Mesabolivar eberhardi Huber, 2000

Huber, Bernhard A., 2018, The South American spider genera Mesabolivar and Carapoia (Araneae, Pholcidae): new species and a framework for redrawing generic limits, Zootaxa 4395 (1), pp. 1-178 : 34-36

Mesabolivar eberhardi Huber, 2000

Figs 85–87

Mesabolivar eberhardi Huber, 2000: 198 , figs 184, 194, 769–781 (♂ ♀).

Blechroscelis acuoso González-Sponga, 2011a: 24 , pl. 1, figs 1–9 (♂♀, Venezuela); synonymized in Huber et al. 2014a: 419.

Blechroscelis araguanus González-Sponga, 2011a: 24 , pl. 2, figs 1–9 (♂, Venezuela); synonymized in Huber et al. 2014a: 419.

Blechroscelis blechroscelis González-Sponga, 2011a: 25 , pl. 3, figs 1–9 (♂♀, Venezuela); synonymized in Huber et al. 2014a: 419.

Blechroscelis copeyensis González-Sponga, 2011a: 26 , pl. 4, figs 1–9 (♂♀, Venezuela); synonymized in Huber et al. 2014a: 419.

Blechroscelis cordillerano González-Sponga, 2011a: 26 , pl. 5, figs 1–9 (♂♀, Venezuela); synonymized in Huber et al. 2014a: 419.

Blechroscelis andinensis González-Sponga, 2011a: 27 , pl. 6, figs 1–9 (♂♀, Venezuela); synonymized in Huber et al. 2014a: 419.

Type material. Mesabolivar eberhardi Huber, 2000 : VENEZUELA: Monagas: ♂ holotype, 2♂ 6♀ paratypes, AMNH, Caripe, Cueva del Guacharo [10.17°N, 63.55°W], 20–21.viii.1987 (S. & J. Peck).

Blechroscelis acuoso González-Sponga, 2011 : VENEZUELA: Bolívar: ♂ holotype, 2♂ 10♀ paratypes, MIZA ( MAGS 1317), Municipio Caroní, Parque “La Llovizna” [8°18.5’N, 62°40.5’W, 50 m a.s.l.], 10.x.1991 (M. García de González, A.R. Delgado de González, M.A. González Sponga), not examined.

Blechroscelis araguanus González-Sponga, 2011 : VENEZUELA: Aragua: ♂ holotype, MIZA ( MAGS 1055 ), Municipio Santos Michelena, La Montañita, carretera Tejerías-Tiara (10°08’N, 67°09.33’W, 1200 m a.s.l.), 18.iv.1990 (A.R. Delgado de González , M.A. González Sponga), not examined.

Blechroscelis blechroscelis González-Sponga, 2011 : VENEZUELA: Bolívar: ♂ holotype, 1♂ 7♀ paratypes, MIZA (MAGS 1180), Municipio Raúl Leoni, Cerro Gauquinima (5° 45.5°N, 63°34’W, 650 m a.s.l.; coordinates in original publication wrong), 5.ii.1990 (E. Toro, L. Jaspe), not examined.

Blechroscelis copeyensis González-Sponga, 2011 : VENEZUELA: Nueva Esparta: ♂ holotype, 3♀ paratypes, MIZA (MAGS 1394), Municipio Marcano, Parque Nacional Cerro Copey (11°02’N, 63°53.46’W, 100 m a.s.l.), 26.ii.1994 (M. García de González), not examined.

Blechroscelis cordillerano González-Sponga, 2011 : VENEZUELA: Mérida: ♂ holotype, 1♀ paratype, MIZA (MAGS 660), Municipio Campo Elías, carretera Mérida-Jají (8°34.3’N, 71°20.43’W, 1800 m a.s.l.), 30.viii.1981 (A.R. Delgado de González, J.A. González D., M.A. González Sponga), not examined.

Blechroscelis andinensis González-Sponga, 2011 : VENEZUELA: Trujillo: ♂ holotype, 1♀ paratype, MIZA (MAGS 1294), Municipio Boconó, carretera Boconó-Niquitao (9°06.73’N, 70°23.87’W, 2000 m a.s.l.), 18.ii.1991 (A.R. Delgado de González, M.A. González Sponga), not examined.

New records. VENEZUELA: Monagas: 2♂ 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 18995), forest with coffee near Cueva del Guacharo (10°10’N, 63°33’W), ~ 1050–1100 m a.s.l., 1.xii.2002 (B.A. Huber). 1♀, ZFMK (Ar 18996), path from Cueva del Guacharo to Salto la Palia (10°10.5’N, 63°33.5’W), ~ 1100 m a.s.l., 30.xi.2002 (B.A. Huber). 1♂ 2♀ 1 juv., ZFMK (Ar 18997), Cueva del Guacharo (10°10’N, 63°33’W), ~ 1060 m a.s.l., first 150 m of cave, 30.xi.2002 (B.A. Huber); 2♀ 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven02/100-21), same data.

Bolívar: 3♂ 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 18998), Canaima, near Salto Ara (6°14.5’N, 62°51’W), ~ 400 m a.s.l., near ground, 5.xii.2002 (B.A. Huber); 3♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven02/100-35), same data. 1♂ 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 18999), forest near Salto El Sapo at Canaima (6°14.5’N, 62°51’W), ~ 400 m a.s.l., near ground, 8.xii.2002 (B.A. Huber).

Lara: 9♂ 3♀, ZFMK (Ar 19000), Parque Nacional Yacambú, Sendero Ecológico (9°42.5’N, 69°35’W), ~ 1550 m a.s.l., near buildings and along road, 15–16.xii.2002 (B.A. Huber, A. Pérez-González, O. Villarreal, B. Striffler, A. Giupponi) ; 1♂ 1♀ 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven 02/100-62), same data .

Sucre: 4♂ 7♀, ZFMK (Ar 19001), Cascada el Chorro (10°23.5’N, 63°38’W), ~ 160 m a.s.l., near ground at river, 30.xi.2002 (B.A. Huber) ; 2♂ 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven 02/100-49), same data .

Aragua: 9♂ 4♀, ZFMK (Ar 19002), Parque Nacional Henri Pittier, Rancho Grande (10°21’N, 67°41’W), ~ 1150 m a.s.l., in building, 12.xii.2002 (B.A. Huber) . 3♂ 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 19003), Parque Nacional Henri Pittier, forest near Rancho Grande (10°21’N, 67°41’W), ~ 1150 m a.s.l., near ground, 12.xii.2002 (B.A. Huber). 2♂ 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 19004), Parque Nacional Henri Pittier at 10°21.5’N, 67°43’W, ~ 730 m a.s.l., 11.xii.2002 (B.A. Huber). 1♀, ZFMK (Ar 19005), Parque Nacional Henri Pittier at 10°21’N, 67°41.5’W, ~ 1000 m a.s.l., 11.xii.2002 (B.A. Huber) . 3♂ 1♀, ZFMK (Ar 19006), Parque Nacional Henri Pittier near Hacienda la Trilla (10°23’N, 67°44.5’W), ~ 130 m a.s.l., near ground, 12.xii.2002 (B.A. Huber).

Capital: 7♂ 4♀, ZFMK (Ar 19007–08), Parque Nacional El Ávila (10°31’N, 66°51’W), ~ 1000–1300 m a.s.l., 25.xi.2002 (B.A. Huber). 3♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven 02/100-5), same data .

COLOMBIA: Santander: 1♂ 2♀ 1 juv. in pure ethanol, USNM, Jardin Botanico del Pacifico, Piedecuesta, Mesa de los Santos (6.942°N, 73.036°W), 19–20.i.2014 (Team CarBio).

BRAZIL: Pará: 1♂, ZFMK (Ar 19009), Belém, Parque Estadual do Utinga , ‘site 1’ (1.424°S, 48.429°W), 25 m a.s.l., 6.x.2016 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho) ; 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br 16-227a), same data but 5.x.2016 . 13♂ 8♀, ZFMK (Ar 19010), Belém, Parque Estadual do Utinga , ‘site 2’ (1.433°S, 48.410°W), 25 m a.s.l., 6.x.2016 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho) ; 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br 16-231a), same data.

Rondônia: 2♂ 3♀, ZFMK (Ar 19011), Floresta Nacional do Jamari, Gran Piedra (9.198°S, 63.082°W), 160 m a.s.l., 25.x.2016 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho) ; 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br 16-302), same data .

Description (amendments; see Huber 2000). Tibia 1 in 57 newly examined males: 8.9–15.1 (mean 12.1); in 44 females: 6.4–10.8 (mean 8.7). Procursus with distinctive retrolateral pocket subdistally. The “prolateral subterminal spine” of the bulbal process mentioned in Huber (2000: 200) is in fact retrolateral and very indistinct (less distinct than shown in Huber 2000: fig. 775). Diameters of femora 1–4 (at half length) in medium-size male: 0.25, 0.26, 0.33, 0.24. Most females with distinct transversal ridges at anterior end of epigynal groove, and one or more irregular pockets between ridges.

As mentioned earlier (Huber 2000: 201), the tip of the procursus (shape of the two distal processes) varies slightly among localities; variation also occurs in the relative size of the genital bulb (the globular part) and details of the epigynum (distinctness and number of anterior transversal ridges and pocket(s) between ridges).

Natural history. The spiders were mostly found in large sheltered spaces among tree buttresses or rocks, under logs and in cavities of the ground, but they also occupied the twilight zone of caves (e.g., Cueva del Guacharo; in crevices and cavities in the first 150 m from the entrance), abandoned buildings (e.g., Rancho Grande; in corners, together with Priscula venezuelana Simon ), or road cuts (e.g., Yacambú). At Jamari (Gran Piedra), the spiders were sitting extremely well camouflaged on an overhanging rock surface from which the slightly domed webs extended towards another rock about 30–50 cm away. For further data on web structure, malefemale cohabitation, and chivalrous behavior, see Eberhard & Briceño (1983, 1985).

Distribution. Widely distributed in northern South America ( Fig. 724 ).

Figures

FIGURES 78–89. Live specimens and habitus photos, Mesabolivar aurantiacus group. 78–81. M. aurantiacus (Mello-Leitão, 1930), males from Tabatinga, Manaus, and Belém, female from Belém. 82–84. M. tabatinga sp. n., male, female, and mating pair from Tabatinga. 85–87. M. eberhardi Huber, 2000, males and female from Jamari. 88–89. M. anseriformis (González- Sponga, 2011), male in dorsal and lateral views (ZFMK Ar 19012).

FIGURES 724–725. Known distribution of the Mesabolivar aurantiacus ‘group’.TL, type locality.