1, pl 1-0-1, rl 1-0-1, ve p 1-0-1; metatarsus pl 1-1-0-1, rl 1-1-0-1, ve 2-2. Palp with RTA short and spiniform; globose genital bulb drawn into long neck, ending in small, twisted embolus ( Figs 24G, H ).

Female (MPEG(ARA)38948). Total length 8.73. Carapace 4.93 long, 1.50 wide. Sternum 2.28 long, 0.87 wide. Abdomen 3.58 long, 2.04 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.18, ALE 0.07, PME 0.09, PLE 0.08. Eye inter-distances: AME-AME 0.10, AME-ALE 0.05, ALE-PLE 0.12, PME-PME 0.20, PME-PLE 0.17, AME-PME 0.17. Carapace color and shape as in male. Endites and labium brown. Chelicerae dark-brown, three promarginal teeth of different sizes, middle largest, two equal and equidistant retromarginal teeth. Sternum as in male. Abdomen elongate, dorsal scute indistinguishable dorsally, with four dark transverse bands (from middle to posterior area), one large spot in middle ventrally, two white spots ventrolaterally, feathers and long hairs covering as in male. Coxae I and II translucent white, III and IV dark brown. Femora I and II white on pro- and retromargin, with two brown ventrolateral lines, brown dorsally; patellae, tibiae and tarsi white; metatarsi yellowish-brown. Legs III and IV yellowish-brown with patella white ventrally. Leg measurements: I—femur 2.41 / tibia 2.60 / metatarsus 1.94; II—femur 2.12 / tibia 2.18 / metatarsus 1.66; III—femur 2.53 / tibia 2.04 / metatarsus 1.77; IV—femur 3.95 / tibia 2.88 / metatarsus 2.89. Spination: I-femur do 1-0-1-1, rl 1-0-0-0; tibia ve 2-2-2 (3-3); metatarsus ve 2-2/ II- femur do 1-0-1-1, r 1-0-0-0; tibia ve 2-2-2; metatarsus ve 2-2/ III-femur do 1-0-1-1; pl 1-0-0-1; rl 1-0-0-1; tibia do 0-0-1, pl 1-0-1, rl 1-0-1; ve 2-2; metatarsus pl 1-1-0, rl 1-1-0, ve 2-2/ IV-femur do 0-1-1-1, pl 0-1-0-1; tibia do 0-0-1, pl 1-0-1, rl 1-0-1, ve p 1-0- 1; metatarsus pl 1-1-0-1, rl 1-1-0-1, ve 2-2. Epigyne with transverse ridge recurved, with large marginal sclerotized area. Vulva with two moderately large, globose spermathecae with short necks, ST II larger than ST I. Copulatory duct moderately thin, inserted laterally ( Figs 24I, J ).

Other material. Only the types.

Distribution. Amazonas, Brazil ( Fig. 27 )

Figures

FIGURE 24. Myrmecotypus rapaxoides spec. nov. A–C, G ̶I holotype male ((MPEG(ARA)38947), D–F, J–K. paratype female paratype (MPEG(ARA)38948). A male, dorsal view; B same, lateral view; C same, ventral view; D female, dorsal view; E, same, lateral view; F same, ventral view; G male palp, ventral view; H same, retrolateral view; I female epigyne, ventral view; J same, dorsal view. Abbreviations: E, embolus; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; CD, copulatory duct; ST II, secondary spermathecae, ST I, primary spermathecae; FD, fertilization duct. Scale: 1 mm.

FIGURE 27. Distribution records of species of Myrmecotypus.