Carapoia suassunai, Huber, 2018

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 : 146-148

Carapoia suassunai sp. n.

Figs 596–598 , 652–658 , 663–664

Diagnosis. Easily distinguished from most similar known species ( C. pulchra ) by shape of epigynum (compare Figs 655–656 and Figs 648–649 ; anterior epigynal plate at posterior margin with pair of processes with whitish tips; pair of large round depressions); also by armature of male chelicerae (compare Figs 653–654 and Figs 646– 647 ; pair of frontal apophyses stronger, closer to median line, pointing more downward) and by slightly longer procursus with shorter dorso-distal apophysis (compare Figs 651, 652 ).

Etymology. Named for Ariano Vilar Suassuna (1927–2014), Brazilian playwright and author.

Type material. BRAZIL: Paraíba: ♂ holotype, 1♀ paratype, UFMG (21554–55), and 13♂ 10♀ paratypes, ZFMK (Ar 19261–62), Parque Estadual da Mata do Pau Ferro (6°57.9’S, 35°44.9’W), 600 m a.s.l., 31.v.2015 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho).

Other material examined. BRAZIL: Paraíba: 2 juvs, together with female paratypes; 2♂ 4 juvs in pure ethanol, same data as types, ZFMK (Br 15-241) . 3♂ 3♀, ZFMK (Ar 19263), Reserva Biológica de Guaribas , ‘site 2’ (6°44.4’S, 35°09.6’W), 170 m a.s.l., 3.vi.2015 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho) ; 2♀ 1 juv. in pure ethanol, same data, ZFMK (Br 15-254).

Rio Grande do Norte: 7♂ 10♀ 1 juv., ZFMK (Ar 19264–65), Parque Estadual Mata de Pipa , outside park boundaries (6°13.70’S, 35°04.01’W), 50 m a.s.l., 4.vi.2015 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho) ; 3♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br 15-257), same data . 7♂ 7♀, ZFMK (Ar 19266–67), degraded forest along Maxaranguape River (5°29.61’S, 35°17.09’W), 20 m a.s.l., 4.vi.2015 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho).

Description. Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 3.8, carapace width 1.4. Distance PME-PME 160 µm, diameter PME 110 µm, distance PME-ALE 80 µm, distance AME-AME 20 µm, diameter AME 50 µm. Sternum width/length: 1.00/ 0.65. Leg 1: 33.9 (7.9 + 0.6 + 7.9 + 15.4 + 2.1), tibia 2: 4.8, tibia 3: 3.5, tibia 4: 4.3; tibia 1 L/d: 56. Femora 1–4 width (at half length): 0.23, 0.26, 0.28, 0.24.

COLOR (in ethanol). Prosoma ochre-orange, carapace median line darker, dark mark behind ocular area; legs light brown, with indistinct darker rings on femora (subdistally) and tibiae (proximally and subdistally); abdomen pale greenish gray, with few dark internal marks dorsally and laterally, ventrally with ochre-orange areas in front of gonopore and in front of spinnerets.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 596 ; ocular area raised; carapace with distinct median furrow; clypeus unmodified; sternum unmodified.

CHELICERAE. With pair of strong frontal apophyses, indistinct lighter area between apophyses and laminae ( Figs 653–654 ).

PALPS. Very similar to C. pulchra (cf. Figs 644–645 ), slightly larger; proximal segments indistinguishable; genital bulb apparently also identical (membranous structures difficult to compare); procursus slightly longer, with shorter dorso-distal apophysis ( Fig. 652 ).

LEGS. Densely covered with short hairs, with many short spines on all femora (on all sides except dorsally), few spines also proximally on tibiae 1 (pro- and retrolaterally); with curved hairs dorsally especially on tibiae and metatarsi 2–3, few curved hairs also distally on tibiae 1, proximally on metatarsi 1 and 4; with short vertical hairs in two dorsal rows on all tibiae; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 4%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with>35 pseudosegments, distally fairly distinct.

Male (variation). Largest males with spines on all tibiae, smallest males with almost no spines on legs. Tibia 1 in 27 other males: 5.9–8.5 (mean 7.7).

Female. General body shape and size similar to male but coloration different ( Figs 597–598 ): ochre-brown rather than orange, carapace with distinct lateral and median brown marks, clypeus and sternum dark brown, legs with distinct dark rings (femora subdistally, tibiae proximally and subdistally, metatarsi proximally), brown marks on abdomen usually more numerous and darker. Legs without spines, with curved hairs usually on metatarsi 1 only, in some females also on tibiae 1 and on metatarsi 2. Tibia 1 in 29 females: 4.8–6.3 (mean 5.5). Epigynum as in Figs 655–657 , 663 ; anterior plate brown, strongly sculptured, with pair of anterior processes similar to C. pulchra , with additional pair of distinctive processes with whitish tips at posterior margin; indistinct posterior plate with low lateral humps; with small sclerites in membrane between anterior and posterior plates. Internal genitalia as in Figs 658 , 664 , with distinctively curved pore-plates.

Natural history. This species appeared in many ways close to C. pulchra (see above): it was found in identical webs that transformed into funnels that led into a retreat often formed by a dying or dead leaf; it ranged from close to the ground up to 1 m and more; males and females were sometimes found to share a retreat. Some females had distinct genital plugs.

Distribution. Known from several localities in Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte states ( Brazil) ( Fig. 742 ).

Figures

FIGURE 742. Known distribution of the Carapoia cambridgei group.

FIGURES 590–600. Live specimens, Carapoia cambridgei group (part 2). 590–592. C. utinga sp. n., males and female from Belém. 593–595. C. pulchra sp. n., male and females from Pedra Talhada. 596–598. C. suassunai sp. n., male from Mata de Pipa, and females fromGuaribas and Pao Ferro.599–600.C.lutea (Keyserling,1891), male from Iguaçú,female withjuveniles from Turvo.

FIGURES651–658. Carapoiapulchra sp. n. (651, ZFMK Ar 19256) and C. suassunaisp. n. (652–658, ZFMKAr 19261–62). 651–652. Left procursi, retrolateral views (at same scale). 653–654. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 655–657. Epigynum, ventral, lateral, and frontal views. 658. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines:0.3 (651–654), 0.5 (655– 658).

FIGURES 659–664. Female epigyna, ventral views and cleared female genitalia, dorsal views. 659–660. Carapoia utinga sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 19255). 661–662.C. pulchra sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 19257). 663–664. C. suassunai sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 19262).

FIGURES 644–650. Carapoia pulchra sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 19256–57). 644–645. Left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views (arrow points at transparent ventral process). 646–647. Male chelicerae, lateral and frontal views. 648–649. Epigynum, lateral and ventral views.650.Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view.Scale lines: 0.5 (644–645, 648–650), 0.3 (646–647).