Architis fritzmuelleri, Santos, 2007

Santos, Adalberto J., 2007, A revision of the Neotropical nursery-web spider genus Architis (Araneae: Pisauridae), Zootaxa 1578 (1), pp. 1-40 : 29-30

Architis fritzmuelleri sp. nov.

Figures 15A–D , 17

Type material. Holotype: female, Parque Natural Municipal Nascentes do Ribeirão Garcia , Blumenau, state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, 27º01’S, 49º09’W, 21–28 January 2003, Equipe Biota ( IBSP 62898 ).

Additional material examined. BRAZIL: São Paulo: Iporanga ( Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto Ribeira [PETAR]), 24º32’S, 48º41’W, 8–15 November 2001, Equipe Biota, 1♀ ( IBSP 62887 ) . Santa Catarina: Blumenau ( Parque Natural Municipal Nascentes do Ribeirão Garcia ), 27º01’S, 49º09’W, 21–28 January 2003, Equipe Biota, 2♀ ( IBSP 62899 , 62900 ) .

Etymology. The specific name honors the German naturalist Fritz Müller (1822–1887), who lived most of his adult life in Blumenau. This homage recognises the importance of his contributions to general evolutionary biology, as well as his efforts in the early dissemination of Darwin’s ideas.

Diagnosis. Architis fritzmuelleri sp. nov. resembles A. colombo sp. nov. in size and general appearance ( Figs 14A–B , 15A–B ) as well as in the structure of genitalia. Both species can be distinguished by the large, diamond-shaped median field of the epigynum ( Fig. 15C ) and the CD which are connected to wide internal copulatory atria ( Fig. 15D ) in A. fritzmuelleri sp. nov.

Description

Male. Unknown.

Female ( based on holotype from Parque Natural Municipal Nascentes do Ribeirão Garcia , Brazil)

Carapace dark brown, with a median and a pair of lateral cream coloured longitudinal bands. Lateral bands gently sinuous ( Fig. 15A ). Tegument pilose, with sparse stout setae and thin, white setae. Anterior eye row procurved, median eyes almost twice as large as lateral eyes. Posterior eyes of similar size, almost twice the diameter of anterior median eyes ( Figs 15A–B ). Clypeus cream-coloured, with a pair of paramedian dark bands. Chelicerae cream-coloured, with a median longitudinal dark band ( Fig. 15B ). Labium dark gray, with cream-coloured anterior and lateral margins. Endites cream-coloured, darker in antero-retrolateral corners. Sternum cream-coloured, with dark gray marginal spots close to the coxae. Pedipalpi cream-coloured, with dark gray basal and apical rings on femur, tibia and tarsus. Legs cream-coloured; femur, tibia and metatarsus with basal, median and apical dark rings. Femora I and II with rings incomplete dorsally and connected ventrally. Opisthosoma dark gray, dorsum with sparse stout setae and irregularly spaced cream-coloured spots ( Fig. 15A ). Venter gray, spinnerets dark gray. Total length 3.3; carapace 1.5 long, 1.4 wide. Tibia I length 1.4, II 1.3, III 1.1, IV 1.3. Opisthosoma 1.8 long, 1.7 wide.

Variation. Females, total length 3.1–3.3, carapace width 0.9–1.5.

Natural history. The type specimens were collected by beating understorey vegetation during the day.

Distribution. Known only from two localities in southern and southeastern Brazil ( Fig. 17 ).

Figures

FIGURES 14A–F. Architis colombo sp. nov. A, female habitus, dorsal view; B, female prosoma, frontal view; C, male pedipalpus, ventral view; D, male pedipalpus, lateral view; E, female epigynum, ventral view; F, female internal genitalia, dorsal view. The arrow points to the prolateral excavation of the pedipalpal tibia. Scale bars: A–B, 0.5 mm; C–D, 0.2 mm; E–F, 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 15A–D. Architis fritzmuelleri sp. nov. A, female habitus, dorsal view; B, female prosoma, frontal view; C, female epigynum, ventral view; D, female internal genitalia, dorsal view. Scale bars: A–B, 0.5 mm; C–D, 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 17. Geographic distribution records of Architis helveola (Simon) (empty circle), A. erwini sp. nov. (cross), A. colombo sp. nov. (full triangle), A. fritzmuelleri sp. nov. (full circle) and Architis robusta Carico (empty square).