Quemedice Mello-Leitão, 1942

Rheims, Cristina A., Labarque, Facundo M. & Ramírez, Martín J., 2008, The South American genus Quemedice Mello-Leitão (Araneae: Sparassidae): familial placement and taxonomic revision, Zootaxa 1813, pp. 60-68 : 61-62

Quemedice Mello-Leitão, 1942

Type species: Quemedice enigmaticus Mello-Leitão, 1942 , by original designation Quemedice Mello-Leitão, 1942: 407 –408; Roewer, 1954: 790 ( Thomisidae ); Homann, 1975: 183 (transf. to Philodromidae ); Brignoli, 1983: 596; Platnick, 2008.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from remaining sparassid genera by the combination of the following characters: elongate opisthosoma ( Figs 1–2, 4–7 ), male palp with massive embolus retrolaterally bent with median region curved dorsad and behind the base and emerging dorsally to rest behind an apophysis at the base of the embolus ( Figs 8–10, 13–14 ). Females are distinguished by having the copulatory ducts distally convoluted with anterior membranous receptacles and inconspicuous spermathecae ( Figs 12, 16 ).

Description. Prosoma longer than wide ( Figs 1, 5 ); cephalic region slightly higher than thoracic region. Eyes arranged in two recurved rows; AME slightly larger than ALE and farther apart from each other than from laterals; PME slightly smaller than PLE, equidistant ( Figs 1, 5 ). Chelicerae with two promarginal and two retromarginal teeth; intermarginal denticles absent ( Figs 17–22 ). Internal keel at base of fang with 8-10 strong setae in one or two rows ( Figs 17–18, 21–22 ). Cheliceral boss on ectal margin ( Figs 17, 20–21 ) and gland area on retromargin ( Fig. 19 ). Abdomen elongate, three times longer than wide ( Figs 1–2, 4–7 ). Legs laterigrade (2413). Leg spination in males: femora I–IV p1-1-1; d0-1-1; r0-1-1; patellae I–II p1; III–IV d1; tibiae I–IV p1-0-1; d1-0-1; r1-0-1; v2-2 -0; metatarsi I–III p1-1-0; r1-1-0; v2-2 -0; IV p1-1-2; r1-1-2; v2-2 -0. Leg spination in females as in males, except patellae I–IV 0; tibiae I–IV d0. Metatarsi I–IV with dorsal trilobate membrane at distal end, with median lobe slightly more developed than laterals ( Figs 26–27 ). Tarsi and anterior half of metatarsi densely scopulated. Tarsal organ capsulated, with rounded opening, located dorsally at the distal end of tarsi ( Fig. 25 ). Trichobothrium with basal crescent plate projecting over smooth distal plate ( Fig. 24 ). Tarsi with two pectinated claws, with ca. 25 teeth each, and claw tufts ( Fig. 23 ).

Male palp. Tibia short with one strong basal spine prolaterally and one dorsally ( Figs 8–9, 13–14 ). RTA distally bifid ( Figs 8–9, 13–14 ). Cymbium with oval, median alveolus and two prolateral spines at base, one of them stronger. Subtegulum retrolaterally displaced and visible in ventral and retrolateral views. Tegulum Sshaped, slightly spiraled perpendicularly to the main palpal axis, towards the tip of the cymbium ( Figs 8–9, 13–14 ). Conductor absent. Embolus massive, retrolaterally directed and medially curving behind base and emerging at the top ( Fig. 10 ).

Epigynum . Epigynal field divided into median septum and lateral lobes; lateral borders slightly rounded covering longer than wide median septum with pair of anterior copulatory openings ( Figs 4 , 11, 15 ). Vulva with copulatory ducts posteriorly convoluted, with large anterior membranous receptacles (“Subepigynealer Sack” sensu Järvi 1912, considered to be non-homologous to the "spermathecae" sensu Sierwald 1989 because they are not associated to the fertilization ducts); fertilization ducts short, hook shaped, directed anteriorly and outwards ( Figs 12, 16 ).

Remarks. Within Sparassidae , Quemedice seems to belong to Sparassinae due to the presence of only two promarginal teeth in the chelicerae, absence of intermarginal denticles, median hook of trilobate membrane as large as or slightly larger than lateral projections and a short-toothed female palpal claw ( Jäger 1998). The genus seems to be closely related to Macrinus Simon , Vindullus Simon and Nolavia Kammerer , with whom it shares the presence of only two pairs of ventral spines on tibiae I-IV, the tegulum slightly spiraled perpendicularly to the main palpal axis, towards the tip of the cymbium ( Figs. 8, 13 ; Rheims 2007: figs. 22, 28, 34) the female epigynum with simple, rounded lateral lobes partially covering the median septum ( Figs 11, 15 ; Rheims 2007: figs 24, 30, 36) and vulva with large anterior hyaline receptacles ( Figs 12, 16 ; Rheims 2007: figs 25, 31, 37).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Quemedice enigmaticus Mello – Leitão, preserved specimens. 1 – 4 Female (holotype, MLP 15450), 1 – 3 habitus (1 dorsal; 2 ventral; 3 lateral), 4 Epigynum, ventral; 5 – 7. Male (MACN – Ar 10758), habitus (5 dorsal; 6 lateral, 7 ventral). Scale bars: 1 – 2, 4 – 7, 2 mm; 3, 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 8 – 16. 8 – 12. Quemedice enigmaticus Mello – Leitão (8 – 9 IBSP 67822; 10 MACN – Ar 10758; 11 – 12 IBSP 1899). 8 – 10 Left male palp (8 ventral, 9 retrolateral, 10 ditto, detail of expanded embolus); 11 – 12. Epigynum (11 ventral, 12 dorsal). 13 – 16. Quemedice piracuruca n. sp. (13 – 14, paratype, IBSP 28565; 15 – 16, paratype, MPEG 6402). 13 – 14 Left male palp (arrows indicate small teeth) (13 ventral, 14 dorsal); 15 – 16. Epigynum (15 ventral, 16 dorsal). (C = cymbium; CD = copulatory duct; CO = copulatory opening; db = dorsal branch of RTA; EA = embolus apophysis; EB = embolus base; E = embolus; FD = fertilization duct; HR = hyaline receptacle; MS = median septum; LL = lateral lobes; ST = subtegulum; T = tegulum; vb = ventral branch of RTA). Scale bars: 8 – 9, 11 – 16, 0.5 mm; 10, 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 17 – 22. Quemedice enigmaticus Mello – Leitão (MACN – Ar 10758). 17 – 22 Left chelicera (17 posterior, 18 retromargin, 19 ditto, detail of cheliceral gland area, 20 ectal, 21 frontal, 22 promargin) (CB = cheliceral boss; CGA = cheliceral gland area; M = macrosetae). Scale bars: 17, 20 – 21, 200 µm; 18, 22, 100 µm; 19, 50 µm.

FIGURES 23 – 28. Quemedice enigmaticus Mello – Leitão (MACN – Ar 10758). 23 – 27 Male, left leg IV (23 claw, retrolateral – apical, 24 tarsal trichobothria, dorsal, 25 tarsal organ, dorsal, 26 trilobate membrane at distal end of metatarsus, prolateral, 27 ditto, dorsal; 28 Epiandrium, ventral view. Scale bars: 23, 26 – 27, 100 µm; 28, 50 µm; 25, 20 µm; 24, 10 µm.