Thymoites melloleitaoni ( Bristowe, 1938 )

Rodrigues, Everton Nei Lopes & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2015, On the spider genus Thymoites in the Neotropical Region (Araneae, Theridiidae): nine new species, complementary descriptions and new records, Zootaxa 3972 (2), pp. 181-207 : 198

Thymoites melloleitaoni ( Bristowe, 1938)

Figs. 47–48 , 73–85 , 87

Brontosauriella melloleitaoni Bristowe, 1938: 72 , f. 8–13 (Male holotype from “Santa Catharina ”, Brazil, deposited in The Natural History Museum, London, not examined). Levi & Levi, 1962: 48, f. 131–132.

Thymoites melloleitaoni, Levi, 1964: 461 , f. 35–36 (Transf).

Diagnosis. The female of Thymoites melloleitaoni Bristowe, 1938 is close to T. mirus Levi, 1964 (see Levi, 1964: fig. 32, 33), by elongated spermathecae ( Figs. 47, 48 ), but differs from it in the shape of fertilization ducts and copulatory ducts ( Figs. 47, 48 ).

Description. Female (from Fazenda Itereí, IBSP 166167): Total length 1.47. Carapace length 0.67, width 0.52. Clypeus height 0.14. Sternum length 0.33, width 0.39. Abdomen length 0.84, width 0.88, height 0.92. Leg formula I/IV/II/III; segment length (I/II/III/IV): femora 0.84/0.65/0.54/0.69; patellae + tibiae 0.81/0.63/0.44/0.69; metatarsi + tarsi 0.94/0.79/0.56/0.77; total 2.59/2.07/1.54/2.15. Carapace brown. Eyes margined with black. PME smaller than the other eyes. Chelicerae ( Fig. 75 ), endites ( Fig. 74 ) and labium brown. Sternum brown. Setae present at ocular area and in the middle portion of carapace. Legs brown, except coxae and femur pale yellow. Tarsal claw in the pedipalp developed ( Fig. 76 ). Abdomen subcircular, pale yellow. Spinnerets yellow. Epigynum ( Fig. 73 ) with spermathecae elongated and copulatory ducts non-sinuous ( Figs. 47, 48 ).

Male. Described by Bristowe (1938) and illustrated by Levi (1964: figs. 35, 36).

Remarks. Males and females were collected together in many localities in Brazil. The somatic morphology of the male and palp are also illustrated as a complement to Levi’s (1964) detailed description ( Figs. 77–85 ).

Material examined. BRAZIL. São Paulo: Miracatu (Fazenda Itereí, 24°03’S; 47°13’W), 20–26.IX.2001, Equipe Biota leg., 1M, 1F ( IBSP 166165), 1M ( IBSP 166166), 1F ( IBSP 166167), 1M ( IBSP 166168), 1F ( IBSP 166169), 2F ( IBSP 166170), 1M ( IBSP 166171), 2M ( IBSP 166172), 1F ( IBSP 166173). Paraná: Morretes (Instituto Agronômico do Paraná, IAPAR, Estação 2, 25º28'37"S; 48º50'04"W), 28, 29.X.1995, A. B. Bonaldo leg., 1M (MCN 26949); Guaraqueçaba (Reserva Natural Serra do Itaqui, 25°17’19”S; 48°28’29”W), 19.IX.2007, E. Álvarez leg., 1M (MCN 44562); 18.IX.2007, I. Czisauskas leg., 1M, 1 F (MCN 45169); 19.IX.2007, G. Perroni leg., 1M (MCN 45172); 19.IX.2007, F. Raub leg., 1M, 1F (MCN 45200); 18.IX.2007, F. Raub leg., 1M (MCN 45207); 19.IX.2007, F. Raub leg., 1M, 2F (MCN 45208); 18.IX.2007, L. Scheuermann leg., 1M (MCN 45247); 19.IX.2007, I. Czisauskas leg., 1M (MCN 45290); 19.IX.2007, I. Czisauskas leg., 1M (MCN 45293). Santa Catarina: Paulo Lopes (Parque Estadual da Serra do Tabuleiro , 27°57’43”S; 48°41’02”W), 10–20.I.2003, Equipe Biota leg., 1M (MCN 52010). Rio Grande do Sul: São Francisco de Paula (29º26'53"S; 50º35'01"W), 02.IV. 20021, E. L. C. Silva leg., 1M (MCN 34932); 07.IV.2003, E. L. C. Silva leg., 1M (MCN 35758); 24.V.2003, E. L. C. Silva leg., 2M, 3F (MCN 35761); 24.V.2003, E. L. C. Silva leg., 1M, 5F (MCN 35763); 26.XII.2003, E. L. C. Silva leg., 1M (MCN 36774); ( FLONA de São Francisco de Paula, 29º26'53"S; 50º35'01"W), 2004, R. Baldissera leg., 1M, 2F (MCN 43245).

Distribution. Brazil (São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul).

Figures

FIGURES 44 – 48. Thymoites puer (Mello-Leitão, 1941): 44 – 46, Male: 44, Palp, ventral. 45, Body, dorsal view. 46, Body, lateral view. Thymoites melloleitaoni (Bristowe, 1938): 47 – 48, Epigynum: 47, Ventral. 48, Dorsal, cleared Scale bars, 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 73 – 76. Thymoites melloleitaoni (Bristowe, 1938): 73 – 76, Female: 73, Epigynum, ventral view. 74, Endite and serrula. 75, Chelicerae, detail. 76, Tarsal claw in the pedipalp.

FIGURES 77 – 82. Thymoites melloleitaoni (Bristowe, 1938): 77 – 82, Male carapace: 77, Dorsal. 78, Dorsal, detail. 79, Dorsal, detail. 80, Lateral, detail of projection. 81, Lateral, detail of eyes. 82, Frontal view.

FIGURES 83 – 85. Thymoites melloleitaoni (Bristowe, 1938): 83 – 85, Male palp: 83, Ventral, 84. Ventral, anterior detail. 85, Right palp, ventral view.

FIGURES 86 – 89. Records of the Thymoites species. 86, Thymoites murici n. sp., Thymoites ilhabela n. sp., Thymoites tabuleiro n. sp., Thymoites puer (Mello-Leitão, 1941). 87, Thymoites piratini n. sp., Thymoites pinheiral n. sp., Thymoites melloleitaoni (Bristowe, 1938), Thymoites piarco (Levi, 1959). 88, Thymoites taiobeiras n. sp., Thymoites camaqua n. sp., Thymoites bocaina n. sp., Thymoites ilvan Levi, 1964, Thymoites struthio (Simon, 1895). 89, Thymoites cristal n. sp., Thymoites iritus Levi, 1964, Thymoites anicus Levi, 1964.