Mazax acanthaspis ( Simon, 1896 ) Silva-Junior & Martínez & Villarreal & Bonaldo, 2024

Silva-Junior, Cláudio J., Martínez, Leonel, Villarreal, Eduardo & Bonaldo, Alexandre B., 2024, Two fancy spines and a collar: a taxonomic review of the myrmecomorphic spider genus Mazax O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae) in South America, European Journal of Taxonomy 968 (1), pp. 219-255 : 233-237

Mazax acanthaspis ( Simon, 1896) comb. nov.

Figs 2B , 9–11

Apochinomma acanthaspis Simon, 1896: 408 , ♀.

Mazax akephaloi Perger & Pett, 2022: 582 , figs 2a–b, 3a–b, 4a–d, 5a–b, 7b, d, ♂ ♀. Syn. nov.

Diagnosis

Males of M. acanthaspis comb. nov. resemble those of M. pax and M. ramirezi by having white feathery hairs on the carapace, but differ by having a tibia I ventral spination of 5-4 (3- 3 in M. pax and 4- 4 in M. ramirezi ) and by having a dorsal projection on the embolus ( Figs 10J , 11 ) (absent in both M. pax and M. ramirezi ). Females resemble those of M. ramirezi by the lung-shaped ST II and white feathery hairs on the carapace, but differ in having a tibia I ventral spination of 5-5 ( Fig. 9D ) (5- 4 in M. ramirezi ) and the proximal region of the ST II of the same width as the distal region ( Fig. 10H ) (proximal region wider than distal region in M. ramirezi ).

Type material

BOLIVIA • ♂, holotype of Mazax akephaloi Perger & Pett, 2022 ; Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz de la Colina, Urubo ; ZMH-A0015362 (not examined).

BRAZIL • ♀, holotype of Apochinomma acanthaspis Simon, 1896 ; Mato Grosso; MNHN 10348 (examined) .

Material examined (new records)

BRAZIL – Pará • 1 ♂; Igarapé-Açú; 1°08′29″ S, 47°30′49″ W; 13 Sep. 2011; I. Tomé leg.; MPEG(ARA)-38438 . – Maranhão • 1 ♂; Carolina, Parque Nacional Chapada das Mesas ; 7°07′19.1″ S, 47°22′05.6″ W; 2019; J. Guajajara and C. Silva-Junior leg.; UEMASUL . – Rondônia • 1 ♀; Caiçara, Equipe Girau ; Mar. 2010; MPEG(ARA)-38439 . – Acre • 1 ♀; Rio Branco, Campus Embrapa Acre ; 10°01′30.8″ S, 67°41′35.9″ W; Oct. 2012; L. Costa leg.; UFMG-12416 . – Mato Grosso • 2 ♀♀; Vale São Domingos / Pontes e Lacerda, Usina Hidrelétrica de Guaporé ; [15°12′00.7″ S, 59°20′57.3″ W]; Oct. 1999; Eq. Resgate leg.; IBSP-41510 • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Chapada dos Guimarães; [15°27′38″ S, 55°44′59″ W]; 15–26 Jul. 1992; A. Lise and A. Breaul Jr. leg.; MCP-2378 . – Piauí • 1 ♀; Piracuruca, Parque Nacional das Sete Cidades ; 4°06′58.76″ S, 41°41′29.69″ W; 9 Dec. 2006; L.S. Carvalho leg.; MPEG(ARA)-38440 • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding but 4°05′43.48″ S, 41°41′58.75″ W; 24. Jul. 2007; Carvalho, Albuquerque and Oliveira-Neto leg.; MPEG(ARA)-38441 • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding but 4°00′55.4″ S, 41°42′33.2″ W; 28 Mar. 2005; L.S. Carvalho leg.; MPEG(ARA)-38442 . – Bahia • 1 ♀; Salvador, Ponte do Fernandinho ; [12°58′32″ S, 38°29′27″ W]; 13 Sep. 2004; K. Benati leg.; IBSP-58940 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding but 12 Sep. 2004; IBSP-58982 . – Ceará • 1 ♂; Crato, Parque Estadual Sítio do Fundão ; 7º13′03″ S, 39º20′21″ W; May 2006; R. Azevedo leg.; IBSP-218322 . – Minas Gerais • 1 ♂; Belo Horizonte, Estação Ecológica da UFMG-Campus Pampulha , área de mata semidecídua; 19°52′ S, 43°58′ W; Apr.–Oct. 2000; E.S.S. Alvarez leg.; UFMG • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; área de Cerrado, coleta visual; 19°54′ S, 43°58′ W; 19 Nov. 2000; E.S.S. Alvarez leg.; UFMG • 1 ♀; Estação Ecológica da UFMG; 19°52′18″ S, 43°57′33″ W; Mar. 2000; E.S.S. Alvarez leg.; UFMG-5433 • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; Jul. 1999 – Feb. 2001; E.S.S. Álvarez, E.O. Machado and C.S. Azevedo leg.; IBSP-32355 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; IBSP-32258 . – Mato Grosso Do Sul • 2 ♀♀; Anaurilândia, Usina Hidrelétrica Sergio Motta ; 22°22′59″ S, 52°48′42.4″ W; 15 Nov.–23 Dec. 1998; Equipe IBSP leg.; IBSP-23402 • 1 ♂; Três Lagos, Horto Barra do Moeda ; 20°57′00″ S, 51°47′00″ W; Mar. 2008; M. Uehara-Prado leg.; UFMG-5116 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding but Mar. 2009; UFMG-5118 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; UFMG-5118 . – São Paulo • 3 ♀♀; Primavera, Usina Hidrelétrica Sergio Motta ; [20°11′17″ S, 47°18′01″ W]; Jan.–Feb. 2000; Equipe IBSP leg.; IBSP-30101 • 1 ♂; Campus IBSP ; [23°34′06.9″ S, 46°43′12.7″ W]; 13 Jan. 2001; A.D. Brescovit leg.; IBSP-27421 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Jan.–Feb. 2000; Equipe IBSP leg.; IBSP-30093 .

COLOMBIA – Caquetá • 1 ♂; Florencia, Macagual CIMAZ ; 1°30′05.364″ N, 75°39′46.26″ W; 4 Apr. 2017; E. Florez leg.; IBSP-221915 . – Meta • 1 ♂; San Martin, Reserva Natural El Caduceo, via San Francisco ; 3°40′17″ N, 73°39′34″ W; 30 Sep.–4 Oct. 2013; L. Soto leg.; IBSP-221895 • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 2–30 Nov. 2013; J. Florez leg.; IBSP-221911 .

Description

See Perger & Pett (2022): 582 (sub Mazax akephaloi ).

Remarks

This species was described by Simon (1896) based on a female from Brazil, originally included in Apochinomma Pavesi. A year later, the first illustration of this species was provided by Simon (1897: 160, fig. 164f), depicting an abdominal collar and a spine-like AS II situated on a well-developed tubercle. This illustration likely influenced Simon’s subsequent decision in 1903 to merge Mazax into the synonymy of Apochinomma , as his understanding of these two genera was closely intertwined. In the description of Mazax akephaloi, Perger & Pett (2022) noticed the abdominal collar and spine-like AS II in Apochinomma acanthaspis , but the species was not formally transferred to Mazax . Nevertheless, they commented on the differences between these two species, noting the four ventral spines on the metatarsus I (2-2) in M. akephaloi in contrast to the six (3-3) pattern reported in the original description of M. acanthaspis comb. nov. However, Simon’s original description was in error in this regard, since the holotype has four ventral spines on the metatarsus ( Fig. 9E ). In addition to this, by examining details of the genitalia, as well as a fair number of additional specimens, we conclude that M. akephaloi and M. acanthapis are conspecific.

Distribution

Colombia to Argentina ( Fig. 20 ).

Figures

Fig. 2. Live specimens of the Mazax pax group. A. M. pax Reiskind, 1969 (Mexican variation). B. M. acanthaspis (Simon, 1896). Credits: A. Arthur Anker, B. Leonardo Carvalho.

Fig. 9. Mazax acanthaspis (Simon, 1896) comb. nov., holotype, ♀ (MNHN 10348). A. Carapace, dorsal view. B. Abdomen, dorsal view. C. Abdomen, ventral view. D. Tibia, ventral view. E. Metatarsus, ventral view. F. Original labels. No scales.

Fig. 10. Mazax acanthaspis (Simon, 1896) comb. nov. A–C, G–H. ♀ (MPEG(ARA)-38440). D–F, I–J.♂(MPEG(ARA)-38442).A.Dorsalview.B.Lateralview(blackarrowindicatesASII).C.Ventralview. D. Dorsal view. E. Lateral view (black arrow indicates AS II). F. Ventral view. G. Epigyne, ventral view. H.Same, dorsalview.I.Palp, ventral view.J.Same,retrolateralview.Abbreviations:CD=copulatory duct; CO = copulatory opening; CP = chemocensory patch; E = embolus; FD = fertilization duct; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; ST I = primary spermatheca; ST II = secondary spermatheca. Scales: 0.5 mm.

Fig. 11.Mazax acanthaspis (Simon, 1896) comb. nov., ♂ (MPEG(ARA)-38442).A. Embolus, retrolateral view (black arrow indicates embolar dorsal projection). B. Same, ventrolateral view. Scales: 50 µm.

Fig. 20. Distribution of the species of the Mazax pax group.