Avicularia variegata (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896) F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896

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 : 42-48

Avicularia variegata (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896) stat. n. Figs 16, 19, 54-57, 58-65, 66-73, 74-75, 76, 77, 315, 317

Avicularia avicularia variegata F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896: 743, pl. 33, fig. 12 (lectotype female, here designated, Brazil, Amazonas, Itacoatiara [3°07'S, 58°26'W], Lower Amazon, January 1896, BMNH 1896.12.13.16; and paralectotype female, here designated, Brazil, Amazonas, Itacoatiara [3°07'S, 58°26'W], in banana tree, 7 February 1896, BMNH 1896.12.13.17; examined); Strand 1907b: 90; Petrunkevitch 1911: 49; Mello-Leitão 1923: 326, 376; Roewer 1942: 254; Bücherl 1957: 404; World Spider Catalog 2016.

Avicularia bicegoi Mello-Leitão, 1923: 329, figs 187, 189 (holotype subadult female, Brazil, Amazonas, Manaus [03°06'S, 60°01'W], Bicego col., MZUSP 133, examined); Roewer 1942: 254; Bonnet 1955: 830; Bücherl 1957: 404, figs 92-92a; World Spider Catalog 2016. Syn. n.

Remarks.

Avicularia bicegoi holotype has spermatheca midwidth expanded, about 1.5 times its basal and apical portion widths (Fig. 57); leg IV as long as leg I; whitish leg rings on distal femora, tibiae and metatarsi, and the type locality is Manaus, Amazonas. These characteristics match Avicularia variegata stat. n.; thus, we consider Avicularia bicegoi Mello-Leitão, 1923 junior synonym of Avicularia variegata (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896) stat. n.

Diagnosis.

Females of Avicularia variegata stat. n. resemble Avicularia juruensis and Avicularia taunayi by the spermatheca midwidth expanded, about 1.5 times its basal and apical portion widths (Figs 54-57). They differ from females of Avicularia taunayi by lacking lobes on spermathecae. Females can be distinguished from those of Avicularia juruensis by the abdomen with vivid reddish brown guard-setae with pink sheen grouped on lateral and dorsal anterior areas, contrasting with the black short body setae and black venter (morphotype 1) (Fig. 70) or by legs and carapace with golden short body setae with green sheen, and pale yellow rings on distal femora, tibiae and metatarsi (morphotype 2) (Fig. 74). Males of Avicularia variegata stat. n. resemble those of Avicularia avicularia , Avicularia rufa , Avicularia juruensis , Avicularia taunayi , Avicularia purpurea and Avicularia merianae sp. n. by having tibial apophysis on leg I with well-developed base and grouped spiniform setae distally (Fig. 63). They differ from males of all these species except Avicularia juruensis by the well-developed prominence on tegulum (Fig. 60). Males and females of Avicularia variegata stat. n. can be distinguished from Avicularia juruensis by lacking intense purple sheen on carapace and legs (Figs 70, 71, 74, 75) or by occurrence area: Brazil, state of Amazonas (especially Manaus region) to state of Roraima, and Venezuela (Fig. 76).

Material examined.

1 female, Brazil, Amazonas, Manaus [03°06'S, 60°01'W], Parquejo, R. Oliveira-Filho col., 27 May 2008 (INPA 4894); 1 male, Brazil, Amazonas, Manaus [03°06'S, 60°01'W], Praça 14, M. P. Sena col., 27 March 1980 (INPA 4897).

Additional material.

VENEZUELA: 1 juvenile female, D. Grimaldi col., March 1989 (AMNH Ve21); Distrito Capital: Caracas [10°29'N, 66°54'W], Avila Mountains, 1 juvenile female and 1 immature, on trees, C. Siederman col., August 1991, (AMNH Ve18); Monagas: Caripito [10°06'N, 63°06'W], 1 male, 15-31 March 1942, Venezuela Expedition, Dept. Tropical Research, N. Y. Zool. Society, W. Beebe col., high and low jungle trails (AMNH Ve31); Amazonas: Puerto Ayacucho [5°39'N, 67°38'W], reg. 22, 2 males, in trees, C. Siederman col., May 1993 (AMNH Ve29); BRAZIL: Roraima: Alto Alegre [2°53'N, 61°29'W], 1 female, C. M. Moraes ded., April 2013, (MZUSP 70946); Amajari, Vila Tepequém (03°47'54"N, 61°44'57"W), 1 male, 17 November 2008, Yamaguti & Pinto da Rocha col. (MZUSP 70945); Boa Vista [2°49'N, 60°40'W], Balneário Água Boa, 1 male, 6h00, S. M. B. Lima col., 02 January 2002 (MNRJ 12968); Caracaraí, Estação Ecológica Niquiá [1°49'N, 61°07'W], Hotel Ecotur, 1 immature male, 07 October 2001 (IBSP 11270); Ilha de Maracá [3°25'N, 61°39'W], 2 males, A. B. Bonaldo col., 31 January to 14 February 1992 (MCP 1969); 2 males, A. Lise leg., 13 January to 14 February 1992 (MCP 1968); Amapá: Macapá, 4 km from Pacoval [0°02'N, 51°04'W], 1 female, Dr. Hoge col., 4 August 1965 (IBSP 3837); [0°03'S, 49°33'W], 1 female, 4 August 1965, Dr. Hoge col., died 26 June 1968 (IBSP 3873); Amazonas: Coari, Porto Urucu, Base de Operações Geólogo Pedro de Moura, (4°45'47"S, 65°02'41"W), 1 male, Dias et al. col., 2006 (MPEG 15633); (4°48'45"S, 65°02'01"W), 1 male, L. T. Miglio col., 09 July 2006 (MPEG 15641); Itacoatiara [3°07'S, 58°26'W], 1 female, Dirings col., March 1961 (IBSP 4265); Itapiranga [2°44'S, 58°01W], 1 immature male, EPA col., 11 September 1968 (MZUSP 10.860); Manaus [03°06'S, 60°01'W], 2 males, T. Gasnier col. (INPA 4952, INPA 4948); 1 male, H. Höfer leg., 28 March 1988 (INPA 4891); 1 female, 2 February 1948 (AMNH 1.13); 1 juvenile female, February 1943 (AMNH 1.26); Balneário do SESC, 1 female, R. Freitas col., 07 December 1975 (INPA 4896); conjunto Suframa, 1 juvenile female, Larissa col., 13 November 1997 (INPA 4893); conjunto Acariquara, 1 male, D. M. M. Mendes col., 18 March 2005 (INPA 4895); campusINPA, 1 male, Albuquerque col., May 1995 (INPA 4887); Estação Ecológica Experimental de Silvicultura Tropical, INPA, 1 female, A. L. R. Barreto col., 29 July 1980 (ZUEC 015); Estrada Manaus–Caracaraí, km 45, 2 immature males, J. Vasconcellos Neto col., July 1978 (ZUEC 019); INPA, Mata do Laguinho, 1 male and 1 female, 25 April 1959 (IBSP 3503); INPA, campus Peralta, 1 female, F. J. A. col., 13 January 1988 (INPA 4881); Manaus Airport, 1 male, A. Barros col., 27 April 1980 (INPA 4892); Peralta, 1 male, F. J. A. col., 05 June 1993 (INPA 4889); 1 female, F. J. A. col., 03 December 1990 (INPA 4883); Prédio do INPA, V8, 3°andar, Silvicultura, 1 male, P. A. Celeste col., 19 May 1986 (INPA 4888); Rio Tarumá, off Rio Negro, Manaus [03°06'S, 60°01'W], 1 juvenile female, N. Gordon col., June 1995, in house (AMNH RW32); Terra Nova [Manaus neighborhood or Amazonas’s town?], 1 male, Mancelu col., 07 September 1975 (INPA 4890); Vivenda Verde [Manaus neighborhood?], 1 male, H. Brandão col., 29 March 2002 (INPA 4885); Maraã [2°17'S, 65°00'W], Rio Japurá, Maguari, 1 male, R. Constantino col., 02 December 1998 (MPEG 5182); 1 juvenile female (MPEG 5504); Presidente Figueiredo [02°01'S, 60°01'W], UHE Balbina, 1 female, 2 juvenile females, faunal rescue team col., February 1988, ref. 56112 (IBSP 7872, IBSP 7871, IBSP 7875, respectively); 2 immatures, November 1987, collection Bokermann no. 886 (MZUSP 32173); 1 female, 1987, ref. 55569-12 (IBSP 7900); 2 juvenile females, 1 immature male, 1987, ref. 56681 (IBSP 7901); 1 juvenile female, November 1987, ref. IB34 (IBSP 7876); 1 male, 20 November 1987, ref. 55569-20 (IBSP 7873); 1 male, ref. 55854-2 (IBSP 7878); 3 females, 1 male, 2 immatures, 1987, ref. 56681 (IBSP 7902, IBSP 7903); 1 male, 1988, ref. 56572-7 (IBSP 7874); 3 juvenile females, 2 immature males, Eletronorte col., April 1988 (MNRJ 13818); Cachoeira do Tucumã, Rio Uatumã [2°36'S, 58°05'W], 1 immature (IBSP 7934); Margens do Rio Uatumã [2°36'S, 58°05'W], 1 female, 1 juvenile female, C. F. Alvarenga col., October 1987 (MNRJ 13652); Pará: Belém [1°26'S, 48°28'W] 1 female, Dr. Hoge & João col., September 1952 (IBSP 3119).

Female.

Redescription.INPA 4894. Carapace: 19.27 long, 19.06 wide, 4.20 high. Chelicera: 7.25 long. Legs (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus, total): I: 16.22, 10.06, 12.58, 10.94, 7.27, 57.07. II: 15.21, 9.21, 11.43, 10.37, 6.93, 53.15. III: 13.91, 8.39, 11.34, 10.72, 6.95, 51.31. IV: 16.89, 9.04, 14.17, 14.00, 6.94, 61.04. Palp: 11.19, 7.10, 7.84, -, 8.88, 35.01. Midwidths: femora I–IV = 3.40, 3.67, 3.63, 3.78, palp= 3.08; patellae I–IV = 3.68, 3.86, 4.03, 3.89, palp= 3.18; tibiae I–IV = 3.41, 3.21, 3.24, 3.38, palp= 2.98; metatarsi I–IV = 2.28, 2.52, 2.29, 2.58; tarsi I–IV = 3.20, 3.00, 2.97, 2.97, palp= 3.03. Abdomen: 24.77 long, 16.94 wide. Spinnerets: PMS, 2.34 long, 0.93 wide, 0.31 apart; PLS, 2.70 basal, 1.59 middle, 3.50 distal; midwidths 2.22, 1.83, 1.43, respectively.

Carapace: 1.01 times longer than wide; cephalic region not raised, thoracic striae inconspicuous.

Fovea: deep, slightly recurve, 2.35 wide.

Eyes: eye tubercle 0.95 high, 2.70 long, 3.71 wide. Clypeus 0.67. Anterior row of eyes procurve. Posterior row of eyes recurve. Eye size and interdistances: AME 0.86, ALE 0.89, PME 0.39, PLE 0.58, AME–AME 0.71, AME–ALE 0.64, AME–PME 0.22, ALE–ALE 2.35, ALE–PME 0.91, PME–PME 2.45, PME–PLE 0.08, PLE–PLE 3.10, ALE–PLE 0.55, AME–PLE 0.68.

Maxilla: length to width: 1.84. Cuspules: 100-200 spread over ventral inner heel. Labium: 2.68 long, 3.26 wide, with 103 cuspules spaced by one diameter in third distal area. Labium-sternal groove shallow, flattened, with two sigilla.

Chelicera: basal segment with 15 teeth and some small teeth on promargin. Sternum: 9.99 long, 8.39 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: 1.07. Clavate trichobothria: distal 2/3 tarsi I–IV. Scopulae: Tarsi I–IV fully scopulate. Metatarsi I–II fully scopulate; III 2/3; IV 1/3 distal scopulate. IV divided by a wide row of setae.

Type II urticating setae (Fig. 16): 0.64-0.72 long, 0.016-0.019 wide.

Spermathecae (Fig. 54): two completely separated, not-twisted long spermathecae, with walls lacking projections or lobes and accentuated outwards curvature medially. Midwidth expanded, about 1.5 times its basal and apical portion widths, and weakly-sclerotized area shorter than half the length of well-sclerotized area.

Color pattern (Fig. 70): carapace brown with greyish short body setae with green sheen. Carapace border with long setae the same color as dorsal carapace short body setae. Coxae, labium, sternum and maxillae dark brown, darker than ventral femora. Legs and palps with greyish short body setae with green and pink sheen and brown guard-setae with darker base and contrasting whitish apex. Leg rings on distal femora, tibiae and metatarsi whitish. Abdomen dorsum with vivid reddish brown guard-setae with vivid pink sheen grouped on lateral and dorsal anterior areas and black short body setae. Abdomen venter velvety black.

Male.

Description.INPA 4897. Carapace: 19.38 long, 19.08 wide, 5.27 high. Chelicera: 6.69 long. Legs (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus and total): I: 19.21, 10.36, 14.03, 14.46, 7.62, 65.68. II: 18.52, 9.55, 14.57, 14.15, 7.94, 64.73. III: 16.41, 8.40, 13.17, 13.82, 7.60, 59.40. IV: 19.64, 8.88, 16.32, 18.13, 7.72, 70.69. Palp: 11.53, 6.64, 9.10, -, 3.78, 31.05. Midwidths: femora I–IV = 3.92, 3.90, 4.09, 3.60, palp= 2.85; patellae I–IV = 3.87, 4.03, 3.86, 3.83, palp= 3.03; tibiae I–IV = 3.06, 3.31, 2.85, 3.18, palp= 2.71; metatarsi I–IV = 2.28, 2.12, 2.00, 1.95; tarsi I–IV = 2.49, 2.45, 2.25 2.31, palp= 2.61. Abdomen: 22.45 long, 14.42 wide. Spinnerets: PMS, 2.31 long, 0.79 wide, 0.16 apart; PLS, 2.35 basal, 1.20 middle, 3.56 distal; midwidths 1.95, 1.63, 1.25, respectively.

As in female, except:

Carapace: 1.02 times longer than wide.

Fovea: 2.59 wide.

Eyes: eye tubercle 1.59 high, 2.67 long, 3.48 wide. Clypeus 0.44. Eye size and interdistances: AME 0.84, ALE 0.79, PME 0.29, PLE 0.68, AME–AME 0.45, AME–ALE 0.52, AME–PME 0.27, ALE–ALE 2.53, ALE–PME 0.70, PME–PME 2.23, PME–PLE 0.20, PLE–PLE 2.68, ALE–PLE 0.52, AME–PLE 0.72.

Maxilla: length to width: 2.05. Labium: 2.19 long, 3.19 wide, with 100 cuspules spaced by one diameter in third area. Labio-sternal groove with no evident sigilla.

Chelicera: basal segment with 9 teeth and some small teeth on promargin. Sternum: 9.93 long, 7.45 wide. Sigilla: only posterior evident, rounded, less than one diameter from margin.

Legs: Length leg IV to leg I: 1.08. Scopula: Metatarsi III 1/2 distal scopulate.

Type II urticating setae: 0.91-1.00 long, 0.019-0.020 wide.

Palp (Figs 58-61): globous bulb with small subtegulum and well-developed prominence on tegulum. Embolus: not flattened, lacking keels, 5.65 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, abruptly narrowing distally; basal, middle, and distal width 0.91, 0.31, 0.05, respectively. Tegulum: 3.04 long, 1.65 high in retrolateral view. Cymbium subtriangular with subequal lobes, having a well-developed rounded process on retrolateral lobe, bearing thick setae (Fig. 62).

Tibial apophysis (Figs 63-65): single branch on prolateral leg I, with well-developed base and grouped spiniform setae distally. Male metatarsus I touches retrolaterally tibial apophysis’ setae when folded.

Color pattern ontogeny.

Brownish juveniles lacking metallic sheen, black tarsi contrasting with other lighter articles and abdomen dorsum reddish, with dorsal central longitudinal black stripe disconnected from transversal black stripes (Fig. 66). When mature, both males and females lose this pattern.

Distribution.

Venezuela and Brazil (states of Roraima, Amapá, Amazonas and Pará) (Fig. 76).

Natural history.

Silva and Meirelles (2016) reported a predation on Troglodytes musculus (Naumann, 1823) bird by an specimen of Avicularia variegata stat. n. in a urban park at Manaus, state of Amazonas, Brazil.

Variation.

All examined specimens of Avicularia variegata stat. n. have grizzled setae on palps and legs (except those found in Venezuela), but with slight differences in body coloration. We detected three morphotypes. Morphotype 1 is found especially near Manaus (Fig. 77) and females have carapace, legs, and palps with greyish short body setae with very intense green sheen and whitish leg rings (Fig. 70). Abdomen has vivid reddish guard-setae grouped on lateral and dorsal anterior areas, black short body setae and venter velvety black. Males have black abdomen with some whitish tipped setae homogeneously distributed (Fig. 71). Morphotype 2 is found in same area (Fig. 77), but has overall greyish coloration, with short body setae with discrete green sheen and yellowish leg rings. Females have abdomen with light brown guard-setae grouped on lateral and dorsal anterior areas, black short body setae, and venter dark brown (Fig. 74). Males are very similar to morphotype 1 but with yellowish rings (Fig. 75). Males from Puerto Ayacucho (AMNH Ve29) and from Caripito (AMNH Ve31), Venezuela, have genitalia and legs with proportions compatible with those from Brazil, as well as whitish leg rings. However, they do not have white tipped hairs on legs and abdomen as specimens of Avicularia variegata stat. n. from Manaus, Brazil (Fig. 77), and the prominence on palpal bulb is not well-developed as in specimens from Manaus (morphotype 1). The juvenile female AMNH Ve21, also from Venezuela, has short body setae with golden sheen and very discrete white tipped setae in legs and palps as well as whitish rings. We prefer not to consider these forms as separate species because these slight differences can be due to populational variation since the specimens were collected in the northern limit of the species distribution. It is here called morphotype 3. Despite being collected in Caracas, also in the northern limit of the species, the specimen AMNH Ve18 seems to be a typical morphotype 1. It is necessary to examine more material to understand morphological variation and species boundaries of Venezuelan Avicularia .

In his expedition on Lower Amazonas, F. O. Pickard-Cambridge (1896) made interesting observations about color variations along the river. According to him, there was a tendency in Avicularia spp. to have grizzled setae as he went further west (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge 1896). When F. O. Pickard-Cambridge (1896) described Avicularia variegata stat. n., he considered it as a subspecies of Avicularia avicularia and pointed out that some could consider Avicularia variegata stat. n. a species in the differentiation process-as further westwards it extended, the more evident the differential characters might be. He also observed the presence of intermediate forms at Santarém, state of Pará, which had the setae of the first two pairs of legs decidedly grizzled (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge 1896). We failed to find specimens with this pattern in our studied sample. Some specimens we examined had posterior legs with more grizzled setae than anterior, but none without any grizzled setae. Despite these two morphotypes being very distinct, F. O. Pickard-Cambridge (1896) stated a careful comparasion was needed of both forms to prove that there are more differences than just coloration. In fact, we found other differences. Leg IV of Avicularia avicularia is more than 10% longer than leg I and spermathecae midwidth is as wide as its base width; whereas leg IV of Avicularia variegata stat. n. has roughly the same length of leg I and spermathecae midwidth is expanded. Accordingly, we can consider them as separate taxa. Thus, we elevate the former subspecies Avicularia avicularia variegata F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896 to species status, resulting in Avicularia variegata (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896) stat. n.