Neonella choanocytica, Salgado & Ruiz, 2018

Salgado, Alexandre & Ruiz, Gustavo R. S., 2018, Two new species of Neonella Gertsch, 1936 (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryini), Zootaxa 4394 (4), pp. 537-548 : 540-547

Neonella choanocytica sp. nov.

Figs 3–9

Type material. Holotype: ♂ from Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades , 04°06'01.9''S, 41°42'54.2''W, Piracuruca, Piauí, Brazil, 24 June 2007, L.S. Carvalho et al. ( MPEG 11297 ).

Paratypes: 1 ♂ and 4 ♀ from same locality, between 04°05'57.5"S, 41°42'54.2"W and 04°06'01.9"S, 41°43'00.7"W, 24 January–24 June 2007, L.S. Carvalho et al. [ MPEG 11287 (♀), 11292 (♀), 11295 (♀), IBSP 214061 (♂ ♀)].

Additional material examined. BRAZIL: Piauí: 3♂, 9♀, Piracuruca, Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades , between 04°05'45.1"S, 41°43'00.7"W and 04°05'57.5"S, 41°43'55.8" W, 11 December 2006 – 29 June 2007, L.S. Carvalho et al. ( MPEG 11281 , 11282 , 11283 , 11284 , 11289 , 11294 , 11296 ) and 31 January 2007, M.T.L. Avelino ( MPEG 11285 ) .

Etymology. The epithet, to be treated as a Latin adjective, refers to the specialized filtering cell present in sponges, the choanocyte, due to the resemblance between the filtering collar + the flagellum of that cell with the lamellas around the sinuous embolus in this species ( Figs 4C–D ).

Diagnosis. Among the species of the genus, N. choanocytica sp. nov. is most similar to N. colalao Galiano, 1998 (see Galiano 1998: fig. 7) and N. montana Galiano, 1988 (see Rubio et al. 2015: fig. 4E) in having lamella(s) at the base of the embolus ( Figs 4A–E , 6A–C ). However, N. choanocytica sp. nov. differs from those two species by having several lamellas forming a semicircle along the retrolateral side of embolic disc ( Figs 4A–E , 6A–B ), whereas N. colalao and N. montana have a single branchy lamella (see Rubio et al. 2015: figs 4E–F). The females of N. choanocytica sp. nov. ( Figs 4F , 6D–E ) are also similar to those of N. montana (see Galiano 1988: fig. 21; female of N. colalao still unknown), both with fused copulatory openings in the median portion of epigynal plate, but they can be distinguished by the connection of the copulatory ducts to the spermathecae: in N. montana , copulatory ducts run parallelly and reach the inner portion of the spermathecae, while in N. choanocytica sp. nov. copulatory ducts diverge from the copulatory openings and reach the median portion of each spermatheca ( Figs 4G–H ).

Description. Male holotype (MPEG 11297). Total length: 1.26. Carapace 0.67 long, 0.53 wide and 0.31 high. Ocular quadrangle 0.37 long. Anterior eye row 0.57 wide, posterior 0.53 wide. Cheliceral teeth inconspicuous. Unmodified chelicera, endite, labium and sternum ( Fig. 5C ). Palp ( Figs 4A–E , 6A–C ): unmodified femur; patella with triangular RPA; RTA thin and acute; cymbium oval; tegular lobe prolaterally curved; embolus sinuous emerging from distal portion of embolic disc ( Figs 6A–C ). Legs 4312. Length of legs: I 0.85 (0.24 + 0.32 + 0.29); II 0.79 (0.23 + 0.29 + 0.27); III 0.96 (0.33 + 0.32 + 0.31); IV 1.12 (0.34 + 0.37 + 0.41). Opisthosoma with dorsal scutum ( Figs 3A , 5A ) and a tuft of fluffy white long scales on anal tubercle ( Fig. 5B ). Spinnerets (n=1; figs 9A–B) as follows: the anterior lateral spinneret has one anteriorly placed major ampullate spigot (MAP) and one nubbin, and three posteriorly placed piriform spigots around three tartipores; the posterior median spinneret has one distal minor ampullate spigot (mAP) and one more proximal aciniform spigot; the posterior lateral spinneret has four aciniform spigots among three tartipores. Color in alcohol: cephalic area black; thoracic area light brown with black borders; opisthosoma pale, dorsally with three transverse dark brown stripes ( Figs 3A–C ); legs pale with dark brown markings on lateral femora and distal patellae, tibiae and metatarsi.

Description. Female paratype (MPEG 11287). Total length: 1.57. Carapace 0.74 long, 0.52 wide and 0.31 high. Ocular quadrangle 0.34 long. Anterior eye row 0.54 wide, posterior 0.53 wide. Chelicera, endite, labium and sternum as in male ( Fig. 5D ). Legs 43=12. Length of legs: I 0.98 (0.31 + 0.36 + 0.31); II 0.91 (0.31 + 0.31 + 0.29); III 0.98 (0.30 + 0.35 + 0.33); IV 1.18 (0.33 + 0.40 + 0.45). Spinnerets (n=2; Figs 9C–D ): the anterior lateral spinneret has two anteriorly placed major ampullate spigots (MAP), and four posteriorly placed piriform spigots around three tartipores; the posterior median spinneret has two distal minor ampullate spigots (mAP) and one more proximal aciniform spigot; the posterior lateral spinneret is as in male. Epigyne ( Figs 4F–H , 6D–E ): short copulatory ducts diverge anteriorly from CO to spermathecae; fertilization ducts laterally projected. Color in alcohol: as in a male, but with lighter transversal brown stripes; markings on legs poorly conspicuous ( Figs 3D–F ).

Note. As a typical Neonella , N. choanocytica sp. nov. is one of the smallest known jumping spiders. Given the light bodies, tarsal tufts, similar in both sexes, are composed of only a few adhesive setae (2 males and 2 females observed in SEM; Figs 7–8 ): tarsal tufts I–II have typically 5 pairs of adhesive setae (total=10 setae), of which one unpaired seta can be missing (probably broken off due to use); tarsi III–IV have 14–16 adhesive setae (7 or 8 pairs). Each adhesive seta is about 7 µm wide, regardless of the leg. Besides these, there is also a pair of ventral, nonadhesive setae in all tarsi, possibly with sensitive function. Talsal claws are short, asymmetrical, with only a few teeth (fewer in retrolateral claw).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality (state of Piauí, Brazil).

Natural History. The specimens of N. choanocytica sp. nov. studied were collected both from the ground (pitfall trap, Winkler extractor) and vegetation (beating sheet) in different biomes, such as tropical semi-deciduous dry forest, evergreen broad-leaved sclerophyllous shrubland (Cerrado stricto sensu), grassland (Campo Limpo), and gallery forest (tropical ombrophilous, occasionally flooded forest).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Neonella choanocytica sp. nov. A‒C male holotype (A dorsal, B ventral, C lateral); D‒F female paratype (D dorsal, E ventral, F lateral). sc, dorsal scutum of abdomen.

FIGURE 4. Neonella choanocytica sp. nov. A‒E left male palp (A prolateral, B retrolateral, C ventral, D left bulb, cleared, dorsal, E ventral); F‒H epigyne/vulva (F ventral, G cleared, ventral, H dorsal). CD, copulatory duct; CO, copulatory opening; Em, embolus; ED, embolic disc; FD, fertilization duct; LE, lamellas of embolus; PSPL, prolateral spermophore loop; RPA, retrolateral patellar apophysis; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; S, spermathecae; SP, spermophore; TL, tegular lobe.

FIGURE 5. Neonella choanocytica sp. nov. A‒C male (A dorsal, B detail of scale tuft on anal tubercle, dorsal, C ventral); D female, ventral. ALE, anterior lateral eyes; AME, anterior median eyes; PLE, posterior lateral eyes; PME, posterior median eyes.

FIGURE 6. Neonella choanocytica sp. nov. A‒C left male palp (A ventral, B retrolateral, C detail of lamellas of embolus, ventral); D‒E epigyne (D ventral, E detail of copulatory opening). CO, copulatory opening; Em, embolus; ED, embolic disc; LE, lamellas of embolus;RPA, retrolateral patellar apophysis; RTA, rerolateral tibial apophysis; TL, tegular lobe.

FIGURE 7. Talsal tuft of male Neonella choanocytica sp. nov., distal. A‒D Male #1, left legs (A I, B II, C III, D IV); E‒H Male #1, right legs (E I, F II, G III, H IV); I‒L Male #2, left legs (I I, J II, K III, L IV); Male #2, right legs (M I, N II, O III, P IV). ad, adhesive setae; nad, non-adhesive setae.

FIGURE 8. Talsal tuft of female Neonella choanocytica sp. nov., distal.A‒D Female #1, left legs (A I, B II, C III, DIV); E‒H Female #1, right legs (E I, F II, G III, H IV); I‒L Female#2, left legs (I I, J II, K III, L IV); Female #2, right legs (M I, N II, O III, P IV). ad, adhesive setae; nad, non-adhesive setae.

FIGURE 9. Spinnerets of Neonella choanocytica sp. nov., A‒B male (A ventro-distal, B detail of right spinnerets); C female #1,ventro-distal; D female #2, ventro-distal.ac, aciniform spigot; MAP,major ampullatespigot; mAP, minor ampullate spigot; n, nubbin; pi, piriform spigot; ta, tartipore.