Phoneutria Perty, 1833

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 : 3-4

Phoneutria Perty, 1833

Phoneutria Perty, 1833: 196 –197. Mello-Leitão 1936: 2, 14; 1940:104, 105; Bonnet 1958: 3619 –3620; Bücherl et al. 1964: 96 –97, 100; Bücherl 1969a: 26 –27; Bücherl et al. 1969: 47–48; Brignoli 1983: 588; Platnick 1989: 503; Platnick 1993: 677; Platnick 1998: 615; Simó and Brescovit 2001: 69, 70.

Ctenus Walckenaer, 1805 (ad part): Keyserling 1881: 576; Keyserling 1891: 144; F.O. Pickard-Cambridge 1897: 76, 78, 80–81.

Type species. Phoneutria fera Perty, 1833 ; by subsequent designation ( F.O. Pickard-Cambridge 1897). Gen- der feminine.

Diagnosis. Phoneutria can be distinguished from other ctenid genera by the presence of dense scopulae on the prolateral face of pedipalp tibiae and tarsi in males and females and by the defensive display with an erect position and lateral movements of the body with elevated forelegs ( Figs 52–55 ) ( Simó & Brescovit 2001).

Species composition. Eight species following this revision, of which five are known from outside the Amazon region as defined for this study and therefore treated here: P. nigriventer , P. keyserlingi , P. pertyi , P. bahiensis and P. eickstedtae sp. nov. Amazonian Phoneutria include P. f e r a, P. boliviensis (F. O. Pickard- Cambridge, 1897) and P. re i d y i ( F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897).

Distribution. Phoneutria occurs from Costa Rica southwards into South America, and here mostly in forested areas of Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. In Brazil it is found throughout the country, except in the northeastern region north of the City of Salvador (12°58'S 38°30'W). Species of the genus were introduced to Chile and Uruguay ( Simó & Brescovit 2001).

Natural History. Members of Phoneutria are nocturnal species with cursorial habits. During the day they can be found in banana plantations, bromeliads, inside termite mounds, under fallen logs and rocks ( Vellard 1936). At least one species, P. n i g r i v e n t e r, is synanthropic, hiding in dark and moist places inside or in the vicinities of human dwellings ( Bücherl 1968). Mating of P. nigriventer occurs in the dry season from April to June, when mature males and females are most frequently observed ( Ramos et al. 1998).

Figures

FIGURES 52 – 55. Phoneutria spp., defensive display; 52, P. nigriventer, female, from Mairiporã, São Paulo, Brazil; 53, P. keyserlingi, female, from Ilha dos Alcatrazes, São Paulo, Brazil; 54, P. p e r t y i, male, from Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo, Brazil; 55, P. eickstedtae sp. nov., female, from Peixe, Tocantins, Brazil. Photographs: R Bertani.