Guaranita yaculica Huber, 2000

Figs 2E – F, 14 – 20, 32C

Guaranita yaculica Huber, 2000: 97, fig. 378 (♂).

Guaranita yaculica – Huber 2014: 140. — Torres et al. 2015: 2, fig. 2a – b (♂); 2016: 10, figs 6, 13 – 15 (♀).

Guaranita yaculica ? – Eberle et al. 2018 (molecular data). — Huber et al. 2018: 55.

Diagnosis (amendments; see Huber 2000; Torres et al. 2016)

Distinguished from known congeners by size and shape of dorsal flap on procursus (Fig. 15F; rounded, larger than in the similar G. goloboffi) and by female internal genitalia (Fig. 16C – D; membranous median sac, similar to G. munda but smaller; lateral elements straight, not curved as in G. munda); from G. auadae sp. nov. and G. goloboffi also by narrower distal bulbal sclerite (Fig. 15G).

Material examined (new records)

ARGENTINA – Jujuy • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, 1 juv.; Calilegua National Park, Guaraní trail, near camping area; 23.7612° S, 64.8517° W; 620 m a.s.l.; 15 Mar. 2019; B.A. Huber and M.A. Izquierdo leg.; ZFMK Ar 24123 • 2 ♀♀, in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; LABRE-Ar 515 • 6 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀ (one male used for SEM); Calilegua National Park, ~ 1 km NW of headquarters; 23.7540° S, 64.8537° W; 710 m a.s.l.; 15 Mar. 2019; B.A. Huber and M.A. Izquierdo leg.; ZFMK Ar 24124 • 14 ♀♀, in pure ethanol (four prosomata used for molecular work; two females used for SEM); same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK Arg175 • 4 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, 1 juv.; same collection data as for preceding; LABRE-Ar 514 • 7 ♀♀, 1 juv.; same collection data as for preceding; LABRE-Ar 520 • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Calilegua National Park, Seccional Aguas Negras; 23.7619° S, 64.8514° W; 605 m a.s.l.; 6 – 11 Dec. 2008; C. Grismado et al. leg.; MACN Ar 22134 • 1 ♀, in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; MACN Ar 34688 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Calilegua National Park, entrance area; ~ 23.76° S, 64.85° W; ~ 620 m a.s.l.; 23 – 24 Sep. 1995; M. Ramírez, P. Goloboff and C. Szumik leg.; MACN Ar 19977 • 1 ♂, 2 juvs; Calilegua National Park, no precise locality information; 22 Dec. 1994; C. Grismado leg.; MACN Ar 19976 • 3 ♀♀; Calilegua National Park, Aguas Negras at ~ 1100 m, no precise locality information; 5 – 7 Aug. 1997; M. Ramírez and L. Compagnucci leg.; MACN Ar 19978, 19981 .

PARAGUAY – Boquerón • 1 ♂; Enciso, “T88.09.0 r1”; 21.2061° S, 61.6575° W; 255 m a.s.l.; 3 Nov. 2001; M. Leponce leg.; IRSNB • 1 ♂ prosoma; Enciso, “T90.09.0 r1”; 21.1998° S, 61.6608° W; 255 m a.s.l.; 4 Nov. 2001; M. Leponce leg.; IRSNB • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding, “T90.14.0 r1”; IRSNB • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding, “T90.12.0 r1”; IRSNB .

Redescription (amendments; see Huber 2000, Torres et al. 2016)

Measurements of male from Calilegua National Park: total body length 0.98, carapace width 0.45; distance PME–PME 45 µm; diameter PME 45 µm; distance PME–ALE 20 µm; distance AME–AME 20 µm; diameter AME 25 µm. Leg 1: 2.20 (0.62+ 0.14 +0.56 +0.54 +0.34), tibia 2: 0.46, tibia 3: 0.40, tibia 4: 0.68; tibia 1 L/d: 9; diameters of leg femora 0.10; of leg tibiae: 0.06. Tibia 1 in 16 males (incl. holotype): 0.50 – 0.62 (mean 0.57). Sternum slightly wider than long (0.33/0.31). Chelicerae as in Fig. 15A – C, 18A; stridulatory files with ~17 – 23 ridges; distances between ridges proximally ~0.6 µm, distally ~2.3 µm (Fig. 18B). Pedipalp as in Fig. 14A – C; tibia with two trichobothria; palpal tarsal organ capsulate, with small opening; procursus as in Fig. 15D – F and 18D – F, with large transparent ventral membrane, distinctive dorsal flap, and tip bent towards dorsal; genital bulb as in Figs 15G – I and 18D – F, with simple proximal sclerite, distal sclerite not widened in mid-section. Legs without spines and curved hairs; vertical hairs not seen in dissecting microscope but present on tibia 1 (Fig. 19A – C), apparently in two rows (one prolateral and one retrolateral); prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other leg tibiae; metatarsi 3 and 4 with few (1 – 3) slender hairs proximally on retrolateral-ventral side (Fig. 19H). Gonopore with four epiandrous spigots (Fig. 17F); spinnerets as in female (Fig. 17D; see below).

Tibia 1 in 33 females: 0.48 – 0.64 (mean 0.55). Female chelicerae without stridulatory ridges (Fig. 18C). Female internal genitalia with median membranous sac (receptacle?) (Fig. 16C – D); apparently with small pore plates (Fig. 32C). Each ALS (Fig. 17B – C) with one strongly widened spigot, one long pointed spigot, and five cylindrical spigots (of which one is much wider than the others); each PMS with two conical spigots; PLS without spigots. Palpal tarsal organ capsulate with small opening (diameter of opening 1.1 µm); leg tarsal organs with very small openings (diameters 0.7 – 0.9 µm; Fig. 20A – C). Metatarsi 3 and 4 with long slender hairs as in male (Fig. 19G).

Natural history

At Calilegua National Park, the spiders were collected in forest leaf litter (Fig. 34C). Two egg-sacs contained five and six eggs, respectively.

Distribution

Most known records are from northern Argentina and north-eastern Paraguay (Fig. 33B). The single record from Corrientes in Torres et al. (2015) is dubious (misidentified G. munda ?).