Rhyphelia novalima, Nobre & Ruiz, 2024

Nobre, Welington B. & Ruiz, Gustavo R. S., 2024, On the boundary of the jumping spider genus Rhyphelia Simon, 1902 (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryini), with description of ten new species, Zootaxa 5418 (5), pp. 471-500 : 492-495

Rhyphelia novalima sp. nov.

Figs 17A–17D , 18A–18C , 19A–19E

Type material. Holotype: ♂ from Mata Samuel de Paula , Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural, Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil (20°S, 43.867°W), 12–18.X.2006, J.P.P. Pena-Barbosa et al. leg. (UFMG 2949) . Paratype: 1♀, same data as holotype (UFMG 2950) .

Etymology. The epithet, a noun in apposition, was taken from the type locality.

Diagnosis. The male of R. novalima sp. nov. is similar to those of R. tabernarius ( Ruiz, 2013) comb nov. and S. minima ( Ruiz, 2011) comb. nov. by the spiraled embolus, but it differs from both by having a less compact spiral ( Fig. 19A ). The female differs from all other known species by having the copulatory openings facing ectally, towards the laterals of the abdomen, with the copulatory ducts running posteriorly ( Fig. 18C ).

Description. Male holotype. Total length: 1.95. Carapace dark brown, cephalic region black ( Fig. 17A ); 1.05 long, 0.75 wide, 0.52 high. Ocular quadrangle 0.51; anterior eye row 0.78, posterior 0.71 wide. Chelicera, labium, endite, sternum and palp dark brown ( Fig. 17B ). Poorly developed RTA ( Fig. 19B ). Leg formula: 4312; length of legs: I 1.74 (0.53 + 0.29 + 0.42 + 0.29 + 0.21), II 1.51 (0.46 + 0.29 + 0.30 + 0.27 + 0.19), III 1.75 (0.57 + 0.29 + 0.32 + 0.34 + 0.23), IV 1.93 (0.57 + 0.27 + 0.38 + 0.42 + 0.29). Legs dark brown, except metatarsi and tarsi light brown. Tibia I macrosetae well developed, with tips of a more proximal pair surpassing insertions of the spines of a more distal pair. Abdomen dorsally dark brown, with three pairs of tufts of white scales, one anterior and two pairs on the posterior half ( Fig. 17A ); ventrally dark brown ( Fig. 17B ). Spinnerets dark brown.

Female paratype. Total length: 1.95. Carapace dark brown, cephalic region black ( Fig. 17C ); 1.05 long, 0.75 wide, 0.52 high. Ocular quadrangle 0.51; anterior eye row 0.78, posterior 0.71 wide. Chelicera, labium, endite light brown; sternum and palp cream-colored ( Fig. 17D ). Leg formula: 4312; length of legs: I 1.74 (0.53 + 0.29 + 0.42 + 0.29 + 0.21), II 1.53 (0.46 + 0.29 + 0.32 + 0.27 + 0.19), III 1.75 (0.57 + 0.29 + 0.32 + 0.34 + 0.23), IV 1.97 (0.57 + 0.27 + 0.38 + 0.46 + 0.29). Macrosetae as in male. Abdomen dorsally dark brown, with pairs of cream-colored spots and a posterior transverse bar ( Fig. 17C ); ventrally yellow ( Fig. 17D ). Epigyne with copulatory ducts extending from anterior openings to posterior, roundish spermathecae ( Figs 18C , 19C–E ).

Note. As stated, typical species of Rhyphelia do not have the typical spiraled embolus of Euophryini. However, the embolus of R. novalima sp. nov. is reminiscent of the typical euophryine embolus. This feature is interpretated here as a reversion, since size, coloration and epigyne conformation are typical for the genus.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Minas Gerais, Brazil) ( Fig. 23 ).

Figures

FIGURE 17. Rhyphelia novalima sp. nov. A–B male holotype (A dorsal view; B ventral view); C–D female (C dorsal view; D ventral view).

FIGURE 18. Rhyphelia spp. A–C Rhyphelia novalima sp. nov. A–B male holotype, left palp (A ventral view; B retrolateral view); C epigyne, ventral view. D–F Rhyphelia okay sp. nov. D–E male holotype, left palp (D ventral view; E retrolateral view); F epigyne, ventral view.

FIGURE 19. Rhyphelia novalima sp. nov. A–B male holotype, left palp (A ventral view; B retrolateral view); C–E epigyne (C ventral view; D same, cleared; E dorsal view).

FIGURE 23. Map with individual symbols for the new species of Rhyphelia described herein (species previously described and recorded are mapped as red triangles and were separate in the previous map). Brazilian states are in italics.