Tobias pustulosus Mello-Leitão, 1929

Machado, Miguel, Teixeira, Renato Augusto & Lise, Arno Antonio, 2015, Taxonomic notes on the crab spider genus Tobias Simon, 1895 (Araneae, Thomisidae, Stephanopinae), Zootaxa 4034 (3), pp. 565-576 : 570-574

Tobias pustulosus Mello-Leitão, 1929

Figs 12–22

Tobias pustulosus Mello-Leitão, 1929: 86 , figs 183–184

Tobias monstrosus Simon in Mello-Leitão, 1929: 87, figs 185–186; syn. nov.

Type material: Holotype (designated by Mello-Leitão, 1929): subadult female, Fonte Boa [2°28'5.16"S, 66° 8'29.49"W, Amazonas, Brazil] ( MNHN 4560).

Syntypes of T. monstrosus : 5 females from Tefé [3°21'5.31"S, 64°42'53.36"W, Amazonas, Brazil] and Caballococha [3°54'21.00"S, 70°30'59.00"W, Província de Mariscal Ramón Castilla, Loreto, Peru] ( MNHN 6981).

Note. The holotype of T. pustulosus is a subadult female and presents a pre-epigynum with an initial outgrowth at the median field equivalent to the projection that covers the copulatory openings in adult individuals. Also, the pattern of white punctuations close to the anal tubercle, present in mature individuals, can be observed in this specimen ( Figs 12–13 ).

Other material examined. PANAMA: Colón: 1 female, Canal Zone: Fort Sherman, 9°21'50.49"N, 79°57'33.36"W (A. M. Chickering leg., 13 August 1936, MCZ); 1 male, (A. M. Chickering leg., 15 August 1939, MCZ); Barro Colorado Island, 9°9'7.57"N, 79°50'47.33"W, 1 male, 15 July 1934, 1 male, 7–9 July 1936, 1 subadult female, 25 July 1936, 1 male 8–9 August 1936, 1 subadult female, August 1936, 2 males, January 1958, 1 male, June 1950, 1 subadult female, 20 July 1954, 1 male, July 1939, 1 male, August 1939, 2 males, June 1950, 1 subadult female, 23–30 June 1939, 1 subadult female, 04–06 August 1939, 1 subadult female, 23 July 1936, all material leg. A.M. Chickering ( MCZ). Panama City: 1 male and 1 subadult female, Forest Reserve, 9° 8'32.19"N, 79°43'26.59"W (A. M. Chickering leg., July 1939, MCZ); Summit Park, 9°3'54.80"N, 79°38'43.07"W, 1 male and 1 female, 21–29 July 1950, 2 males and 1 female, 7 July 1950, 1 male, 13 July 1954, 1 male, 16–17 August 1950, 2 subadult males and 1 subadult female, 21–24 July 1930, 2 subadult females, 25 July 1950, 1 male, 25 July 1950, all material leg. A.M. Chickering ( MCZ); 1 female, Pedro Miguel, 9° 1'7.06"N, 79°36'44.31"W (A. M. Chickering leg., 7 July 1950, MCZ); 1 male, Exp. Gardens, 9° 1'46.21"N, 79°32'37.11"W (A. M. Chickering leg., 14 July 1954, MCZ); 2 males, same locality (A. M. Chickering leg., 7 November 1954, MCZ); 1 male and 1 female, Mirasflores Locks, 8°59'50.27"N, 79°35'28.33"W (A. M. Chickering leg., 0 1 March 1958, MCZ); 1 male, Balboa, 8°56'60.00"N, 79°34'0.00"W (A. M. Chickering leg., August 1936, MCZ). BRAZIL: Roraima: 1 male, Caracaraí (Parque Nacional do Viruá), 1°42'12.10"N, 61° 8'54.00"W (A. Tourinho leg., 28 May 2006, INPA 1825). Rondônia: 1 subadult female, Ouro Preto do Oeste, 10°36'3.00"S, 62°18'34.50"W (A. Cerruti leg., November 1983, MNRJ 4250). Bahia: 1 female, Camacan, 15°26'52.59"S, 39°31'40.18"W (CEPLAC R2160 leg., 5 November 1968, MNRJ 12690); 1 female, Itamarajó, 17° 2'17.60"S, 39°32'20.31"W (J. S. Santos leg., 7 August 1978, MCN 10690). São Paulo: 1 female, Iporanga, 24°29'8.94"S, 48°38'48.01"W (E. H. Wienkoski leg., October 2001, MNRJ 11520); 1 male, Cananéia, 25° 0'45.16"S, 47°56'6.98"W (E. H. Wienkoski leg., October 2001, MNRJ 11517).

Diagnosis. Tobias pustulosus has the same kind of setiferous tubercles on femora I and II as T. caudatus , but can be distinguished by the yellow color and high density of the ventral pustular setiferous tubercles ( Fig. 17 ). The epigynum of T. pustulosus is distinguished from other species of Tobias by the anteriorly wide median septum, like an inversed triangle, and by the copulatory openings hidden by the median septum ( Fig. 20 ). The male palp is similar to that of T. caudatus ( Figs 10–11 ), but differs from the latter and other species of the genus by the presence of a basal tooth on the DTA and by its curvature, with the tip stretching to the dorsum of the cymbium ( Figs 23– 25 ).

Description. Female (from Tefé; MNHN 6981): Anterior and posterior eye row as in T. caudatus . Prosoma light-brown with a brown Y-shaped spot on the dorsum. Chelicerae yellow, sternum brown with reddish-brown spots, endites and labium brown with a yellow apex. Opisthosoma with anterior margin straight and three posterior projections. The pair of lateral projections has the apexes directed forward and the median projection is short and rounded ( Fig. 14 ). Opisthosoma with microstructure and coloration as in females of T. caudatus . Legs with shape and coloration as in females of T. caudatus . Femora I and II have conical and long setiferous tubercles on the dorsum and lateral regions, while the ventral portion has a high density of short and rounded yellow setae. Tibiae and metatarsi of legs I and II have both three pairs of ventral macrosetae. Sensorial pits on tibiae I and II are divided by a line of setiferous tubercles ( Fig. 18 ). Tarsal setae tuft and claws similar to T. caudatus . Median field of the epigynum not delimited by lateral folds. Median septum broad on the anterior portion of the epigynal plate and covering the copulatory openings ( Fig. 20 ). Copulatory ducts are long with two pairs of spermatecae, however the primary spermatecae are at least two times larger than the secondary pair. The primary spermatecae are kidneyshaped and the secondary are ovoid, both with a rough surface ( Fig. 21 ). Measurements: eyes diameters and eyes interdistances: AME 0.14, ALE 0.20, PME 0.14, PLE 0.10, AME-AME 0.41, AME-ALE 0.24, PME-PME 0.60, PME-PLE 0.20. MOQ length 0.76, MOQ posterior width 0.64, MOQ anterior width 0.63; leg formula: 1243: leg I—femur 5.92/ patella 3.34/ tibia 4.08/ metatarsus 3.08/ tarsus 1.75/ total 18.17; II—5.50/ 2.92/ 4.08/ 2.50/ 1.67/ 16.67; III—2.50/ 1.92/ 2.08/ 1.42/ 1.17/ 9.09; IV—3.08/ 1.75/ 2.08/ 1.58/ 1.00/ 9.49. Total length 13.34, prosoma length 5.84 long, width 5.70, opisthosoma length 7.50, clypeus height 0.62, sternum length 2.45, width 1.95, endites length 1.36, width 0.70, labium length 0.90, width 0.94.

Male (from Cananeia; MNRJ 11517): Anterior and posterior eye row as in T. caudatus , and ALE with tiny horns ( Fig. 19 ). Prosoma dark-brown with dorsum reddish-brown. Chelicerae and palpi dark-brown ending in a yellow apex. Sternum scutiform, reddish-brown; endites and labium reddish-brown with setae as in T. caudatus . Opisthosoma coloration similar to T. caudatus , but the tubercles on the surface and the posterior projections are brown ( Fig. 16 ). Legs dark-brown with white spots on the proximal portion of metatarsi I and II and the distal portion of the patellae and tibiae I and II. Other leg characteristics as in female. Palp tegulum is flat and discoid with tranversal furrow at two o’clock. Embolus filiform emerging at twelve o’ clock and extending almost two times around in the tegulum ( Fig. 22 ). RTA similar to T. caudatus , but with concavity (canoe) less deep than in T. caudatus ending in a tooth near to the DTA base ( Fig. 23 ). DTA is hook-like as in T. caudatus , but it stretches in a curve towards the back of the cymbium. Measurements: eyes diameters and eyes interdistances: AME 0.06, ALE 0.07, PME 0.06, PLE 0.04, AME-AME 0.14, AME-ALE 0.08, PME-PME 0.20, PME-PLE 0.10. MOQ length 0.24, MOQ posterior width 0.22, MOQ anterior width 0.21; leg formula: 1243: leg I—femur 1.22/ patella 0.60/ tibia 0.78/ metatarsus 0.54/ tarsus 0.42/ total 3.56; II—0.96/ 0.60/ 0.73/ 0.52/ 0.40/ 3.21; III—0.52/ 0.38/ 0.42/ 0.33/ 0.29/1.94; IV—0.70/ 0.38/ 0.50/ 0.38/ 0.34/ 2.30. Total length 2.87, prosoma length 1.42, width 1.36, opisthosoma length 1.45, clypeus height 0.24, sternum length 0.64, width 0.60, endites length 0.30, width 0.16, labium length 0.18, width 0.25.

Variation. Females (e.g. MNRJ 6807) might have a lighter coloration on the prosoma and opisthosoma. The median projection of the opisthosoma may be longer ( Figs 12 and 15 ). This variation in size and shape of the median projection of the opisthosoma, as well as that observed in females of T. caudatus , is probably related to the developmental stage and/or the degree of starvation of the spider.

Distribution. Distributional range extends from Canal Zone in Panama to the State of São Paulo in Brazil ( Fig. 25 ).

Figures

FIGURE 25. Records of Tobias caudatus (black square) and T. postulosus (grey square) from Central and South America.

FIGURES 12 – 17. Tobias pustulosus Mello – Leitão, 1929. 12, 14 – 16 habitus dorsal; 13 anterior view of the prosoma; 17 anterior view of the prosoma and ventral region of the left femur I and II (12, 13 female MNHN 4560, 14, 17 female MNHN 6981, 15 female MNRJ 6807, 16 male MCZ). Scales: 1 mm.

FIGURES 18 – 24. Tobias pustulosus Mello – Leitão, 1929. 18 detail of the sensorial pit on tibia I; 19 detail of the horn-like ocular mounds above the ALE; 20 epigynum ventral view; 21 epigynum dorsal view; 22 palp ventral view; 23 palp retrolateral view; 24 details of the canoe – shaped RTA joined with DTA (18, 20 and 21 female MCN 10690, 19 and 22 – 24 male MCZ). Scales: 0.25 mm. White arrow indicates the duster-shaped setae and the ocular mounds; black arrow indicates the teeth at DTA.

FIGURES 5 – 11. Tobias caudatus Mello – Leitão, 1929. 5 apex of the left chelicera, anterior and posterior row of teeth and fang; 6 detail of the sensorial pit on tibia I; 7 detail of the tarsus tip and retrolateral claw; 8 epigynum ventral view; 9 epigynum dorsal view; 10 palp ventral view; 11 palp retrolateral view (5 – 7 female MCTP 813, 8 – 9 female MCTP 5120, 10 – 11 male MCTP 1024). Scales: 0.25 mm. White arrow indicates the duster-shaped setae. cy—cymbium, DTA—dorsal tibial apophysis, e—embolus, RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis, t—tegulum, ms—median septum, co—copulatory openings, mf—median field, lf—lateral fold, 1 s—primary spermatecae, 2 s—secondary spermatecae, cd—copulatory duct, fd—fertilization duct.