Mesabolivar pallens sp. n.

Figs 266–270, 272, 294–295

Diagnosis. Easily distinguished from most known congeners by pale coloration, cylindrical abdomen, and relatively small male palps and epigynum. From most similar congener ( M. kathrinae) by wider procursus (compare Figs 272 and 273), presence of proximal processes on male chelicerae (Fig. 268), and by presence of median pocket on epigynum (Figs 269, 294). Females are externally barely distinguishable from M. brasiliensis and M. azureus; males of these two species have very different procursi (compare Figs 271, 272, 274–279).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the pale greenish coloration of this species (Latin pallens = pale, greenish); adjective.

Type material. BRAZIL: Espírito Santo: ♂ holotype, 1♀ paratype, MNRJ (14316), 1♂ 2♀ paratypes, ZFMK (Ar 19093), Vargem Alta, Fazenda Monte Verde (20°27.6’–28.2’S, 40°59.5’– 41°00.2’W), 1000–1200 m a.s.l., 2– 3.x.2010 (B.A. Huber, A. Pérez-González).

Other material examined. BRAZIL: Espírito Santo: 1♂ 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br10-84), same data as types.

Description. Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 3.3, carapace width 1.1. Distance PME-PME 120 µm, diameter PME 90 µm, distance PME-ALE 80 µm, distance AME-AME 30 µm, diameter AME 40 µm. Sternum width/length: 0.75/ 0.55. Leg 1: 46.8 (12.7 + 0.4 + 10.1 + 20.9 + 2.7), tibia 2: 6.9, tibia 3: 5.3, tibia 4: 6.7; tibia 1 L/d: 75. Femora 1–4 width (at half length): 0.15, 0.18 (distal third: 0.22), 0.15, 0.14.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace ochre-yellow, with indistinct darker mark behind ocular area; ocular area and clypeus not darkened; sternum light brown to orange; legs light to dark brown, with distinct black rings on femora (subdistally) and tibiae (proximally and subdistally), tips of femora and tibiae whitish; abdomen greenish gray, without dorsal pattern, ventrally with light brown plate in front of gonopore and indistinct darker median band behind gonopore.

BODY. Similar to M. azureus (cf. Fig. 254); ocular area slightly raised; carapace with shallow but distinct median furrow; clypeus and sternum unmodified.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 268, with pair of simple distal apophyses close to median line and pair of small proximal processes.

PALPS. As in Figs 266–267; very small relative to body size; coxa with large retrolateral apophysis; trochanter barely modified; femur long, with retrolateral process proximally, widened distally; tarsus with small dorsal process; procursus strongly bent, with distinctive distal black spine and retrolateral membranous process with small tines (Fig. 272); bulb with weakly sclerotized conical process, without side branch.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 2%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~50 pseudosegments, fairly distinct.

Male (variation). Tibia 1 in two other males: 10.0, 10.5.

Female. In general similar to male. Tibia 1 in four females: 7.7, 7.9, 8.0, 8.5. Epigynum very small and simple, weakly sclerotized, with small median pocket, internal blueish to greenish ‘valve’ visible through cuticle; posterior plate simple (Figs 269, 294). Internal genitalia as in Figs 270, 295, with round pore-plates embedded in large sclerite.

Natural history. The spiders were found in strongly domed webs freely suspended among the vegetation.

Distribution. Known from type locality only (Fig. 730).