Schismatothele caeri, Moeller & Weinmann & Guadanucci, 2023

Moeller, Wolf, Weinmann, Dirk & Guadanucci, José Paulo Leite, 2023, Genus Schismatothele Karsch, 1879 (Araneae, Theraphosidae): taxonomic notes and seven new species description, European Journal of Taxonomy 861, pp. 78-112 : 86-88

Schismatothele caeri sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FE78417D-77F4-4EB7-92D0-5F3434FB0B5A

Figs 1–4 , 23–32 , 87 ; Table 1

Diagnosis

Males resemble those of S. hacaritama and S. quimbaya sp. nov. by the palpal bulb without paraembolic apophysis ( Figs 23–26 ) but differ from the absence of a tegulum with ventral processes near the embolus ( Figs 59–62 ) and by the palpal tibia swollen ( Figs 30–31 ). Females resemble those of S. timotocuica sp. nov., by the ventral receptacles of the spermathecae not fused at base ( Fig. 32 ) but differ from the dorsal portion of spermathecae pointing outward, slightly oval ( Figs 32 , 74 ) and absence of abdominal stripes ( Figs 3 , 19 ).

Etymology

The name is in honor of the Arawak indigenous group, natives of northern South America. They called the island of Trinidad ‘Caeri’, which in Arawak language means ‘Island’.

Type material

Holotype TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO • ♂; Trinidad Island , Northern Range; 11 Mar. 2003; D. Weinmann leg.; MZSP 47440 .

Paratype TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; MZSP 47427 .

Only type material known.

Description

Male (holotype MZSP 47440)

COLOR (in alcohol). Carapace, legs and chelicerae dark brown, sternum, labium reddish brown, abdomen light brown ( Figs 1–2 ).

MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 16.39. Chelicerae basal segment: length 2.31. Carapace elongated: length 8.59, width 7.11. Abdomen: length 7.43. Clypeus absent. Eye tubercle slightly elevated, subrectangular: length 0.76, width 1.55. Anterior eye row straight, posterior slightly recurved. Eyes and interdistances: AME 0.34, ALE 0.27, PME 0.28, PLE 0.35, AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.09, ALE– ALE 0.97, PME–PME 0.67, PME–PLE 0.07, PLE–PLE: 1.05, AME–PME 0.11, ALE–PLE 0.11. Thoracic fovea slightly procurved, narrow, and deep: width 0.98. Chelicerae basal segment with nine well-developed teeth on furrow promargin and a group of ca 20 small teeth on proximal area of furrow. Intercheliceral tumescence absent. Maxillae ca 100 cuspules, located on anterior inner corner. Labium trapezoidal: length 0.91, width 1.55, with ca 180 cuspules. Sternum rounded: length 3.88, width 3.72, with three pairs of sigilla, the last one longer than the others with the same distance from the edge.

PALPAL BULB. With piriformis tegulum. Prolateral superior keel displaced to the dorsal area and prolateral inferior keel upwards on the prolateral view. Short and thin embolus pointing upward. Paraembolic apophysis absent, apical keel near the embolus, with small apical striae below ( Figs 23–27 ). Cymbium with two asymmetric lobes, retrolateral larger and wider; prolateral lobe elongated and laterally flattened; retrolateral lobe with a distal retrolateral protrusion. Palpal tibia swollen without concavity, with short spines in a row over a darkened area, separated in two groups, one apical group with 4–5 spines and the other at midline with five spines ( Figs 30–31 ).

LEGS AND PALPS. Tibial spur I: prolatero-ventral spur with two separated branches; retrolateral branch of tibial apophysis curved, much larger and more developed than prolateral branch, similar to Euthycaelus , with a small spine inserted subapicaly. Prolateral branch shorter, recurved with contiguous spine ( Figs 28– 29 ). Metatarsus I bent retrolaterally to tibial spur. Superior tarsal claws without teeth. Tarsal scopulae: I and II entire, III and IV divided by longitudinal band of conical setae. Metatarsal scopulae divided by longitudinal band of thick setae. I–II denser than III–IV, extension: I entire, II on ⅔, III on distal half, IV on less than half. Clavate tarsal trichobothria in two rows, each with ca 10 trichae, interspersed with filiform trichobothria of different lenght. Tarsus IV not cracked. Leg formula 4123 ( Table 1 ).

SPINATION (proximal to distal). Cymbium and tarsi without spines. Palp: femur 0; patella 0; tibia (v)1, (r) 9–10 megaspines. Leg I: femur (p) 0-0-1; patella 0; tibia (v) 1-2-ap1, (p) 1; metatarsus (v) 1-0-ap1, (p) 0-1-0. Leg II: femur 0; patella 0; tibia, (v) 2-3-ap3, (p) 0-0-1; metatarsus (v) 1-1-ap3. Leg III: femur (p) 0-1-2; patela (r) 2; tibia (v) 1-1-ap3, (p) 0-1-1, (r) 1-1-1; metatarsus (v) 1-3-ap3, (p) 0-1-1, (r) 1-1-1. Leg IV: femur (p) 1; patela 0; tibia (v) 2-2-ap3, (p) 1-1-2; metatarsus (v) 1-3-ap2, (p) 0-1-1, (r) 1-1-1.

Female (paratype MZSP 47427)

COLOR (in alcohol). As in male ( Figs 3–4 ).

MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 27.20. Chelicerae basal segment: length 4.89. Carapace elongated: length 8.86, width 7.47.Abdomen: length 12.76. Clypeus absent. Eye tubercle slightly elevated, sub-rectangular: length 0.82, width 1.63. Anterior eye row straight, posterior slightly recurved. Eyes and interdistances: AME 0.42, ALE 0.36, PME 0.30, PLE 0.32, AME–AME 0.22, AME–ALE 0.16, ALE–ALE 1.05, PME– PME 0.72, PME–PLE 0.05, PLE–PLE 1.21, AME–PME 0.11, ALE–PLE 0.14. Thoracic fovea slightly procurved, narrow, deep: width 1.03. Chelicerae basal segment with 8–10 well-developed teeth on furrow promargin, and group of ca 30 small teeth on proximal area of furrow. Intercheliceral tumescence absent. Maxillae whit ca 100 cuspules, located at anterior inner corner. Labium trapezoidal: length 1.19, width 1.81, whit ca 180 cuspules. Sternum rounded: length 4.02, width 4.28, with three pairs of sigilla, the last one longer than the others with the same distance from the edge.

SPERMATHECAE. Heavily sclerotized, composed of two portions, dorsal and ventral unfused. Ventral portion with two digitiform sclerotized receptacles, unfused, slightly recurved. Dorsal portion with two receptacles pointing out, slightly oval with granular aspect ( Fig. 32 ).

LEGS AND PALPS. Superior tarsal claws without teeth. Tarsal scopulae: I entire with longitudinal band of conical setae; II–IV divided by longitudinal band of conical setae. Metatarsal scopulae dense, with longitudinal band of conical setae in I–II and not dense in III–IV, extension: I–II on distal ¾, III on more than distal half, IV on less than half. Clavate tarsal trichobothria in two rows, each with ca 10 trichae, interspersed with filiform trichobothria of different lenght. Tarsus IV not cracked. Leg formula 4123 ( Table 1 ).

SPINATION (proximal to distal). Tarsi without spines. Palp: femur 0; patella 0; tibia (v) ap1. Leg I: femur 0; patella 0; tibia 0; metatarsus (d) 0-1-ap2. Leg II: femur 0; patella 0; tibia 0; metatarsus (d) 0-1- ap3. Leg III: femur 0; patella 0; tibia (d) ap3, (v)0, (p) 1, (r) 0-2-0; metatarsus (d) ap3, (v) 0, (p) 0-1-1, (r) 1-2-1. Leg IV: femur 0; patella 0; tibia (d)0-1-ap2, (p)0-1-1, (r) 0-1-ap1; metatarsus (d) 0-1-ap3, (p) 0-1-1, (r) 0-2-1.

Figures

Figs 1–8. Schismatothele spp. 1–4. Schismatothele caeri sp. nov. 1–2. Holotype, ♂ (MZSP 47440). 1. Dorsal view. 2. Prosoma, ventral view. 3–4. Paratype, ♀ (MZSP 47427). 3. Dorsal view. 4. Prosoma, ventral view. – 5–8. Schismatothele caiquetia sp. nov. 5–6. Holotype, ♂ (MZSP 28423). 5. Dorsal view. 6. Prosoma, ventral view. 7–8. Paratype, ♀ (MZSP 28424). 7. Dorsal view. 8. Prosoma, ventral view. Scale bars = 10 mm.

Figs 23–32. Schismatothele caeri sp. nov. 23–31. Holotype, ♂ (MZSP 47440). 23–27. Palpal bulb, prolateral (23), retrolateral (24), ventral (25), dorsal (26), and frontal (27) views. 28–29. Tibial spur, prolateral (28), and ventral (29) views. 30–31. Palpal tibiae, right (30), and left (31). 32. Paratype, ♀ (MZSP 47427). Spermathecae, ventral view. Abbreviations: A = apical keel; ASt = apical striae; DS = dorsal receptacle; E = embolus; PI = prolateral inferior keel; PS = prolateral superior keel; PT = prolateral tegular apophysis; VS = ventral receptacle. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 87. Distribution map for species of Schismatothele Karsch, 1879.

Figs 59–66. Schismatothele quimbaya sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (MZSP 47524). 59–63. Palpal bulb, prolateral (59), retrolateral (60), ventral (61), dorsal (62), and frontal (63) views. 64. Tibial spur ventral view. 65–66. Palpal tibiae, right (65), and left (66). Abbreviations: A = apical keel; ASt = apical striae; E = embolus; PI = prolateral inferior keel; PS = prolateral superior keel; VGP = ventral granular process. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs 67–74. Schismatothele timotocuica sp. nov. 67–73. Holotype, ♂ (MZSP 28420). 67–70. Palpal bulb, prolateral (67), retrolateral (68), ventral (69), and dorsal (70) views. 71. Tibial spur, ventral view. 72–73. Palpal tibiae, right (72), and left (73). 74. Paratype, ♀ (MZSP 26081), permathecae, ventral view. Abbreviations: E = embolus; DS = dorsal receptacle; PA = paraembolic apophysis; VS = ventral receptacle. Black arrow show the retrolateral torsion of paraembolic apophysis. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs 17–22. Schismatothele spp. 17–20. Schismatothele timotocuica sp. nov.17–18. Holotype, ♂ (MZSP 28420). 17. Dorsal view. 18. Prosoma, ventral view. 19–20. Paratype, ♀ (MZSP 26081). 19. Dorsal view. 20. Prosoma, ventral view. – 21–22. Schismatothele wayana sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (MPEG 7363). 21. Dorsal view. 22. Prosoma, ventral view. Scale bars = 10 mm.