Ibotyporanga emekori Huber & Brescovit, 2003

Huber, Bernhard A., Meng, Guanliang, Král, Jiří, Ávila Herrera, Ivalú M. & Carvalho, Leonardo S., 2024, Diamonds in the rough: Ibotyporanga (Araneae, Pholcidae) spiders in semi-arid Neotropical environments, European Journal of Taxonomy 963, pp. 1-169 : 113-118

Ibotyporanga emekori Huber & Brescovit, 2003

Figs 23D, G , 73D , 96–100

Ibotyporanga emekori Huber & Brescovit, 2003: 17 , figs 1–7, 10–13 (♂ ♀).

Diagnosis

Distinguished from similar congeners (with split procursus with long dorsal branch; long male palpal patella, i.e., dorsally>1.8 ×as long as medially wide; and median sclerite in female internal genitalia) by combination of: procursus main branch and dorsal branch proximally overlapping, i.e., without space between them in lateral view ( Fig. 98C ); male palpal tarsus without dorsal hump or process; epigynum not particularly wide (width/length <1.9); and median sclerite in female internal genitalia with posterior narrowing (‘neck’) ( Fig. 99C ). From the very similar I. payaya sp. nov. by shorter cheliceral apophysis (compare Figs 99B and 103B ), thicker main branch of procursus proximally (compare Figs 98A and 102A ), and thinner prolateral sclerite on bulbous part of genital bulb (compare Figs 98D and 102D ); females of these two species may be indistinguishable morphologically.

Type material

BRAZIL – Bahia • ♂, holotype; Central, [near] Toca do Índio ; 11.0183° S, 42.1558° W; 12–18 Jul. 2000; E.F. Ramos and A.D. Brescovit leg.; pitfall, caatinga; IBSP 28760 ; presumably lost – see section ‘ On lost types’ above .

New material examined

BRAZIL – Bahia • 1 ♂; near Mundinho, near Toca do Índio ; 11.0195° S, 42.1564° W; 550 m a.s.l.; 24 Nov. 2022; B.A. Huber and A.S. Michelotto leg.; CHNUFPI 5940 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 9044 [deposited in ZFMK Ar 24373] • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 5941 [deposited in ZFMK Br 22-224] • 1 ♀; Serra do Pau D’Arco, near Toca do Índio ; 11.0534° S, 42.1252° W; 605 m a.s.l.; 26 Aug. 2016; L.S. Carvalho and B. T. Faleiro leg.; CHNUFPI 3697 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 3800 • 1 ♂; Toca de Pilões ; 11.0578° S, 42.1044° W; 6 Mar. 2002; E. Folly and S.F. Paula leg.; IBSP 55241 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; IBSP 55250 • 1 ♂; W of Queimada Nova ; 11.0343° S, 42.0682° W; 580 m a.s.l.; 25 Nov. 2022; B.A. Huber and A.S. Michelotto leg.; CHNUFPI 5942 [deposited in ZFMK Ar 24374] • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 5943 [deposited in ZFMK Br 22-226; female abdomen transferred to ZFMK Ar 24374] • 1 ♂; N of Itajubaquara ; 11.3607° S, 42.6810° W; 840 m a.s.l.; 23 Nov. 2022; B.A. Huber and A.S. Michelotto leg.; CHNUFPI 5944 [deposited in ZFMK Ar 24375] • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀; W of Bom Jesus da Lapa, Fazenda Pedra Branca ; 13.315° S, 43.795° W; 470 m a.s.l.; 17 Nov. 2022; B.A. Huber and L.S. Carvalho leg.; CHNUFPI 5945 • 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀, 4 juvs; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 5946 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 9045 [deposited in ZFMK Ar 24376] • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 5947 • 2 ♀♀, 2 juvs, in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 5948 [deposited in ZFMK Br 22-183] • 1 ♀, in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 5949 [deposited in ZFMK Br 22-183a] • 3 ♀♀, 1 juv., in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 5950 [deposited in ZFMK Br 22-185] .

Assigned tentatively (no male available)

BRAZIL – Bahia • 2 ♀♀; São Desiderio , inside Gruta dos Noivos; 12.4166° S, 45.0749° W; 555 m a.s.l.; 28 Aug. 2016; L.S. Carvalho and B. T. Faleiro leg.; CHNUFPI 3706, 3712 .

Remark

The coordinates of the type locality given above (copied from Huber & Brescovit 2003) are apparently not correct. We visited this exact spot in 2022 but found no cave or shelter in this place. We were not able to identify the exact location of Toca do Índio.

Redescription

Male (ZFMK Ar 24374) MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 1.7, carapace width 0.72. Distance PME–PME 55 µm; diameter PME 55 µm; distance PME–ALE 20 µm; distance AME–AME 15 µm; diameter AME 40 µm. Leg 1: 4.03

(1.10+0.30 +1.00 +1.20 + 0.43), tibia 2: 0.87, tibia 3: 0.63, tibia 4: 1.23; tibia 1 L/d: 11; diameters of leg femora 0.18, of leg tibiae 0.09–0.10.

COLOUR (in ethanol). Prosoma and legs mostly ochre-yellow, carapace posteriorly medially slightly darker, femora and tibiae with indistinct darker subdistal rings on femora and tibiae; abdomen pale gray with many darker internal marks dorsally and laterally; ventrally with indistinct light ochre plates in front of gonopore and in front of spinnerets.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 73D . Ocular area slightly raised. Carapace with distinct but shallow thoracic groove. Clypeus with sclerotized rim with median notch. Sternum slightly wider than long (0.48/0.45), with pair of very low and indistinct humps near coxae 1 not different from those of female. Abdomen globular.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 99A–B ; width 0.29; with short median frontal apophysis; stridulatory files very fine and poorly visible in dissecting microscope.

PALPS. As in Fig. 97 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with short ventral protrusion; femur proximally with distinct retrolateral process directed toward distal, with prolateral stridulatory pick, distally widened but unmodified; femur-patella joints not shifted toward one side; patella dorsally ~1.9 × as long as medially wide; tibia with two trichobothria in very proximal position; tibia-tarsus joints slightly shifted toward retrolateral side; tarsus without dorsal process; procursus ( Fig. 98A–C ) long and slender, with long dorsal branch proximally very close to main branch, distally in dorsal view S-shaped; main branch with light prolateral band, with tiny subdistal side branch (130 µm from tip), distal tip membranous, strongly curved towards dorsal and prolateral; genital bulb ( Fig. 98D–F ) with narrow but distinct prolateral sclerite on bulbous part, embolus very simple, with indistinct processes.

LEGS. Without spines but with longer hairs ventrally on femora; without curved hairs; with several rows of short vertical hairs on tibiae 1 and 2; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 59%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~4–5 pseudosegments, distally fairly distinct.

Variation (male)

Tibia 1 in nine newly examined males: 0.90–1.02 (mean 0.96); in holotype: 0.84; in six other males examined previously ( Huber & Brescovit 2003): 0.88–0.96. Dark rings on legs sometimes barely visible or absent. The species delimitation analysis ( Fig. S7 ) suggested a possible split between the sequenced specimens from near Toca do Índio and those from Fazenda Pedra Branca. The K2P distance between them was 14.1%. However, no morphological differences were found between males from these two localities.

Female

In general, similar to male but with slightly darker legs, ocular area, and clypeus; clypeus unmodified; leg tibiae with few short vertical hairs; tibia 1 length in 17 newly examined females: 0.88–1.17 (mean 1.00); in three other females examined previously ( Huber & Brescovit 2003): 0.88–0.96. Epigynum ( Fig. 100A–C ) anterior plate trapezoidal to oval, posterior margin almost straight, with weakly curved and shallow pocket near anterior margin; posterior plate wide but short. Internal genitalia ( Figs 99C , 100D–E ) with median sclerotized structure, distinct pair of pore plates, and large expandable anterior sac.

The females from São Desiderio are assigned tentatively because no males are available from this locality. One female was cleared, and the internal genitalia (not figured) appear essentially identical to those of two cleared females from Serra do Calcário. In a cleared female from Fazenda Pedra Branca, the median internal genital sclerite appears slightly longer than in females from Serra do Calcário.

Distribution

Known from several localities in Brazil, Bahia ( Fig. 96A ); females from São Desiderio are assigned tentatively, see above.

Natural history

The newly collected spiders from near Toca do Índio and from W of Queimada Nova were found under rocks in thorny woodland ( Fig. 23G ). At both localities, the microhabitat was shared with Ibotyporanga diroa . At Fazenda Pedra Branca ( Fig. 23D ), the spiders were found in the leaf litter of a thorny shrubland (caatinga) on sandy soil. Here, the microhabitat was shared with another Ninetinae spider, an undescribed representative of Kambiwa . North of Itajubaquara, the single male was found under a stone, in degraded shrubland with scattered trees; the habitat was shared with I. itajubaquara sp. nov. Three egg sacs were round but slightly flattened, had diameters of ~1.6, and egg diameters of ~0.54–0.58; the total number of eggs per egg sac was ~15–20.

Figures

Fig. 23. Ibotyporanga spp., typical habitats, part two (cf. Fig. 22); all localities except for A are in Brazil. A. Colombia, Santa Marta (type locality of I. ziruma Huber sp. nov.). B. Bahia, E of São Félix do Coribe (type locality of I. imale Huber sp. nov.). C. Bahia, SE of Bom Jesus da Lapa (type locality of I. atikum Huber sp. nov.). D. Bahia, W of Bom Jesus da Lapa (I. emekori Huber & Brescovit, 2003). E. Bahia, Paramirim (type locality ofI. kiriri Huber sp. nov.). F. Pernambuco, NE of Lagoa Grande (type locality of I. sertao Huber sp. nov.). G. Bahia, near Toca do Índio (I. emekori Huber & Brescovit, 2003 and I. diroa Huber & Brescovit, 2003). H. Bahia, SW of Morro do Chapéu (I. canudos Huber sp. nov.). Photos BAH.

Fig. 73. Ibotyporanga spp., live specimens, part three (cf. Figs 25, 55), all from Brazil. A. I. sertao Huber sp. nov., male from Pernambuco, W of Orocó. B–C. I. guanambi Huber sp. nov., male and female with egg sac from Bahia, N of Guanambi. D. I. emekori Huber & Brescovit, 2003, male from Bahia, near Toca do Índio.E. I. tuxa Huber sp. nov., male from Bahia, W of Barra do Mendes. F. I. kiriri Huber sp. nov., male from Bahia, SE of Paramirim. G. I. ouro Huber sp. nov., male from Bahia, E of Gentio do Ouro. H. I. canudos Huber sp. nov., male from Bahia, SW of Morro do Chapéu.

Fig. 96. Known geographic distribution of Brazilian species with long procursus, with dorsal branch on procursus, and with median sclerite in female internal genitalia. The figure is split in order to avoid too much overlap. The question mark denotes a possibly mislabeled female specimen of I. tuxa sp. nov.

Fig. 97. Ibotyporanga emekori Huber & Brescovit, 2003, male from Brazil, Bahia, W of Queimada Nova, ZFMK Ar24374. Left palp, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. Scale line: 0.3 mm.

Fig. 98. Ibotyporanga emekori Huber & Brescovit, 2003, male from Brazil, Bahia, W of Queimada Nova, ZFMK Ar24374. A–C. Left tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. D–F. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. Abbreviations: db=dorsal branch of procursus; ps =prolateral sclerite. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

Fig. 99. Ibotyporanga emekori Huber & Brescovit, 2003. A–B. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views, male from Brazil, Bahia, Toca do Índio (adapted from Huber & Brescovit 2003). C. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view (asterisk: expandable membranous sac not drawn, cf. Fig. 100E), female from Bahia, near Toca do Índio, ZFMK Ar 24373. Scale lines: 0.2 mm.

Fig. 100. Ibotyporanga emekori Huber & Brescovit, 2003.A–C. Abdomens, ventral views, females from Brazil, Bahia, near Toca do Índio (A), ZFMK Ar 24373, from Bahia, W of Queimada Nova (B), ZFMK Ar 24374, and from Bahia, Fazenda Pedra Branca (C), ZFMK Ar 24376. D–E. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views; same specimen as in A. Abbreviations: ep =epigynal pocket; es =expandable membranous sac; sc =internal sclerite. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

Fig. 103. Ibotyporanga payaya Huber sp. nov., male and female from Brazil, Bahia, SE of Bom Jesus da Lapa, ‘site 1’, ZFMK Ar 24377. A–B. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. C. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view (asterisk: expandable membranous sac not drawn, cf. Fig. 104C). Scale lines: 0.2 mm.

Fig. 102. Ibotyporanga payaya Huber sp. nov., male from Brazil, Bahia, SE of Bom Jesus da Lapa, ‘site 1’, ZFMK Ar 24377. A–C. Left tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. D–F. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. Abbreviation: ps =prolateral sclerite. Scale lines: 0.2 mm.

Fig. 7. Ibotyporanga spp., spinnerets. A. I. walekeru Huber sp. nov., female AMS area. B. I. naideae Mello-Leitão, 1944, female AMS area. C–D. I. ziruma Huber sp. nov., male and female ALS and PMS. E. I. walekeru Huber sp. nov., male ALS. F. I. itatim Huber sp. nov., male ALS. Scale lines: 10 µm.