Carepalxis topazio, Ferreira-Sousa & Motta, 2022

Ferreira-Sousa, Leonardo & Motta, Paulo César, 2022, Diagnostic notes on the spider orb-weaving genera Carepalxis and Ocrepeira (Araneae: Araneidae), with description of three new species from Central Brazil, Zootaxa 5087 (2), pp. 389-399 : 394-395

Carepalxis topazio new species

Figs. 16–21 , 30

Material examined. Female holotype from Brazil, Goiás, Cristalina , Serra dos Topázios [-16.716671, -47.633332]. Collected by P. C. Motta, XI.2016 ( DZUB 8699 ) .

Etymology. The species is named after the type locality (noun in apposition).

Generic placement. This new species is placed in Carepalxis primarily because of its pair of cephalic humps.

Diagnosis. Its overall morphology is closer to Ocrepeira mastophoroides Mello-Leitão than any other Carepalxis species. It differs by the presence of a large pair of cephalic humps, as delimited by the genus diagnosis. It has five pairs of tubercles instead of six. The epigynum is different by its Y-shaped scape and the bilobed margins of the lateral plates. The longitudinal groove in O. mastophoroides is restricted to the tip of the scape, in C. topazio n. sp. it goes from the tip to about half of the scape. Additionally, the height of clypeus equals twice the height of an anterior median eye, instead of the same size of this eye as in O. mastophoroides . Carepalxis topazio n. sp. is distinct from C. salobrensis , C. quasimodo n. sp. and C. camelus by the presence of abdominal lateral tubercles ( Figs. 19, 21 ), but lacks the posterior median tubercles present in C. perpera . The epigynum has a long scape ( Figs. 16, 17 ), the inner borders of the lateral plates forms a heart shape around the posterior median plate ( Fig. 18 ), unlike the median plates of C. camelus and C. quasimodo n. sp., which are hidden ( Fig. 1 ).

Description. Female holotype from Serra dos Topázios, Cristalina. Total length 8.83. Carapace: 3.98 long, 2.54 wide, cephalic humps 2.07 high, thoracic region 1.27 high. Cephalic region redish-brown, humps covered with short white setae, thoracic region glabrous, orange-cream. Clypeus: 0.40. Chelicerae: redish-brown with an arched dark stripe and many setae near to the clypeus, fangs dark red. Eye diameters: AME 0.18, ALE 0.09, PME 0.14, PLE 0.13. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.22, AME–ALE 0.72, PME–PME 0.46, PME–PLE 0.87, AME–PME 0.21. Endites: 0.99 long, 0.74 wide, redish-brown, yellow from the half to the median edges. Labium: 0.62 long, 0.77 wide, same color pattern as endites. Sternum: 1.36 long, 1.59 wide, orange with numerous setae on anterior margin. Legs: dark orange with irregular redish-brown spots and rings. Leg formula 1 2 4 3. Measures: L1. Femur 3.36, patella 1.76, tibia 2.31, metatarsus 2.32, tarsus 0.78 / L2. Femur 3.26, patella 1.49, tibia 2.14, metatarsus 2.29, tarsus 0.85 / L3. Femur 2.23, patella 1.25, tibia 1.34, metatarsus 1.07, tarsus 0.74 / L4. Femur 3.38, patella 1.70, tibia 2.02, metatarsus 2.01, tarsus 0.72/ Pedipalp. Femur 1.08, patella 0.62, tibia 0.74, tarsus 1.30. Abdomen: 7.71 long, 7.25 wide, 4.60 high. Abdomen round, greyish-orange, dorsaly with a pair of anterior dark tubercles and four pairs of lateral grey tubercles. In lateral view, the abdomen has a wavy black line on each side. The venter has a big grey area between the epigynum and spinnerets.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution and natural history. The only known specimen was collected by beating sheet during the early rainy season in Brazilian Cerrado, in a rocky savanna formation.

Figures

FIGURE 30. Distribution of Carepalxis quasimodo n. sp., Carepalxis topazio n. sp. and Ocrepeira planalto n. sp.

FIGURES 16–21. Carepalxis topazio n. sp. 16–18, Epigynum (16, ventral; 17, lateral; 18, posterior). 19–21, Female habitus (19, dorsal; 20, frontal; 21, lateral). Voucher: 16–21, (DZUB 8699). Scale bars: genitalia, 0.25 mm; other drawings, 1 mm.

FIGURES 1–10. Carepalxis quasimodo n. sp. 1–5, Epigynum (1, posterior; 1 ventral; 3, lateral; 4, ventral without scape; 5, posterior, cleared). 6–10, Female habitus; 6–8, female from Brasília (6, dorsal; 7, lateral; 8, frontal); 9–10, female from Jaborandi (9, dorsal; 10 lateral).