Pikelinia tambilloi ( Mello­Leitão 1941 ), Mello-Leitao, 1941

Grismado, Cristian J. & Ramírez, Martín J., 2006, Redescription of the male of Pikelinia tambilloi (Mello­Leitão, 1941) and its synonymy with Pikelinia toba Ramírez & Grismado, 1997 (Araneae: Filistatidae: Prithinae), Zootaxa 1276, pp. 39-45 : 40-44

Pikelinia tambilloi ( Mello­Leitão 1941)

( Figs. 1–11 )

Filistata tambilloi Mello­Leitão, 1941: 106 (male holotype from Argentina, La Rioja Province, Tambillos, 50 km SW of Chilecito, Birabén (MLP 14615, re­examined).

Pikelinia tambilloi ; Mello­Leitão, 1946: 47; Roewer 1954: 1282 (Pikeliana, lapsus); Ramírez & Grismado, 1997: 331 (description of female).

Pikelinia toba Ramírez & Grismado, 1997: 339 (female holotype and five female paratypes from Argentina, Santiago del Estero Province, Moreno Department, Mercedes, 10 km E of Amamá, VIII.1995, D. Vezzani (MACN­Ar 9515 and 9516, re­examined). NEW SYNONYMY.

Additional material examined: Argentina: Santiago del Estero Province: Parque Nacional Copo, settlers area, 22–24.II.2004, C. Grismado, A. Ojanguren, F. Labarque, L. Compagnucci col. 1 male (maturity molt 5.IV. 2004 in lab, MACN­Ar 10459, preparation CJG00202­3, ARAMR 000149), 1 female (MACN­Ar 10526, preparation CJG00214), 1 female (MACN­Ar 10530), 1 female (MACN­Ar 10457, ARAMR 000027), 1 female (MACN­Ar 10723, maintained alive until 14.VI.2005), 1 immature (MACN­Ar 10528); Parque Nac. Copo, NE limit, 24–25.II.2004, same collectors, 1 female (MACN­Ar 10527, web sample CJG00030, preparation CJG00243); Departamento Moreno, Ruta Prov. 6, 10 km NE Quimilí, 22.II.2004, sifting under Opuntia quimilo (“quimil”) litter, same collectors, 1 immature (MACN­Ar 10529); Córdoba Province: Alta Gracia, 31°40'00” S 64°26'00” W, 2.IV.2005, M. Ramírez col., on walls of houses, 10 females (MACN­Ar 10716), same data, 3 males, 1 female (MACN­Ar 10717), 1 female (MACN­Ar 10718), same data, 1 male (molted to maturity 6.V.2005, MACN­Ar 10720, ARAMR 000208). All the specimens of P. tambilloi and P. toba cited in Ramírez & Grismado (1997) were reexamined.

Redescription of male (Parque Nacional Copo, MACN­Ar 10459): Total length 3.00. Carapace length 1.26, width 0.96. Posterior median eyes separated by about 1.75 diameters. Palp, femur length 0.92. Legs, tibiae length/width I 2.44/0.18, II 1.90/0.18, III 1.22/0.16, IV 1.94/0.20, metatarsi length I 2.40, II 1.26, III 1.30, IV 1.82, tarsi length I 1.42, II 0.76, III 0.64, IV 0.76. Abdomen length 1.62. Carapace light brown with darker, thin radial design. Clypeus and postocular area marbled between the eyes and the fovea; carapace margins with a thin dark band. Sternum pale with very small dots aligned as a median thin stripe; margins darkened. All legs pale yellowish ( Fig. 3 ). Opisthosoma brown almost uniform with tenuous darker chevrons (as in Fig. 1 ), not so contrasting as in other species of the genus, partially hidden by long brown hairs; venter brown, except the epigastric area and the area anterior to the spinnerets, pale yellowish. Spination: All legs devoid of spines except an apical­ventral pair on distal tibiae (thinner on tibia II). The excavated area of metatarsi II lacks the strong proximal spines; instead, it has short spinules that gradually decrease their length distally ( Fig. 7 ), as in Misionella ( Ramírez & Grismado 1997: figs. 97–98, Grismado & Ramírez 2000: figs. 1–2), and the males of Pikelinia ticucho from Córdoba province, Argentina ( Grismado 2003: figs. 3–4).

Palp ( Figs. 4–6 ): described in Ramírez & Grismado (1997: 330). The embolus of the type specimen is broken.

Female: We dissected additional females and illustrated the intraspecific variability in the internal genitalia, including the dimensions of the pore­bearing area of the proximal receptacle ( Figs. 8–11 ). The chevroned dorsal pattern of the opisthosoma is more evident in lighter specimens ( Fig. 2 ).

Distribution: La Rioja, Santiago del Estero and Córdoba Provinces, Argentina. The new records here presented extend the known range of this species about 700 km to the northeast (Copo) and about 400 km to the SE (Alta Gracia) from the type locality.

Natural history: Most of the specimens from Parque Nacional Copo were collected in typical filistatid cribellate funnel webs constructed in holes and crevices in a palisade around a small pond for cattle. Other specimens were found in fallen logs and sifting litter under “quimil” cactuses ( Opuntia quimilo ). The Parque Nacional Copo is situated in the bioma known as “dry Chaco” as characterized in Cabrera & Willink (1973) and Morrone (1999, 2000). The specimens collected in the city of Alta Gracia made dense webs in corners of external walls of buildings.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Pikelinia tambilloi (Mello Leitão). 1, living male from Alta Gracia (MACN­Ar 10720), habitus; 2, living female from Parque Nacional Copo, habitus; 3 – 5, male from Parque Nacional Copo, preserved (MACN­Ar 10459); 3, lateral view; 4, left palp, retrolateral; 5, left palp, prolateral. Scale bars: 1 – 2 = 2 mm; 3 = 1 mm; 4 – 5 = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 6 – 11. Pikelinia tambilloi (Mello­Leitão). 6 – 7, male from Parque Nacional Copo. 6, left palp, retrolateral, cleared; 7, left metatarsus­tarsus II, retrolateral; 8 – 11, female vulvae, cleared. 8, Mercedes, Santiago del Estero (holotype of P. t o b a Ramírez & Grismado, MACN­Ar 9515), 9 Copo, Santiago del Estero (MACN­Ar 10527), 10, Tobas, Santiago del Estero, (MACN­Ar 9520); 11, La Rioja (MACN­Ar 4238). Scale bars: 6, 8 – 11 = 100 μm; 7 = 0.5 mm.