Falconina catirina, García & Bonaldo, 2023

García, Fabián & Bonaldo, Alexandre B., 2023, Taxonomic revision of the soldier spider genus Falconina Brignoli, 1985 (Araneae: Corinnidae: Corinninae), Zootaxa 5343 (3), pp. 201-242 : 233-234

Falconina catirina sp. nov.

Figs 17C–D , 18C–D , 24

Type material. Holotype ♂: BRAZIL: Piauí: Piracuruca, Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades , [S4.09586°, W41.73217°, 173 m], L.S. Carvalho leg., 2.II.2007 ( MPEG 37219 ).

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition in honor of José Ferreira do Egito (nicknamed “Catirina”), a well-known figure of the Northern Piaui folklore, who lived as a hermit inside the arenitic caverns of the Sete Cidades National Park, the type locality.

Diagnosis. Males of Falconina catirina sp. nov. are similar to those of F. iza sp. nov. by the well-developed RTA median lobe and by the small, triangular dorsal lobe. They differ by the longer, sub-rectangular median lobe, with rounded apices ( Figs 17D , 18D ), and by the smaller, medially inserted comma-shaped embolus, with compact embolar process ( Figs 17C , 18C ).

Description. Male (MPEG 37219). Carapace reddish-brown, with darker cephalic region and dark brown borders. Chelicerae, labium, and endites reddish-brown. Sternum orangish-brown. Legs reddish-brown, with femora dark brown. Abdomen reddish-brown, scutum orangish-brown, almost reaching middle of abdomen. Total length: 3.892. Carapace 2.754 long, 2.184 wide. Clypeus height 0.300. Eye diameters: AME 0.178, ALE 0.104, PME 0.135, PLE 0.126. Interocular distances AME-AME 0.091, AME-ALE 0.062, PME-PME 0.197, PME-PLE 0.147 ALE-PLE 0.034, PME-AME 0.069. Chelicerae with three promarginal teeth, the second two times longer, and four retromarginal teeth. Sternum 0.958 long, 0.939 wide. Leg measurements I—2.273, 0.623, 1.822, 1.621, 1.517, 7.856; II—2.083, 0.663, 1.910, 1.701, 1.302, 7.659; III—2.136, 0.561, 1.668, 2.127, 1.324, 8.816; IV—2.894, 0.806, 2.279, 2.868, 1.574, 10.421. Abdomen 1.897 long, 1.148 wide. Leg spination I—femur d 1-2-2; p 0-0-1; r 0-0-0; v 0-0-2; tibia d 0-0-0; p 1-1-1; r 0-0-0; v 2-2-2-2-2; metatarsus d 0-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-0; v 2-2-2; II—femur d 1-2-2; p 0-0-0; r 0-1-1-1; v 0-0-0; tibia d 2-2-2; p 0-0-0; r 1-1; v 2-2-2-2; metatarsus d 2-2-2; p 0-0-0; r 1-1; v 2-2-2; III—femur d 1-2-2-2; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-0; v 0-0-2; tibia d 2-2-2; p 0-0-1; r 1-1; v 2-2-2; metatarsus d 2-2-2; p 1-1; r 1-1-1; v 2-2-2; IV—femur d 1-2-2; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-0; v 0-0-2; tibia d 2-2-2; p 1-1; r 1-1; v 2-2-0; metatarsus d 2-2-2; p 1-1; r 1-1-1; v 2-2-2. Male palp. Tibia almost half of cymbium length. Three lobes. Ventral lobe with well-developed dorsal process (dVL), a long and thin apical spur, longer than both medial and dorsal lobes, displaced dorsally. Median lobe well-developed, sub-rectangular. Dorsal lobe smaller than median lobe ( Figs 17C–D , 18C–D ). Cymbium with retrolateral basal process, relatively small in ventral view, covered by dorsal lobe in retrolateral view. Basal prolateral process present, small. Spermophore with two ventral folds. Embolus comma-shaped, medially inserted, longer than conductor. Tegular process small, sub-triangular, with rounded apex, contiguous to embolus. Embolar process small, with prolateral apices projected towards embolus ( Figs 17D , 18D ).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality ( Fig. 24 ).

Figures

FIGURE 17. Falconina spp.: A, B Falconina iza sp. nov., male holotype (MCN 10.582): A palp, ventral view; B palp, retrolateral view. C, D Falconina catirina sp. nov., male holotype (MPEG 37219): C palp, ventral view; D palp, retrolateral view. Abbreviations AS, apical spur; C, conductor; CRP, cymbial retrolateral basal process; E, embolus; EP, embolar process; dVL, dorsal lobe of the ventral lobe of the retrolateral tibial apophysis; DL, dorsal lobe of the retrolateral tibial apophysis; ML, median lobe of the retrolateral tibial apophysis; TP, tegular process; VL, ventral lobe of the retrolateral tibial apophysis. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 18. Falconina spp.:A, B Falconina iza sp. nov., male holotype (MCN 10.582):A palp, ventral view; B palp, retrolateral view. C, D Falconina catirina sp. nov., male holotype (MPEG 37219): A palp, ventral view; B palp, retrolateral view. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 24. Known geographical distribution of Falconina species (except Falconina gracilis).