Loxosceles muriciensis, Fukushima, Caroline Sayuri, Andrade, Rute Maria Goncalves de & Bertani, Rogerio, 2017

Fukushima, Caroline Sayuri, Andrade, Rute Maria Goncalves de & Bertani, Rogerio, 2017, Two new Brazilian species of Loxosceles Heinecken & Lowe, 1832 with remarks on amazonica and rufescens groups (Araneae, Sicariidae), ZooKeys 667, pp. 67-94 : 80-82

Loxosceles muriciensis sp. n. Figs 70-73, 74-75, 76-77, 78-79

Material examined

(Table 3). Male holotype (MNRJ 6967) and female and male paratypes (MNRJ 6968), BRAZIL: Alagoas , Murici, Estação Ecológica de Murici (9°15'S, 35°48'W), 23.1°C, 84% URA, under the bark of a large burnt tree, R. Bertani, D. R. M. Ortega and R. H. Nagahama col., 13 August 2006.

Diagnosis.

Males of L. muriciensis sp. n. resemble those of L. amazonica , L. rufescens , L. bentejui , L. foutadjalloni , L. guayota , L. hupalupa , L. lacta , L. mahan , L. tazarte , L. tibicena and L. willianilsoni sp. n. by incrassated palpal tibia, longer than cymbium (Fig. 72). Males differ from those of L. hupalupa , L. mahan and L. tazarte by having shorter embolus (Fig. 72), and entire pars cephalica as well as carapace border dark brown (Fig. 70), best seen in live specimens. Males of L. muriciensis sp. n. differ from those of L. amazonica , L. rufescens , L. bentejui , L. foutadjalloni , L. guayota , L. lacta , L. tibicena , and L. willianilsoni sp. n. by having straight embolus with a mild curvature on apex, forming a hook (Fig. 71). Additionally, males of Loxosceles muriciensis sp. n. differ from males of all these species except L. foutadjalloni , L. guayota and L. willianilsoni sp. n. by having leg I at least eight times as long as carapace (Table 1). Females of L. muriciensis sp. n. resemble those of L. amazonica , L. rufescens , L. bentejui , L. foutadjalloni , L. hupalupa , L. lacta , L. mahan , L. tazarte , L. tibicena , and L. willianilsoni sp. n. by having spermathecae with large seminal receptacles and dark sclerotized lateral bands (Fig. 75). Females of L. muriciensis sp. n. can be distinguished from all these species by the following combination of characters: spermathecae with dark sclerotized lateral bands almost reaching their apex, which has two well-developed lobes, and no constriction forming a neck (Fig. 75); leg I more than five times as long as carapace (Table 2). Additionally, L. muriciensis sp. n. males and females can be distinguished from L. mahan , L. tazarte , L. bentejui , L. guayota , L. tibicena and L. hupalupa by lacking a conspicuous dark V-mark posteriorly on pars cephalica.

Description.

Male holotype (MNRJ 6967). Total length 5.46. Carapace 2.21 long, 2.10 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.12, PME 0.16, PLE 0.16, PME-PLE 0.02, PME-ALE 0.12; clypeus 0.30. Leg formula II, I, IV, III. Legs length: leg I: femur 4.73, patella 0.90, tibia 5.20, metatarsus 5.65, tarsus 1.42, total 17.9; II: 5.15, 0.95, 5.13, 6.39, 1.45, 19.07; III: 4.21. 0.70. 3.73. 4.37. 0.93. 13.94; IV: 4.77. 0.69. 4.55. 5.55. 1.15. 16.71. Palp: femur 1.12 long, 0.30 wide; patella 0.46 long, 0.35 wide; tibia 0.70 long, 0.55 wide; cymbium 0.50 long, 0.35 wide. Labium 0.49 long, 0.33 wide. Sternum 1.23 long, 1.16 wide. Femur I 2.2 times as long, tibia I 2.4 times as long and leg I 8.1 as long as carapace. Palpal femur 3.7 times longer than wide, tibia 1.3 times longer than wide, cymbium oval (Fig. 72). Bulb suboval and larger than cymbium. Embolus straight, with a mild curvature on apex, approximately 1.6 times longer than bulb length in retrolateral view, without carina (Fig. 71). Cephalic region of carapace covered by many long setae (Fig. 70). Entire pars cephalica as well as carapace border dark brown (Fig. 70). Legs and palps light brown, covered by short greyish setae on the femora and patellae. Endites, coxae and sternum light brown. Labium dark brown.

Female paratype (MNRJ 6968): As in male, except: Total length 8.65. Carapace 2.98 long, 2.80 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.15, PME 0.21, PLE 0.20, PME-PLE 0.05, PME-ALE 0.17; clypeus 0.40. Leg formula II, I, IV, III. Legs length: leg I: femur 4.51, patella 1.13, tibia 4.50, metatarsus 4.35, tarsus 1.45, total 15.94; II: 5.05, 1.06, 5.33, 3.41, 1.30, 16.15; III: 4.25, 1.05, 3.55, 4.30, 1.02, 14.17; IV: 4.55, 0.62, 4.50, 3.45, 1.22, 14.34. Palp: femur 1.20 long, 0.25 wide; patella 0.37 long, 0.31 wide; tibia 0.71 long, 0.25 wide; tarsus 1.07 long, 0.17 wide. Labium 0.58 long, 0.50 wide. Sternum 1.84 long, 1.40 wide. Femur I 1.5 times as long, tibia I 1.5 times as long and leg I 5.3 as long as carapace. Palpal femur 4.8 times longer than wide, tibia 2.8 longer than wide, tarsus not incrassate. Spermathecae with enlarged seminal receptacles; without transversal plate, lacking a constriction near apex forming a neck; presence of two well-developed lobes on apex and dark sclerotized lateral bands almost reaching apex (Fig. 75). Palps brown, except by pale patellae and femora. Endites pale brown.

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the type locality, Estação Ecológica de Murici, state of Alagoas , Brazil and is neutral in gender.

Natural history.

The few specimens of L muriciensis sp. n. were found inside a burnt tree in an Atlantic rainforest conservation unit in the state of Alagoas . The ESEC Murici is one of the last and largest remnants of the northeastern Atlantic rainforest and it is inserted in a biodiversity hotspot known as the "Pernambuco Endemism Center" ( Nemésio and Santos Junior 2014).