Tapinauchenius gretae, Cifuentes & Bertani, 2022

Cifuentes, Yeimy & Bertani, Rogerio, 2022, Taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of the tarantula genera Tapinauchenius Ausserer, 1871, Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1985, and Amazonius n. gen. (Theraphosidae, Psalmopoeinae), Zootaxa 5101 (1), pp. 1-123 : 57-62

Tapinauchenius gretae n. sp.

( Figs 19 , 21, 23 , 122–144 )

Diagnosis. Females of Tapinauchenius gretae n. sp. resemble those of T. brunneus by the large lobe on the spermathecae apex ( Fig. 129 ). They differ by spermathecae shape, having the same width almost all of its length. Males of Tapinauchenius gretae n. sp. resemble those of T. brunneus by the embolus in dorsal view roughly straight with a pronounced curvature to retrolateral side at its distal portion ( Fig. 125 ). They differ by the longer embolus, more than 3.5 times subtegulum length ( Fig. 122 ) and by the slender embolus in dorsal view ( Fig. 125 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a matronym in honor of Greta Thunberg, a young Swedish environmental activist who has fought against climate change and for the preservation of the planet.

Type material. Holotype male from Brazil, Amazonas , Iranduba, Vila de Paricatuba [3°05’00”S, 60°14’32”W] R. Bertani & M. Q. Almeida col., 04 November 2017 ( MZUSP 76536 ), 2 paratype females, M. Q. Almeida col., 22 April 2017 ( INPA 9100 ).

Other material examined. BRAZIL: Amazonas : Presidente Figueiredo [2°03’09”S, 60°01’27”W], in Acariquara ( Minquartia guianensis ) tree trunk, 1 male, M. Q. Almeida, 15 January 2008 ( INPA 9097 ) ; Manaus [3°04’S, 59°59’W] 1 male, in Acariquara ( Minquartia guianensis ) tree, 12 July 2017, M. Q. Almeida ( INPA 4882 ) ; Iranduba , Vila de Paricatuba (3°05’00”S, 60°14’32”W), 1 female, R. Bertani and M. Q. Almeida col., 04 November 2017 ( MZUSP 76534 ) ; 1 female, same data and collectors ( MZUSP 76535 ) ; 1 male, same data and collectors ( MZUSP 76537 ) ; 1 female, same data and collectors ( MZUSP 76538 ) ; 1 female, R. Bertani, M. Q. Almeida and F. F. Xavier, 02 July 2018 ( MNRJ 7703 ) ; Nhamundá [2°11’26”S, 56°42’54”W], boca do Figueiredo, in bromeliad, 1 male, E.P.A. col. 18 January1968 ( MZUSP 10852 ) ; Novo Airão (2°37’41.5”S, 60°57’13.6”W), 1 male, R. Bertani and M.E.E.S Oliveira, 06 November 2017 ( MNRJ 7704 ) ; 1 male, same data and collectors ( MNRJ 7705 ) ; Rio Preto da Eva [2°41’54”S, 59°42’02W], 1 male, M. Q. Almeida col., 06 May 2015 ( INPA 9099 ) .

Description. Male holotype (MZUSP 76536). Total length, not including chelicerae or spinnerets 20.55. Carapace 9.75 long, 8.37 wide, 2.01 high. Chelicera: 4.81 long. Legs (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus, total): I: 10.75, 5.54, 9.54, 8.22, 4.10, 38.15; II: 9.60, 4.98, 8.06, 7.72, 3.99, 34.35; III: 7.86, 3.94, 6.30, 7.21, 3.61, 28.92; IV: 10.10, 4.44, 9.29, 9.82, 3.53, 37.18; Palp: 6.37, 3.64, 5.39, -, 1.51, 16.91. Midwidths: femora I–IV= 1.86, 1.82, 1.88, 1.75, palp= 1.22; patellae I–IV= 1.51, 1.71, 1.69, 1.78, palp= 1.65; tibiae I–IV= 1.40, 1.26, 1.66, 1.43, palp= 1.22; metatarsi I–IV= 0.98, 0.87, 0.94, 0.82; tarsi I–IV= 0.88, 0.79, 0.92, 0.78, palp= 1.32. Abdomen: 10.80 long, 6.45 wide. Spinnerets: PMS, 1.43 long, 055 wide, 0.26 apart; PLS, 2.34 basal, 1.71 middle, 2.80 distal; midwidths 0.99, 0.73, 0.63, respectively. Carapace: 1.16 times longer than wide; cephalic region slightly raised, thoracic striae conspicuous. Fovea: shallow, straight, 0.96 wide. Eyes: tubercle 0.40 high, 1.36 long, 2.46 wide. Clypeus: absent. Anterior row straight, posterior recurved. Eye size and interdistances: AME 0.64, ALE 0.51, PME 0.32, PLE 0.41, AME–AME 0.35, AME–ALE 0.17, AME–PME 0.17, ALE–ALE 1.75, ALE–PME 0.33, PME–PME 1.37, PME– PLE 0.13, PLE–PLE 1.91, ALE–PLE 0.23. Maxilla: length to width 1.66. Cuspules: ca. 135 spread over ventral inner heel. Labium: 1.21 long, 1.58 wide, with ca. 114 cuspules spaced by one diameter from each other on anterior third. Chelicera: basal segment with 8 teeth in row. Sternum: 4.92 long, 3.89 wide.

Legs: Formula: I = IV II III. Length leg IV to leg I: 0.97. Scopula: Tarsi I–IV fully scopulate; IV with a few sparse setae. Metatarsi I–II fully scopulate; III 2/3 distal; IV 1/3 distal. IV divided by rows of setae. Spination: Palps and legs (ventral apical: tibia/metatarsi): Palp 0; I: 1 behind retrolateral process of tibial apophysis; II: 2/0; III 1/2; IV 1/1. Tibial apophysis ( Figs 126–128 ) with two processes, retrolateral larger than prolateral, one spine at side of prolateral, another on apical part of retrolateral process. A conspicuous rounded protuberance behind retrolateral process. Metatarsus I folds on retrolateral side of tibial apophysis.

Palp ( Figs 122–125 ): tegulum length 0.77, width 1.01, embolus proximal width 0.43, length 2.86. Embolus proximal portion straight. Embolus length to tegulum: 3.71, roughly straight in dorsal view with pronounced curvature to retrolateral side at its distal portion. Embolus distal portion narrows abruptly ending in curved tip.

Color pattern (preserved in alcohol): Carapace, chelicerae, legs, palps and abdomen brown covered with light brown setae. Maxillae, sternum, labium and anterior half of coxa brown, posterior half of coxae light brown.

Description. Female paratype (INPA 9100). Total length, not including chelicerae or spinnerets 30.02. Carapace 14.92 long, 10.76 wide, 8.04 high. Chelicera: 9.96 long. Legs (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus, total): I: 11.35, 7.51, 10.41, 8.97, 5.09, 43.33, II: 10.98, 7.58, 10.69, 8.98, 4.58, 42.81; III: 8.70, 5.64, 7.41, 8.44, 4.12, 34.31; IV: 11.01, 6.10, 10.81, 11.58, 3.86, 43.36; Palp: 7.44, 4.90, 5.50, -, 5.81, 23.6. Midwidths: femora I–IV= 2.19, 2.09, 2.36, 2.42, palp= 2.13; patellae I–IV= 2.11, 2.45, 2.07, 2.51, palp=2.37; tibiae I–IV= 2.03, 1.88, 2.27, 2.17, palp= 1.85; metatarsi I–IV=1.75, 1.69, 1.39, 1.33; tarsi I–IV= 1.65, 1.47, 1.55, 1.24, palp= 1.50. Abdomen: 14.96 long, 9.44 wide. Spinnerets: PMS, 1.05 long, 0.48 wide, 0.29 apart; PLS, 1.37 basal, 1.22 middle, 1.82 distal; midwidths 0.71, 0.73, 0.61, respectively. Carapace: 1.39 times longer than wide; cephalic region slightly raised, thoracic striae conspicuous. Fovea: deep, straight, 0.84 wide. Eyes: eye tubercle 0.57 high, 0.88 long, 1.55 wide. Clypeus: absent. Anterior eye row straight, posterior slightly recurved. Eye size and interdistances: AME 0.35, ALE 0.33, PME 0.19, PLE 0.30, AME–AME 0.19, AME–ALE 0.13, AME–PME 0.13, ALE–ALE 1.10, ALE–PME 0.20, PME–PME 0.89, PME–PLE 0.11, PLE–PLE 1.18, ALE–PLE 0.18. Maxilla: length to width 1.60. Cuspules: ca. 148 spread over ventral inner heel. Labium: 1.05 long, 1.19 wide, with ca. 136 cuspules spaced by one diameter from each other on anterior third. Chelicera: basal segment with 9 teeth in row. Sternum: 3.53 long, 2.54 wide.

Legs: Formula: I = IV II III. Length leg IV to leg I: 1.00. Scopula: Tarsi I–IV fully scopulate; IV with a few sparse setae. Metatarsi I–II fully scopulate; III 1/2 distal; IV 1/4 distal. IV divided by rows of setae. Spination: Palps and legs (ventral apical: tibia/metatarsi): Palp 0; I: 0/0; II 2/0; III 0/ 2; IV 0/2.

Spermathecae ( Fig. 129 ): Two spermathecae completely separated, elongate and almost the same width all its length, with a sclerotized apical rounded lobe of almost half diameter of spermatheca midwidth.

Color pattern (in vivo): Carapace, legs, palpal femora and tibiae brown, with blue-violet shades; abdomen purple with a proximal transverse dark line connected with a central vertical line forming a “T” ( Fig. 138 ).

Distribution. Brazil ( Figs 21, 23 ).

Figures

FIGURE 19. Single cladogram obtained with setk.run and concavity 10.239258 (continued), showing the resolution of Psalmopoeinae clade. Absolute and relative Bremer support are in each node.

FIGURES 21–23. 21, Map showing geographic records (dots) of Tapinauchenius species. 22, detail of the geographic records (dots) of T. sanctivincenti, T. latipes, T. polybotes and T. rasti. 23, detail of the geographic records (dots) of T. plumipes (red) and T. gretae n. sp. (black) in Central Amazonia, Brazil. Tapinauchenius plumipes (red), T. sanctivincenti (pink), T. latipes (green), T. brunneus (brown), T. cupreus (yellow), T. polybotes (purple), T. rasti (light blue), T. gretae n. sp. (black). MI = Mustique island; SL = Saint Lucia island; SV = Saint Vincent island; UI = Union island; TR = Trinidad; VE = Venezuela.

FIGURES 122–129. Tapinauchenius gretae n. sp. (122–128) holotype male (MZUSP 76536). (122–125) left bulb (mirrored). 122, retrolateral. 123, prolateral. 124, frontal. 125, dorsal. (126–128) left leg I tibial apophysis. 126, ventral. 127, prolateral. 128, retrolateral. (129) paratype female (INPA 9100), spermathecae. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 130–137. Tapinauchenius gretae n. sp. bulb and spermathecae variation. (130–135) left bulb (mirrored). (130–132) MNRJ 7704. 130, retrolateral. 131, prolateral. 132, dorsal. (133–135) MZUSP 76537. 133, retrolateral. 134, prolateral. 135, dorsal. (136–137) spermathecae. 136, MZUSP 76534. 137, MZUSP 76535. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 138–144. Tapinauchenius gretae n. sp., living. 138, female from Brazil, state of Amazonas, Iranduba. 139, male, same locality. 140, immature, same locality. 141, immature from same locality, in its retreat in a wall burrow. 142, female from Brazil, state of Amazonas, Novo Airão, in its retreat in a palm tree leaf. 143, female from same locality, in its retreat in palm tree. 144, male from same locality, stretched over a palm tree leaf. Photos: Rogério Bertani.