Guaranita dobby Torres et al. , 2016: 9 Revision of the South American Ninetinae genus Guaranita (Araneae, Pholcidae) Huber, Bernhard A. Meng, Guanliang Král, Jiří Ávila Herrera, Ivalú M. Izquierdo, Matías A. European Journal of Taxonomy 2023 2023-10-20 900 1 32 80   Guaranita dobby  Torres et al. , 2016: 9   3HJ8S Torres et al., 2016 Torres 2016 [581,1007,584,611] Arachnida Pholcidae Guaranita Animalia Araneae 9 41 Arthropoda species dobby   Figs 2A –B, 3 –7, 32A      Guaranita dobby Torres et al., 2016: 9, figs 6 –12 (♂).   Diagnosis(amendments; see Torres et al. 2016) Distinguished from known congeners by median process on male clypeus (cf. Torres et al.2016: fig. 9; unmodified in congeners), by male cheliceral apophyses ( Fig. 4A –C; short and diverging in distal view), by very small (compared with congeners) dorsal flap on procursus ( Fig. 4F), and by roughly triangular (rather than trapezoidal as in congeners) anterior epigynal plate ( Fig. 5A); also by relatively slender male palpal tibia ( Fig. 3C; width/length 0.75; other species 0.85 –1.00) and by female internal genitalia ( Figs 5C –D, 32A; median structure poorly developed compared with congeners); from  G. auadae sp. nov.and  G. goloboffialso by narrow distal bulbal sclerite ( Fig. 4G).   Material examined(new record)   ARGENTINA–  Salta• 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; ~ 55 kmNW of Campo Quijano; 24.4716° S, 65.9272° W;  3040 ma.s.l.;  19 Mar. 2019; B.A. Huberand M.A. Izquierdoleg.; ZFMKAr 24121•  11 ♀♀in pure ethanol (four prosomata used for molecular work; one female and one female abdomen used for SEM); same collection data as for preceding; ZFMKArg187•  2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; LABRE-Ar 876•  1 ♀, in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; LABRE-Ar 865.   Redescription of male(amendments; see Torres et al. 2016) Measurements of male from 55 kmNW of Campo Quijano: total body length 1.1 (1.2 with clypeus process), carapace width 0.48; distance PME–PME 45 µm; diameter PME 40 µm; distance PME–ALE 20 µm; distance AME–AME 20 µm; diameter AME 25 µm. Leg 1: 2.33 (0.66 +0.16 + 0.62 +0.55 +0.34), tibia 2: 0.54, tibia 3: 0.48, tibia 4: 0.72; tibia 1 L/d: 9; diameters of leg femora 0.10 –0.11, of leg tibiae: 0.065. Tibia 1 of second newly collected male: 0.58. Tip of clypeus process straight but at tip with hairs pointing upwards and backwards. Sternum slightly wider than long (0.34/0.30). Chelicerae as in Fig. 4A –C. Pedipalp as in Fig. 3A –C; tibia with two trichobothria; procursus as in Fig. 4D –F, with large transparent ventral membrane, distinctive dorsal flap, and tip bent towards dorsal; genital bulb as in Fig. 4G –I, with simple proximal sclerite and band-like distal sclerite (same width over most of its length). Legs without spines and curved hairs; vertical hairs not seen; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 60%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other leg tibiae; tarsus 1 with 5 pseudosegments, poorly visible in dissecting microscope.   Fig. 5.  Guaranita dobby Torres et al., 2016; females from NW of Campo Quijano (ZFMK Ar 24121). A. Abdomen, ventral view. B. Cleared epigynum, ventral view. C–D. Cleared epigyna of two specimens, dorsal views. Scale bars = 0.1 mm (B –D at same scale).   Description of female In general similar to male ( Fig. 2A –B) but clypeus without process, sternum without pair of anterior humps, and chelicerae without stridulatory files. Tibia 1 in seven females: 0.58 –0.64 (mean 0.62). Epigynum ( Figs 5A, 6B) with simple triangular anterior plate weakly bulging; posterior plate short and simple. Internal genitalia ( Figs 5C –D, 32A) very simple, with median sclerotized structure (receptacle?), apparently with small pore plates. Each ALS with one strongly widened spigot, one long pointed spigot, and five cylindrical spigots (of which one is much wider than the others; Fig. 6C); each PMS with two conical spigots ( Fig. 6D); PLS without spigots. Leg tibiae and metatarsi with tiny pores with cuticular rim (pore diameter 0.6 µm; Fig. 6E –F) and with small round cuticular ‘plates’ (diameter 4 –5 µm; Fig. 6E). Tarsal organs with very small openings (diameters of openings 0.8 –0.9 µm; Fig. 7D –E). Metatarsi 3 and 4 with one long slender hair each on retrolateral side ( Fig. 7C).   Fig. 6.  Guaranita dobby Torres et al., 2016; female from NW of Campo Quijano (ZFMK Arg187). A. Prosoma, oblique frontal view. B. Abdomen, ventral view. C. ALS spigots. D. PMS spigots. E. Pore (arrow) and cuticular plate (asterisk) among regular hairs on right metatarsus 3. F. Pore on left tibia 4. Abbreviations: aep = anterior (main) epigynal plate; pep = posterior epigynal plate. Scale bars: A–B = 100 µm; C, E = 10 µm; D, F = 2 µm.  Remarks(notes on typelocality) This species was previously known from two specimenssupposedly from two localities in Salta province: the holotypelocality, 9 kmE of Cabra Corral dam; and a second locality, 1 kmN of “Charrillos” (should be Chorrillos). Our newly collected specimens of  G. dobbyare from close to the second locality, in the same river valley, ~ 37 kmNW of Chorrillos. However, we failed to find  G. dobbyat the holotypelocality and at several nearby sites E of Cabra Corral dam we visited. Instead, we found  G. goloboffiat two sites in that area. Previous collectors also found numerous specimens of  G. goloboffiE of Cabra Corral dam ( Torres et al.2015). This sheds doubt on the origin of the  G. dobby holotype. We suspect that the holotypespecimen is mislabeled but according to José Corronca (pers. com. Jan. 2022) this is unlikely to be the case.   Fig. 7.  Guaranita dobby Torres et al., 2016; female from NW of Campo Quijano (ZFMK Arg187). A. Trichobothrium on left metatarsus 1. B. Bases of regular hair and of trichobothrium on left metatarsus 1. C. Slender hair (arrow) among regular hairs on right metatarsus 4. D. Tarsal organ on right tarsus 3. E. Tarsal organ on right tarsus 2. F. Tip of right tarsus 1. Scale bars: A, C, F = 10 µm; B, D–E = 2 µm.   Natural history The newly collected specimens were found under rocks in a very arid environment ( Fig. 34A). Egg sacs (N = 4) contained 6 – 8 eggsand were carried in a single layer under the prosoma ( Fig. 2B); egg diameter: 0.46 –0.48.    Distribution Known from three localities in Argentina, Salta Province( Fig. 33A); but see Notes on typelocality above. 4430168335 2019-03-19 ZFMK B. A. Huber & M. A. Izquierdo Argentina 3040 -24.4716 Salta 7 -65.9272 11 43 5 3 Salta 4430168345 2019-03-19 ZFMK Arg Argentina 3040 -24.4716 55 km NW of Campo Quijano 7 -65.9272 11 43 11 11 Salta 4430168342 2019-03-19 ZFMK Arg Argentina 3040 -24.4716 55 km NW of Campo Quijano 7 -65.9272 11 43 2 2 Salta 4430168307 [402,1296,444,471] 2019-03-19 ZFMK Arg Argentina 3040 -24.4716 55 km NW of Campo Quijano 7 -65.9272 11 43 1 1 Salta