Eustala mourei Mello-Leitão, 1947

Poeta, Maria Rita Muniz, 2014, The orb-weaving spider genus Eustala Simon, 1895 (Araneae, Araneidae): eight new species, redescriptions, and new records, Zootaxa 3872 (5), pp. 440-466 : 455-457

Eustala mourei Mello-Leitão, 1947

Figs 75–84 , 87

Eustala mourei Mello-Leitão 1947: 241 , figures 9–10, two males and two females syntypes from Bariguí, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, deposited in Museu Paranaense (currently Museu de História Natural Capão da Imbuia, MHNCI 2507, 2508, 2509, 2510). Brignoli 1983: 270; examined by H.W. Levi in 1988 ( Levi 2007, figures); Pinto-da-Rocha & Caron 1989: 1025, designated a male lectotype, MHNCI 2508 and the specimens 2507, 2509 and 2510, as paralectotypes; Platnick 2014.

Note. Only the male lectotype ( MHNCI 2508 ) and a non-type male specimen ( MHNCI 2108 ), from the same locality, were found at MHNCI. The paralectotypes ( MHNCI 2507 , 2509 , and 2510 ) are apparently lost. The female paralectotype was not found, however in this work we tentatively redescribe the female using a specimen that fits with the illustration made by H.W. Levi in 1988 ( Levi 2007, figures).

Additional material examined. BRAZIL, Paraná: Curitiba ( Barigui ), 25°15’S, 49°14’W, ♂, X.1944, R. Lange ( MHNCI 2108 ). Santa Catarina: Rancho Queimado, 27°28’S, 48º54’W, 2 ♂, 09.–13.X.1995, A.A. Lise et al. ( MCTP 6975 , 7049 ); ♂, 15.–19.XI.1995, A.B. Bonaldo ( MCN 26779 ); Rio Uruguai , 27º08’S, 53º03’W, ♂, 02.IX.2010, R.C. Francisco ( MCTP 37231 ). Rio Grande do Sul: São Borja ( Reserva Biológica de São Donato ), 28°38’S, 56°00’W, ♀, 21.I.2012, M. Machado ( MCTP 34836 ); ♀, 10.–25.V.2012 ( MCTP 36204 ); ♂, ♀, 14.III.2013, M. Machado ( MCTP 37039 ); São Francisco de Paula, 29°14’S, 50°31’W, ♂, 24.X.1996, R. Ott ( MCTP 10589 ); ( Usina Hidrelétrica Passo do Inferno ) ♂, 26.IX.2000, E.H. Buckup ( MCN 33365 ); ( Potreiro Velho ) ♂, 19.–22.III.1998, A.A. Lise ( MCTP 15685 ); 2♂, 26.–28.X.2012, M.R.M. Poeta ( MCTP 35512 ); Cambará do Sul, 29°02’S, 50°08’W, ♂, 25.XI.1993, A.B. Bonaldo ( MCN 24327 ); Canela, 29°21’S, 50°48’W, ♂, 07.X.1964, A.A. Lise ( MCN 45737 ); Triunfo ( Estação Ambiental Braskem ), 29°56’S, 51°43’W, ♂, 07.XII.2005, A. Barcelos ( MCN 40076 ).

Diagnosis. The male palp of Eustala mourei ( Figs 75, 76 ) resembles those of E. photographica and E. farroupilha n. sp. ( Figs 56, 57 ) by the laminar terminal apophysis and by the subterminal apophysis with a transparent projection (see Poeta et al. 2010a: 158, figures 30, 31). The palp of E. mourei differs from these species by the elongated and a thin projection of the subterminal apophysis that reaches the conductor (ventral view, Fig. 76 ), and by the lack of the conspicuous tegular projection of E. photographica . Eustala mourei and E. farroupilha n. sp. are very similar, but they can be distinguished by the apical portion of the embolus, which is longer in E. farroupilha n. sp. (equal or longer than the basis of the embolus). The epigynum of E. mourei ( Figs 78–83 ) resembles those of E. photographica (see Levi 2007, figures 32–34) by the short-annulated scape and the wide median plate (posterior view, Fig. 80 ), but differs from this species by the copulatory opening position that is very close in E. photographica .

Description. Male (Lectotype, MHNCI 2508 ) : Carapace pale yellow; narrow ocular area, median and lateral eyes with black border, and many white setae near the lateral eyes. Sternum pale yellow with white pigment and large gray border. Abdomen subtriangular, dorsum white crackled with well-defined greenish folium ( Fig. 77 ). Venter pale yellow with a well-defined dark gray lines from the epigastric furrow to the spinnerets and an elongated central white patch. Legs pale yellow with light brown bands. Total length 6.4. Carapace length 3.1, width 2.8. Leg formula 1243. Length leg I: femur 4.0; patella+tibia 4.2; metatarsus 2.6; tarsus 1.2; total 12.0. Patella+tibia II 3.7; III 1.7; IV 2.9.

Female ( MCTP 37039 ) : Carapace yellowish-white; median and lateral eyes with black border. Sternum pale yellow with dark gray border and many dark brown setae. Abdomen subtriangular, dorsum yellowish-white, crackled, faint light brown folium; light brown marks in the anterior and lateral area; anterior longitudinal light brown mark ( Fig. 84 ). Venter white crackeled, with well-defined black band from the epigastric furrow to the spinnerets with an elongated white central patch. Legs pale yellow with brown bands. Total length 5.8. Carapace length 2.1, width 1.9. Leg formula 1243. Length leg I: femur 2.7; patella+tibia 3.0; metatarsus 1.6; tarsus 0.7; total 8.0. Patella+tibia II 3.2; III 1.3; IV 1.8.

Variation. Male (n=5): total 4.1–6.4; carapace length 2.1–3.1, width 1.9–2.9. Abdomen with terminal hump; dorsum white with light brown folium; yellow with longitudinal brown line; greenish-gray with folium; without folium; folium area completely dark gray. Venter of the abdomen as female.

Distribution. Brazil: Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul ( Fig. 87 ).

Figures

FIGURES 75 – 84. Eustala mourei Mello-Leitão, 1947. 75, 76, Palp (75, mesal; 76, ventral). 77, Male habitus, dorsal. 78 – 83, Epigynum (78, ventral; 79, posterior; 80, lateral; 81, lateral (positionated as Levi 2007); 82, posterior, cleared; 83, lateral, cleared). 84, Female habitus, dorsal. Abbreviations: A, terminal apophysis; Sp, subterminal apophysis projection. Scale bars, 75, 76, 78 – 83, 0.25 mm; 77, 84, 1 mm.

FIGURE 85 – 87. Records of the Eustala species. 85, Eustala guarani n. sp., E. catarina n. sp., E. ericae n. sp., and E. cidae n. sp. 86, Eustala lisei n. sp., E. cuia n. sp., E. farroupilha n. sp., and E. eldorado n. sp. 87, Eustala ulecebrosa (Keyserling, 1892), E. itapocuensis Strand, 1916, E. photographica Mello-Leitão, 1944, and E. mourei Mello-Leitão, 1947. Scale bars, 500 km.

FIGURES 56 – 64. Eustala farroupilha n. sp. 56, 57, Palp (56, mesal; 57, ventral). 58, Male habitus, dorsal. 59 – 63, Epigynum (59, ventral; 60, posterior; 61, lateral; 62, posterior, cleared; 63, lateral, cleared). 64, Female habitus, dorsal. Abbreviations: A, terminal apophysis; Sp, subterminal apophysis projection; Tb, tegular border. Scale bars, 56, 57, 59 – 63, 0.25 mm; 58, 64, 1 mm.