Moenkhaus, 1898 : 110 Blechroscelis viridis Mello-Leitão, 1918: 105 Mello-Leitão 1947c : 2 Mesabolivar brasiliensis : Huber 2000: 217 The South American spider genera Mesabolivar and Carapoia (Araneae, Pholcidae): new species and a framework for redrawing generic limits Huber, Bernhard A. Zootaxa 2018 2018-03-19 4395 1 1 178 3ZXCT (Moenkhaus, 1898) Moenkhaus 1898 [151,691,1882,1909] Arachnida Pholcidae Mesabolivar GBIF Animalia Araneae 68 69 Arthropoda species brasiliensis     Litoporus brasiliensis  Moenkhaus, 1898: 110, pl. 5, figs 6, 6a–c (♂, Brazil: São Paulo). Mello-Leitão 1918: 95, figs 5–6 (copy of Moenkhaus 1898).    Blechroscelis viridisMello-Leitão, 1918: 105, figs 19–20 (♂, Brazil: Rio de Janeiro).  Mello-Leitão 1947c: 2(dubious record, see Notes below). Synonymized in Huber 2000: 217.   Mesabolivar brasiliensis: Huber 2000: 217, figs 843–850 (Brazil: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná). Ramalho et al.2008: 454 (São Paulo). Huber & Rheims 2011: 281 (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro). Castanheira et al.2016: 13 (Rio de Janeiro).   Diagnosis.Distinguished from similar congeners (  M. kathrinae,  M. azureus,  M. pallens) by shape of procursus ( Figs 274–279; without distal spine-like process; bent rather than evenly curved as in  M. azureus; with widened rather than slender tip as in  M. kathrinaeand  M. pallens); from  M. kathrinaealso by male chelicerae (Huber 2000: fig. 843; distal apophyses in more distal position; presence of indistinct proximal processes) and by epigynum with median pocket (pocket absent in  M. kathrinae). Females of  M. brasiliensis,  M. pallens, and  M. azureusmay be indistinguishable externally ( Figs 292, 294, 298–299).    Typematerial.  Litoporus brasiliensis Moenkhaus, 1898: BRAZIL:  São Paulo: ♂ lectotype, 1♀ paralectotype(designated in Huber 2000), MZSP, Poço Grande, “margem do Rio Juquiá” [ 23.756°S, 46.667°W], i.1898(W. Moenkhaus), examined (Huber 2000).    Blechroscelis viridisMello-Leitão, 1918: BRAZIL:  Rio de Janeiro: 3♂ syntypes, MNRJ, Pinheiro [ 22.52°S, 44.00°W], no further data, examined (Huber 2000).   New records. BRAZIL:  São Paulo: 2♂ 3♀ 1 juv., ZFMK (Ar 19105), Ubatuba, Fazenda Angelim ( 23.394°S, 45.063°W), 16–18.xii.2003(B.A. Huber); 1♂in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br03/100-7), same data. 1♂ 1♀, ZFMK (Ar 19106), São PauloCity, Parque Estadual de Cantareira ( 23.417°S, 46.617°W), 20.xii.2003(B.A. Huber); 1♂ 1♀in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br03/100-16), same data. 5♂ 4♀in pure ethanol, ZFMK (G002), São PauloCity, Parque Estadual de Cantareira, 28.vi.2001(R. Pinto da Rocha, C. Rheims).    Rio de Janeiro: 3♂, ZFMK( Ar19107–08), Reserva Ecológica Rio das Pedras( 22°59.5’S, 44°06.0’–06.8’W),  50–200 ma.s.l.,  26.ix.2009( B.A. Huber, A. Giupponi).  3♂ 1♀, ZFMK( Ar19109), Cachoeira da Pedra Brancanear Paraty( 23°11.8’S, 44°46.0’W), forest near river, ~  230 ma.s.l.,  22.viii.2007( B.A. Huber).    Assignedtentatively(see Notesbelow). BRAZIL:  Rio de Janeiro: 4♂ 3♀, ZFMK( Ar19110), Cachoeiras de Macacu, Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçú (22°24.4’–25.3’S, 42°44.2’–44.3’W),  140–300 ma.s.l.,  25.ix.2009( B.A. Huber);  3♀, ZFMK( Ar19111), same locality at  140–280 ma.s.l.,  23.ix.2009( B.A. Huber, A. Giupponi).  1♂ 7♀, ZFMK( Ar19112), Reserva Ecológica Riodas Pedras( 22°59.5’S, 44°06.0’W),  50 ma.s.l.,  25.ix.2009( B.A. Huber);  6♂ 4♀, ZFMK( Ar19113–14), same locality at  50–200 ma.s.l.( 22°59.5’S, 44°06.0’–06.8’W),  26.ix.2009( B.A. Huber, A. Giupponi);  3♂in pure ethanol, ZFMK( Br09-113), same locality,  25–26.ix.2009( B.A. Huber).  4♂ 3♀, MNRJ(14317), Reserva Ecológica Riodas Pedras( 22°59.5’S, 44°06.0’–06.8’W),  50–200 ma.s.l., night,  25.ix.2009( A. Giupponi, A. Kury);  1♀, MNRJ(14318), same data but day.  4♂ 2♀2 juvs, ZFMK( Ar19115), ~ 3.5 kmNW Paraty( 23°11.5’S, 44°43.9’W), degraded forest, ~  50 ma.s.l.,  21.viii.2007( B.A. Huber);  1♂ 1♀in pure ethanol, ZFMK( Br07/100-19), same data.  4♂ 1♀2 juvs, ZFMK( Ar19116), Cachoeira da Pedra Brancanear Paraty( 23°11.8’S, 44°46.0’W), forest near river, ~  230 ma.s.l.,  22.viii.2007( B.A. Huber).  1♀in pure ethanol, ZFMK(G005), Itatiaia[ 22.496°S, 44.561°W],  8–15.vi.2001( H.F. Japyassú).  Description(amendments; see Huber 2000). Tibia 1 in32 newly examined males: 8.8–13.1 (mean 11.3); in 30 newly examined females: 6.8–10.4 (mean 8.7). Male femora 2 usually wider than other femora, especially distal thirds. Femora significantly longer than tibiae (e.g., male tibia 1 length 83% of femur 1 length). Prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1. Tip of procursus variable, possibly indicating presence of more than one species ( Figs 274–279; see Notes below). Proximal processes on male chelicerae sometimes distinct, sometimes barely visible in dissecting microscope. Female femora all about same diameter. Epigynum slightly variable in size and shape, depending on degree of sclerotization of anterior plate and on distinctness of internal ‘valve’ visible through cuticle.  Natural history.The spiders were found in domed webs freely suspended among the vegetation, mostly ~ 0.5– 1 mabove the ground. The webs seemed to consist of two sheets: a domed upper sheet where the spider rested (diameter ~ 20 cm), with a tangle of silk lines above the dome, and a lower rather flat sheet slightly below the dome.   Distribution.Widely distributed from eastern Paranástate to Rio de Janeirostate, Brazil( Fig. 731) (but see Notes below).  Notes.As already noted previously (Huber 2000), two species might be included: the ‘true’  M. brasiliensiswith a procursus as shown in Figs 274–276(slender, with distinct dorsal widening), and a possible second species with a procursus as shown in Figs 277–279. The male chelicerae and the epigyna do not seem to differ between these two ‘morphs’ or ‘species’. ‘True’  M. brasiliensisalso seem to have a consistently shorter abdomen and shorter legs. Tibia 1 length in ten males of ‘true’  M. brasiliensis: 8.8–11.5 (mean 9.9); in 22 malesof the possible second species: 10.8–13.1 (mean 11.8). Tibia 1 length in seven females of ‘true’  M. brasiliensis: 6.8–8.1 (mean 7.6); in 23 femalesof the possible second species: 8.0–10.4 (mean 9.0). Geographically, the ‘true’  M. brasiliensisis more southern, the possible second species more northern, but there is considerable overlap in southern Rio de Janeirostate, where both ‘morphs’ or ‘species’ were found to even share localities (Reserva Ecológica Rio das Pedras, Cachoeira da Pedra Branca near Paraty). The species is not formally split here because I have not (re)examined all material available in collections. Ideally, a much denser sampling combined with molecular species delimitation methods should be done before splitting (or not splitting) this species.  Mello-Leitão (1947c)reported the species (under  Blechroscelis viridis) from Minas Gerais, Carmo do Rio Claro. I have not seen his specimens (not specified) but consider the record dubious because of the distance to confirmed records. Ramalho et al.(2008)reported the species from “Estação Ecológica de Boracéia (22°11’S, 48°46’W), Salesópolis” but give wrong coordinates (of the town Boracéia: 22.18°S, 48.77°W; instead of the Ecological Station near Salesópolis: ~23.63°S, 45.83°W). 1835975667 MNRJ Brazil -22.52 Rio de Janeiro 756 -44.0 69 70 3 3 Rio de Janeiro syntype 1835975666 2009-09-26 ZFMK Reserva Ecologica Rio das Pedras & B. A. Huber & A. Giupponi 125 -22.991667 Ar 69 70 3 3 Rio de Janeiro 1835975676 2007-08-22 ZFMK B. A. Huber Ar 230 -23.196667 Paraty 125 -44.766666 Cachoeira da Pedra Branca 69 70 4 1 3 Rio de Janeiro 1835975661 2009-09-25 ZFMK B. A. Huber Brazil Assigned 220 Ar Notes 69 70 7 3 4 Rio de Janeiro 1835975588 [245,1341,1066,1091] 2009-09-23 ZFMK B. A. Huber & A. Giupponi Brazil Assigned 210 Ar Notes 69 70 3 3 Rio de Janeiro 1835975569 2009-09-25 ZFMK B. A. Huber Brazil Ar 50 -22.991667 Pedras 125 -44.1 Reserva Ecologica Rio 69 70 8 7 1 Rio de Janeiro 1835975574 2009-09-26 ZFMK B. A. Huber & A. Giupponi Brazil Ar 125 -22.991667 Ar 125 -44.1 Reserva Ecologica Rio 69 70 10 4 6 Rio de Janeiro 1835975579 [465,1391,1174,1199] 2009-09-25 2009-09-26 2009-09-25 ZFMK B. A. Huber Brazil Ar 125 -22.991667 Br 125 -44.1 Reserva Ecologica Rio 69 70 3 3 Rio de Janeiro 1835975577 2009-09-25 MNRJ A. Giupponi & A. Kury Brazil 125 -22.991667 Pedras Reserva Ecologica Rio 69 70 7 3 4 Rio de Janeiro 1835975679 [555,989,1246,1271] 2009-09-25 MNRJ A. Giupponi & A. Kury Brazil 125 -22.991667 Pedras Reserva Ecologica Rio 69 70 1 1 Rio de Janeiro 1835975654 2007-08-21 ZFMK B. A. Huber Brazil 50 -23.191668 Paraty 125 -44.731667 Ar 69 70 6 2 4 Rio de Janeiro 1835975665 2007-08-21 ZFMK Br Brazil 50 -23.191668 Paraty 125 -44.731667 Ar 69 70 2 1 1 Rio de Janeiro 1835975565 2007-08-22 ZFMK B. A. Huber Brazil Ar 230 -23.196667 Paraty 125 -44.766666 Cachoeira da Pedra Branca 69 70 5 1 4 Rio de Janeiro 1835975660 2001-06-08 2001-06-15 2001-06-08 ZFMK H. F. Japyassu Brazil -22.496 Itatiaia 75 -44.561 69 70 1 1 Rio de Janeiro