Larinia dubia, Ott, Ricardo & Rodrigues, Everton Nei Lopes, 2017

Ott, Ricardo & Rodrigues, Everton Nei Lopes, 2017, Two new species of orb-weaving spiders of the genus Larinia (Araneae, Araneidae) in meridional Brazil, Zootaxa 4247 (1), pp. 89-93 : 89-90

Larinia dubia new species Figs. 1–10 , 22, 23 , 26

Type material. Holotype male from Aceguá, 31°52'00"S; 54°09'00"W, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, V.2011, L. R. Podgaiski leg., deposited at MCN 52123 . Paratypes: female, Estação Ecológica de Aratinga, 29°26'52"S; 50°35'02"W, São Francisco de Paula , Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 21.XII.2012, Equipe L. E. I. UFRGS leg. ( MCN 52121) ; female, Lavras do Sul, 30°48'46"S ; 53°53'42"W, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, V. 2012, L. R. Podgaiski leg. ( MCN 52122) ; male (MCN 52126).

Etymology. The species epithet is a Latin adjective meaning “dubious.” It refers to doubts among species, difficult to define.

Diagnosis. Male palps of L. dubia new species are similar to those of L. tucuman ( Figs. 20, 21 ; see also Harrod et al. 1990: 251, figs. 14, 15) in having a triangular shaped embolus ( Fig. 5 ) and a small process distally on tegulum ( Fig. 6 ), but differ from the last species by the shape of median apophysis with robust pointed processes with their tips distant from each other around the same length of this sclerite ( Figs. 22, 23 ). Females of L. dubia new species can be easily separated from all American species by the rectangular-shaped scape, longer than wide ( Fig. 8 ), which resembles that of L. phthisica (L. Koch, 1871) from Australia (see Grasshoff, 1970: 224, fig. 8h; Framenau & Scharff, 2008: 240, fig. 30), but differs from it by having a longer scape, with a stronger posterior rim ( Fig. 8 ). The longitudinal abdominal pattern stripes ( Figs. 1, 2 ) separate L. dubia new species from the sympatric species L. bivittata and L. tucuman . This abdominal pattern is similar to L. minor (Bryant, 1945) and L. lampa (see Harrod et al., 1990: 251, fig. 8 and 255, fig. 18); but it differs from both species by the rectangular scape.

Description. Appearance, male holotype; palp and measurements, male paratype (MCN 39126). Carapace yellow with brown median line with dark areas surrounding the cephalic area ( Fig. 1 ). Chelicerae, coxae and legs yellow. Labium yellow anteriorly, blackish at posterior border. Endites yellow with some blackish scattered pigmentation laterally ( Fig. 3 ). Sternum yellow, surrounded by a darker border and some lateral black spots, darker at posterior end ( Fig. 3 ). Abdomen dorsum whitish, with white longitudinal bands which becomes slightly darker posteriorly ( Fig. 1 ); venter grayish with a light central white spot, darker anteriorly and on the spinnerets ( Fig. 3 ). Palp: tegulum with distal pointed process (apical extension), median apophysis with broad prolateral process and triangular shaped posterior process ( Figs. 5–7 , 22, 23 ). Total length 3.64. Carapace 1.29 long, 0.93 wide. AME 0.11; PME 0.10; ALE and PLE 0.06 in diameter. AME-AME 0.11, PME-PME 0.05, ALE-PLE 0.01. Abdomen oval 1.6 long and 0.89 wide. First femur 1.82 long, patella and tibia 2.53, metatarsus 2.21, tarsus 0.73. Second patella and tibia 2.17 long, third 1.10, fourth 1.98.

Female. Paratypes. Appearance and measurement (MCN 52122); epigynum (MCN 52121). Color as in male, but with much darker pigmentation on endites, labium sternum and abdominal ventral area. Epigynum bearing a mesal longitudinal subrectangular scape ( Fig. 8 ) and circular spermathecae ( Figs. 9, 10 ). Total length 4.70. Carapace 1.73 long, 1.27 wide. AME 0.10, PME 0.08, ALE and PLE 0.06 in diameter. AME-AME 0.08, PME-PME 0.04, ALE-PLE 0.01. Abdomen oval 3.15 long and 1.73 wide. First femur 1.78, patella and tibia 2.40, metatarsus 2.01, tarsus 0.74. Second patella and tibia 2.27, third 1.16, fourth 2.14.

Variation. Males (N=5); total length 2.77–3.38; carapace 1.20–1.44. Females (N=2); total length 3.64–4.75; carapace 1.29–1.68.

Other material examined. BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul: male, Tramandaí , 29°59'06"S ; 50°08'02"W, 31.V.1976, H. Bischoff leg. (MCN 4335); male, Guaíba , 30°06'50"S ; 51°19'30"W, 24–27.XII.1992, A. B. Bonaldo leg. (MCN 22646); male, Guaíba Country Club , Eldorado do Sul, 29°59'49.7"S ; 51°18'28.3"W, A. B. Bonaldo leg. (MCN 22687); male, Lavras do Sul, 30°48'46"S ; 53°53'42"W, XII.2011, Equipe L. E. I. UFRGS leg. (MCN 52124); male, Lavras do Sul, V.2011, L. R. Podgaiski leg. ( MCN 52126); male, Parque Estadual Tainhas , 28°53'06"S ; 50°21'28"W, Jaquirana, 21.XI.2012, Equipe L. E. I. UFRGS leg. (MCN 52125); male, IRGA, 29°57'03"S; 51°05'38"W, Cachoeirinha, 16.XI.2004, E. N. L. Rodrigues leg. (MCN 39126).

Natural History. All specimens collected by L. R. Podgaiski, Ronei Baldissera and Equipe L. E. I. (Camila F. Dias pers. comm.) and E. N. L. Rodrigues (Rodrigues et al., 2008; 2009) by the sweeping net in grasslands, shrubs, forest edges. This species was also collected by beating tray in shrubs and riparian forest edges ( Rodrigues et al., 2015).

Distribution. Known for state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Larinia dubia n. sp. 1, 3, Male (holotype, MCN 52123). 2, 4, Female (paratype, MCN 52122). 5 – 7, Male palp. 8 – 10, Epigynum. 1, 2, Dorsal. 3, 4, Ventral. 5, Prolateral. 6, Retrolateral. 7, Ventral. 8, Ventral. 9, Posterior. 10, Posterior, clarified. A, terminal apophysis; C, conductor; E, embolus; M, median apophysis; S, scape; T, tegulum. Scale bars: 3 mm (1 – 4); 0.25 mm (5 – 10). FIGURES 11 – 19. Larinia robusta n. sp. (male holotype and female paratype, MCN 25410). 11, 13, Male. 12, 14, Female. 18 – 19, Epigynum. 11, 12, Dorsal. 13, 14, Ventral. 15 – 17, Male palp. 15, Prolateral. 16, Retrolateral. 17, Ventral. 18, Ventral. 19, Posterior. Scale bars: 3 mm (11 – 14); 0.25 mm (15 – 19).

FIGURES 20 – 25. 20, 21, Larinia tucuman Harrod, Levi & Leibensperger, 1991 (MCN 25201). 22, 23, Larinia dubia n. sp. (MCN 39126). 24, 25, Larinia robusta n. sp. (MCN 25410). 20, 22, 24, Male palp, prolateral. 21, 23, 25, Median apophysis, detail. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (20, 22, 24); 0.1 mm (21, 23, 25).