Grismadox karugua, Pett & Rubio & Perger, 2022

Pett, Brogan L., Rubio, Gonzalo D. & Perger, Robert, 2022, Grismadox gen. nov., a new Neotropical genus of ant-resembling spiders (Araneae, Corinnidae, Castianeirinae), including the description of two new species from Bolivia and Paraguay, Zoosystematics and Evolution 98 (1), pp. 1-11 : 1

Grismadox karugua sp. nov.

Figs 2-7 , 8-11

Type material.

Holotype: ♀ • Paraguay: Ñeembucú, Estancia Santa Ana, 26°50'16.9"S, 58°01'42.7"W, 07.ii.2020-13.ii.2020, Pitfall traps “Grassland”, Brogan L. Pett & Rufus Wyer leg. (CIPLT-Ar 302). Paratypes: Paraguay• 1♀; Ñeembucú, Estancia Santa Ana, 30.i.2020-06.ii.2020, co-ordinates same as HT, Pitfall traps “Grassland”, Brogan L. Pett & Rufus Wyer leg. (CIPLT-Ar 300_A). • 1♂ Ñeembucú, Pilar Military Base, 26°50'28.3"S, 58°18'43.6"W, 28.i.2020-16.ii.220, Pitfall traps “Grassland”, Brogan L. Pett & Rufus Wyer leg. (CIPLT-Ar 305).

Diagnosis.

Separated from congeners by: embolus that coils four times (vs. three, four-and-a-half, or five) (Figs 10 , 11 ); embolic apex translucent and relatively blunt (vs. sharp and sclerotized); obvious constriction between ST I and ST II (vs. absent or moderate) (Figs 6 , 7 ); carapace color dark brown to black (with greyish tinge, orangish or yellowish in congeners) (Figs 2 , 3 ); coxae II and III light in both sexes (II-IV light in females of G. mazaxoides comb. nov. and G. mboitui comb. nov., female of G. baueri sp. nov. not known) (Figs 2-5 , 8 , 9 ); tibia I spines 3-3 (2-2 or 3-2 in congeners).

Etymology.

The species epithet is a noun in apposition, and refers to the Guarani word for Wetland " Grismadox karugua ". This refers to the Ñeembucú wetland complex, where the species was discovered.

Description.

Female holotype. Figs 2-7 .

Measurements: TL 5.83, CL 2.64, CW 1.30, CH 0.92, CI 49, AL 3.19 (incl. pedicel), AW 1.58, AI 50, SL 1.04, SW 0.59, SI 57. Legs. I: 1.18, 0.43, 1.04, 0.86, 0.65. II: 0.97, 0.32, 0.73, 0.76, 0.59. III: 1.05, 0.38, 0.89, 0.97, 0.57. IV: 1.50, 0.54, 1.43, 1.38, 0.76. Eyes. AME 0.10, ALE 0.09, PME 0.07, PLE 0.08.

Colouration: Carapace dark brown with heavy black mottling, light orange mottling posteriorly and anteriorly but not medially. Sparse short white setae present in a chevron converging and reaching highest concentration just anterior to the fovea. Base of chelicerae darkest part of cephalothorax. Legs dark orange to brown, granulate. Coxa I and IV dark brown, II and III pale. Sternum orangish-brown with mottled black patches. Abdomen uniform black, with deep red- brown on epigastric sclerite. Rings of white feathery setae in constriction groove and just posterior to epigastric sclerite. Carapace: Generally ovoid, longer than wide by about 2 ×. Highest point at posterior foveal bump, sloping proximally toward base in lateral view. In dorsal view, carapace moderately truncated anteriorly, with weak curve around cephalic region. Sternum: Distinctly shield-shaped, granulated, widest between coxa I and II. Anterior ridge truncated. Eyes: Anterior eye row moderately recurved, with ALEs and AMEs less than half an AME diameter apart. Posterior eye row nearly straight in frontal view, clearly recurved in dorsal view, PMEs smallest. Legs: Femora with strong, long dorsal spine. Femoral spine IV longer than femoral spine III, III longer than II, and femoral spine on leg I with damaged spines on both legs. However, in paratype female spine of F II larger than spine F I. Chelicerae: Small lateral condyle. Two teeth on retromargin, distal tooth larger. Promargin with two teeth, distal tooth much larger than teeth on retromargin and other promarginal tooth, basal tooth about 3 × distal tooth width away from distal tooth and much smaller. Strong promarginal rake setae obscure fang and cheliceral furrow teeth. Abdomen: Twice as long as it is wide, dorsal scutum convex and covering between 1/4 and 2/3 of abdomen, shiny and granulated. Second pair of pedicellate setae sclerotized into pair of straight spines at anterior part of scutum, running subparallel to bulbous part of scutum. Clear constriction of abdomen around 1/3 of length, distinct when viewed laterally, ring of white longitudinally flattened short feathery setae in region of constriction, almost absent dorsomedially, densest venterolaterally. Another ring of short feathery white feathery setae present just posterior to spines at the dorsal scutum. Ventral sclerite absent, pale outline of venter clearly not concolorous with rest of abdomen. Concentrated patches of short, fluffy white setae in anterolateral corners of epigastric furrow. Inframamillary sclerite very small, dark brown, epigastric sclerite anteriorly forming petiole, dark brown to black, with moderately lighter orange and red mottling. Epigyne (Figs 6 , 7 ). Epigynal plate relatively small. Epigyne with widely spaced copulatory openings anterior to ST. CD horn-like, travelling medially first before reaching spermathecae, CD then tapering laterally from midpoint. ST II touching medially, spherical and diverging posterolaterally into ST I. ST I much smaller and oval, projected laterally, FD arising at ST I anteromedially.

Leg spination. I: F = pl1 d1, Ti = v = 3-3 (plv3 rlv3), mt = 2-2 (plv 2 rlv 2). II: F = d2, Ti = 3-3 (plv3 rlv3), mt = 2-2 (plv2 rlv2). III: F = d2, pl1, P = d1, Ti = d1 pl2 rl1, mt = 2-2-2-2 (pl2 rl2 plv2 rlv2) 1 distal whorl, IV: F = d2 pl1, P = d1, Ti = d2 pl1 3-3 (plv3 rlv3), mt = d2 2-2 (plv 2 rlv2) 1 distal whorl.

Male paratype. Figs 8 , 9 . Measurements. TL 4.54, CL 2.11, CW 1.08, CH 1.09, CI 51, AL 2.43 (incl. pedicel), AW 1.00, AI 41, SL 1.62, SW 0.97, SI 60. Chelicerae length 0.51, chelicerae width 0.30. Legs. I: 0.97, 0.28, 0.84, 0.80, 0.65. II: Missing. III: 0.95, 0.30, 0.76, 0.86, 0.51. IV: 1.27, 0.31, 1.27, 1.35, 0.68.

Habitus shape, leg formula, spination and general color pattern as in female, male carapace brighter, primarily orangish-brown. Dorsal scutum large, around 3/4 of AL, strong spines on anterior part of dorsal scutum projected posteriorly at 30-45 degree angle, abdominal constriction slight but conspicuous in lateral view, posterior to dorsal scutum. Few short white feathery setae dorsally and laterally at site of constriction and just posterior to spines of dorsal scutum. Ventral sclerite present, clearly defined, covering around ½ of venter just posterior to epigastric sclerite, inframamillary sclerite very small, dark brown.

Palp: Spination: femur = v 2, patella = v 2 pl 1, tibia = v 1 pl 1. Tibial spines substantially larger than others, with pl spine about 1.5 times the length of pl ventral spine. Palpal bulb with basally convoluted median loop in sperm duct, second, wider, more distal retrolateral loop. Palpal tibia with two short pointed retrolateral apophyses, ventral one projected disto-laterally at 11'00 position, dRTA shorter and more distally oriented, with tip recurving weakly back towards palp. Embolus screw-like, with three irregularly spaced coils, apical two crossing over, before tapering to pale apex.

Geographical and ecological distribution.

This species is only known from the type locality in Estancia Santa Ana, Ñeembucú wetland complex, Paraguay. According to the ecoregion delineation by Olson et al. (2001), the locality is situated in Humid Chaco. The habitat in which G. karugua sp. nov. was collected was savanna-like grassland. Judging from the occurrence in pitfall samples, the species is epigeal.

Figures

Figures 2 - 7. Grismadox karugua sp. nov. female holotype (CIPLT-Ar 302) habitus. 2. Micrograph dorsal; 3. Micrograph lateral; 4. Drawing lateral; 5. Drawing dorsal. Figs 6, 7. cleared female epigyne. 6. Ventral; 7. Dorsal.

Figures 8 - 11. G. karugua sp. nov. male paratype habitus and pedipalp (CIPLT-Ar 305). 8. Dorsal; 9. Lateral; 10. Pedipalp ventral; 11. Pedipalp retrolateral. dRTA = dorsal retrolateral tibial apophysis, Em = embolus, SD = sperm duct, vRTA = ventral retrolateral tibial apophysis.