Almafuerte remota, 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 : 278-281

Almafuerte remota sp. nov.

( Figs. 14 , 15 , 17 a–e , 22b )

Types. Holotype male from Argentina: Mendoza: Departamento Luján de Cuyo: Álvarez Condarco , 8.IV.1979, A. Roig coll (MACN-Ar 36725) . Paratypes: same data as the holotype, 1 female (together one juvenile MACN-Ar 36724) ; Santiago del Estero Province: Departamento Avellaneda: Colonia Dora , 1940, A. Prosen coll., 1 female (MACN-Ar 35558); same locality, VIII.1940, collector not provided, 3 females (MACN-Ar 35566, prep. CJG 1514, 1522).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a Latin adjective that refers to the remoteness (about 650 km) between the two known populations of this species (Mendoza and Santiago del Estero).

Diagnosis. The male of A. remota sp. nov. is similar to those of A. goloboffi sp. nov. by the relative sizes and proportions of the embolus and conductor, but differs by the shortened, more dorsally oriented RTA, the larger and curved backwards RTP, and by lacking the conspicuous ventral tegular protrusion ( Figs. 14 c–f , 17 a–b ); females are easily recognized by the C-shaped semicircular atria at sides of the epigynum, in where the copulatory openings are located ( Figs. 15 e–g , 17 c–e ).

Description. Male holotype: Measurements: Total length 7.63, carapace 3.42 long, 2.62 wide; sternum 1.89 long, 1.46 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.147, ALE 0.151, PME 0.166, PLE 0.145; AME-AME 0.140, AME-ALE 0.030, PME-PME 0.056, PME-PLE 0.196, ALE-PLE 0.135. Legs (femur/patella/tibia/metatarsus/ tarsus); I 2.46/1.52/2.05/1.53/1.03, II 2.16/1.35/1.66/1.36/0.94, III 1.95/1.14/1.28/1.44/0.91, IV 2.54/1.37/1.99/ 2.04/1.04. Leg spination: femora: I d1-1, pd0-0-0/1-1; II d1-1, pd 0-1-1-1; III d1-1, pd0-1-1, rd0-1-1; IV d1-1, p0- 1/0-0-1, r0-0-0-1(left) 0-0-0-0-2 (right); patellae: III r1, IV r1; tibiae: I v2-2 -2ap, p1-0-0 (left) p0-1-0-1(right); II v2-2 -2ap, p1-0-1- 1III d1-0-0, p1-1-1, v2-2 -2ap (left) 2-2-2-2ap (right), r1-1; IV p1-1-1, v2-2 -2ap, r1-1 (left) r1-1-1 (right); metatarsi I v2-2, p0-1-1, r0-0-1; II p0-1-1, v2-2, r0-0-1; III d2-2/1, p1-1-1, v2-2 -2ap, r1-1-1; IV d0-2-0-2, p1/0-1-0-1, v2-2 /1-2ap, r1-1-0-1. Palp ( Figs. 14 c–f , 17 a, b ): RTA dorsally displaced, with both branches relatively short, RTP large, backwardly curved, conductor with wide base, slightly curved at its end. All other characters are common for the genus.

Female paratype (MACN-Ar 35558): Measurements: Total length 7.48, carapace 3.55 long, 2.60 wide; sternum 1.95 long, 1.50 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.144, ALE 0.178, PME 0.191, PLE 0.154; AME-AME 0.0801, AME-ALE 0.039, PME-PME 0.103, PME-PLE 0.202, ALE-PLE 0.131. Legs (femur/patella/ tibia/metatarsus/tarsus); I 2.41/1.53/1.94/1.48/0.941, II 2.24/1.39/1.60/1.37/0.941, III 1.96/1.15/1.22/1.44/0.761, IV 2.63/1.40/2.05/2.14/0.956. Leg spination: femora: I d1-1, pd0-0-1; II d1-1, pd 0-0-1-1; III d1-1, pd0-0-1-1, rd0- 0-1-1; IV d1-1, dr 0-0-1-1, dp1; patellae: III r1, IV r1; tibiae: II v1 ap, III d1-0-0, p1-1-1, v2 -0/2-2ap, r1-1, IV p1-0- 1, v2-2 -2ap, r1-0-1; metatarsi I v2 -0, II v2-2, III d0-2-2, p1-1-1, v2-2 -2ap, r0-1-1, IV d2-2-2, p0-0-1, v2-2 -2ap, r0- 0-1. Epigynum ( Figs. 15 e–g , 17 c–e ): Anterior hood nearly triangular, small, copulatory openings in lateral position, in semicircular (C-shaped) lateral atria. All other characters are common for the genus.

Natural history and habitat preferences. Unknown. Colonia Dora and Santa Catalina belong to the Dry Chaco biogeographic province, but Álvarez Condarco is located in the Monte biogeographic province, although near the boundary with the Prepuna biogeographic province. Although the wide distribution of this species in distant and different biomes may result suspicious, both the Monte and Chaco share several elements, particularly in epigean arthropods ( Roig-Juñent et al. 2001, 2003). Some spiders present in both regions are the nemesiids Diplothelopsis ornata Tullgren , Lycinus longipes Thorell , and the gnaphosid Echemoides giganteus Mello-Leitão (Goloboff 1995, Platnick & Shadab 1979). As for A. peripampasica , the specimens from Álvarez Condarco were collected together with many individuals of Echemoides argentinus .

Other material examined. ARGENTINA: Santiago del Estero: Departamento Guasayán: Santa Catalina , 23.X.1963, M. E. Galiano coll., 1 female (MACN-Ar 35652, prep. CJG 1523) . Mendoza: Departamento Luján de Cuyo: Álvarez Condarco , 8.IV.1979, A. Roig coll. 1 male (MACN-Ar 36726, Ex 18225, soft, presumably collected during molting process).

Distribution. Santiago del Estero and Mendoza, Argentina.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Almafuerte remota sp. nov., male holotype. a, habitus dorsal view; b, same, ventral view; c, left palp, prolateral view; d, same, retrolateral view, e, same, detail of RTA; f, left palp, ventral view.

FIGURE 15. Almafuerte remota sp. nov., a – b, e, female from Colonia Dora (paratype MACN-Ar 35558); c – d, g, female from Álvarez Condarco (paratype MACN-Ar 36724) f, female from Santa Catalina (MACN-Ar 35652); a, c, habitus dorsal view; b, d, same, ventral view; e – g, epigyna, ventral view.

FIGURE 17. Almafuerte spp., genitalia. a – e, Almafuerte remota, sp. nov.; a – b, male holotype, a, left palp ventral view; b, same retrolateral view; c – e, internal genitalia of three females, cleared, dorsal view. c, d, Colonia Dora (paratypes MACN-Ar 35566, preparations CJG- 1522 and 1523 respectively), e, Santa Catalina (MACN-Ar 35652); f, Almafuerte kuru, sp. nov., paratype female (MACN-Ar 36687), internal genitalia, cleared, dorsal view. Scale bars: a – e = 0.2; f = 0.5.

FIGURE 22. Distribution of Almafuerte spp. a. A. peripampasica, sp. nov., A. giaii (Gerschman & Schiapelli), and A. kuru, sp. nov. (question marks: imprecise localities of A. peripampasica in La Rioja, Rio Negro and Buenos Aires, see text). b. A. remota, sp. nov., A. goloboffi, sp. nov., A. facon, sp. nov., and A. vigorosa, sp. nov.