Loxosceles boqueirao Bertani & Gallão, 2024

Bertani, Rogério, Bichuette, Maria Elina, Cordeiro, Lívia Medeiros & Gallão, Jonas Eduardo, 2024, Three new species of Loxosceles Heinecken & Lowe, 1832 (Araneae, Sicariidae) from Brazilian caves, European Journal of Taxonomy 921 (1), pp. 98-115 : 101-105

Loxosceles boqueirao Bertani & Gallão sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3B788576-F209-478F-A548-818E5DCE2109

Figs 2−19

Diagnosis

Males resemble those of L. carinhanha and L. cardosoi by palpus shape, embolus roughly straight with a curvature close to apex ( Figs 3−5 ), and carapace mostly reddish ( Fig. 2 ). They differ by the longer and slender embolus and the longer palp tibia ( Figs 3−8 ). Females resemble those of L. cardosoi by the spermathecae large and weakly sclerotized with two large receptacles on their distal portion ( Figs 11−15 ). They differ by the smaller sclerotized bar and by the less sclerotized transverse plate and bursa copulatrix and lacking a sclerotized triangular area (see Bertani et al. 2018). Additionally, both males and females of. L. boqueirao sp. nov. differ from those of L. carinhanha and L. cardosoi by the longer legs.

Etymology

The specific name is in apposition and refers to the Lapa do Boqueirão Cave, at Serra do Ramalho region (State of Bahia) where the type specimens were collected.

Type material

Holotype

BRAZIL • ♂; Bahia, Carinhanha, Lapa do Boqueirão Cave ; 13°46′51″ S, 44°02′18″ W; 26 Apr. 2022; M.E. Bichuette, L. Senna-Horta, F. Chaimowicz and J.E. Gallão leg.; day collecting; LES 0028817 .

Paratypes

BRAZIL • 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; LES 0028818 to LES 0028820 .

Other material examined

BRAZIL • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 immature; same collection data as for holotype; 25 Apr. 2022; LES 0028821 , LES 0028822 .

Description

Male holotype (LES 0028817)

Total length 7.15. Carapace 3.17 long, 3.02 wide ( Fig. 2 ). Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.20, PME 0.20, PLE 0.16, PME–PLE 0.06, PME–ALE 0.23; clypeus 0.26. Leg formula II, IV, I, III. Leg lengths: leg I: femur 8.25, patella 1.30, tibia 10.09, metatarsus 9.94, tarsus 1.92, total 31.50; II: 11.24, 1.51, 14.16, 14.29, 2.15, 43.35; III: 8.61, 1.29, 9.18, 10.54, 1.48, 31.10; IV: 9.07, 1.37, 10.10, 12.48, 1.94, 34.96. Palp: femur 2.29 long, 0.37 wide; patella 0.58 long, 0.39 wide; tibia 1.51 long, 0.55 wide; cymbium 0.69 long, 0.45 wide. Labium 0.74 long, 0.42 wide. Sternum 1.78 long, 1.45 wide. Femur I 2.60 times as long, tibia I 3.18 times as long, and leg I 9.94 times as long as carapace. Palpal femur 6.19 times as long as wide; tibia 2.74 times as long as wide; cymbium oval ( Figs 3−8 ). Bulb suboval and slightly shorter than cymbium. Embolus slender and straight, with a curvature on apex, approximately 2.45 times as long as bulb length in retrolateral view, without carina ( Figs 3–8 ). Femur I prolateral median area with two enlarged setae. Metatarsus I straight on its basal portion. Distal tibia I unmodified.

Carapace reddish on anterior half gradually fading towards posterior and lateral edges, chelicerae uniformly reddish ( Fig. 2 ). Abdomen, legs, and palp light brown, covered by short, greyish setae. Coxae and sternum light brown; labium and endites slightly darker.

Female paratype (LES 0028818)

Total length 10.17. Carapace 3.96 long, 3.36 wide ( Fig. 9 ). Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.19, PME 0.23, PLE 0.20, PME–PLE 0.04, PME–ALE 0.35; clypeus 0.33. Leg formula II, IV, I, III. Leg lengths: leg I: femur 8.36, patella 1.37, tibia 9.59, metatarsus 8.87, tarsus 1.78, total 29.97; II: 10.08, 1.40, 11.28, 11.28, 2.03, 36.07; III: 7.94, 1.37, 7.77, 8.93, 1.55, 27.56; IV: 8.83, 1.28, 8.69, 10.92, 1.78, 31.50. Palp: femur 1.88 long, 0.28 wide; patella 0.48 long, 0.37 wide; tibia 1.33 long, 0.28 wide; tarsus 1.82 long, 0.23 wide. Labium 0.67 long, 0.58 wide. Sternum 1.97 long, 1.77 wide. Femur I 2.11 times as long, tibia I 2.42 times as long, and leg I 7.57 times as long as carapace. Palpal femur 6.71 times as long as wide, tibia 4.75 times as long as wide, tarsus not incrassate ( Fig. 10 ). Spermathecae are large, weakly sclerotized pouches with two large receptacles on their distal portion. Dorsal parts of bursa copulatrix have a small, sclerotized triangular area ( Figs 11−14 ). Carapace with some sparse, long, greyish setae ( Fig. 9 ). Carapace light brown, cephalic area and fovea sligthly darker ( Fig. 9 ). Chelicerae reddish-brown. Abdomen greyish, legs light brown, both covered with short greyish setae. Palp femur and patella light brown, tibia and tarsus reddish-brown ( Fig. 10 ). Coxae and sternum light brown, labium and endites reddish brown.

Natural history

Specimens of Loxosceles boqueirao Bertani & Gallão sp. nov. were only found in the aphotic zone in the deep zones of the Lapa do Boqueirão Cave. Most of the specimens were found on the cave wall very close to the ground, solitary in their webs. Only one male was found on the cave wall near the ceiling, approximately 2 meters off the ground. The relative humidity was>90%. Collection efforts, both in caves and in epigean environments, have been made in the Serra do Ramalho karst area for at least ten years, and no specimen of L. boqueirao has been found.

Distribution

BRAZIL: State of Bahia ( Fig. 1 ).

Remarks

The new species is closely related to L. cardosoi and L. carinhanha , two species noticeably distinct morphologically from other species of Loxosceles (see Bertani et al. 2018) that were putatively included in the Loxosceles rufescens species group ( Bertani et al. 2018). The discovery of a third species strengthens the importance of the Serra do Ramalho karst area. There are now three species of a distinct evolutionary branch of species of Loxosceles that diversificated in that area. Loxosceles boqueirao sp. nov. shows some troglomorphisms such as slightly longer legs ( Fig. 16 ). We propose it herein as a troglobitic species.

Figures

Figs 2−8. Loxosceles boqueirao Bertani & Gallão sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (LES 0028817). 2. Carapace. 3−5. Left palp bulb. 3. Dorsal view. 4. Retrolateral view. 5. Prolateral view. 6−8. Left palp. 6. Prolateral view. 7. Retrolateral view. 8. Dorsal view. Scale bars: 2, 6−8 = 1 mm; 3−5 = 0.5 mm.

Figs 9−15. Loxosceles boqueirao Bertani & Gallão sp. nov., paratypes, ♀♀. 9−14. LES 0028818. 9. Carapace. 10. Left palp, dorsal view. 11−14. Spermathecae. 11. Ventral view, cuticle not removed. 12. Dorsal view, with bursa copulatrix over receptacles. 13. Dorsal view, bursa copulatrix unfolded below. 14. Ventral view, cuticle removed. 15. LES 0028819, spermathecae, ventral view, cuticle removed. Abbreviations: bc = bursa copulatrix; r = receptacle; sb = sclerotized bar; tp = transverse sclerotized plate. Scale bars: 9−10 = 1 mm; 11−15 = 0.5 mm.

Figs 16−19. Loxosceles boqueirao Bertani & Gallão sp. nov., in the wild. 16. Male. 17−18. Lapa do Boqueirão cave, microhabitat of Loxosceles boqueirao, surroundings and cave entrance. Photo 16 by A.O. Lobo.

Fig. 1.Map showing the occurrences in the caves of L. boqueirao Bertani & Gallão sp. nov., L. planetaria Bertani & Gallão sp. nov., and L. bodoquena Bertani & Gallão sp. nov. Abbreviations: BA = State of Bahia, Brazil; MS = State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.