Corythalia longiducta, Bayer & Höfer & Metzner, 2020

Bayer, Steffen, Höfer, Hubert & Metzner, Heiko, 2020, Revision of the genus Corythalia C. L. Koch, 1850, part 1: Diagnosis and new species from South America (Araneae: Salticidae: Salticinae: Euophryini), Zootaxa 4806 (1), pp. 1-144 : 78-79

Corythalia longiducta sp. nov.

Figs 4C, 37 A–C, 63B, 73H–I, 77G –H

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FFFB9347-E118-423D-B31F-C400EF13A14C

Type material. Holotype: ♀, BRAZIL: Amazonas : Manaus, Igarapé São Jose, 3°02’24”S, 59°56’24”W, about 90 m a.s.l., low campina forest, H. Höfer leg. 07 Oct. 1987, INPA.

Additional material examined. BRAZIL: Amazonas: road between Borba and Mapiá, 4°52’48”S, 59°52’48”W, about 50 m a.s.l., secondary forest and natural forest patches (the latter included white sand areas) and open land patches: 1 ♀, H. Höfer, H. Metzner, A.D. Brescovit & A.B. Bonaldo leg. 22 Apr. 1996 ; SMNK-ARA 02858 .

Etymology. The specific name refers to the long copulatory ducts of the female holotype (Latin “longus” means “long”, Latin “ductus” means “duct”); compound adjective.

Diagnosis. Females distinguished from those of all other Corythalia species by the following characters in combination: connective ducts between primary (PS) and secondary spermathecae (SS) narrow (width somewhat more than 1/5 the diameter of PS), moderately long to long (slightly more than 1.7x but less than 2.0x diameter of PS); SS with mainly transversal orientation, with heads of spermathecae arising laterally or postero-laterally ( Figs 37 B–C, 77G–H); copulatory ducts (CD) long (longer than 1.8x the width of SS), final section of CD (before meeting SS) running anteriorly or latero-anteriorly ( Figs 37B, 77 G–H); SS moderately broad, slightly more than 2/3 the diameter of PS ( Figs 37B, 77 G–H).

Description. Male: unknown.

Female (measurements of holotype first, those of other female in parentheses): total length 8.8 (8.2), carapace length 3.6 (3.4), maximal carapace width 2.7, width of eye rectangle 2.2 (2.0), opisthosoma length 4.3 (4.0), opisthosoma width 3.5 (3.0), fovea length 0.42 (0.22). EYES: AME 0.69 (0.64), ALE 0.41 (0.37), PME 0.11 (0.08), PLE 0.37 (0.34), AME–AME 0.06 (0.05), AME–ALE 0.09 (0.10), PME–PME 1.91 (1.80), PME–PLE 0.36, ALE–PLE 0.93 (0.89), PLE–PLE 1.70 (1.63), clypeus height at AME 0.39 (0.40), clypeus height at ALE 0.87 (0.85). Cheliceral furrow with 1 promarginal and 1 retromarginal teeth. SPINATION: palp: no spines. Legs: femur I 1500, II 1500 (1500{1600}) , III 1500 , IV 0500 (0500{1500}) ; patella I–II 1000, III–IV 1010; tibia I 2004 (3004{3015}), II 3024 , III–IV 3133; metatarsus I–II 2024, III 3134 , IV 3144 (4134{4132}) . MEASUREMENT OF PALP AND LEGS:

palp 3.2 [1.3 (1.2), 0.5, 0.5 (0.6), 0.9], I 6.0 (5.8) [2.0 (1.9), 1.1, 1.2, 1.1 (1.0), 0.6], II 6.1 (5.8) [2.0 (1.9), 1.1, 1.3 (1.2), 1.1 (1.0), 0.6], III 7.4 (7.0) [2.4 (2.3), 1.1, 1.5 (1.4), 1.6 (1.5), 0.8 (0.7)], IV 7.6 (7.3) [2.3 (2.2), 1.1 (1.0), 1.7 (1.5), 1.7 (1.8), 0.8]. LEG FORMULA: 4321 (432&1; legs I & II with exactly the same length). COPULATORY ORGAN: epigyne with elongated and oval epigynal windows (W); septum of W narrow and anteriorly diverging ( Figs 37A, 73 H–I); strongly converging lateral margins of W reaching clearly further anteriorly than anteriormost parts of septum, the former may reaching each other medially; epigynal field broader than long; primary spermathecae (PS), visible through cuticle of W, filling proximal 1/2 of W from posterior (sometimes, however, with gap between posterior margin of PS and posterior margin of W) ( Fig. 73I). Vulva with transversal oval PS; secondary spermathecae (SS) elongated kidney-shaped with transversal orientation and with heads of spermathecae arising laterally or postero-laterally ( Figs 36 B–C, 77G–H); copulatory ducts long and with transversal lateral, then after a curve with anterior to latero-anterior direction; connective ducts between SS and PS narrow and moderately long to long; meeting PS medially. Copulatory ducts very long (in comparison to other Corythalia species); fertilisation ducts narrow, arising centro-anteriorly on PS, bent laterally ( Figs 36 B–C, 77G–H). COLOURATION: see genus description for conservative aspects. Carapace dark red-brown ( Fig. 63B). Legs (sometimes light) red-brown, except for tarsi III & IV (sometimes also patellae III & IV) being lighter ( Fig. 63B). Opisthosoma like noted in genus description under general dorsal colouration, chevron-like patch in central band present ( Fig. 63B).

Intraspecific variation of female copulatory organs. Posterior margin of epigyne in female SMNK-ARA 02858 ( Fig. 73I) slightly further reaching beyond epigastric furrow than in holotype ( Figs 37A, 73H). Female SMNK-ARA 02858 having (at least slight) connection of both anterior margins of epigynal windows ( AMW) (to be more precise, the strongly converging final sections of the lateral margins of W, anterior to the anteriormost section of the septum, because the AMW is not continuous in this species) ( Fig. 73I), whereas holotype showing clear gap antero-medially ( Figs 37A, 73H). Distance over both secondary spermathecae (SS) (from lateral margin to lateral margin) in holotype longer than distance over both primary spermathecae ( PS) ( Figs 37A, 73H), in female SMNK- ARA 02858 situation vice versa, because connective ducts running almost parallel and medially almost in contact with each other (not in a narrow V-shape like in holotype) and SS being slightly shorter than in holotype. Additional difference concerning shape of connective ducts: in holotype minimally curved sections recognisable ( Figs 37A, 73H), in other female ducts regularly straight ( Fig. 73I) .

Remarks. Concerning the structure of the female copulatory organ C. longiducta sp. nov. might be closely related to C. waleckii , C. foelixi Bayer , sp. nov. and C. fulgipedia . At least these are the most similar species within the C. waleckii species-group. They share not only the elongated epigynal windows and the elongated drop- to kidney-shaped secondary spermathecae, but especially the narrow and long connective ducts. Regarding the structure of the epigyne alone C. waleckii , C. fulgipedia and C. longiducta sp. nov. are nearly indistinguishable. Nevertheless, as long as the males of this species remain unknown these predictions have to be treated with caution.

Distribution. Currently known only from the type locality in Central Amazonia, Brazil.