Attacobius demiguise, Pereira-Filho & Saturnino & Bonaldo, 2018

Pereira-Filho, José Moisés B., Saturnino, Regiane & Bonaldo, Alexandre B., 2018, Five new species and novel descriptions of opposed sexes of four species of the spider genus Attacobius (Araneae: Corinnidae), Zootaxa 4462 (2), pp. 211-228 : 220-222

Attacobius demiguise n. sp.

Figs 11–15 ; Map 1

Type material. ♂ holotype from Altamira , Pará, Brazil, 06°08'35.29''S, 54°20'09.06''W, U. Oliveira & M.D. Miranda leg., 27.VII.2009 ( UFMG 5760 ) . ♀ paratype from Parauapebas , Pará, Brazil 0626'12.6''S, 50°34'02.5''W, U. Oliveira & M.D. Miranda leg., 25.IV.2009 ( UFMG 5744 ) .

Note. The male holotype is in poor condition, with the abdomen and most legs lost. The two specimens examined were collected nearly 400 km apart and the sexes are only tentatively associated. Somatic morphology is remarkably stable across Attacobius species, and the female paratype could also be ascribable to either A. carimbo n. sp. or A. tucurui Bonaldo & Brescovit , the two other species known only by males that occur in South and Central Pará. Since phoretic dispersion has been reported in at least two species of the genus ( Ichinose et al. 2004; Camargo et al. 2015), and these three species appear to inhabit the same phytophysiognomy, geographic proximity seems to be a poor criterion. This problem will only be solved when more samples from the region came to light. On the other hand, from a strict nomenclatural point of view, proposing this doubtful association is preferable than making available a fourth, possibly unnecessary specific name.

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from a character from Harry Potter's Universe by J.K. Rowling. The Demiguise is described in the Magizoology compendium “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” as being capable of making itself invisible when in danger. The name alludes to the behaviour of some Attacobius species, which appear to become invisible to ants while climbing onto their bodies.

Diagnosis. Males of Attacobius demiguise n. sp. share with those of A. thalitae n. sp. the short proximal end of median apophysis and the absence of the tegular retrolateral groove ( Figs 9, 10 ). They are promptly distinguished from males of that species by the large, cup-shaped, cymbial retro-dorsal process and by the absence of tegular keels ( Figs 11, 12 ). Females are similar to those of A. uiriri and A. blakei ( Figs 16, 18 , 19, 21 ) by the medially interrupted epigynal ventral plate, but can be recognized by the presence of small, globular secondary spermathecae ( Figs 13–15 ).

Description. Male (holotype, UFMG 5760). Carapace pale yellow, cephalic region slightly darker, anterior median eye area with black spot divided by longitudinal gap; chelicerae pale yellow with fangs brown; endites and labium pale yellow, with white apex; sternum pale yellow with brown margins; legs: femur and patella yellow, tibiae, metatarsus and tarsus dark yellow; abdomen lost. Total length (?). Carapace 1.58 long, 1.28 wide, 0.30 high. Clypeus 0.12 high. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.10, ALE 0.09, PME 0.10, PLE 0.09; AME–AME 0.07, AME–ALE 0.02, PME–PME 0.13, PME–PLE 0.04, ALE–PLE 0.01. MOQ length: 0.22, front width: 0.25, back width: 0.26. Chelicerae 0.55 long, with 3 promarginal and 2 retromarginal teeth. Sternum 0.87 long, 0.91 wide. Abdomen lost. Leg measurements: I: femur 1.32/ patella 0.54/ tibia 1.19/ metatarsus 1.24/ tarsus 0.90/ total 5.19. II: 1.16/ 0.53/ 1.12/ 1.09/ 0.87/ 4.77. III: lost. IV: 1.40/ 0.52/ 1.19/ 1.39/ lost/ (?). Leg spination: I: femur d1- 1-0, p0, r0, v0; tibia d0, p0, r0, v2-2 -2; metatarsus d0, p0, r0, v2-2 -0. II: femur d1-1-0, p0, r0, v0; tibia d0, p0, r0, v2-2 -2; metatarsus d0, p0, r0, v0. III: lost. IV: femur d0, p0, r0-0-1, v0; tibia d0, p0, r0, v0; metatarsus lost. Palp: RTA with two lobes, ventral lobe small; apical spur sclerotized, with narrow base arising sub-apically from ventral lobe, dorsal lobe sub-rectangular, oriented dorsally, with small apical digitiform process; cymbial prolateral process separated from cymbial transversal process; cymbial transversal process small, nearly straight, without basal prong; cymbial retrolateral tubercle large, conical, pointed ventro-distally; cymbial retro-dorsal process large, cupshaped; both prolateral and ventral tegular keels absent; tegular retrolateral groove absent; distal extension of median apophysis blunt, not projected distally; median extension of median apophysis smooth, composed of two pieces, proximal extension of median apophysis short ( Figs 11, 12 ).

Female (Paratype, UFMG 5744). Colouration as in male, except carapace with cephalic region dark yellow; abdomen pale grey. Total length 4.09. Carapace 1.76 long, 1.49 wide, 0.48 high. Clypeus 0.1 high. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.11, ALE 0.11, PME 0.09, PLE 0.11; AME–AME 0.09, AME–ALE contiguous, PME– PME 0.15, PME–PLE 0.06, ALE–PLE contiguous. MOQ length: 0.25, front width: 0.27, back width: 0.30.

Chelicerae 0.64 long, with 3 promarginal and 2 retromarginal teeth. Sternum 0.94 long, 0.93 wide. Leg measurements: I: femur 1.64/ patella 0.63/ tibia 1.47/ metatarsus 1.58/ tarsus 1.10/ total 6.42. II: 1.54/ 0.59/ 1.32/ 1.50/ lost / (?). III: 1.50/ 0.56/ 1.26/ 1.57/ 1.16/ 6.05. IV: 1.73/ 0.60/ 1.52/ 1.89/ lost / (?). Leg spination: I: femur d1-1-0, p0-0-1, r0, v0; tibia d0, p0, r0, v3-2 -2; metatarsus d0, p0, r0, v2-2 -0. II: femur d1-1-0, p0, r0, v0; tibia d0, p0, r0, v3-2 -2; metatarsus d0, p0, r0, v2-2 -0. III: femur d1-1-0, p0, r0, v0; tibia d0, p0, r0, v0; metatarsus d0, p0, r0, v0. IV: femur d1-1-0, p0, r0-0-1, v0; tibia d0, p0, r0, v0; metatarsus d0, p0, r0, v0. Epigynum: ventral surface medially excavated, ventral plate medially interrupted; posterior transverse septum present; dorsal extension of epigynal posterior plate reduced; copulatory openings ventral, medially placed; copulatory ducts translucent; spermathecae separated from each other; primary spermathecae large, sub-quadrangular; secondary spermathecae small ( Figs 13–15 ).

Distribution. Known only from Altamira and Parauapebas, state of Pará, Brazil (Map 1).

Material examined. Only the types.

MAP 1. Distribution records of species of Attacobius .

Figures

FIGURES 11, 12. Attacobius demiguise n. sp., left male palp: 11. ventral view; 12. retrolateral view. Abbreviations: AS, apical spur of VL; C, conductor; CRP, cymbial retro-dorsal process; CRT, cymbial retrolateral tubercle; CTP, cymbial transverse process; DL, dorsal lobe of RTA; dMA, distal end of median apophysis; E, embolus; mMA, median extension of median apophysis; pMA proximal end of median apophysis; VL, ventral lobe of RTA.

FIGURES 13–18. Attacobius spp., female epigyna: 13–15. A. demiguise n. sp., 13. ventral view, 14. posterior view, 15. dorsal view; 16–18. A. uiriri Bonaldo & Brescovit, 2005, 16. ventral view, 17. posterior view, 18. dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD, copulatory duct; FD, fertilization duct; PS, primary spermathecae; SS, secondary spermathecae.

FIGURES 9, 10. Attacobius thalitae n. sp., left male palp: 9. ventral view; 10. retrolateral view. Abbreviations: C, conductor; CPP, Cymbial prolateral process; CRP, cymbial retro-dorsal process; CTP, cymbial transverse process; dMA, distal end of median apophysis; E, embolus; mMA, median extension of median apophysis; pMA proximal end of median apophysis; PTK, prolateral ventral tegular keel.

FIGURES 19–24. Attacobius spp., female epigyna: 19–21. A. blakei Bonaldo & Brescovit, 2005, 19. ventral view, 20. posterior view, 21. dorsal view; 22–24. A. tremembe n. sp., 22. ventral view, 23. posterior view, 24. dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD, copulatory duct; EVP, epigynal ventral plate; FD, fertilization duct; PS, primary spermathecae; SS, secondary spermathecae.