Schismatothele modesta ( Simon 1889 ) Simon, 1889

Guadanucci, José Paulo Leite & Weinmann, Dirk, 2014, The spider genera Euthycaelus Simon and Schismatothele Karsch (Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae), Zootaxa 3795 (3), pp. 275-288 : 284-285

Schismatothele modesta ( Simon 1889) comb.nov.

( Figs 6 A–F; Table 8 )

Hapalopus modestus Simon 1889: 218 (description of ♂). Hemiercus modestus: Simon 1903: 929 ; Rudloff 1997: 14.

Type material. Holotype ♂, MNHN 8207, Naricual, Venezuela, examined.

Diagnosis. Males differ from those of other species by the aspect of the male palpal bulb ( Figs 6 A–C), which bears a short and straight embolus, a small apical paraembolic apophysis and a dorsal keel; by the aspect of the tibial apophysis ( Fig. 6 D), with a short and curved retrolateral branch.

Description. Male (SMF).Total length: 16.5. Carapace: length 7.2; width 5.6. Eye tubercle: length 0.9; width 1.1. Labium: length 0.8; width 1.3. Sternum: length 3.1; width 2.9. Basal segment of chelicerae with 8 teeth. Labium subquadrate, with ca. 110 cuspules. Maxillae each with ca. 80 cuspules. Thoracic fovea straight. Spines: Palp: femur (d) 0-0-p1, tibia (p) ap1, (r) 7 thick spines. Legs: I: femur (d) 0-p1-p1, tibia (p) 0-0-1, (v) 1-2-1, metatarsus (v) 1-2-ap1; II: femur (d) 0-0-p2, tibia (p) 0-1-0, (v) 2-2-ap2, metatarsus (v) 0-2-ap1; III: femur (d) 0-0- 2, patella (p) 2, tibia (r) 1-1-0, (v) 3-2-ap3, (p) 0-1-0, metatarsus (r) 0-1-1, (v) 2-1-ap4, (p) 1-1-1; IV: femur (d) 0-0- r1, tibia (v) 3-2-ap4, (r) 1-1-0, metatarsus (v) 2-2-ap3, (p) 1-1-1, (r) 0-1-1. Palpal bulb with short embolus, one small keel dorsally near embolus, small apical keel ventrally. Paraembolic apophysis small ( Figs 6 A–C). Palpal tibia swollen, with short spines ( Figs 6 E, F). Retrolateral branch of tibial spur short and slightly curved, wide tip, with spine inserted on its mid-portion, prolateral branch same size of contiguous spine ( Fig. 6 D). Metatarsus I bends retrolaterally to tibial spur. Metatarsal scopulae extent (ventral surfaces only): I, for distal ¾; II, for more than distal half; III, for distal half; IV, for less than half. Tarsal scopulae (ventral surfaces only): I–II, entire with longitudinal band of thick setae; III–IV, divided by longitudinal band of thick setae. Paired tarsal claws without teeth.

Females unknown.

Additional material. VENEZUELA: Isla Margarita: 1♂, SMF, 2004, S. Huber leg.

Remarks. In the original description, Simon (1889) states Naricual Valley, in Colombia, as the type locality. However, this description is in Simon’s publication entitled ‘Voyage de M. E. Simon au Venezuela …’. In Venezuela, there is indeed a locality named Naricual, which is close to Isla Margarita. The similarity of the specimens from Isla Margarita and Naricual, both in Venezuela, suggests that Simon described this species from Venezuela. Due to the poor condition of the type, we used a different specimen from the type locality to describe the species, as they share all characters of specific significance.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Schismatothele modesta (Simon 1889). A – C. Male palpal bulb, prolateral view arrow showing paraembolic keel (A), retrolateral (B), and dorsal (C) views. D. Male, leg I, tibial apophysis, ventro-prolateral view. E, F. Male palpal tibia, ventral (E) and retrolateral (F) views. Scale = 1 mm.

Tables

TABLE 8. Schismatothele modesta (Simon, 1889), male (SMF), length of left palp and leg segments.

	Palp	Leg I	Leg II	Leg III	Leg IV
Femur	3.4	5.2	4.6	4.2	5.6
Patella	1.9	3.3	2.7	2.3	2.7
Tibia	2.3	4.1	3.1	2.5	4.3
Metatarsus	-	3.4	3.2	3.4	5.7
Tarsus	1.5	2.4	2.4	2.3	2.8
Total	9.1	18.4	16	14.7	21.1