Epicadus taczanowskii ( Roewer, 1951 )

Machado, Miguel, Teixeira, Renato Augusto & Lise, Arno Antonio, 2018, There and back again: More on the taxonomy of the crab spiders genus Epicadus (Thomisidae: Stephanopinae), Zootaxa 4382 (3), pp. 501-530 : 516-519

Epicadus taczanowskii ( Roewer, 1951)

Figs 8A–D , 9A–D , 14E, F , 16A

Thomisus rugosus TaczanoWski, 1872: 95 (preoccupied by Latreille, 1804).

Stephanopis rugosa (TaczanoWski) . Keyserling 1880: 177, pl. 4, fig. 97.

Tobias rugosus (TaczanoWski) . Simon, 1895: 1051, 1053; F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900: 161, pl. 10, figs 37–38. Tobias taczanowskii RoeWer, 1951: 448 (replacement name).

Epicadus taczanowskii ( RoeWer, 1951) : Machado et al. 2017: 448, figs 2D, E, S11C, S14E, S15B, F.

Type material: Holotype (original designation): male, [Cayenne, French Guiana], (presumed in MZPW, lost).

Paratypes. 4 females, [Cayenne, French Guiana], (presumed in MZPW, lost).

Neotype. 1 ♀, Reserve Naturelle Nationale de la Trinité, [04°36'02"N, 53°24'43"W, Camp Aya , Guyane], C. Courtial leg., XII.2010 ( MCTP 41287 ).

Note. We get in contact with the curators of institutions where the holotype or syntypes of E. taczanowskii could be potentially deposited (e.g. MZPW, MNRJ, OUMNH, MNHN, ZMHB), however, this material seems to be lost. Once the species presents remarkable morphological features which allow us to identify it, and the geographical records of the examined material are congruent with those of the holotype, we propose designation of a neotype for E. taczanowskii .

Other material examined. PANAMA: Colón: 3 males, Porto Bello , 9°32'56"N, 79°39'10"W, 12 August 1936, A.M. Chickering ( MCZ) ; 4 males, Barro Colorado Island ( Canal Zone ), 9°09'07"N, 79°50'47"W, 28 July 1936, A.M. Chickering ( MCZ) ; 1 male, June 1939; 4 males, July 1939 (MCZ); 2 males, 1–4J July 1950; 4 males, 1 female, 16–20 July 1950; 2 males, 23 July 1950; 4 males, 7 November 1950; 1 male, 2 July 1954; 1 male, 2 August 1954; 2 males, 15 August 1954; 2males, 4 February 1958; 1 male, 20 February 1958 (same collector and locality as previous specimens, MCZ); 1 female, Forest Reserve ( Canal Zone ), 9°04'39"N, 79°38'57"W, August 1939, A.M. Chickering ( MCZ) . BRAZIL: Pará: 2 males, Belém, Ilha de Cotijuba , 1°14'23"S, 48°32'47"W, November 2004, N.F. Lo-Man-Hung ( MPEG 4588 ) ; 1 male, November 2004, E.B.O. Marques (MPEG 4589); 1 male, November 2004, D.R. Santos-Souza (MPEG 4590); 1 male, Mata da UFPA, 1°27'20"S, 48°29'24"W, 18 August 2006, B . Calzavara (MPEG 4155); 1 male, 18 August 2006, Generino (MPEG 4175); 1 male, Vale do Igarapé Mutum, Platô do Rio Juruti , 2°36'11"S, 56°12'36"W, 4 August 2004, D.F. Candiani ( MPEG 8764 ) ; 1 male, Novo Progresso, Campo de Provas Brigadiro Veloso ( Serra do Cachimbo ), 9°22'02"S, 55°01'11"W, 12 September 2003, A.B. Bonaldo ( MPEG 5369 ) ; 1 male, 9 September 2003, same locality and collector ( MPEG 5435 ) . Amazonas: 6 males, 29 females, [labelled as “ Amazonas ”] ( MNHN 2617 ) ; 4 males, Manaus, Fazenda Araçá, 3°07'40"S, 59°57'04"W, 8 July 1988, A.A. Lise (INPA); 1 female, Tefé , 3°21'07"S, 64°42'59"W ( MNHN 4270 ) . Rondônia: 1 male, Porto Velho , 8°48'10"S, 63°55'05"W, 8 July 2012, R.P. Indicatti ( MZSP 51461 ) . Acre: 1 female, Senador Guiomard, Reserva Extrativista de Catuaba , 10°08'43"S, 67°43'29"W, 2002, E.F. Morato ( IBSP 135288 ) . Bahia: 2 females, [labelled as “ Bahia ”] ( MNHN 18652 ) ; 1 female, Fazenda Boa Esperança , 11°00'45"S, 40°51'19"W, 1973, A.T. Emothe ( IBSP 2697 ) . Mato Grosso: 2 females, [labelled as “ Mato Grosso ”] ( MNHN 10358 ex.) ; 1 female, Barra do Tapirape , 10°25'45"S, 51°16'53"W, 1–23 December 1961, B. Malkin ( AMNH) ; 1 male, Canarana / Querência ( Fazenda Tanguro ), 13°04'25"S, 52°22'54"W, 10 June 2006, G. Dall'osto ( MPEG 22624 ) ; 1 male, 10 June 2006, D.F. Candiani (MPEG 22626); 1 male, 16 June 2006, N.F. Lo-Man-Hung (MPEG 22628); 1 male, 17 June 2006, D.F. Candiani (MPEG 22629). Espírito Santo: 1 male, Aracruz ( REFMU do Morro Aricanga ), 19°49'11"S, 40°14'14"W, 14–16 October 2005, T . Souza et al. (IBSP 133484); Minas Gerais: 1 female, Belo Horizonte, Estação Ecológica da UFMG, 19°52'28''S, 43°58'22"W, 25 October 2008, I .L.F. Magalhães (UFMG 5852). São Paulo: 1 male, Itapevi , 23°32'13"S, 46°57'03"W, 1999, C. Bertim & V. Onófrio ( IBSP 121962) .

Diagnosis. The females of E. taczanowskii are similar to those of E. dimidiaster sp. nov. in the general shape of opisthosoma, however, they differ in the rounded tips of the opisthosomal projections and in the granulose prosoma with a LBL ( Figs 8A, B , 16A ); Males of E. taczanowskii are very similar to those of E. dimidiaster sp. nov. and E. trituberculatus , being distinguishable only by the position of the TF and emergence area of embolous in ten o’clock position ( Fig. 9C ).

Description. Female (MCTP 41287 Neotype): Anterior eye row recurved and posterior slightly procurved, almost straight. Prosoma pale yellow with dark granules aggregated on the median region; front with clypeus presenting a dark upside-down V-shaped mark and ALE bearing short black stripes running parallel with this clypeal mark; TWS and LBL extending to the PME; thoracic MS discrete; chelicerae pale yellow with a diagonal dark stripe ( Figs 8A, B , 14F , 16A ). Sternum, endites and labium with same color as prosoma. Opisthosoma pale yellow with dark granules outlining its dorsal edges, with an anterior pair of black stains, three opisthosomal projections facing backward and concave anterior border. Epigynum with copulatory openings facing sideways, separated by a large and flattened median septum; median field delimited by curved lateral folds that resemble upside-down commas ( Fig. 8C ). Secondary spermathecae very large, almost the same size as primary ones; secondary spermathecae spherical ( Fig. 8D ).

Measurements: eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.12, ALE 0.20, PME 0.15, PLE 0.11, AME–AME 0.30, AME–ALE 0.19, PME–PME 0.41, PME–PLE 0.17; MOQ length 0.62, MOQ posterior width 0.54, MOQ anterior width 0.52; leg formula: 1-2-4-3: leg I—femur 4.21/ patella 2.38/ tibia 2.76/ metatarsus 1.95/ tarsus 1.41/ total 12.71; II—3.35/ 2.27/ 2.59/ 1.96/ 1.23/ 11.40; III—2.10/ 1.42/ 1.34/ 1.10/ 0.66/ 6.62; IV—2.52/ 1.20/ 1.59/ 1.41/ 0.64/ 7.36. Total body length 10.61; prosoma length 4.72, width 4.48; opisthosoma length 5.89; clypeus height 0.50; sternum length 2.09, width 1.52; endites length 1.00, width 0.53; labium length 0.67, width 0.76.

Male (from Canarana; MPEG 022624): Eye arrangement as is female, ALE on discrete ocular mounds. Prosoma granulated, predominantly orange, darker at sides and median region ( Figs 9A, B ). Sternum orange with darker borders, labium endites and chelicerae reddish-brown. Clypeus orange with two diagonal darker taints ( Fig. 9B ). Opisthosoma light yellow, with discrete lateral projections, similar with those of males of E. dimidiaster sp. nov. and E. taczanowskii . Legs with orange femora, tibiae, tarsi and metatarsi; patellae yellow. Palpi with discoid tegulum, RTA long, acute and with margins bended, DTA pointed retrolaterally with tip directed upwards ( Fig. 9D ); TF emerging from tegulum at ten o’clock position ( Fig. 9C ).

Measurements: eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.06, ALE 0.08, PME 0.07, PLE 0.04, AME–AME 0.12, AME–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 0.21, PME–PLE 0.10; MOQ length 0.28, MOQ posterior width 0.20, MOQ anterior width 0.19; leg formula: 1-2-4-3: leg I—femur 1.09/ patella 0.50/ tibia 0.70/ metatarsus 0.50/ tarsus 0.40/ total 3.19; II—0.92/ 0.50/ 0.68/ 0.50/ 0.40/ 3.00; III—0.72/ 0.36/ 0.44/ 0.33/ 0.22/ 2.07; IV—0.70/ 0.32/ 0.50/ 0.39/ 0.24/ 2.15. Total body length 2.56; prosoma length 1.30, width 1.24; opisthosoma length 1.26; clypeus height 0.22; sternum length 0.63, width 0.60; endites length 0.32, width 0.16; labium length 0.18, width 0.24.

Distribution. BRAZIL: São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso, Bahia, Acre, Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará; PANAMA: Colón ( Fig. 17B ).

Variation. Females of E. taczanowskii are most commonly found in vivo presenting a pale-yellow body coloration ( Figs 8A , 16A ), but they may be pink ( Fig. 14E ) or whitish with reddish-brown opisthosoma ( Fig. 14F ).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Epicadus taczanowskii (RoeWer, 1951), female (A MCTP 41287, B–D MNHN 2617). A, B habitus (A dorsal, B frontal); Cepigynal plate (ventral);D spermathecaeandcopulatory ducts (dorsal).Scale bars: 2 mm (A), 1 mm (B),0.2 mm (C, D).

FIGURE 14. Color variations of females. A–D Epicadus pustulosus (Mello-Leitão, 1929) (A, B MZSP 45484; C, D MZSP 51068); Scale bars: 2 mm (A, C), 1 mm (B, D). Color variations of females of E–F Epicadus taczanowskii (RoeWer, 1951): Photo credits:Kenji Nishida (E); Arthur Anker (F).

FIGURE 16. Female specimens in vivo. A Epicadus taczanowskii (RoeWer, 1951); B Epicadus dimidiaster sp. nov.; C Epicadus rubripes Mello-Leitão, 1924 (adapted from Silva-Moreira & Machado 2016: fig. 1F); D Epicadus camelinus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869); E Epicadus heterogaster (Guérin-Méneville, 1829); F Epicadus trituberculatus (TaczanoWski, 1872). Photo credits:César Favacho (A); Arthur Anker (B); Almir Cândido de Almeida (C); Karl Kroeker (D); Edson Roberto (E); Edelcio Muscat (F).

FIGURE 17. Data of distribution records of Epicadus species compiled from Machado et al. (2015, 2017); Silva-Moreira and Machado (2016); present study.

FIGURE9. Epicadus taczanowskii (RoeWer,1951) male (MPEG 022624).A, B habitus (Adorsal, Bfrontal);C, D leftpalp (C frontal, D retrolateral).Scale bars:1 mm (A), 0.5 mm (B), 0.1 mm (C, D).