Phoneutria bahiensis Simó and Brescovit, 2001

Bertani, Rosana Martins Rogério, 2007, The non-Amazonian species of the Brazilian wandering spiders of the genus Phoneutria Perty, 1833 (Araneae: Ctenidae), with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 1526, pp. 1-36 : 13-14

Phoneutria bahiensis Simó and Brescovit, 2001

( Figs 19–23 , 65–67 , 68 )

Phoneutria bahiensis Simó and Brescovit, 2001: 75 –77, figs 18–21, 26.

Material examined

Holotype of Phoneutria bahiensis Simó and Brescovit, 2001 : male, Ceplac, Ilhéus [14º47'51”S 39º02'13”W, Bahia, Brazil], 12 April 1998, A.D. Brescovit and R. Bertani ( IBSP 19027). Paratype: female, same data as holotype ( IBSP 19040). Paratype: male, same data as holotype ( IBSP 19344). Not examined (not present in IBSP where it is expected to be housed; A.D. Brescovit, personal communication).

Other material examined: BRAZIL: Bahia: Ilhéus, 14°47’S, 39°02’W, 1Ψ ( IBSP 24057); Itapebi, 15°57’S, 39°32’W, 1ɗ ( IBSP 58193); Porto Seguro, 16°26’S, 39°03’W, 1Ψ ( IBSP 9516); Salvador, 12°58’S, 38°30’W, 1ɗ ( IBSP 58194); Una, Reserva Biológica de Una, 15°17’S, 39°04’W, 1Ψ ( IBSP 45022), 1ɗ ( IBSP 45023), 1ɗ ( IBSP 45024). Espírito Santo: Linhares, 19°23’S, 40°04’W, 1Ψ ( IBSP 7585).

Diagnosis

Phoneutria bahiensis is most similar to P. f e r a and P. re i d y i. Females differ by the flat anterior lobe ( Fig. 19 ), which is convex and much more distinct in P. f e r a but only weakly developed in P. reidyi . Males differ by the reduced retrolateral tibial apophysis of pedipalp ( Fig. 21 ), which is fully developed in P. f e r a and P. re i d y i.

Redescription

Female and male were described in detail by Simó and Brescovit (2001). In addition:

Female

Chelicerae. Dark brown with yellow setae ( Fig 66 ).

Pedipalps. Dorsally dark brown; retrolateral face of patella and tibia with yellow band ( Fig 66 ).

Opisthosoma. Dorsally dark brown with yellowish orange setae ( Fig 65 ); ventrally dark brown with four series of light yellow dots.

Epigyne. Epigynal anterior lobe flat and well-developed.

Males

Legs. Legs I and IV of equal length; tarsi I–IV with paired pectinate claws with 3 teeth and 2 denticles.

Pedipalps. Tibia equal or longer than cymbium; embolus straight and tip weakly curved ( Fig. 23 ); tegulum short with basal part shorter than median region; median tegular apophysis apically excavated; retrolateral tibial apophysis very short, about one third of cymbial length, directed apically, with apical spine, which was frequently missing in examined specimens ( Fig. 19 ).

Colouration. As in females, except cymbium with longitudinal orange median band.

Va r ia ti o n. Immature spiders with same colour pattern as adults, and metatarsi with a distal transverse white band ( Fig 67 ).

Remarks

Phoneutria bahiensis was included in the Brazilian list of threatened species (Ministério do Meio Ambiente 2003) due to its perceived limited geographic distribution derived from the original description. Subsequent additional record suggest a much wider geographical range ( Dias et al. 2005; see also material examined above).

Distribution

In Atlantic rainforest in Brazil, from the south-eastern parts of Bahia to northern Espírito Santo ( Fig. 68 ).

Figures

FIGURES 68. Records of non-Amazonian Phoneutria species.

FIGURES 19 – 23. Phoneutria bahiensis, female from Linhares, Espírito Santo, Brazil (IBSP 7585) and male from Una, Bahia, Brazil (IBSP 45024); 19, epigyne, ventral view; 20, epigyne, dorsal view. 21, left male pedipalp, ventral view; 22, left male pedipalp, expanded bulb, prolateral view; 23, left male pedipalp, embolus, ventral view. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 65 – 67. Phoneutria bahiensis; 65, dorsal colour pattern, female; 66, defensive display, female; 67, ventral colour pattern, immature spider. All specimens from Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil. Photographs: R Bertani.