Tullgrenella morenensis (Tullgren, 1905)

Marta, Kimberly S., Bustamante, Abel A., Hagopián, Damián, Teixeira, Renato A., Brescovit, Antonio D., Valiati, Victor H. & Rodrigues, Everton N. L., 2024, Taxonomic revision of the jumping spider genus Tullgrenella Mello-Leitão, 1941 (Araneae: Salticidae: Freyina), Zootaxa 5411 (1), pp. 1-71 : 8-10

morenensis group

Species included. Tullgrenella morenensis ( Tullgren, 1905) , T. guayapae Galiano, 1970 , T. brescoviti Estol, Marta & Rodrigues, 2020 , T. didelphis ( Simon, 1886) , T. musica ( Mello-Leitão, 1945) and T. corrugata Galiano, 1981 .

Diagnosis. This species group can be distinguished by the following putative synapomorphies: male palp with the globose membranous process of tegulum, that is higher than the embolar base, projecting dorso-prolaterally ( Figs 2F , 4A , 6A–C , 8C , 10C , 12C , 14C , 16C , see purple arrow); embolus of left palp originating from 8 o’clock, the pars pendula usually accompanying at the middle part of embolus, and the cradle-shaped conductor ( Figs 2F , 4A , 6A–C , 8C , 10C , 12C , 14C , 16C ); females with the monoplanar spiral on a flat epigynum ( Figs 5A , 7A–E ), and the copulatory ducts in double-looped spirals ( Figs 5A , 7A–E , 9C–D , 11C–D , 13C–D , 15C–D , 17C–D ).

Distribution. Bolivia (Colomí, La Paz, and Cochabamba), Uruguay (Cerro Largo and Maldonado), Brazil (Pará, São Paulo, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul), and Argentina (Buenos Aires, Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, Catamarca, Córdoba, and Chubut) ( Fig. 50 ).

Natural history. Spiders in this species group can be considered shrubs and soil/grassland habitat. Galiano (1981) observed that individuals of T. guayapae were collected in shrubs, or undergrowth, close to the ground, where they were taking refuge in broad daylight in Argentina. Tullgrenella guayapae were found associated with rocks and collected manually in a fragment of mountains, and other individuals were collected with a beating tray followed by manual collection. Some individuals of T. guayapae were collected with a trawl in scrub close to a rice plantation in southern Brazil, i.e., it was not associated with agriculture, but with grasslands. In the same group, T. brescoviti was collected in the Puna grassland ecoregion, more than 3600 m a.s.l. The Puna is characterized by a biome of montane grasslands and shrublands; it is found in the central Andes Mountains of South America ( Estol et al. 2020). According to the regionalization and geographic aspects in which they occur, and when comparing the diagnoses of morphological characteristics of genitalia, it is possible to note that this species group has differentiation between stratum types. According to Morrone (2014), biogeographic regionalization is based on the identification of endemic or characteristic taxa, constituting natural biotic hierarchies that synthesize the evolutionary/ecological history of the areas. Another observation is that the species T. morenensis and T. guayapae occur sympatrically in the Chacoan–Brazilian subregions and South America Transitional Zone ( Fig. 50 ). The variation in altitudinal occurrence of this species group is 7–4012 m a. s. l. ( Fig. 50 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Schematic digital illustrations of male left palp of species of the tribe Aelurillini.A Aelurillus v-insignitus (Clerck, 1757) (modified from Metzner 1999, fig. 42B, p. 196), ventral view (Aelurillina). B Pochyta spinosa Simon, 1901 (modified from Wesolowska & Sztüts 2021, fig. 124, p. 31), ventral view (Thiratoscirtina). C Aphirape uncifera (MCTP 26426), ventral view (Freyina). D Sumampattus verae Marta, Figueiredo & Rodrigues, 2023 (modified from Marta et al. 2023, fig. 2A, p. 4), ventral view (Freyina). E Hisukattus transversalis Galiano, 1987 (MCTP 39091), ventral view (Freyina). F Tullgrenella morenensis (Tullgren, 1905), ventral view (Freyina). Scale bars: 0.50 mm.

FIGURE 4. Scanning electronic microscopy of male left palp, ventral view.A T. musica (Mello-Leitão, 1945) (MCN 53370). B T. quadripunctata (Mello-Leitão, 1944) (MCTP 16531). C T. yungae Galiano, 1970 (MCN 44133). D T. serrana Galiano, 1970 (MCTP 31126). E T. aisenbergae Marta, sp. nov. (IBSP 118477). F T. peniaflorensis Galiano, 1970 (FNAG36 1464). Scale bars: 0.50 mm. Colored homology: purple and purple arrow (tegular membranous process), blue (embolar base), green (conductor), magenta (tegulum), orange (embolus), red (pars pendula).

FIGURE 5. Scanning electronic microscopy of epigynum, ventral view. A T. musica (MCN 55519), white arrow: septum. B T. aisenbergae Marta, sp. nov. (MCTP 12575), white arrow: septum. C T. sciosciae Marta & Bustamante, sp. nov. (MCTP 31135), white arrow: septum. D T. galianoae Marta, sp. nov. (MCTP 39711); red dashed line: window, red arrow: fundus membranous groove of the window. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 6. Expanded male left palp of Tullgrenella.A–C T. musica (Mello-Leitão, 1945) (MCN 53371), ventral (A), retrolateral (B) and prolateral (C) view. D–F T. lunata (Mello-Leitão, 1944) (MACN-Ar 42300), ventral view (D), retrolateral (E) and prolateral (F) view. G–I T. serrana Galiano, 1970 (MACN-Ar 6262), ventral (G), retrolateral (H) and prolateral (I) view. Scale bars: 0.50 mm. Black arrow: rotation direction; arrows in other colors refer to the structures with the same annotated colors.

FIGURE 7. Illustrations of female epigynum of Tullgrenella, dorsal view. A–E morenensis group: A T. morenensis (Tullgren, 1905) (MCN 19940), B T. guayapae Galiano, 1970 (MCN 55520), C T. brescoviti Estol, Marta & Rodrigues, 2020 (MCN 24104), D T. musica (Mello-Leitão,1945) (MCN 53372), E T. corrugata Galiano, 1981 (MACN-Ar 7206). F–H quadripunctata group: F T. quadripunctata (Mello-Leitão, 1944) (MCTP 2239), G T. nadjae Estol, Marta & Rodrigues, 2020 (MCN 56814), H T. lunata (Mello-Leitão, 1944) (MACN-Ar 6214). I–J melanica group: I T. melanica (Mello-Leitão, 1941) (MACN-Ar 6244), J T. yungae Galiano, 1970 (MCTP 39713). K–O serrana group: K T. serrana Galiano, 1970 (MCTP 12173), L T. legalissima Marta & Hagopián, sp. nov. (IBSP 118228), M T. aisenbergae Marta, sp. nov. (IBSP 123129), N T. gertschi Galiano, 1981 (MACN-Ar 7206), O T. sciosciae Marta & Bustamante, sp. nov. (MCTP 31135). P–Q peniaflorensis group: P T. peniaflorensis Galiano, 1970 (MACN-Ar 6242), Q T. selenita Galiano, 1970 (FNAC 36). Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 8. Male of T. morenensis (Tullgren, 1905) (MACN-Ar 42165). A habitus, dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C left palp, ventral view, red arrow: tegulum central depression, purple arrow: tegular membranous process. D same, retrolateral view, red arrow: hook between RTA and prolatero-dorsal tibial apophysis, red dashed line:prolaterodorsal tibial apophysis. Scale bars: A–B 2 mm, C–D 0.50 mm.

FIGURE 9. Female of T. morenensis (Tullgren, 1905) (MCN 19940). A habitus, dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C epigynum, ventral view, red arrow: subseptum. D same, dorsal view. Scale bars: A–B 2 mm, C–D 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 10. Male of T. guayapae Galiano, 1970.A habitus (MCN 21128), dorsal view. B same, ventral view. C left palp (MCN 55543), ventral view, red arrow: tegulum central depression, purple arrow: tegular membranous process. D same, retrolateral view, red arrow: hook between RTA and prolatero-dorsal tibial apophysis, red dashed line: prolatero-dorsal tibial apophysis. Scale bars: A–B 2 mm, C–D 0.50 mm.

FIGURE 11. Female of T. guayapae Galiano, 1970. A habitus (MCN 21128), dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C epigynum (MCN 55520), ventral view, red arrow: subseptum. D same, dorsal view. Scale bars: A–B 2 mm, C–D 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 12. Male of T. brescoviti Estol, Marta & Rodrigues, 2020 (MCN 23782). A habitus, dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C left palp, ventral view, red arrow: tegulum central depression, purple arrow: tegular membranous process. D same, retrolateral view, red arrow: hook between RTA and prolatero-dorsal tibial apophysis, red dashed line: prolatero-dorsal tibial apophysis. Scale bars: A–B 2 mm, C–D 0.50 mm.

FIGURE 13. Female of T. brescoviti Estol, Marta & Rodrigues, 2020 (MCN 24104). A habitus, dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C epigynum, ventral view. D same, dorsal view. Scale bars: A–B 2 mm, C–D 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 14. Male of T. musica (Mello-Leitão, 1945) (MCN 53371). A habitus, dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C left palp, ventral view, red arrow: tegulum central depression, purple arrow: tegular membranous process. D same, retrolateral view, red arrow: hook between RTA and prolatero-dorsal tibial apophysis, red dashed line:prolaterodorsal tibial apophysis. Scale bars: A–B 2 mm, C–D 0.50 mm.

FIGURE 15. Female of T. musica (Mello-Leitão, 1945) (MCN 53372). A habitus, dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C epigynum, ventral view, red arrow: subseptum. D same, dorsal view. Scale bars: A–B 2 mm, C–D 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 16. Male of T. corrugata Galiano, 1981 (MACN-Ar 42223). A habitus, dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C left palp, ventral view, red arrow: tegulum central depression, purple arrow: tegular membranous process. D same, retrolateral view, red arrow: hook between RTA and prolatero-dorsal tibial apophysis, red dashed line:prolaterodorsal tibial apophysis. Scale bars: A–B 2 mm, C–D 0.50 mm.

FIGURE 17. Female of T. corrugata Galiano, 1981 (MACN-Ar 7206). A habitus, dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C epigynum, ventral view, red arrow: subseptum. D same, dorsal view. Scale bars: A–B 2 mm, C–D 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 50. Neotropical and Andean regionalization (Morrone 2014) and distributional records for species of the morenensis group. A Neotropical, South America, Brazilian subregion Chacoan subregion, South America Transition Zone and Andean region. B Southern South America, focusing on species occurrence. C habitat inference, Argentina: La Pampa, Lihuel Calel, photographed by collector Ivan Magalhães.