Almafuerte goloboffi, 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 : 283

Almafuerte goloboffi sp. nov.

( Figs. 18 , 20 a–d , 22b )

Types. Holotype male from Argentina: Salta Province: Departamento General José de San Martín: Campamento Vespucio , V.1983, P. Goloboff coll. (MACN-Ar 35570, prep. CJG 1519) . Paratypes: Jujuy Province: Departamento Santa Bárbara: Termas del Palmar ; 2.X.1948, without collector, 1 female (MACN-Ar 35565, prep. CJG 1521) ; Salta Province: Departamento Guachipas: El Hongo , 7 km S Alemanía, ruta 68 km 78.5, 18.IX.2005, M. Ramírez & M. Arnedo coll., 1 female (MACN-Ar 10771, prep. CJG-1483).

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honor to Pablo A. Goloboff, collector of the holotype and many other interesting species at the type locality.

Remarks. Males and females were not collected in the same locality, they are matched mainly by geographical proximity (about 180 km) and, especially, by the similar biotopes in where two of the three known specimens were collected (Campamento Vespucio and Termas del Palmar belong to the Yungas biogeographic Province).

Diagnosis. The male of A. goloboffi is recognized by the very conspicuous, nearly digitiform, ventral protrusion of the tegulum ( Figs. 18 d , 20 b ). The RTA is similar to that of A. facon sp. nov., but the ventral branch of the RTA is more curved, and also differs by having a distal ventral retrolateral ledge on the palpal patella ( Fig. 20 b ). Other structures of the bulb are similar to those of A. remota , but the latter species lacks a ventral ventral tegular protrusion (see above). Females resemble to those of A. remota and A. giaii by the laterally located copulatory openings, but they are located behind two procurved, U-shaped areas ( Figs. 18 h, i ; 20 c, d).

Description. Male holotype: Measurements: Total length 6.6, carapace 3.12 long, 2.29 wide; sternum 1.62 long, 1.27 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.145, ALE 0.17, PME 0.162, PLE 0.132; AME-AME 0.0828, AME-ALE 0.0768, PME-PME 0.0689, PME-PLE 0.0293, ALE-PLE 0.0389. Legs (femur/patella/tibia/metatarsus/ tarsus); I 2.27/1.42/1.81/1.42/1.02, II 2.02/1.28/1.46/1.33/0.947, III 1.76/0.982/1.17/1.32/0.85, IV 2.32/1.27/1.8/ 1.99/.958. Leg spination: femora: I d1-1, p0-0-1; II d1-1-0, pd 0-1-1-1; III d1-1-0, pd0-1-1, rd 0-1-1; IV d1-1-0, rd 0-0-1; patellae: I r1, III r1, IV r1; tibiae: I p1-0-1, v2-2 -2ap, II pd0-1, p1-0-1, v1-2 -2ap, III d1-0-0, pd1, p1-1, v2-2 - 2ap, rd1-0; IV p1-1-1, v2-2 -2ap, r1-1; metatarsi I p0-1-1, v2-2, r0-0-1, II p0-1-1, v2-2, r0-0-1, III d0-2-2, p1-1-0, v2-2 -2ap, r1-1-0-1, IV d0-2-0-2, p1-1-0-1, v2-2 -2ap, r1-1-0-1. Palp ( Fig. 20 a, b ): Conductor with wide base but then narrowed, with a small, more sclerotized area on the retrolateral side. The ventral protrusion of the tegulum has wrinkled texture, and the RTP is relatively small. All other characters are common for the genus.

Female paratype (MACN-Ar 10771): Measurements: Total length 6.18, carapace 2.84 long, 2.17 wide; sternum 1.59 long, 1.34 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.125, ALE 0.113, PME 0.156, PLE 0.118; AME-AME 0.0867, AME-ALE 0.0502, PME-PME 0.0 565, PME-PLE 0.120, ALE-PLE 0.502. Legs (femur/ patella/tibia/metatarsus/tarsus); I 1.95/1.24/1.51/1.13/0.834, II 1.69/1.10/1.23/1.03/0.761, III 1.53/0.911/1.01/1.11/ 0.736, IV 2.14/1.18/168/1.82/0.869. Leg spination: femora: I d1-1, p0-0-1; II d1-1, pd 0-1-1; III d1-1-0, p1-1, v2-2 - 0-2ap, rd1-1-0-1; IV d1-1-0, rd 0-1-1; patellae: III r1, IV r1; tibiae: III d1-1-0, pd1, p1-1, v2-2 -0-2ap, rd1-1-0-1, IV p1-0-1, v2-2 -0-2ap, r0-1-1; metatarsi I v2 -0-0, II v2-1 -1, III d0-2-0-2, p1-1-0-1, v2 -0-1-0-2ap, r0-1-0-1, IV d0-2-0- 2, p1-1-0-1, v2-2 -0-2ap, r1-1-0-1. Epigynum ( Figs. 18 h, i ; 20 c, d): Anterior hood small, the area in front to the copulatory region has a nearly triangular area more sclerotized; the copulatory openings are laterally located, behind procurved, U-shaped areas. All other characters are common for the genus.

Natural history and habitat preferences. Unknown. Campamento Vespucio and Termas del Palmar are localities that belong to the subtropical, humid mountain forests (Yungas Biogeographic Province). El Hongo is, in contrast, a place located in the “Valles Calchaquíes”, a mostly xerophytic area belonging to the biogeographic Province of Monte, in the South American Transition Zone ( Morrone 2014).

Material examined. Only the types.

Distribution. Salta and Jujuy provinces, Argentina.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Almafuerte goloboffi sp. nov. a – e, male holotype; f – h, female from El Hongo (paratype MACN-Ar 10771); i, female from Termas del Palmar (paratype MACN-Ar 35565). a, f, habitus dorsal view; b, g, same, ventral view; c, left palp, ventral view; d, same, retrolateral view; e, same, detail of RTA; h, i, epigyna, ventral view.

FIGURE 20. Almafuerte spp. genitalia, a – d, Almafuerte goloboffi, sp. nov.; a − b, male holotype; c, female from Termas del Palmar (paratype MACN-Ar 35565); d, female from El Hongo (paratype MACN-Ar 10771); e − f, Almafuerte facon, sp. nov., male holotype; g − h, Almafuerte vigorosa, sp. nov., male holotype. a, e, g, left palp, ventral view; b, f, h, same, retrolateral view; c, d, vulvae, cleared, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.2.

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.