Avicularia hirschii Bullmer et al. 2006

Fukushima, Caroline Sayuri & Bertani, Rogerio, 2017, Taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of Avicularia Lamarck, 1818 (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Aviculariinae) with description of three new aviculariine genera 01, ZooKeys 659, pp. 1-185 : 66-68

Avicularia hirschii Bullmer et al. 2006 Figs 19, 90, 173-180, 181-183, 184-187, 309

Avicularia hirschii Bullmer et al. 2006: 3, figs 1-10, 20, 22 (holotype male, Ecuador, Oriente, nahe Misahualli [1°02'S, 77°41'W], Bullmer leg., August 1997, SMF 57125 and paratype female, Ecuador, Oriente, nahe Misahualli [1°02'S, 77°41'W], Bullmer leg., August 1997, SMF 57126, examined); World Spider Catalog 2016.

Diagnosis.

Females of Avicularia hirschii resemble those of Avicularia avicularia and Avicularia rufa by the leg IV longer than leg I. They can be distinguished from them by twisted spermatheca (Fig. 181). Males of Avicularia hirschii resemble those of Avicularia minatrix , Avicularia lynnae sp. n. and Avicularia caei sp. n. by tibia I with discrete elevation covered by a cluster of setae in apical portion, on prolateral side (Fig. 179). They can be distinguished from males of Avicularia lynnae sp. n. and Avicularia caei sp. n. by shorter embolus, about 3.0 to 3.5 times tegulum’s width in retrolateral view (Fig. 174) and from Avicularia minatrix by having prominece on tegulum (Fig. 175) and cymbium with process on retrolateral lobe (Fig. 177).

Additional material.

BRAZIL: Acre: Senador Guiomard [10°08'S, 67°44'W], 1 female, C. Alexandre col., 12-17 July 2013 (MNRJ 06912); Estação Ecológica Rio Acre [10°59'S, 70°13'W], M. A. de Freitas col., 4-18 February 2016 (MNRJ 06911); ECUADOR: Pastaza: 25 km east of Puerto Napo [1°01'S, 77°43'W], selva Aliñahuí, 450 m, I–II, 1 female, 1 immature, E. S. Ross col., 1991 (CAS 1, CAS 2); PERU: Loreto: confluence of Rio Zumun and Rio Yaguasyacu [3°21'S, 71°58'W] (Rio Yahnasyacu [sic]), 2 juvenile females, J. Becker col. (MNRJ 13759); Iquitos, Rio Nanay [3°48'S, 73°23'W], 1 juvenile female, R. C. West col., 5 November 1993 (AMNH RW50); 1 juvenile female, Rio Tigre, Cristo Rey village [3°58'S, 74°16'W], W. Lamar col., 19 July 1998, in light silken retreat between broad leaves 1.5 m above ground in forest behind village (MNRJ 06910).

Male.

Redescription. SMF 57125. Carapace: 10.83 long, 9.32 wide, 2.50 high. Chelicera: 2.65 long. Legs (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus, total): I: 10.02, 5.63, 7.80, 7.72, 4.51, 35.68. II: 9.66, 4.99, 7.44, 6.88, 4.48, 33.45. III: 8.44, 4.27, 6.17, 6.94, 3.66, 29.48. IV: 10.20, 4.64, 8.79, 9.30, 3.68, 36.61. Palp: 6.08, 3.63, 4.57, -, 1.78, 16.06. Midwidths: femora I–IV = 1.94, 1.77, 2.14, 2.15, palp= 1.45; patellae I–IV = 2.9, 1.87, 1.97, 1.76, palp= 1.56; tibiae I–IV = 1.53, 1.66, 1.53, 1.60, palp= 1.67; metatarsi I–IV = 1.02, 1.22, 1.04, 1.17; tarsi I–IV = 1.24, 1.47, 1.38, 1.50, palp= 1.57. Abdomen: 10.95 long, 6.04 wide. Spinnerets: PMS, 1.02 long, 0.46 wide, 0.1 apart; PLS, 1.82 basal, 0.93 middle, 2.21 distal; midwidths 1.04, 0.82, 0.60, respectively.

Carapace: 1.16 times longer than wide; cephalic region not raised.

Fovea: deep, straight, 1.29 wide.

Eyes: eye tubercle 0.66 high, 1.59 long, 2.30 wide. Clypeus absent. Anterior row of eyes procurve, posterior slightly recurve. Eye size and interdistances: AME 0.69, ALE 0.72, PME 0.30, PLE 0.44, AME–AME 0.34, AME–ALE 0.16, AME–PME 0.10, ALE–ALE 1.45, ALE–PME 0.55, PME–PME 1.50, PME–PLE 0.03, PLE–PLE 1.75, ALE–PLE 0.23, AME–PLE 0.43.

Maxilla: length to width: 2.53. Cuspules: 112 spread over ventral inner heel. Labium: 1.00 long, 1.64 wide, with 54 cuspules spaced by one diameter from each other on anterior third. Labium sternal groove shallow, flat, sigilla not evident.

Chelicera: basal segment with 9 teeth and some small teeth on promargin. Sternum: 5.01 long, 3.93 wide. Sigilla: only posterior pair evident, rounded, less than one diameter from margin.

Legs: Formula: IV=I II III. Length leg IV to leg I: 1.03. Clavate trichobothria: 2/3 distal tarsi I–IV. Scopula: Tarsi I–IV fully scopulate. IV with some sparse setae. Metatarsi I–II fully scopulate; III 2/3; IV 1/2 distal scopulate. IV divided by a wide row of setae.

Type II urticating setae: 0.10-0.11 long (according to original description, since holotype abdomen is bald).

Palp (Figs 173-176): globous bulb with small subtegulum and developed prominence on tegulum. Embolus: not flattened, lacking keels, 2.7 long in retrolateral view, about 3.5 times tegulum’s length. Medial portion and tegulum’s margin form an acute angle in retrolateral view. Proximal part very curved in frontal view; thin distal width, tapering distally; basal, middle, and distal width of 0.35, 0.11, 0.03, respectively. Tegulum: 1.51 long, 0.93 wide in retrolateral view. Cymbium subtriangular with subequal lobes. Cymbium with well-developed rounded process on retrolateral lobe, bearing thin setae (Fig. 177).

Tibia I with discrete elevation covered by cluster of setae in apical portion, on prolateral side (Figs 178-180, 309).

Color pattern: carapace brown with golden short body setae with pink sheen. Carapace border with long setae the same color as dorsal carapace short body setae. Coxae, labium, sternum and maxillae light brown, same color of ventral femora. Legs and palps with brown short body setae with golden sheen and reddish brown long guard-setae. Posterior legs darker, blackish. Tarsi III and IV with reddish central well-developed tufts (not detected, but informed on original description). Tarsi with “U” shaped orange stripe. Leg rings on distal femora, tibiae and metatarsi whitish. Abdomen dorsum with long reddish guard-setae and dark short body setae. Ventral abdomen light brown.

Female.

Redescription.SMF 57126. Carapace: 11.92 long, 11.37 wide, 3.46 high. Chelicera: 3.84 long. Legs (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus and total): I: 9.69, 5.45, 6.78, 6.43, 4.81, 33.16. II: 9.11, 5.39, 6.69, 6.05, 4.38, 31.62. III: 8.23, 4.90, 5.49, 6.53, 3.94, 29.09. IV: 10.19, 5.64, 8.73, 9.22, 4.57, 38.35. Palp: 6.99, 4.14, 4.40, -, 5.08, 20.61. Midwidths: femora I–IV = 2.00, 1.97, 2.49, 2.21, palp= 1.93; patellae I–IV = 2.10, 1.92, 2.27, 2.47, palp= 1.74; tibiae I–IV = 1.90, 1.83, 2.09, 2.27, palp= 1.73; metatarsi I–IV = 1.60, 1.39, 1.58, 1.82; tarsi I–IV = 1.91, 1.71, 1.81, 1.96, palp= 1.79. Abdomen: 12.61 long, 10.24 wide. Spinnerets: PMS, 1.38 long, 1.07 wide, 0.07 apart; PLS damaged.

As in male, except:

Carapace: 1.05 times longer than wide; thoracic striae conspicuous.

Fovae: recurve, 1.46 wide.

Eyes: eye tubercle 0.94 high, 2.02 long, 2.88 wide. Clypeus 0.08. Eye size and interdistances: AME 0.65, ALE 0.67, PME 0.22, PLE 0.68, AME–AME 0.41, AME–ALE 0.40, AME–PME 0.14, ALE–ALE 1.74, ALE–PME 0.75, PME–PME 1.57, PME–PLE 0.03, PLE–PLE 1.99, ALE–PLE 0.24, AME–PLE 0.50.

Maxilla: length to width: 2.03. Cuspules: 146. Labium: 1.50 long, 2.40 wide, with 64 cuspules spaced by one diameter. Labio-sternal groove with two separate, large sigilla.

Chelicera: basal segmente with 12 teeth and some small teeth on promargin. Sternum: 6.66 long, 4.30 wide. Sigilla: only posterior pair evident, elipsoidal, less than one diameter from margin.

Legs: Formula: IV I II III. Length leg IV to leg I: 1.16. Scopula: Tarsi IV divided by some setae on base; metatarsi IV scopulate on distal 1/4.

Type II urticating setae: 0.38-0.50 long, 0.011-0.014 wide

Spermathecae (Fig. 181): two completely separated, twisted long spermatheca, with walls lacking projections or lobes and accentuated outwards curvature medially. Midwidth as wide as its base width and weakly-sclerotized area shorter than half the length of well-sclerotized area.

Color pattern: dorsal abdomen with vivid reddish guard-setae grouped on lateral area and black short body setae (Fig. 186).

Color pattern ontogeny.

Brownish juveniles lacking metallic sheen, black tarsi contrasting with other lighter articles and black central longitudinal stripe on abdomen dorsum (Fig. 184).

Distribution.

Brazil (state of Acre), Ecuador and Peru (Fig. 90).

Natural history.

Types were collected in trees in an old pasture, in different trees about 5 m from each other, surrounding by grass ( Bullmer et al. 2006). Immature male was in a tree in a retreat about 1.6 m above the ground and female was also in a tree; both retreats were made by web, soil and moss, 60 cm from ground ( Bullmer et al. 2006). A found eggsac hatched in captivity and contained 38 specimens ( Bullmer et al. 2006). In the state of Acre, Brazil, specimens were found in silken retreats constructed inside tree trunks (C. Alexandre, pers. comm.; M. A. Freitas and A. Zanotti, pers. comm.).