Carapoia maculata, 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 : 157-159

Carapoia maculata sp. n.

Figs 673–674 , 696–703 , 718–719

Diagnosis. Easily distinguished from known congeners by armature of male chelicerae (two pairs of long apophyses, one pointed, near laminae, the other with rounded tip, proximally; Figs 698–699 ) and by shape of epigynum (anterior plate with median pocket, diverging sclerites between anterior and posterior plates; Figs 702– 703 ).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the numerous dark marks of this species (Latin maculatus, -a = spotted); adjective.

Type material. BRAZIL: Bahia: ♂ holotype, 1♀ paratype, UFMG (21562–63), and 2♂ 13♀ paratypes, ZFMK (Ar 19298–99), 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: 3♀ 2 juvs in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br15-183), same data as types.

Description. Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 2.4, carapace width 1.0. Distance PME-PME 110 µm, diameter PME 95 µm, distance PME-ALE 80 µm, distance AME-AME 15 µm, diameter AME 40 µm. Sternum width/length: 0.77/ 0.50. Leg 1: 23.9 (5.7 + 0.4 + 6.0 + 10.1 + 1.7), tibia 2: 3.2, tibia 3: 2.1, tibia 4: 2.7; tibia 1 L/d: 67. Femora 1–4 width (at half length): 0.17, 0.17, 0.22, 0.16.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace ochre-yellow, with three pairs of dark marks along lateral margins, one mark in thoracic furrow, and one pair of dark marks behind ocular area; margins of ocular area and clypeus also dark; sternum pale ochre-yellow with pair of large light brown marks fused posteriorly; legs ochre-yellow, without dark rings; abdomen bluish gray, with darker marks dorsally and laterally, brown mark in front of gonopore, short dark blue mark behind gonopore.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 673 ; ocular area raised; carapace with deep median furrow; clypeus unmodified; sternum unmodified.

CHELICERAE. As in Figs 698–699 , with two pairs of long apophyses, one pointed, near laminae, directed towards distal, the other with rounded tip, proximal, projecting towards frontal.

PALPS. As in Figs 696–697 ; coxa with small retrolateral apophysis; trochanter with short ventral process; femur with large retrolateral process proximally, small dorsal hump, distally widening; procursus distally with distinctive sclerotized and membranous elements (subdistal prolateral spine, dorsal transparent flap; Fig. 700 ); genital bulb with sclerotized process near connection to tarsus, prolateral pointed apophysis, and large whitish dorsal protrusion.

LEGS. Densely covered with regular short hairs, without spines, without curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 6%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~30 pseudosegments, distally fairly distinct.

Male (variation). Tibia 1 in two other males: 5.3, 6.2. Marks on sternum not fused in one male; other male with indistinct dark rings subdistally on femora and tibiae.

Female. In general similar to male ( Fig. 674 ), but with distinct dark rings subdistally on femora and tibiae and proximally on tibiae. Tibia 1 in 14 females: 3.7–4.8 (mean 4.2). Epigynum as in Figs 702–703 , 718 ; anterior plate with median pocket on posterior projecting margin, with pair of diverging sclerites in membrane between anterior and posterior plates, simple posterior plate. Internal genitalia as in Figs 701 , 719 , with large pore-plates divided into many platelets with a few pores each.

Natural history. Field observations revealed several similarities with C. pulchra and C. suassunai , but not with members of the agilis group: the spiders were found from near the ground up to 2 m above ground level; webs among the vegetation consisted of a domed sheet that transformed into a funnel that led into a retreat, usually a dead leaf. Males and females often shared the retreats; they did not vibrate when disturbed but ran away and eventually jumped off the web.

Distribution. Known from type locality in Bahia state ( Brazil) only ( Fig. 743 ).

Figures

FIGURE 743. Known distributions of the Carapoia agilis ‘group’ and of unplaced species (C. maculata, C.bispina).

FIGURES665–676. Live specimens,Carapoia agilis group andunplaced species.665–666.C. exiguasp.n., male and female from Morro de Pedra. 667–669. C. djavani sp. n., males from Pedra Talhada and Usina Serra Grande, female from Murici. 670–672. C. agilis sp. n., males from Saltinho and near Bonito, female from near Bonito. 673–674. C. maculata sp. n., male and female from Morro de Pedra.675–676.C. bispina sp. n., male and female from near Bonito.

FIGURES 696–703. Carapoia maculata sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 19298–99). 696–697. Left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 698–699. Male chelicerae, lateral and frontal views. 700. Left procursus, dorsal view. 701. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view.702–703.Epigynum, ventral and lateral views.Scale lines:0.5 (696–699), 0.3(700–703).

FIGURES 711–720. Female epigyna in ventral views and cleared female genitalia in dorsal views, Carapoia agilis group and unplaced species. 711–712. Carapoia exigua sp. n., from Morro de Pedra (UFMG 21557). 713–714. C. djavani sp. n., from Pedra Talhada (ZFMK Ar 19292). 715–716. C. agilis sp. n., from near Bonito (ZFMK Ar 19295). 717, 720. C. bispina sp. n., from near Bonito (ZFMK Ar 19300). 718–719.C. maculata sp. n., from Morro de Pedra (ZFMK Ar 19299).