Mesabolivar similis, Huber, 2018

Huber, Bernhard A., 2018, The South American spider genera Mesabolivar and Carapoia (Araneae, Pholcidae): new species and a framework for redrawing generic limits, Zootaxa 4395 (1), pp. 1-178 : 45

Mesabolivar similis sp. n.

Figs 141–142 , 165–171 , 194

Diagnosis. Distinguished from most known congeners by armature of male chelicerae ( Figs 165–166 ; two pairs of frontal apophyses, one oblique pair distally and one smaller conical pair proximally), by shape of procursus ( Figs 167–169 ; in general as in M. togatus , cf. Huber 2000: fig. 856; widely curved, with distal prolateral process and membranous structures), and by shape of epigynum ( Figs 170 ; in lateral view like M. togatus , cf. Huber 2000: fig. 862; oval anterior plate with posterior margin divided into three lobes by whitish membrane); from two most similar congeners ( M. togatus , M. baianus ) by much smaller proximal cheliceral apophyses ( Figs 165–166 ); from M. baianus also by shapes of lobes on anterior epigynal plate (median lobe wider; lateral lobes narrower; Figs 170 , 194 ).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the similarity of this species to M. togatus ; adjective.

Type material. BRAZIL: Bahia: ♂ holotype, UFMG (21509), 1♂ 1♀ (♀ abdomen only, prosoma in pure ethanol) paratypes, ZFMK (Ar 19039), Fazenda Morro de Pedra (12°31.6’–31.8’S, 40°36.1–36.4’W), 490 m a.s.l., 14.v.2015 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho).

Other material examined. BRAZIL: Bahia: 2♀ (one ♀ abdomen with ♂ paratype) in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br15-182), same data as types. 2♂ 1 ♀ in pure ethanol, UFPI (ARA 278), Maracás, near Sede da Ferbasa (13.471°S, 40.438°W), 955 m a.s.l., 11–13.iii.2012 (E. Araújo, A. Medeiros).

Description. Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 4.5, carapace width 1.7. Distance PME-PME 125 µm, diameter PME 170 µm, distance PME-ALE 130 µm, distance AME-AME 30 µm, diameter AME 65 µm. Sternum width/length: 1.0/ 0.67. Leg 1 missing, tibia 2: 11.1, tibia 3: 6.4, tibia 4: 10.0. Femora 1–4 width (at half length): –, 0.26, 0.26, 0.19.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace ochre-yellow, with wide dark brown median mark including posterior part of ocular area, no lateral marks; clypeus not darkened; sternum orange to light brown; legs brown, tips of femora and tibiae lighter, indistinct darker rings on femora (subdistally) and tibiae (proximally and subdistally); abdomen greenish gray, dorsally and laterally densely covered with dark bluish marks, ventrally with orange to light brown plate in front of gonopore, very indistinct plate in front of spinnerets.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 141 ; ocular area raised; carapace with distinct median furrow; clypeus unmodified; sternum unmodified.

CHELICERAE. With two pairs of frontal apophyses, proximal pair small and conical, distal pair oblique, angle between outer margins ~100° ( Figs 165–166 ).

PALPS. In general like in M. togatus (cf. Huber 2000: figs 855–856); palps in these two species may be indistinguishable (the minimal differences between Figs 158–159 and Figs 167, 169 may partly be due to slightly different angles of view and may be in the same order of magnitude as intraspecific variation).

LEGS. Without spines, without curved hairs, few vertical hairs.

Male (variation). Other male lighter, slightly smaller; carapace width: 1.3; leg 1: 57.3 (13.5 + 0.7 + 12.9 + 27.1 + 3.1), tibia 2: 9.3, tibia 3: 6.3, tibia 4: 9.1.

Female. In general similar to male ( Fig. 142 ). Tibia 1: 8.5 (missing in second female). Epigynum as in Figs 170 , 194 , very similar to M. togatus , especially to females from Bahia assigned tentatively to M. togatus (compare Figs 190 and 194 ). Internal genitalia as in Fig. 171 , also very similar M. togatus (compare Figs 171 and 189 ).

Natural history. The spiders were found in large sheltered spaces among rocks and logs.

Distribution. Known from two localities in Bahia state ( Brazil) ( Fig. 727 ).

Figures

FIGURES 138–149. Live specimens, Mesabolivar togatus group. 138–139. M. togatus (Keyserling, 1891), males from Sooretama (with Arachnocoris bug; arrow) and Santa Maria Madalena. 140. M. baianus sp. n., male from Serra Bonita. 141– 142. M. similis sp. n., male and female from Morro de Pedra.143–144. M. buraquinho sp. n., male from Bonito, female from Mata do Buraquinho.145–146.M.caiporaHuber, 2015,male and femalefrom Serra daItabaiana.147. M.inmanis sp. n., male from Vargem Alta.148–149.M.cyaneomaculatus (Keyserling, 1891), males from Penedo.

FIGURES 165–171. Mesabolivar similis sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 19039). 165–166. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 167– 169. Tip of left procursus, prolateral, prolatero-dorsal, and retrolateral (slightly ventral) views. 170. Epigynum, ventral view. 171.Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines:0.5 (165–166, 170–171), 0.3 (167–169).

FIGURES188–199. Femaleepigyna in ventral views and cleared female genitalia in dorsal views, Mesabolivar togatus group (part 1). 188–190.M.togatus (Keyserling, 1891), from Guapiaçú (188–189, ZFMK Ar 19017) and Sooretama (190, ZFMK Ar 19029).191–193.M.baianus sp. n., from Una (191–192, ZFMK Ar 19031) and Serra Bonita (193, ZFMK Ar 19038). 194.M. similis sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 19039). 195–196. M. camacan sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 19040). 197. M. buraquinho sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 19042).198–199.M.caiporaHuber, 2015, from São João (198, ZFMK Ar19062) and Mata do Crasto (199, ZFMK Ar 19060).

FIGURES156–164.Mesabolivar togatus(Keyserling, 1891) (156–159), and M.baianus sp. n. (160–164).156–157, 162, 164. Epigyna,ventral views, females from Guapiaçú (156; ZFMK Ar 19017), Sooretama (157; ZFMK Ar 19029), Una (162; ZFMK Ar 19031), and Serra Bonita (164; ZFMK Ar 19038). 158–161. Tips of left procursi, prolateral and retrolateral views (ZFMK Ar 19017 and 19031) (arrows point at slightly differing membranous dorsal flaps). 163. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view (ZFMK Ar 19031).Scale lines:0.5 (156–157, 162–164; all epigyna at same scale); 0.3 (158–161; all procursi at same scale).

FIGURES726–729. Knowndistribution of the Mesabolivar togatusgroup.“?”: dubious recordsof M.togatus, possible record of M. baianus (sub. M. togatus in Machado 2007), and of M. cyaneomaculatus from Paraná (Mello-Leitão 1947b); asterisk: erroneous record of M.togatusfrom Pará in Mello-Leitão (1940a).TL, type locality.