Loxosceles niedeguidonae (Araneae, Sicariidae) a new species of brown spider from Brazilian semi-arid region

A new species of recluse spider, Loxosceles niedeguidonae sp. n., is described from the Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara, State of Piauí, Brazil. This is the first endemic species described from Brazilian semi-arid environment. The species is included in gaucho group of Gertsch (1967) due to its spermathecal shape and is considered close to Loxosceles chapadensis Bertani, Fukushima & Nagahama, 2010 by the unusual long male palpal tibia, a character not common for species of this group. An updated key for Loxosceles species of gaucho group is presented

Revision and cladistic analysis of the genus Plesiopelma pocock, 1901 (Araneae, Theraphosidae).

O gênero Plesiopelma Pocock, 1901 é revisado taxonomicamente e realizada análise cladística de suas espécies. A matriz com 30 táxons terminais e 49 caracteres foi analisada com dois programas para reconstrução filogenética, considerando tanto caracteres aditivos como não-aditivos. As quatro análises apresentaram diferenças na topologia, porém três delas demonstram que Plesiopelma é um gênero monofilético. A diagnose e a distribuição geográfica das espécies são apresentadas. São consideradas válidas as espécies P. flavohirtum (Simon, 1889), P. semiaurantiacum (Simon, 1897),P. myodes Pocock, 1901, P. insulare (Mello-Leitão, 1923), P. physopus (Mello-Leitão, 1926), P. minense (Mello-Leitão, 1943) e P. simoni (Soares e Camargo, 1948). É proposta a sinonímia de P. rectimanum (Mello-Leitão, 1923) e P. longisternale (Schiapelli e Gerschman, 1942) com P. myodes. São reconhecidas seis espécies novas para o Brasil. É proposta a transferência de P. imperatrix Piza, 1976 para o gênero Megaphobema Pocock, 1901 e P. gertschi (Caporiacco, 1955) é considerada Incertae sedis.The genus Plesiopelma Pocock, 1901 is taxonomically revised and a cladistic analysis of its species is done. The matrix with 30 terminal taxa and 49 characters was analysed with two programs for phylogenetic reconstruction. The four analyses showed different topologies on the internal group, however, three of them show Plesiopelma being a monophyletic genus. The diagnoses and geographic distribution of all species are presented. It is herein considered valid the species P. flavohirtum (Simon, 1889), P. semiaurantiacum (Simon, 1897), P. myodes Pocock, 1901, P. insulare (Mello-Leitão, 1923), P. physopus (Mello-Leitão, 1926), P. minense (Mello-Leitão, 1943) and P. simoni (Soares e Camargo, 1948). The species P. rectimanum (Mello-Leitão, 1923) and P. longisternale (Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1942) are considered junior-synonyms of P. myodes. It is recognized six new species from Brazil. It is proposed the transfer of P. imperatrix Piza, 1976 to Megaphobema Pocock, 1901 and P. gertschi (Caporiacco, 1955) is considered Incertae sedis

Neocteniza myriamae Bertani, Fukushima & Nagahama, 2006, new species

Neocteniza myriamae new species (Figs 1–4) Diagnosis The new species can be distinguished from all other species, except N. australis, N. toba and N. chancani by the thicker embolus, the absence of an apophysis on the apical sclerite and the small apical hematodocha (i.e., it belongs to the australis group, Goloboff 1987). The species can be distinguished from N. australis and N. toba by the male embolus which is thicker in its middle portion (Figs 1–3). From N. chancani, it can be distinguished by the larger size and elongated femur I (Fig. 4), and especially by the presence of one conical keel and two parallel, well­developed keels on the apical half of the embolus. Description Male (holotype): Total length including chelicera 16.60. Carapace 6.00 long, 5.44 wide; pars cephalica convex, fovea deep, sinuous, recurved, tripartite. Anterior ocular row slightly procurved, posterior ocular row recurved. Eye sizes: AME 0.33, ALE 0.35, PME 0.18, PLE 0.20. Eye interdistances: AME­ALE 0.10, PME­PLE 0.08, AME­AME 0.15, ALE­PLE 0.18, PME­PME 0.73. OQ: length 1.11, width 1.44. Chelicerae with rastellum formed by 7 thick, blunt cusps on edge of cheliceral prolongation. Intercheliceral tumescence absent. Inner cheliceral margin with 10 teeth, 6 teeth between margins, 11 larger teeth on outer margin. Labium: length 1.20, width 1.33, without cuspules. Palpal coxae without cuspules. Sternum: length 3.17, width 3.06. Sigilla barely discernible. Legs: all articles unmodified; femur I elongated (Fig. 4). Trichobothria: all femora and patellae 0; palpal tibia 7 ant. and 5 post., I 8 ant. and 9 post.; II 8 ant. and 7 post., III 5 ant. and 7 post., IV 10 ant. and 9 post.; metatarsus I 12, II 13, III 11, IV 14; tarsus I 11, II 14, III 11 and IV 9. Legs length: I trochanter 1.00 / femur 5.56 / patella 2.34 / tibia 4.06 / metatarsus 4.00 / tarsus 1.73 / total 18.69; II 0.61 / 4.67 / 2.17 / 3.23 / 3.67 / 1.78 / 16.13; III 0.56 / 3.67 / 2.11 / 2.28 / 3.78 / 2.11 / 14.51; IV 0.40 / 5.92 / 2.44 / 4.67 / 6.00 / 1.61 / 21.04 and palpus 1.00 / 3.11 / 1.22 / 2.77 / 1.78 / 9.88. Spines: femora: palpus, I–III 0, IV 15 p d a; patellae: palpus, I, II, IV 0, III 6 (1­2 ­ 3) P plus comb of 8 P A; tibiae: palpus as in fig. 3, I 2 v a, II 1 ­ 1 ­ 2 V (2: 3 A), III 3 v a, 1­2 ­ 1 D ANT, 1­2 ­ 1 ­ 1 D POST, IV 1 ­ 1 ­ 1­ 3 v; metatarsi: I 2 ­ 1 ­ 1 ­ 1­2 P V, 1 ­ 1 ­ 1­2 ­ 1­2 R V, II 1 ­ 1 ­ 1 ­ 1 ­ 1 ­ 1 P V, 1 ­ 1 ­ 1 ­ 1 ­ 1 ­ 1 R V, 1 ­ 1 V (1: 3 A), III 1 ­ 1 ­ 1 ­ 0­2 ­ 1 P D, 1 ­ 1 ­ 1 ­ 1 ­ 0­1 ­ 2 R D, 1 ­ 1­ 2 V, IV 1 ­ 1 D ANT (1: 2), 1 D­A, 1 ­ 1 ­ 1 ­ 1­2 P, 0­1 ­ 1 ­0 R; tarsi: palpus 0, I 4, II 1, III 0, IV 1. Paired tarsal claws: Leg I 9 ant., 10 post.; Leg II 9 ant., 9 post.; Leg III 6 ant., 6 post. and Leg IV 9 ant., 9 post.. Inferior claw present on all legs, bare, well developed on tarsi III, IV. Preening combs present on metatarsi III, IV. All tarsi without scopula. Spinnerets short; ALS with ca. 25 spigots, basal article of PLS with ca. 38, medial article with ca. 29, apical article with 9 larger on apex. Palpal tibia incrassate. Male palpal bulb: flattened, thicker in middle, with small distal hematodocha. Apical portion of embolus with two parallel keels, extending ventrolaterally, retrolateral one longest, reaching from almost apex to roughly middle of embolus; third, conical keel apparent from retrolateral keel surface, extended over dorsal area (Figs 1–3). Color: Carapace brown, abdomen dark. Tarsi to trochantera of legs and palpi olive, leg coxae reddish brown. Maxillae, sternum and labium dark reddish brown. Female: Unknown. Distribution known only from type locality.Published as part of Bertani, Rogério, Fukushima, Caroline Sayuri & Nagahama, Roberto Hiroaki, 2006, A new species of Neocteniza Pocock 1895 (Araneae, Idiopidae) from Brazil, pp. 33-37 in Zootaxa 1202 on pages 34-36, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17233

Metriura Drolshagen & Bäckstam, 2009 (Araneae: Dipluridae) is a junior synonym of Fufius Simon, 1888 (Araneae: Cyrtaucheniidae)

The monotypic diplurid Metriura Drolshagen & Bäckstam, 2009 is placed in synonymy with Fufius (Cyrtaucheniidae) syn. nov. since Metriura lacks two of three diplurid synapomorphies (elongate posterior lateral spinnerets and the widely separated posterior median spinnerets) and shares synapomorphies with both aporoptychine cyrtaucheniids (subquadrate maxilla and a longer than wider labium) and Fufius (recurved and broad fovea, the typical incrassate tibia I of the male, with the spur having a single short branch and an apical megaspine, the basally curved metatarsus I and provided with a ventral tubercle). The type species of Metriura, M. striatipes Drolshagen & Bäckstam, 2009 is considered valid, and due to the synonymy of Metriura with Fufius, Fufius striatipes (Drolshagen & Bäckstam, 2009) comb. nov. is established

Pterinopelma Pocock 1901

Pterinopelma Pocock 1901 revalidated Pterinopelma Pocock 1901: 551 (type species by monotypy Eurypelma vitiosa Keyserling 1891, holotype male, Brazil, Taquara, in BMNH, examined); Mello-Leitão 1923: 183, 1943: 153; Petrunkevitch 1928: 80; 1939 a: 261; 1939 b: 567; Bonnet 1958: 3827; Gerschman & Schiapelli 1978: 86; Valerio 1980: 276. Diagnosis. Pterinopelma resembles Lasiodora C. L. Koch 1850, Vitalius and Nhandu Lucas 1983 by the combined absence of accessory prolateral keels and presence of prolateral superior, prolateral inferior, retrolatral and apical palpal keels in males (Figs 1 –3, 7– 9); and by the spermathecae short, separated by a heavily sclerotized short area in females (Figs 6, 13). Both sexes are distinguished from those of Lasiodora by the absence of stridulatory hairs on the prolateral coxae. From Nhandu and Vitalius the males are distinguished by the presence of denticles in the prolateral inferior keel (Figs 3, 9) and the weakly developed or absent subapical keel (Figs 1 –3). Females can be distinguished from Nhandu by the absence of long setae on the carapace and from Vitalius either by the presence of uticating hair type III on the abdomen (P. sazimai sp. nov.), or by having a sternum wider than long (P. vitiosum) (Fig. 5). treated as missing data in cladistic analysis). Redescription. Carapace slightly longer than wide, cephalic region slightly raised to clearly raised, convex. Cephalic and thoracic striae shallow or deep. Fovea straight, shallow (P. vitiosum) or deep (P. sazimai sp. nov.). Chelicerae without rastellum, basal segments with 9 to 11 teeth. Eye tubercle distinct, wider than long. Clypeus absent (female P. vitiosum) or narrow. Anterior eye row procurved, posterior slightly recurved. AME rounded, ALE, PLE and PME oval. Labium subquadrate, slightly wider than long, with numerous (90–155) cuspules on its anterior third. Maxila subretangular, anterior lobe distinctly produced into a conical process, inner angle bearing numerous cuspules (100–200). Sternum longer than wide (P. sazimai sp. nov.) or as long as wide (P. vitiosum), anterior sigilla on sternum/labium edge not visible. Sternal sigilla less than one diameter from margin (P. sazimai sp. nov.) or sigilla not visible (P. vitiosum). PMS one-segmented, short; PLS three-segmented, basal segment longer than apical, both longer than median. Apical segment digitiform. STC with a median row of few small teeth. Tarsi I–III fully scopulated, IV divided by row of setae. Metatarsi I–II 2 / 3 to 4 / 5 scopulated, metatarsus III scopulated 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 its length, metatarsus IV apically scopulated, not divided by a row of setae. Femur IV with retrolateral scopula. Prolateral leg coxae and retrolateral palpal trochanter without stridulatory hairs. Male tibial apophysis with straight branches (P. sazimai sp. nov.) or retrolateral branch slightly curved (P. vitiosum) originating from common base, prolateral branch not thickened. Metatarsus I strongly (P. sazimai sp. nov.) or slightly (P. vitiosum) curved, when flexed touches retrolateral branch laterally (P. vitiosum) or apex of retrolateral branch (P. sazimai sp. nov.). Male palpal bulb pyriform, embolus long, slightly flattened distally. Prolateral keels present, extremely reduced in P. sazimai sp. nov. PS forms embolus edge distally. PI with series of unequal denticles. AC absent. R not pronounced. A short. SA poorly developed (P. vitiosum) or absent (P. sazimai sp. nov.). Spermathecae short, separated by heavily sclerotized short area. SS narrower than SB. Type I urticating hair in males and females with region "A" longer or equal to region "B". Type III (P. sazimai sp. nov.) or absent (P. vitiosum) in males and females. Carapace covered by short slender hairs; bordered by hairs pointing out from carapace center. Tibiae IV non-incrassated. Coxae and sternum covered by long hairs (P. vitiosum) or short hairs (P. sazimai sp. nov.). General color pattern brown (P. vitiosum), black (male P. sazimai sp. nov.) or with iridescent blue setae (P. sazimai sp. nov. female).Published as part of Bertani, Rogério, Nagahama, Roberto Hiroaki & Fukushima, Caroline Sayuri, 2011, Revalidation of Pterinopelma Pocock 1901 with description of a new species and the female of Pterinopelma vitiosum (Keyserling 1891) (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Theraphosinae), pp. 1-18 in Zootaxa 2814 on pages 3-4, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20560

Vitalius nondescriptus comb. nov. (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Theraphosinae): an example of theraphosid taxonomic chaos

The male holotype of Hapalopus nondescriptus Mello-Leitão, 1926 is redescribed, illustrated and compared with freshly collected specimens from the type locality. The only difference noted among the holotype and the new material concerns the development of the subapical keel. Its taxonomic position is reinterpreted and discussed, resulting in its transfer to the genus Vitalius Lucas, Silva Junior & Bertani, 1993, and thus making the new combination Vitalius nondescriptus (Mello-Leitão, 1926) comb. nov. The female is described for the first time and the morphological variations in two males, born from the female used in the description, is presented and illustrated. The male differs from those of other Vitalius species by the palpal bulb with short apical keel and bifid tibial spur with narrow prolateral branch and almost straight retrolateral branch. The female differs from those of other Vitalius species by urticating hair of 'type I' having the region 'a' shorter than region 'b'. Hapalopus nondescriptus has a confusing taxonomic history, since the holotype specimen was also used to describe another theraphosid species (Cyclosternum melloleitaoi Bücherl, Thimoteo & Lucas, 1971) which was, consequently, considered its objective synonym. Thus, we consider it a clear example of theraphosid taxonomical chaos

Metriura Drolshagen & B\ue4ckstam, 2009 (Araneae: Dipluridae) is a junior synonym of Fufius Simon, 1888 (Araneae: Cyrtaucheniidae)

The monotypic diplurid Metriura Drolshagen & Bäckstam, 2009 is placed in synonymy with Fufius (Cyrtaucheniidae) syn. nov. since Metriura lacks two of three diplurid synapomorphies (elongate posterior lateral spinnerets and the widely separated posterior median spinnerets) and shares synapomorphies with both aporoptychine cyrtaucheniids (subquadrate maxilla and a longer than wider labium) and Fufius (recurved and broad fovea, the typical incrassate tibia I of the male, with the spur having a single short branch and an apical megaspine, the basally curved metatarsus I and provided with a ventral tubercle). The type species of Metriura, M. striatipes Drolshagen & Bäckstam, 2009 is considered valid, and due to the synonymy of Metriura with Fufius, Fufius striatipes (Drolshagen & Bäckstam, 2009) comb. nov. is established