Tafana silhavyi (Caporiacco, 1955)

Figs 6E, 8A–B, G–K, 9A, C–D, 22–23, 33C, 34

Anyphaena silhavyi Caporiacco, 1955: 386, fig. 51a–b (type: male holotype from El Junquito, Venezuela, deposited in MUCV, examined).

Tafana silhavyi – Brescovit 1997: 90.

Diagnosis

Males of Tafana silhavyi resemble those of T. chimirae sp. nov., T. maracay sp. nov., T. arawak sp. nov. and T. pittieri sp. nov. by having the laminar apophysis at the base of the embolus, but differ by presenting a secondary looping with wide curvature (Figs 9A, 22C). Females resemble those of T. maracay sp. nov. and T. arawak sp. nov. by having the wide atrium, but differ by having the copulatory ducts extremely large in the anterior region (Figs 22F–G, 33C).

Material examined

Holotype VENEZUELA • ♂; Federal District, El Junquito; [10°28′0″ N, 67°5′00″ W]; Marcuzzi leg.; MUCV 741.

Other material

VENEZUELA – Aragua • 2 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀; Colonia Tovar; [10°24′20″ N, 67°17′22″ W]; no date; E. Simon leg.; MNHN 11312 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; IBSP 258184 .

Description

Male (MNHN 11312)

COLOR. Exemplar probably discolored. Carapace orange with cephalic region dark (Fig. 22A). Labium, sternum and endites yellow. Chelicerae reddish. Legs I–IV yellow, darker at tarsi. Abdomen gray with dark spots (Fig. 22A).

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 4.2, carapace length 1.73, width 1.1. Clypeus height 0.06. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.12, PME 0.1, PLE 0.1; AME–AME 0.02, AME–ALE 0.02, PME– PME 0.1, PME–PLE 0.06, ALE–PLE 0.04. Chelicerae 0.9 long, with four promarginal teeth and seven retromarginal denticles.

LEG MEASUREMENTS. I—femur 1.9 /patella 0.7/ tibia 2.1/ metatarsus 1.8/ tarsus 0.7 /total 7.2; II— 1.7/ 0.7/ 1.13 / 1.49 / 0.65 / 5.67; III—1.3 /0.5 / 0.9/ 1.1/ 0.4/ 4.2; IV—1.9 / 0.7/ 1.5/ 1.9/ 0.5/ 6.5.

LEG SPINATION. I—tibia v2-2-2, p1-0-1, r1-0-1, metatarsus v2-0-0, p0-1-0, r0-1-0; II—tibia v2-2-2, p1-0-1, r1-0-1, metatarsus p0-1-0, r0-1-0; III—tibia v1-2-2, p1-1-0, r1-1-0; IV—tibia p1-1-1.

PALP. Retrolateral tibial apophysis short and curved; cymbium with retrolateral projection; projection at the base of the embolus laminar and coiled; embolus long, with large base and narrow apex; median apophysis long and curved apically; ventral tegular process hyaline and short; sperm duct an inverted ‘S-shape’ (Figs 22C–E, 23A–C).

ABDOMEN. Length 2.4, epigastric furrow 0.6 from tracheal spiracle, spiracle 1.2 from base of spinnerets.

Female (MNHN 11312)

COLOR. Exemplar probably discolored. Coloration as in males of this species (Fig. 22B).

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 4.4, carapace length 1.45, width 1.3. Clypeus height 0.04. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.06, ALE 0.08, PME 0.06, PLE 0.08; AME–AME 0.02, AME–ALE 0.02, PME–PME 0.1, PME–PLE 0.04, ALE–PLE 0.04. Chelicerae 0.6 long, with four promarginal teeth and five retromarginal denticles.

LEG MEASUREMENTS. I—femur 1.3 /patella 0.6/ tibia 1.3/ metatarsus 1.1/ tarsus 0.5 /total 4.8; II— 1.2/ 0.6/ 1.13 / 1.0/ 0.5 /4.43; III—1.0/ 0.4/ 0.7 /0.9 /0.4 / 3.4; IV—1.4/ 0.5 /1.1 / 1.3/ 0.48 / 4.78.

LEG SPINATION. I—tibia v2-2-2, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, metatarsus v2-0-0, p1-0-0, r1-0-0; II—tibia v2-2-2, p1- 1-0, r1-1-0, metatarsus p1-0-0, r1-0-0; III—tibia v1-2-2, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, metatarsus v2-1-2; IV—tibia v1-2-2, r1-1-0, metatarsus v2-1-2.

EPIGYNUM. Hood triangular and sclerotized, connecting with lateral lobes; atrium large; epigynal plate covered by cuticle in the posterior region; lateral lobes sinuous. Internally, copulatory ducts large in the anterior region; primary spermathecae oval; secondary spermathecae small, above the primary spermathecae; fertilization ducts long (Figs 22F–G, 33C).

ABDOMEN. Length 2.9, epigastric furrow 0.8 from tracheal spiracle, spiracle 1.1 from base of spinnerets.

Variation

Two males: total length 4.1–4.4; carapace 1.83–1.9; femur I 1.7–1.9. Ten females: total length 4.0–6.2; carapace 1.6–2.3; femur I 1.3–1.9.

Distribution

Venezuela (Fig. 34).