Architis colombo, Santos, 2007

Santos, Adalberto J., 2007, A revision of the Neotropical nursery-web spider genus Architis (Araneae: Pisauridae), Zootaxa 1578 (1), pp. 1-40 : 27-29

Architis colombo sp. nov.

Figures 14A–F , 17

Type material. Holotype: male, Colombo , state of Paraná, Brazil, 25 o 16’S, 49 o 13’W, 24 November 1986, Equipe PROFAUPAR ( MCN 20361) . Paratypes: male and female, Poços de Caldas , state of Minas Gerais ,

Brazil, 21 o 48’S, 46 o 34’W ( MCN 25131) . Paratype: male, Ouro Preto (Estação Ecológica de Tripuí, Apiário), state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 20 o 22’S, 43º30’W, 2001, H. Guimarães ( IBSP 62893 ) . Paratypes: 2 females from Alto Caparaó (Parque Nacional do Caparaó), state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 20º31’S, 41º54’W, 01–07 May 2002, Equipe Biota ( IBSP 62894 , 62895 ) .

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Males of Architis colombo sp. nov. differ from those of other species of the genus by the anteriorly directed DTP and the large, ventrally projected prolateral excavation of the pedipalpal tibia ( Fig. 14C ). The females resemble A. fritzmuelleri sp. nov. in the anteriorly positioned copulatory openings and wide, strongly sclerotised CD. They can be distinguished by the small, posteriorly rounded median field, the anterior sclerotised hoods over the lateral lobes of the epigynum and by the absence of enlarged copulatory atria in the internal genitalia ( Figs 14E, F ).

Description

Male ( based on holotype from Colombo , Brazil)

Carapace brown, with a median and two lateral pale brown stripes from a posterior pale brown area to the ocular area ( Fig. 14A ). Anterior eye row procurved, median eyes slightly larger than lateral eyes. Posterior eyes of similar size, approximately 1.5 times the diameter of anterior median eyes. Clypeus brown, chelicerae pale brown with a median dark spot anteriorly ( Fig. 14B ). Labium and endites brown, sternum creamcoloured. Pedipalpi cream-coloured, with an apical brown ring on femur. Cymbium reddish-brown. Legs pale brown, with four dark rings on femora and scattered dark spots on other segments. Opisthosoma brown with a median and two lateral pale brown stripes from middle to anterior margin ( Fig. 14A ). Opisthosoma sides brown with a median pale brown spot. Venter dark brown, pale at the margins and the epigastric plate. Spinnerets pale brown, darker on ectal sides. Total length 2.9; carapace 1.3 long, 1.4 wide. Tibia I length 1.8, II 1.7, III 1.0, IV 1.4. Opisthosoma 1.5 long, 1.1 wide. VTA rounded, projected dorsally to vRTA ( Fig. 14C ); vRTA projected ventrally, with a small ventral knob ( Fig. 14C, D ); dRTA small, shorter than vRTA ( Fig. 14D ).

Female ( based on paratype, MCN 25131, from Poços de Caldas , Brazil)

Colour and eye configuration as male ( Figs 14A–B ), except labium and endites cream-coloured and labium with a faint brown spot. Legs cream-coloured with scattered faint brown spots. Opisthosoma creamcoloured ventrally, spinnerets cream-coloured. Total length 3.1; carapace 1.4 long, 1.4 wide. Tibia I length 1.3, II 1.3, III 1.1, IV 1.2. Opisthosoma 1.5 long, 1.3 wide. Epigynum with median field restricted to anterior half ( Fig. 14E ). CD not encapsulated, as wide as the elongated spermathecae ( Fig. 14F ).

Variation. Males, total length 2.9–3.0. Females, total length 3.0–3.3, carapace width 1.3–1.5.

Natural history. The male from Ouro Preto (IBSP 62893) was collected in pitfall traps, suggesting it to be a ground dwelling species.

Distribution. Known only from type localities in southern and southeastern Brazil ( Fig. 17 ).

Figures

FIGURES 14A–F. Architis colombo sp. nov. A, female habitus, dorsal view; B, female prosoma, frontal view; C, male pedipalpus, ventral view; D, male pedipalpus, lateral view; E, female epigynum, ventral view; F, female internal genitalia, dorsal view. The arrow points to the prolateral excavation of the pedipalpal tibia. Scale bars: A–B, 0.5 mm; C–D, 0.2 mm; E–F, 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 17. Geographic distribution records of Architis helveola (Simon) (empty circle), A. erwini sp. nov. (cross), A. colombo sp. nov. (full triangle), A. fritzmuelleri sp. nov. (full circle) and Architis robusta Carico (empty square).