Helvetia Peckham & Peckham, 1894

Gustavo R. S. Ruiz & Antonio D. Brescovit, 2008, Revision of Helvetia (Araneae: Salticidae: Heliophaninae), Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 25 (1), pp. 139-147 : 140

Helvetia Peckham & Peckham, 1894

Helvetia Peckham & Peckham, 1894: 119 (type species by mono- typy: Helvetia santarema Peckham & Peckham, 1894 ); Platnick, 2007.

Deloripa Simon, 1901a: 607 (type species by original designation: Deloripa semialba Simon, 1901 ); Platnick, 2007. Syn. nov.

Diagnosis. The neotropical genus Helvetia can be distinguished from all the remaining genera of the subfamily Heliophaninae by having a trapezoid carapace, which is much wider at the posterior region than it is at the region of the anterior eye row ( Fig. 8 ).

Description. Small spiders (about 3-6 mm) with low, elongated carapace and long abdomen ( Fig. 1 ). Abdominal color patterns include pairs of light patches on a dark background, which can be fused forming transverse stripes ( Fig. 1 ), dark abdomen with a large patch of light scales covering the entire abdomen and longitudinal stripes of dark scales on a light background ( Fig. 8 ). Chelicerae about one third of carapace length, almost vertical ( Fig. 1 ), with two teeth on promargin and one on retromargin. Legs Iusually strongest and darkest, strongly developed in some species ( Fig. 1 ). Palps have the heliophanine bump and can have a short embolus, originating distally on the prolateral side of the tegulum and a short RTA ( Figs 15 and 16 ), or can exhibit extensive modifications, such as a very long embolus associated with a counterclockwise rotation of the tegulum in the left palp ( Fig. 19 ), grooves on the cymbium to hold the tip of the curling embolus ( Fig. 18 ), bifid RTA, with a developed ventral branch ( Fig. 20 ) or with a very developed dorsal branch (see GALIANO 1976, fig. 10). Epigyna vary from very short copulatory ducts ( Figs 4 and 5 ) to coiled, very long copulatory ducts ( Figs 11-14 ), on whose medial part there is a pair of glandular swollen areas; copulatory openings are usually well separated from each other ( Figs 4, 6, 9 , and 13), but can be found close together, forming a median small atrium ( Fig. 11 ) or on the internal wall of a very large, deep atrium ( Figs 21 and 22 ); the epigynal pockets can be fused ( Fig. 4 ), medially placed ( Figs 7 and 10 ) or separated into a pair of lateral pockets ( Figs 12 and 14 ), which can be connected in some species. The stridulatory apparatus consists in this group of a series of three modified setae dorsally on the distal portion of the femur I ( Figs 1 and 3 ) and a granulose area laterally on the anterior portion of the carapace ( Figs 1 and 2 ), extending from the anterior lateral eyes to the region behind the posterior lateral eyes.

Distribution. Known only from South America.

Figures

Figures 4-10. Epigynum of (4-5) Helvetia cancrimana: (4) ventral view̡ (5) dorsal view; (6-7) Helvetia labiata: (6) ventral view̡ (7) dorsal view; (8-10) Helvetia semialba: (8) female holotype̡ dorsal view̡ (9) epigynum̡ vental view̡ (10) dorsal view. Bars = 0.25 mm̡ except for fig. 8 = 1 mm.

Figures 1-3. Helvetia cancrimana: (1) male̡ laterodorsal view̡ arrows show the stridulatory apparatus on femur I and carapace; (2) stridulatory apparatus̡ rugose portion of lateral carapace; (3) modified femoral setae of the stridulatory apparatus.

Figures 15-20. Left palp of (15-16) Helvetia galianoae: (15) ventral view̡ (16) retrolateral view; (17-18) Helvetia humillima: (17) ventral view̡ (18) retrolateral view; (19-20) Helvetia stridulans: (19) vental view̡ (20) retrolareal view. Bars = 0.25 mm.

Figures 11-14. Epigynum of (11-12) Helvetia santarema: (11) ventral view̡ (12) dorsal view; (13-14) Helvetia albovittata: (13) ventral view̡ (14) dorsal view. Bars = 0.25 mm.

Figures 21-24. Epigynum of (21-22) Helvetia rinaldiae: (21) ventral view̡ (22) dorsal view; (23-24) Helvetia roeweri: (23) ventral view̡ (24) dorsal view. Bars = 0.25 mm.