Almafuerte, Grismado & Carrión, 2017

Grismado, Cristian J. & Carrión, Nicolás López, 2017, Description of Almafuerte, a new genus of ground spiders from South America (Araneae, Gnaphosidae), Zootaxa 4338 (2), pp. 263-291 : 264-267

Almafuerte , gen. nov.

Type species. Almafuerte peripampasica , sp. nov.

Etymology. “ Almafuerte ” is the pseudonymous of Pedro Bonifacio Palacios (San Justo 1854- La Plata 1917), an influential Argentine poet and teacher; the name is also shared with a famous Argentine heavy-metal band leaded by Ricardo Iorio. Alma fuerte means “strong soul” in Spanish, and is considered feminine in gender.

Diagnosis. Almafuerte species share with the genera assigned to the subfamily Echeminae (and with those of the “ Echemus group” by Murphy [2007]) the uniform brown coloration, toothed cheliceral promargin, dentate palpal claws in females, and well developed scutum on the dorsum males’ abdomen. The whole somatic morphology and, especially, the eye pattern are reminiscent to the members of the partially sympatric genera Apodrassodes and Apopyllus . They differ from all of them by having three teeth on the cheliceral retromargin ( Figs. 2 b, c ), by the protrusion on the retrolateral side of the tegulum (RTP, Figs. 6 a, b, f ) and the absence of median apophysis, and by the shape of the internal female genitalia: two large, rounded primary spermathecae, secondary spermathecae small, anteriorly located; copulatory ducts with thickened walls, especially around the insertion area of the secondary spermathecae, which makes it appear to have bilobular primary spermathecae. ( Figs. 5 d, e, f ).

Description. Medium-size spiders (total length 6−9 mm). Carapace oval in dorsal view, rounded anteriorly, truncated posteriorly, widest behind coxae II, slightly narrowed at the level of the palps, coloration uniform chestnut brown, with needle-like setae, most abundant on margins, longer in ocular and clypeal areas; feathery scales also present ( Fig. 1e ), scattered on the dorsal surface of carapace, and most abundant on the cephalic area.

Cephalic area slightly elevated; thoracic groove short, deep. In front view, anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior eye row strongly procurved; in dorsal view, anterior row nearly straight, posterior row slightly procurved; AME circular, dark, PME irregularly oval, light, ALE and PLE oval, light; eyes subequal in size; AME separated by about their diameter, by nearly their radius from ALE; PME separated by roughly their radius, farther from PLE; lateral eyes of each side separated by almost their diameter; MOQ longer than wide. Clypeus higher than AME diameter. Chelicerae usually with three promarginal teeth and three retromarginal teeth ( Figs. 2 b, c ). Endites long, obliquely depressed; labium elongated, with rounded tip; sternum long, rebordered, with extensions to coxae and between them, with needle-like setae uniform on all surface. Leg formula 4123. Femora and patellae light brown; tarsi and almost all metatarsi (except the basal portion) with thick scopula, without preening combs; tarsi with two dentate claws and claw tufts; trochanters slightly notched; all segments with very long setae, and numerous feathery scales, especially on the distal segments. Leg spination: Legs III–IV more spinose than legs I–II. Regular pattern are nearly uniform in the forelegs: tibiae I and II of males with usually three pairs of ventral macrosetae (2- 2-2), females without macrosetae or with a single one in ventral retrolateral position; metatarsi I and II of both sexes with ventral macrosetae (2- 2 in males, 2/1-0-0 in females), prolateral or retrolateral surfaces with spines only in males. Abdomen brownish gray with three pairs of apodemes; covered with needle-like setae and feathery scales, especially abundant on the posterior area. Males with orange-brown anterior scutum. Six long spinnerets, ALS sclerotized, separated at base by their width. Male palpal tibia with retrolateral apophysis bifid ( Fig. 6 d, e ), with a dorsal branch usually flattened, with serrated margin (except in A. vigorosa , which is hook-shaped), and the ventral branch ending nearly parallel to the dorsal one; ventrally oriented at its base, curving then to dorsal (in A. giaii and A. peripampasica ), directly oriented nearly parallel to the dorsal one in all its length (in A. goloboffi , A. remota , and A. facon ), or reduced, wide, almost not protruding (in A. vigorosa ). Palp ( Fig. 6 ): Embolus about the same size as the tegulum, with prolateral basal origin, apically directed; conductor apical, membranous, more or less parallel to the embolus tip; median apophysis absent; retrolateral tegular protrusion nearly rounded, laterally directed (except in A. vigorosa , where it point to apical), and central part of tegulum ventrally protruding, sometimes as a whole bulging area (especially in A. peripampasica ) or as a digitiform projection (especially in A. goloboffi ). Epigynum ( Figs. 5 a −c ): with anteroventral hood with variable shape; a transversaly folded, weakly sclerotized area between the copulatory openings and the hood; copulatory openings oriented ventrally ( A. peripampasica , A. kuru ) sometimes in a transversal epigynal groove, or laterally ( A. remota , A. giaii , A. goloboffi ). Internal genitalia ( Fig. 5 d −f ): two large, rounded primary spermathecae, anterior secondary spermathecae small, copulatory ducts with thickened walls, especially near the insertion of the secondary spermathecae.

Composition and distribution. Seven species from central parts of Southern South America; A. peripampasica n. sp. from Argentina and Uruguay, A. facon , n. sp. from Cochabamba, Bolivia, and five only known from Argentina: A. giaii (Gerschman & Schiapelli) from Santa Fe, A. remota , n. sp., from Santiago del Estero and Mendoza, A. kuru , n. sp., from Santiago del Estero, A. goloboffi , n. sp. from Salta and Jujuy, and A. vigorosa , n. sp., from Corrientes.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Almafuerte peripampasica sp. nov., female (MACN-Ar 30442). a, carapace, dorsal view; b, detail of ocular region, c, cephalothorax, ventral view; d, mouthparts, ventral view; e, feathery scales on carapace surface.

FIGURE 2. Almafuerte peripampasica sp. nov., female (MACN-Ar 30442). a, left chelicera, apical view; b, same, posterior view, c, same, detail of cheliceral fang and tooth; d, detail of venom outlet; e, left palp, retrolateral view; f, detail of dorsal cuticle of palpal tibia, showing the row of trichobothria; g, detail of trichobothrial socket; h, tarsal claw, prolateral view; i, detail of tarsal chemosensory seta.

FIGURE 5. Almafuerte peripampasica sp. nov., female (MACN-Ar 30442). a, epigynum, ventral view; b, same, detail of copulatory openings, c, same, detail of anterior hood; d, vulva, dorsal view; e, same, closer view; f, same, detail of the left secondary spermathecae.

FIGURE 6. Almafuerte peripampasica sp. nov., male (MACN-Ar 30443). a, left palp, ventral view; b, same, closer view of the copulatory bulb, c, same, detail of embolus tip; d, left palp, retrolateral view; e, same, closer view of RTA; f, retrolateral tegular process (RTP), ventral view.