Agalenocosa Mello-Leitão

Piacentini, Luis N., 2014, A taxonomic review of the wolf spider genus Agalenocosa Mello-Leitão (Araneae, Lycosidae), Zootaxa 3790 (1), pp. 1-35 : 3-5

Agalenocosa Mello-Leitão

Agalenocosa Mello-Leitão 1944: 335 (type species by original designation Agalenocosa singularis Mello-Leitão ). Roewer, 1955: 200. Capocasale, 2001: 270.

Diagnosis. Males of this genus can be recognised by the presence of a basal retrolateral apophysis on the tibia of the pedipalp ( Fig. 8 ), armed with short, stout setae ( Fig 3 a) except in the case of A. grismadoi sp. nov., which has stout setae but no apophyses ( Figs 20 a,b). The embolic division has an sclerotised area divided in two branches, one large ventral (VB in Fig. 2 a–d; sclerotised ridge in A. grismadoi sp. nov., Figs 19 d, 20c, e) and the other smaller and dorsal (DB in Fig. 2 a–d), which is sometimes not visible in the unexpanded bulb (i.e. in the case of A. velox , Fig. 10 d). Females resemble those of Pirata Sundevall, 1833 and Piratula Roewer, 1960 , but can be differentiated by the lack of the posterior lobes of the epigyne (Figs 42–43 and fig. 70 in Omelko et al. 2011).

Description. Medium-sized wolf spiders (TL, 4.20–9.98 mm). Females larger than males. Carapace brown with a light brown median band and a Y-shaped mark that extends from fovea to the PLE (tenuous in A. grismadoi sp. nov. and A. punctata , absent in A. luteonigra ). Eyes surrounded by black pigment. Dorsum of abdomen brown to dark olive-grey, with light yellow lanceolate mark in the cardiac area and a pattern of white spots laterally and posterior to the cardiac mark, composed by glistening setae ( Fig. 3 b) (except in A. luteonigra , which have a black abdomen). Carapace longer than wide, dorsal line straight in lateral view ( Figs 9 b, e; domed in A.grismadoi sp. nov. – Figs 18 b, e). Caput flanks in frontal view steep in males, gently sloping in females. AME larger than ALE, AER slightly procurved in anterior view ( Fig. 24 ). Chelicerae with three promarginal and three retromarginal teeth. Abdomen oval. Colulus a fleshy triangular lobe, with several setae (fig. 5a). The spinnerets have a similar conformation to what Townley and Tillinghast (2003) reported for Lycosidae , with six spinnerets, ALS and PLS two segmented, PMS with a single segment ( Figs 5 a, 6a). ALS with two major ampullate gland spigots on the mesal margin (the posterior one reduced to a nubbin in the male ( Fig. 6 b)) and piriform gland spigots ( Fig. 5 b). PMS with about 30 aciniform and two cylindrical gland spigots in the female ( Fig. 5 c) and about 20 aciniform in the male and without cylindrical gland spigots ( Fig. 6 c), with a few setae between them. Female with two minor ampullate gland spigot with a nubbin and a tartipore close to them on the PMS ( Fig. 5 c) and only one minor ampullate gland spigot in the male ( Fig. 6 c). PLS long, tubular, distal segment short, conical, with aciniform and cylindrical gland spigots, with setae among them ( Fig. 5 d).

Leg formula IV> I> II> III or IV> I> III> II, except in A. luteonigra where the leg formula is IV>III> I> II. Tibia I with two pairs of ventral spines (2-2-0), except in A. pirity sp. nov. (0-2-0) and A. grismadoi sp. nov. (2- 0-0).

Femur of male palp without modifications. Tibia with a basal retrolateral apophysis, covered with strong setae ( Fig. 3 a), reduced in A. grismadoi sp. nov. ( Fig. 8 f). Cymbium symmetric, without macrosetae in its tip. Tegulum with a prolateral furrow, deep in A. velox Keyserling, 1891 ( Figs 2 a, 10d) and A. tricuspidata Tullgren, 1905 ( Fig. 12 d) and shallow in the rest of the species. Median apophysis membranous, composed of two elements, the ventral one is flattened and directed longitudinally, the dorsal is transverse and usually retrolaterally directed ( Fig. 2 a, b). The embolic division possesses a grooved and complex terminal apophysis, with a pointed tip ( Figs 2 a, b, 7) and two additional processes, one ventral and a dorsal ( Fig. 2 ). Embolus as a curved spine, not visible in the unexpanded palp, originating prolaterally, below the ventral process of the embolic division and running retrolaterally hidden by the terminal apophysis ( Fig. 7 ).

Epigyne composed of a simple plate with two soft sclerotised areas; in A. velox , A. punctata , A. gentilis and A. grismadoi sp. nov. this area is well developed and surrounds the copulatory open, and in A. luteonigra , A. pirity sp nov., A. tricuspidata and A. gamas sp. nov. is reduced to a small area, posterior to the copulatory open. Vulva: spermathecae with a distal head connected to the base by a more or less defined stalk, vulval chambers rounded. Dictynoid pore conspicuous, located on the boundaries of the vulval chamber and the spermathecal stalk ( Fig. 4 a).

Distribution. Most of the species are known from the eastern Argentina and neighbouring countries, with one species from subtropical montane forest of northwestern Argentina (Figs 25–27).

Remarks. The original illustrations of the epigyne of A. bryantae (Roewer, 1951) from Hispanola, A. denisi (Caporiacco, 1947) from Guyana, A. fallax (L. Koch, 1877) from Queensland, A. kolbei (Dahl, 1908) from Bismark Arch., A. pickeli (Mello-Leitão, 1937) from Brazil, A. yaucensis (Petrunkevitch, 1929) from Puerto Rico shows the typical shape of a Lycosinae epigyne, with an inverted T-shaped septum and anterior pockets. The type specimens of A. chacoensis (Mello-Leitão, 1942) and A. melanotaenia (Mello-Leitão, 1941) were examined; both belong to an undescribed Lycosinae genus ( Alvares 2006). The authors of the remaining two species, A. helvola (C. L. Koch, 1847) from Mexico and Colombia, A. subinermis (Simon, 1897) from India not provided drawings of the copulatory organs, but the size, in the case of A. helvola , and the description of the epigyne, in A. subinermis suggest that those two species not belong to Agalenocosa . The ten species mentioned above where transferred to Agalenocosa by Roewer (1955) without any justification; none of these species fit in Agalenocosa and are here considered as incertae sedis; the final placement of these species is beyond the scope of this work.

Agalenocosa fimbriata is considered here as species inquirenda because the epigyne of the holotype (from Arrecifes, Buenos Aires, deposited in the MLP number 15995, examined) was removed and is probably lost. There are no morphological characters that allow me to recognise which species it is.

Figures

FIGURE 2. SEM images of Agalenocosa velox (Keyserling) male bulb, dissected. a ventral; b retrolateral; c dorsal; d prolateral. Scale bars, 0.20 mm; Upper right corner in b detail of the terminal apophysis tip. Abbreviations: DB dorsal branch of embolic division, dbMA dorsal branch of median apophysis, EH embolic hood, PTL prolateral tegular lobe, ST subtegulum, T tegulum, TA terminal apophysis, VB ventral branch of embolic division, vbMA ventral branch of median apophysis.

FIGURE 3. SEM images of Agalenocosa velox (Keyserling). a Left male tibial palp, retrolateral, upper left corner in a, detail of the stout setae; b Female abdomen, glistening setae. Scale bars, a 0.20 mm, b 0.05 mm.

FIGURE 4. SEM images of Agalenocosa velox (Keyserling). a vulva dorsal, upper right corner in a, detail of the Dictynoid pore; b epigyne, ventral. Scale bars, a 0.50 mm, b 0.10 mm. Abbreviations: BS Base of spermatheca, FD fertilization ducts, HS head of the spermatheca, SS stalk of spermatheca.

FIGURE 5. SEM images of Agalenocosa velox (Keyserling); female. a Spinnerets antero-ventral view; b ALS spinning field; c PMS spinning field; d PLS spinning fied. Scale bars, a 0.50 mm, b – d 0.10 mm. Abbreviations: 1 º MAP primary major ampullate gland spigot, 2 º MAP secondary major ampullate gland spigot, 1 º mAP primary minor ampullate gland spigot, 2 º mAP secondary minor ampullate gland spigot, Ac aciniform gland spigot, ALS anterior lateral spinnerets, AMS anterior median spinnerets, Cy cylindrical gland spigot, Pi piriform gland spigot, PLS posterior lateral spinnerets.

FIGURE 6. SEM images of Agalenocosa velox (Keyserling); male. a Spinnerets antero-ventral view; b ALS spinning field; c PMS spinning field. Scale bars, a 0.20 mm, b – c 0.05 mm. Abbreviations: 1 º MAP primary major ampullate gland spigot, 1 º mAP primary minor ampullate gland spigot, Ac aciniform gland spigot, ALS anterior lateral spinnerets, AMS anterior median spinnerets, N nubbins, Pi piriform gland spigot, PLS posterior lateral spinnerets, T tartipore.

FIGURE 7. Left male palp of Agalenocosa velox (Keyserling), expanded. a retrolateral; b apical; c prolateral. Scale bars, 0.20 mm. Abbreviations: BH basal haematodocha; DB dorsal branch of embolic division, DH distal haematodocha, dbMA dorsal branch of median apophysis, E embolus, EH embolic hood, MA median apophysis, PTL prolateral tegular lobe, ST sub tegulum, T tegulum, TA terminal apophysis, VB ventral branch of embolic division, vbMA ventral branch of median apophysis.

FIGURE 8. Tibiae of male palps of Agalenocosa Mello-Leitão species, ventral view. a A. velox (Keyserling); b A. luteonigra Mello-Leitão; c A. tricuspidata (Tullgren); d A. punctata Mello-Leitão; e A. pirity sp. nov.; f A. grismadoi sp. nov. Scale bars, 0.20 mm.

FIGURE 9. Agalenocosa velox (Keyserling), habitus. a – c female; d – f male; a, d dorsal; b, e lateral; c, f ventral. Scale bars, a – c, e 1.00 mm, d, f 2.00 mm.

FIGURE 10. Agalenocosa velox (Keyserling), genitalia. a epigyne ventral; b vulva, cleared, dorsal; c – e male palp, c prolateral, d ventral, e retrolateral. Scale bars, 0.20 mm. Abbreviations: BS Base of spermatheca, DB dorsal branch of embolic division, dbMA dorsal branch of median apophysis, EH embolic hood, EP epigynal plate, FD fertilization ducts, HS head of the spermatheca, PTL prolateral tegular lobe, SS stalk of spermatheca, ST sub tegulum, T tegulum, TA terminal apophysis, VB ventral branch of embolic division, vbMA ventral branch of median apophysis.

FIGURE 12. Agalenocosa tricuspidata (Tullgren). a epigyne ventral; b vulva, cleared, dorsal; c – e male palp, c prolateral, d ventral, e retrolateral. Scale bars, a, c – e 0.20 mm, b 0.10 mm. Abbreviations: BS base of spermatheca, DB dorsal branch of embolic division, dbMA dorsal branch of median apophysis, DP dictynoid pore, EH embolic hood, EP epigynal plate, FD fertilization ducts, HS head of the spermatheca, PTL prolateral tegular lobe, SS stalk of spermatheca, ST sub tegulum, T tegulum, TA terminal apophysis, VB ventral branch of embolic division, vbMA ventral branch of median apophysis.

FIGURE 18. Agalenocosa grismadoi sp. nov., habitus. a – c female; d – f male; a, d dorsal; b, e lateral; c, f ventral. Scale bars a – c 2.00 mm, d – f 1.00 mm.

FIGURE 19. Agalenocosa grismadoi sp. nov., genitalia. a epigyne ventral; b vulva, cleared, dorsal; c – e male palp, c prolateral, d ventral, e retrolateral. Scale bars, a, c – e 0.20 mm, b 0.10 mm. Abbreviations: BS Base of spermatheca, DB dorsal branch of embolic division, DP Dictynoid pore, dbMA dorsal branch of median apophysis, EH embolic hood, EP epigynal plate, FD fertilization ducts, HS head of the spermatheca, MA median apophysis, PTL prolateral tegular lobe, SS stalk of spermatheca, ST sub tegulum, T tegulum, TA terminal apophysis, VB ventral branch of embolic division, vbMA ventral branch of median apophysis.

FIGURE 20. SEM images of Agalenocosa grismadoi sp. nov. a – b left tibia of male palp, c – e male bulb, dissected. a detail of the stout setae; b retrolateral view of the male tibia; c ventral; d detail of the terminal apophysis in ventral view; e apical view of the bulb. Scale bars, a, d 0.02 mm, b 0.05 mm, c, e 0.20 mm. Abbreviations: DB dorsal branch of embolic division, dbMA dorsal branch of median apophysis, EH embolic hood, PTL prolateral tegular lobe, ST subtegulum, T tegulum, TA terminal apophysis, VB ventral branch of embolic division, vbMA ventral branch of median apophysis.

FIGURE 24. Female, habitus frontal, a A. velox comb. nov.; b A. tricuspidata comb. nov.; c A. luteonigra (Mello-Leitão); d A. punctata Mello-Leitão; e A. gentilis Mello-Leitão; f A. grismadoi sp. nov.; g A. pirity sp. nov.; h A. gamas sp. nov.. Scale bars, a, c, e 0.50 mm, b, d, g 1.00 mm.