Epicadus planus Mello-Leitão, 1932

Silva-Moreira, Thiago Da & Machado, Miguel, 2016, Taxonomic revision of the crab spider genus Epicadus Simon, 1895 (Arachnida: Araneae: Thomisidae) with notes on related genera of Stephanopinae Simon, 1895, Zootaxa 4147 (3), pp. 281-310 : 297-300

Epicadus planus Mello-Leitão, 1932

Figs 1 G–I, 11–14, 15D–F, 20

Epicadus planus Mello-Leitão, 1932: 73 . Roewer 1954: 755; Brignoli 1983: 604; World Spider Catalog 2016. Epicadus nigronotatus Mello-Leitão, 1940: 213 . N ew synonymy.

Etymology. “ Planus ” is derived from the Latin word planus “flat”, and is an adjective.

Type material: Holotype of Epicadus planus (designated by Mello-Leitão 1932): female, BRAZIL, Bahia, Ilhéus , [-14.81642, -39.033268], E.E. May leg. ( MNRJ 14205 ; examined).

Holotype of Epicadus nigronotatus (designated by Mello-Leitão 1940): female, BRAZIL, Espírito Santo, Goitacazes , FLONA Goitacazes, Linhares, [-19.396667, -40.061667], M. Rosa leg. ( MNRJ 58252 ; examined).

Note. The original descriptions of both E. planus and E. nigronotatus were poor and lack any illustrations, and are based on intraspecifically variable characters (such as size and slight changes in the angle of opisthosomal projections) or on features also seen in other thomisid species. Upon study of the type specimens, E. planus and E. nigronotatus were found to be different only in size and intraspecific variations of the external morphology, which leads us to synonymize both species.

Other material examined. MEXICO: San Luis Potosí: 3 males, Xilitla, Las Pozas, [19.1372, -97.2050], Aracno lab leg., 18 November 2011 (UNAM-JAM 171). PANAMA: Bocas del Toro: 2 females, Barro Colorado Island, Canal Zone, [9.1636, -79.8377], A.M. Chickering leg., 3 May 1954 ( MCZ). TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Arima: 1 male and 1 female, Simla, [10.6333, -61.2833], A.M. Chickering leg., April 1964, ( MCZ). Port of Spain: 2 females , Port of Spain, [10.6503, -61.5166], R. Thaxter leg., 1913 ( MCZ) . Saint Patrick: 2 females, Balandra Bay , [Sangre Grande, 10.7135, -60.9962], Reynolds leg., April 1922 ( MCZ). BRAZIL : Roraima: 1 male, Alto Alegre, Ilha de Maracá, [2.0438, -50.4504], A.A. Lise leg., 7 December 1987 ( MCTP 19557 ) ; 1 male, A.A. Lise leg., 10 December 1987 (MCTP 19558); 1 male and 1 female, A.A. Lise leg., 10 December 1987 (MCTP 19559); 1 male, A.A. Lise leg., 10 December 1987 (MCTP 19560); 1 male, A.A. Lise leg., 18 December 1987 (MCTP 19561); 1 female, A.A. Lise leg., 20 December 1987 (MCTP 19562); 1 male, A.A. Lise leg., 8 December 1987 (MCTP 19563); 1 female, A.A. Lise leg., 10 December 1987 (MCTP 19564); 2 males, A.A. Lise leg., 10 December 1987 (MCTP 19565). Amazonas: 1 male, Alto Solimões, [-4.2326, -69.9262], A.A. Lise leg., December 1979 ( MCN 8831 ) ; 1 female, Tefé, [-3.3538, -64.7108], H.O. Parrish leg., 1919 (MCZ); 1 female, Manaus, Reserva Ducke, [-2.9619, -59.9277] Y. Camara and J.E. Binda leg, 10–15 June 1988 (INPA 4560); 1 female, Coari, Base de Operaçoes Geólogo Pedro de Moura, [-4.0943, -63.1445], A.B. Bonaldo leg., 26 September 2004 (MPEG 22672). Bahia : 1 female, Itamarajú, Fazenda Nossa Senhora das Neves, [-17.0348, -39.5363], J.S. Santos leg., 9 October 1978 ( MCN 10176) ; 1 female, Fazenda Jacarandá, [-17.0348, -39.5363], J.S. Santos leg., 9 December 1977 (MCN 10139); 1 female, Camacan, Fazenda Esperança, [-15.4155, -39.4956], CEPLAC leg, 22 August 1969 (MNRJ 10395). Espírito Santo: 1 male, Linhares, Reserva Florestal Vale, [-19.1402, -40.0557], A.D. Brescovit leg., July 1998 ( IBSP 24318 ) ; 1 male, G. Machado & A.J. Santos leg., July 1998 (IBSP 26991). Mato Grosso: 1 female, Chapada dos Guimarães, [-15.3599, -55.8921], M. Hofmann leg, 9 December 1983 ( MCN 11961) ; 1 female, Barra dos Bugres, R. Saschsse leg., November 1986 (MNRJ 4251); 1 male, Querência, Canarana, Fazenda Tanguro, [- 13.0700, -52.3817], D.F. Candiani leg., 28 October 2006 (MPEG 22622). Mato Grosso do Sul: 1 male, Brasilândia, Usina Hidrelétrica Sérgio Motta, -[22.2766, -52.9669], IBSP 2000 staff leg. ( IBSP 35309 ) . Rio de Janeiro: 1 male, Niterói, Itacoatiara, [-22.9720, -43.0320], R.L.C. Baptista & A.P. Chaves leg., 20 July 1980 ( MNRJ 4247 ) ; 1 female, Rio de Janeiro, Parque Nacional da Tijuca, [-22.95, -43.2833], R.F. Rodrigues leg., 22 October 1985 ( MNRJ 10384 ) ; 2 males, Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Botânico, [-22.9677, -43.2248], R.L.C. Baptista leg., 8 June 1986 ( MNRJ 10368 ) ; 3 males, Rio de Janeiro, Morro do Pão de Açúcar , [-22.9493, -43.1545], E.H. Wienskoski leg., November 2004, ( MNRJ 11479 ) ; 2 males and 11 females, Silva Jardim, Poço das Antas, [- 22.5041, -42.2704], A. Sanseverino leg., 15 May 1994 (MNRJ 11429). Paraná: 1 male, Fênix, [-23.9150, - 51.9818], 1 September 1986 ( MCN 16985) . Rio Grande do Sul: 1 female, São Borja, Reserva Biológica São Donato, [-29.0464, -56.0837], M.Machado leg., 31 January 2012 ( MCTP 34653 ) . BOLIVIA: Beni: 1 male, El Trapiche, Estación Biológica del Beni, [-14.6376, -66.2788], A.D. Brescovit leg., August 1993 ( MCN 24169) .

Diagnosis. Females of E. planus differ from the other two species by the discrete eye mount, without the vertical spiniform projections ( Fig. 11 D), truncated median posterior abdominal projection that ends in three smaller tips (1G, H, I, 11C, E), vestigial MS and by a line of black granules on the dorsum of the prosoma ( Figs 11 B, C) and five black spots on the opisthosoma, three dorsal and two posterior, between the upper and lower lateral projections. Males have a very discrete eye mount ( Fig. 13 D), opisthosomal sclerites larger than in E. rubripes and E.heterogaster ( Fig. 13 E) and a distinct transversal line of black sclerites on the opisthosoma dorsum ( Fig. 13 A). Male palp in ventral view resemble those of E. heterogaster , with the tegular furrow at eight o’clock, but differ in both margins of RTA remarkably folded and in the DTA tip directed ventrally and forming a straight angle with the axis of the RTA ( Figs. 14 C, D; 15I).

Description. Female ( E. nigronotatus holotype, MNRJ 58252): Total length 10.07 mm; prosoma width 4.47; opisthosoma width 5.47; prosoma height without projections 2.47; opisthosoma height without projections 4.47. Legs measurements: femur I 4.53; patella I 2.63; tibia I 2.80; metatarsus I 2.13; tarsus I 1.47; femur II 4.70; patella II 2.03; tibia II 2.97; metatarsus II 2.07; tarsus II 1.60; femur III 2.60; patella III 0.77; tibia III 1.97; metatarsus III 1.27; tarsus III 0.67; femur IV 2.80; patella IV 1.33; tibia IV 1.87; metatarsus IV 1.93; tarsus IV 0.73. Leg spination: tibia I 2 -0-2-2; metatarsus I 2 -0-2-2ap; tibia II 2 -0-2-2; metatarsus II 2 -0-2-2ap (dorsal) 2-2 (retrolateral). Epigynum and genital features as in Fig. 12 .

Male (MNRJ 11479): Total length 2.75mm; prosoma width 1.35mm; opisthosoma width 1.56; prosoma height 0.78; opisthosoma height without projections1.19. Leg measurements: femur I 1.15; patella I 0.49; tibia I 0.74; metatarsus I 0.53. tarsus I 0.41; femur II 1.23; patella II 0.49; tibia II 0.62; metatarsus II 0.57; tarsus II 0.49; femur III 0.62; patella III 0.29; tibia III 0.41; metatarsus III 0.41; tarsus III 0.25; femur IV 0.78; patella IV 0.31; tibia IV 0.36; metatarsus IV 0.41. tarsus IV 0.25. Leg spination: tibia I 2-2; metatarsus I 2-2; tibia II 2-2; metatarsus II 2-2 - 2ap. Palp as in Fig. 14 .

Distribution. BOLIVIA: Beni; BRAZIL: Amazonas, Bahia , Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Roraima; MEXICO: San Luis Potosí; PANAMA: Bocas Del Toro ( Fig. 20 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Epicadus species, color variation. A – C E. heterogaster; D – F E. rubripes; G – I E. planus. Photo credits (and localities): A Maxwel Rocha (Unknown locality); B Carlos Viquez (Costa Rica); C Anonymous (Amazônia, Brazil); D – F, Almir Cândido de Almeida (Ribeirão Grande, São Paulo, Brazil); G Arthur Anker (Peru); H Enio Branco (Aracoiaba da Serra, São Paulo, Brazil); I Projeto Dacnis team (Alex Mariano and Edelcio Muscat) (Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil).

FIGURE 11. Epicadus planus Mello-Leitão, 1932 (holotype of E. nigronotatus, MNRJ 58252). A – C habitus (A dorsal, B lateral, C ventral); D cephalic, region frontal view; E opisthosoma, caudal view. Scale bars: 2 mm (A – C), 1 mm (D – E).

FIGURE 12. Epicadus planus Mello-Leitão, 1932 (holotype of E. nigronotatus, MNRJ 58252). A – E Epigynum / vulva (A, E ventral—arrows point to CO, B anterior arrows points to FD, C – D dorsal—arrows in D point to FD. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A, B, D), 0.5 mm (C, E).

FIGURE 13. Epicadus planus Mello-Leitão, 1932. Male (MNRJ 11479). A – C habitus (A dorsal, B lateral, C ventral); D cephalic region, frontal view; E opisthosoma, caudal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A – D), 0.4 mm (E).

FIGURE 14. Epicadus planus Mello-Leitão, 1932. Male palp (MNRJ 11479) (A dorsal, B and E ventral, C and D retrolateral). Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A – C), 0.25 mm (D – E).

FIGURE 20. Records of Epicadus planus Mello-Leitão, 1932. White circle, E. nigronotatus type locality; white square, E. planus type locality.