Mazax leonidas, Silva-Junior & Martínez & Villarreal & Bonaldo, 2024

Silva-Junior, Cláudio J., Martínez, Leonel, Villarreal, Eduardo & Bonaldo, Alexandre B., 2024, Two fancy spines and a collar: a taxonomic review of the myrmecomorphic spider genus Mazax O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae) in South America, European Journal of Taxonomy 968 (1), pp. 219-255 : 243-245

Mazax leonidas sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:55DB8F9E-C3BB-461E-8414-D34353D97FDC

Figs 1A , 15

Diagnosis

Males and females of M. leonidas sp. nov. resemble those of M. xerxes by having a bicolored carapace ( Fig. 15A, D ), but differ by the tibia I ventral spination being 4- 4 in males (5- 5 in M. xerxes ) and by the conspicuous, semi-circular CO in females ( Fig. 15G ) (inconspicuous, under a groove in M. xerxes ; Reiskind 1969: fig. 227).

Etymology

This species is named as a noun after Leonidas I, the king of Sparta who led the Greeks in the Battle of Thermopylae against the Persian Empire under Xerxes I, alluding to its resemblances to M. xerxes .

Material examined

Holotype COLOMBIA • ♂; Antioquia, Envigado, separador vial sector bodegas Exito-Pirelli zona industrial; 6°10′12.65″ N, 75°36′05.72″ W; 15 Aug.–1 Sep. 2017; J. Torres-Toro and A. Montoya leg.; CEUA-157502 .

Paratypes COLOMBIA – Antioquia • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; CEUA-157503 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; MUSENUV-Ar 2820 .

Other material

COLOMBIA – Caldas • 1 ♂; Aranzazú, Vereda La Pradera, Finca Agropecuaria los Árboles ; 5°18′54.8″ N, 75°29′50.2″ W; elev. 2020 m; 1–8 Aug. 2003; L. Franco and J. Beddoya leg., MUSENUVAr 2819 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; MUSENUV-Ar 2820 .

Description

Male (holotype)

COLORATION. Carapace, cephalic, and anterior thoracic area orange, posterior thoracic area dark, sternum light orange, chelicerae, sternum, and endites darker. Legs: coxae I, II, and III light orange, coxa IV darker; I femora with proximal half darker and distal half light orange, metatarsi darker, other segments yellowish; II and III femora yellowish, with a black line on pro- and retrolateral sides, other segments yellowish; IV femora yellowish, with distal portion darker, tibiae and metatarsi yellowish, with black line on pro- and retrolateral sides, tarsi yellowish. Abdomen darker, with dorsal scute dark brown, with white line in middle and two light spots, ventral scute dark brown.

MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 5.01. Carapace 2.14 long, 1.24 wide. Abdomen 2.81 long, 1.11 wide. Sternum 0.96 long, 0.71 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.09, ALE 0.09, PME 0.11, PLE 0.12. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.24, AME–ALE 0.21, ALE–PLE 0.21, PME–PME 0.32, PME–PLE 0.29, AME-PME 0.22. Legs: I – 1.59 / 0.49 /1.57 / 1.33 / 0.89; II – 1.38 / 0.46 / 1.19 / 1.13 / 0.79; III – 1.27 / 0.46 / 1.13 / 1.23 / 0.69; IV – 1.79 /0.52 / 1.81 / 1.87 / 0.86.

MORPHOLOGY. Carapace without feathery hairs, thoracic groove absent, sternum shield-shaped ( Fig. 15D ). Chelicerae with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth.Abdomen strongly constricted in middle ( Fig. 15E ), AS II present, with tubercles reduced ( Fig. 15E ), ventral scute rectangular. Palp with retrolateral tibial hair tuft, RTA triangular, embolus twisted, straight, with two keels ( Fig. 15I–J ).

LEG MACROSETAE. Femur: I do 1-0-0, p 0-0-1; II do 1-0-0; III do 1-0-0; IV do 1-0-0. Tibia: I v 2-2-2-2; II v r1-2-2; III v 0-p1-2, p 0-0-1; IV v 0-1-2. Metatarsus: I v 2-2-0; II=I; III v 2-2-2, p 1-0-1, r 1-0-0; IV v 2-2-2, p 0-1-1, r 0-1-0.

Female (paratype)

COLORATION. Carapace as in male, chelicerae, endites, labium, and sternum as in male. Legs: coxae II and III yellowish, coxae I and IV dark brown. I femora yellowish, with black lines on pro- and retrolateral sides, other segments of same color; II and III femora yellowish, pro- and retrolateral sides dark brown, other segments yellowish. IV femora yellowish, with distal portion darker, tibiae and metatarsi yellowish, with black line on pro- and retrolateral sides, tarsi yellowish? Abdomen darker. Spinnerets brown.

MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 6.52. Carapace 2.61 long, 1.51 wide. Abdomen 3.63 long, 1.98 wide. Sternum 1.17 long, 0.86 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.12, ALE 0.13, PME 0.11, PLE 0.15. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.26, AME–ALE 0.24, ALE–PLE 0.26, PME–PME 0.31, PME–PLE 0.30, AME-PME 0.27. Legs: I – 1.84 / 0.53 / 1.75 / 1.47 / 0.93; II – 1.69 / 0.59 /1.46 / 1.26 / 0.81; III – 1.52 / 0.57 / 1.27 / 1.38 / 0.55; IV – 2.31 / 0.68 / 2.12 / 2.28 /0.92.

MORPHOLOGY. Carapace and sternum as in male ( Fig. 15A–C ). Chelicerae brown, with three teeth on promargin, median tooth largest, proximal tooth smaller than distal teeth, distal tooth situated closest to median tooth, two retromarginal teeth, slightly separated, subequal. Abdomen slightly constricted in middle, AS II absent ( Fig. 15B ), ventral scute absent, tracheal scute present. Epigyne: ST II oval, ST I smaller than ST II, CD folded ( Fig. 15H ).

LEG MACROSETAE. Femur: I do 1-0-0, p 0-0-1; II do 1-0-0; III do 1-0-0; IV do 1-0-0. Tibia: I v 2-2-2-2-2; II v 2-2-2-2; III v p1-2-2; IV v p1-p1-0, p 0-0-1. Metatarsus: I v 2-2-0; II= I; III v 2-2-2, p 1-0-1, r 1-0-0; IV v 2-2-2, p 0-1-1, r 0-1-0.

Distribution

Colombia ( Fig. 21 ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Live specimens of the Mazax spinosa group. A. M. leonidas sp. nov. B. M. spinosa (Simon, 1898). Credits: A. Alejandra Alejandra Arroyave Muñoz, B. Luke Padon.

Fig.15. Mazax leonidas sp. nov. A–C, G–H. Paratype, ♀ (CEUA-157503). D–F, I–J. Holotype, ♂ (CEUA-157502). A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view. C. Ventral view. D. Dorsal view. E. Lateral view. F. Ventral view.G. Epigyne, ventral view.H. Same, dorsal view.I. Palp, ventral view.J. Same, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct; CO = copulatory opening; CP = chemocensory patch; E = embolus; FD = fertilization duct; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; ST I = primary spermatheca; ST II = secondary spermatheca. Scales: 2 mm.

Fig. 21. Distribution of the species of the Mazax spinosa group.