Mago O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1882

Ruiz, Gustavo R. S., Maddison, Wayne P. & Galiano, Maria Elena, 2019, A revision of the concept of Mago O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1882, and proposal of a new genus (Araneae: Salticidae: Amycini), Zootaxa 4658 (1), pp. 124-140 : 126

Mago O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1882

Mago O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1882 (Type species by monotypy: Mago intentus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1882 ).

Etymology. Despite O. Pickard-Cambridge (1882) having established the combination Mago intenta for the type species, which suggests he deliberately considered the genus to be feminine in gender, the name Mago appears in classic literature being related only to men. In fact, “ Mago ” was a common name used for men in Ancient Carthage, having been given to notorious Carthaginian people, such as a king and the man known as the “father of agriculture”, among others (Perseus Digital Library). Simon (1900) considered the genus to be masculine in gender, and described, for instance, M. vicanus and M. pexus (masculine epithets). Simon’s gender correction was later followed by more recent researchers, such as Mello-Leitão (1940, 1943, 1945, 1947), Caporiacco (1954), Galiano (1963, 1968), Patello & Ruiz (2014) and Costa & Ruiz (2017).

Diagnosis. Mago is easily identified as an amycine for having pluridentate chelicera and the 3 rd leg much longer than the 4 th ( Figs 21–22, 26–27 ), difference proportionally larger than in most amycines (compare to Figs 42–43, 47–48 , for instance). Among amycines, Mago gathers small, dark, ground dwelling species with compact carapaces (thoracic region short, causing an abrupt slope; see Figs 2 , 16–17 ). The male palp has the patella longer than the tibia ( Figs 8–9 , 29 ) and the femur with several dorsal spines ( Figs 9 , 29 ), besides expanded male endite tips ( Figs 4–5 , 30–31 ). The epigyne resembles those of species within other amycine genera, such as Noegus and Hypaeus , with an atrium on the epigynal plate and elongate digitiform glandular ducts on the copulation duct ( Fig. 33 ), but those genera do not include dark, compact species with such peculiar carapace.

Common characters. Small jumping spiders (about 3.5 mm) with compact dark bodies ( Figs 10–13 ). Male clypeus with strong whitish/yellowish moustache ( Fig. 12 ). Chelicera pluridentate, small and vertical in both sexes, with mastidion in males ( Figs 3–4 , 14–16 ). Male palp with slightly curved femur ( Figs 9 , 29 ); a curved RTA pointing dorsally and rounded RvTA ( Figs 6–9 , 28–29 ); reduced tegulum with large “amycoid loop” in spermophore ( Ruiz & Maddison 2015); embolus generally curling around tegulum, varying in length, from short (arch of about 180°, Fig. 28 ) to long (>540°, Fig. 6 ), with tip resting in cymbial groove. Generalized leg spination for both sexes (based on M. brimodes sp. nov.): femur I d1-1-1, II d1-1-1, p1di, III d1-1-1, p0 (or p2di), IV d1-1-0; patella I, II 0, III, IV 0 (or r1); tibia I v2-2 -2 (median pair may be asymmetrical), II v1 r-2-2, p1 (or 0-1), III p1 (or 0-1), r1-1, v1 rdi, IV p0, r1-1, v0; metatarsus I, II v2-2, III p1-2, r1-2, v1 r-1r (or v1 r-2), IV p0-1, r0-1 (or 1-1d), v1 p-1r. Abdomen small and rounded in both sexes. Epigyne with an anterior small atrium ( Fig. 33 ), with simple ducts leading to spermathecae, with digitiform glands in the middle portion of copulatory ducts ( Figs 33–34 ).

Distribution. Known from Ecuador and, possibly, Brazil (the specific locality in the Amazon for the type species is unknown).

List of species: Mago intentus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1882 (type species) and Mago brimodes Ruiz & Maddison sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 18–27. Mago brimodes sp. nov.: 18–22 male (18 palp; 19 leg I; 20 leg II; 21 leg III; 22 leg IV, lateral); 23–27 female (23 palp; 24 leg I; 25 leg II; 26 leg III; 27 leg IV, lateral). Scale bar equals carapace length.

FIGURES 39–48. Matinta acutidens: 39–43 male (39 palp; 40 leg I; 41 leg II; 42 leg III; 43 leg IV, lateral); 44–48 female (44 palp; 45 leg I; 46 leg II; 47 leg III; 48 leg IV, lateral). Scale bar equals carapace length.

FIGURES 1–5. Mago intentus, male: 1 dorsal; 2 carapace, lateral; 3 right chelicera, frontal; 4 mouthparts and sternum, ventral; 5 endites and labium, distal.

FIGURES 14–17. Mago brimodes sp. nov.: 14–16 male (14 face; 15 left chelicera, ventral; 16 lateral); 17 female, lateral.

FIGURES 6–9. Mago intentus, male left palp: 6 ventral; 7 retrolateral; 8 dorsal; 9 retrolateral.

FIGURES 28–34. Mago brimodes sp. nov.: 28–32 male (28 left palp, ventral; 29 same, retrolateral; 30 mouthparts, ventral; 31 same, laterodistal; 32 sternum and left coxae, ventral); 33–34 epigyne (33 ventral; 34 cleared, dorsal).

FIGURES 10–13. Mago brimodes sp. nov.: 10–12 male (10 dorsal; 11 laterodorsal; 12 frontal); 13 female, dorsal. © 2015 W. Maddison, released under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 3.0 license.