Tafana oliviae, De Oliveira & Brescovit, 2021

De Oliveira, Luiz Fernando M. & Brescovit, Antonio Domingos, 2021, Taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of ghost spiders of the genus Tafana Simon, 1903 (Araneae: Dionycha, Anyphaenidae), with the descriptions of twelve new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 742, pp. 1-77 : 52-54

Tafana oliviae sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A7E716C9-A0F8-4F4E-A451-E6D94A3E82CD

Figs 29 , 33G , 35

Diagnosis

Males of Tafana oliviae sp. nov. differ from those of the other species in the silhavyi group by having the apophysis at the base of the embolus finger-shaped, retrolateral tibial apophysis bifid with anterior branch short and flattened, posterior branch triangular and median tibial apophysis bifid in dorsal position on the tibia ( Fig. 29C–E ). Females differ by having the epigynal plate with lateral lobes extremely projected to the sides and by having the small primary spermathecae ( Figs 29F–G , 33G ).

Etymology

The specific name is a matronymic in memory of Olivia de Moura Oliveira, the first author’s mother.

Material examined

Holotype ARGENTINA • 1 ♂; Misiones, Santa María; [27°56′04″ S, 55°24′25″ W]; Nov–Dec. 1913; M.J. Viana leg.; MACN-Ar 3565 .

Paratype ARGENTINA • 1 ♀; Misiones, Cataratas del Iguazú , near the Puerto Iguazú; [25°41′43″ S, 54°26′12″ W]; Nov. 1970; M.E. Galiano leg.; MCZ .

Remark

The male and female were matched by their close localities in Misiones, Argentina. Despite the different colorations of the male and female, the morphology of the genitalia suggests that both exemplars belong to Tafana oliviae sp. nov.

Description

Male (holotype, MACN-Ar 3565)

COLOR. Exemplar probably discolored. Carapace orange, darker in cephalic region ( Fig. 29A ). Labium, sternum and endites yellow. Chelicerae reddish. Legs I–IV yellow. Abdomen yellow with lateral dark spots and a yellow spot in the middle ( Fig. 29A ).

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 3.9, carapace length 1.7, width 1.4. Clypeus height 0.04. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.06, ALE 0.08, PME 0.08, PLE 0.06; AME–AME 0.02, AME–ALE 0.04, PME–PME 0.1, PME–PLE 0.06, ALE–PLE 0.02. Chelicerae 1.0 long, with four promarginal teeth and six retromarginal denticles.

LEG MEASUREMENTS. I—femur 2.1 /patella 0.7/ tibia 2.5/ metatarsus 2.2/ tarsus 1.1 /total 8.6; II— 1.6/ 0.5/ 1.7 /1.5 / 0.7/ 6.0; III—1.3 / 0.6/ 0.9/ 1.2/ 0.4/ 4.4; IV—2.0 / 0.6/ 1.3/ 2.1 /0.6 / 6.6.

LEG SPINATION. I—tibia v2-2-0, metatarsus v2-0-1; II—tibia v1-2-0; III—tibia v1-1-0, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, metatarsus v2-1-2, r1-0-1; IV—tibia v0-1-1, p1-1-1, r1-1-0.

PALP. Retrolateral tibial apophysis bifid; cymbium without retrolateral projection; embolus short and bifurcate at the apex; median apophysis long and curved apically; sperm duct with secondary looping reaching the apex of the tegulum ( Fig. 29C–E ).

ABDOMEN. Length 2.1, epigastric furrow 0.6 from tracheal spiracle, spiracle 1.0 from base of spinnerets.

Female (paratype, MCZ)

COLOR. Exemplar probably discolored. Coloration as in males of this species except for legs yellow, darker at tarsi. Abdomen yellow ( Fig. 29B ).

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 5.7, carapace length 2.7, width 1.8. Clypeus height 0.04. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.08, PME 0.1, PLE 0.1; AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.08, PME– PME 0.18, PME–PLE 0.16, ALE–PLE 0.04. Chelicerae 1.1 long, with four promarginal teeth and four retromarginal denticles.

LEG MEASUREMENTS. I—femur 2.0 /patella 0.9/ tibia 1.8/ metatarsus 1.4/ tarsus 0.8 /total 6.9; II— 1.9/ 0.9/ 1.1 /1.3 / 0.63 /5.83; III—1.5/ 0.72 / 1.1/ 1.23 / 0.5/ 5.05; IV—2.25/ 0.8/ 1.72 / 2.1/ 0.7/ 7.57.

LEG SPINATION. I—tibia v2-2-0, metatarsus v2-0-0; II—tibia v2-2-0; III—tibia v1-1-2, p0-0-1, r0-0-1, metatarsus v2-1-2; IV—tibia v1-1-2, p1-1-1.

EPIGYNUM. Hood semicircular and thick; lateral lobes curved in anterior region; wide atrium; epigynal plate covered by cuticle in the posterior region. Internally, copulatory ducts long and narrow; secondary spermathecae in the anterior region of the copulatory ducts; primary spermathecae small and fertilization ducts longer than primary spermathecae ( Figs 29F–G , 33G ).

ABDOMEN. Length 2.9, epigastric furrow 0.7 from tracheal spiracle, spiracle 1.4 from base of spinnerets.

Distribution

Known only from Misiones, Argentina ( Fig. 35 ).

Figures

Fig. 29. Tafana oliviae sp. nov. (A, C–E =holotype, ♂, MACN-Ar 3565; B, F–G=paratype, ♀, MCZ). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, dorsal view. C. Left palp, ventral view. D. Left palp, retrolateral view. E. Left palp, retrolateral view. F. Epigynum, ventral view. G. Vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: A=atrium; ABE =apophysis of base of the embolus; aRTA= anterior branch of the retrolateral tibial apophysis; CD=copulatory ducts; CO =copulatory opening; E =embolus; FD =fertilization ducts; H =hood; LL =lateral lobes; MA=median apophysis; MTA= median tibial apophysis; pRTA=posterior branch of the retrolateral tibial apophysis; RTA =retrolateral tibial apophysis; S1 =primary spermathecae; S2 =secondary spermathecae; T =tegulum. Scale bars: A–B= 3.5 mm; C–G =0.25 mm.

Fig. 33. Female genitalia, digested. A. Tafana huatanay sp. nov. (MUSM). B. Tafana ruizi sp. nov. (IBSP 258183). C. Tafana silhavyi (Caporiacco, 1955) (MNHN). D. Tafana maracay sp. nov. (MNHN 11314). E. Tafana arawak sp. nov. (MNHN 11320). F. Tafana pittieri sp. nov. (AMNH). G. Tafana oliviae sp. nov. (MCZ). H. Tafana orinoco sp. nov. (MIZA 07062). Abbreviations: CD =copulatory ducts; FD =fertilization ducts; H =hood; S1 =primary spermathecae; S2 =secondary spermathecae. Scale bars: A–H =0.25 mm.

Fig. 35. Distribution map of species of Tafana.