Quemedice enigmaticus Mello-Leitão, 1942

Rheims, Cristina A., Labarque, Facundo M. & Ramírez, Martín J., 2008, The South American genus Quemedice Mello-Leitão (Araneae: Sparassidae): familial placement and taxonomic revision, Zootaxa 1813, pp. 60-68 : 62-64

Quemedice enigmaticus Mello-Leitão, 1942

Figs. 1–12 , 17–28

Quemedice enigmaticus Mello Leitão, 1942: 407 , figs 31–32 (female holotype, examined). Roewer, 1954: 790 (sub. Thomisidae ); Platnick, 2008 (sub. Philodromidae ).

Type material: Holotype: female from Puna [27°48' S; 62°31' W], Santiago del Estero Province, Argentina, M. Birabén ( MLP 15450).

Other material examined. BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: 1ɗ, Chapada dos Guimarães, Usina Hidrelétrica de Rio Manso, Rio Manso [14°52'00" S; 55°48'00" W], 2000–2001, Equipe Rio Manso ( IBSP 28197). Minas Gerais: 1Ψ, Montes Claros [16°43'00" S; 43°52'00" W], 2005, G.L.D. Leite ( IBSP 73206); 1ɗ, Juatuba, Rio Manso, Serra Azul, Área de Proteção de Mananciais da COPASA [20°10’00" S; 44°21’00" W], 18–24 April 2002, Equipe Biota ( IBSP 67823); 1ɗ ( IBSP 67822), 2Ψ ( IBSP 67821); 1Ψ ( IBSP 67820). São Paulo: Castilho 1Ψ, [20°52'00" S; 51°28'60" W], 27 November 1964, Exp. CDZ ( MZSP 3898); 1Ψ, Assis [22°40'00" S; 50°25'00" W], Nov.1964, G. Brizola ( IBSP 1899); 1ɗ, Itupeva [23°08'60" S; 47°04'00" W], October 1982, I. Levis ( IBSP 4160); 1Ψ, São Paulo [23°31'60" S; 46°37'00" W], October1952, J.J. Rufino ( IBSP 824); ARGENTINA. Santiago del Estero: 1ɗ, Parque Nacional Copo [25°55'00" S; 61°55'00" W], 22–24 February 2004, C. Grismado, A. Ojanguren, F. Labarque and L. Compagnucci (MACN-Ar 10758).

Diagnosis. Quemedice enigmaticus is distinguished from Q. piracuruca n. sp. by the male palp with RTA branches similar in size (sometimes dorsal branch slightly shorter) and base of embolus smooth ( Figs 8–10 ); female epigynum with broad median septum, twice longer than wide, and vulva with large, elongate hyaline receptacles and slender, convoluted copulatory ducts ( Figs 11–12 ).

Description. Male (IBSP 67822): Prosoma pale orange with brown margins, a median longitudinal brown stripe and a pair of slightly lighter paramedian ones ( Figs 5–7 ). Chelicerae pale orange with small brown spots at the base of setae. Legs orange, except femora with dorsal longitudinal brown stripes ( Figs 5– 7 ). Pedipalps pale orange. Labium pale brown ( Fig. 7 ). Endites and sternum yellow with pale brown margins ( Fig. 7 ). Opisthosoma cream colored with three longitudinal brown stripes ( Figs 5–7 ). Total length 11.1. Dorsal shield of prosoma: 3.8 long, 2.5 wide. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.22, ALE 0.18, PME 0.16, PLE 0.16, AME–AME 0.20, AME–ALE 0.04, PME–PME 0.20, PME–PLE 0.20, AME–PME 0.22, ALE– PLE 0.24. Legs (2413): I: femur 6.9, patella 1.5, tibia 6.7, metatarsus 6.8, tarsus 2.1, total 24.0; II: 8.40, 1.60, 8.10, 8.40, 2.30, 28.80; III: 4.00, 1.30, 3.50, 3.30, 1.10, 13.20; IV: 8.10, 1.40, 6.70, 7.70, 1.90, 25.80. Spination as in genus description, except tibiae III d0–0–1; metatarsus IV d1–0–0.Opisthosoma: 7.5 long, 1.5 wide. Epiandrous spigots dispersed along the margin of epigastric furrow ( Fig. 28 ).

Redescription. Female (holotype, MLP 15450): Coloration as in male ( Figs 1–2, 4 ). Total length 9.62. Dorsal shield of prosoma: 3.96 long, 2.68 wide. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.20, ALE 0.16, PME 0.16, PLE 0.14, AME–AME 0.24, AME–ALE 0.10, PME–PME 0.24, PME–PLE 0.32, AME–PME 0.26, ALE–PLE 0.26. Legs (2413): I: femur 5.50, patella 1.54, tibia 4.32, metatarsus 4.64, tarsus 2.12, total 18.12; II: 7.35, 1.96, 5.74, 5.66, 2.12, 22.83; III: 3.16, 1.12, 2.68, 2.20, 1.00, 10.16; IV: 8.65, 1.48, 4.77, 5.25, 1.40, 21.55. Spination: as in genus description except femur I d0-1-0; r0-1-1; femur IV r0-1-1.Opisthosoma: 5.66 long, 2.88 wide.

Variation. Three males: total length 11.0–11.1; dorsal shield of prosoma 3.7–3.8; femur I 6.9–7.3. Three females: total length 13.1–16.4; carapace 3.8–4.1; femur I 5.7–6.7.

Distribution. Central eastern South America: Argentina and Brazil (state of Mato Grosso).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Quemedice enigmaticus Mello – Leitão, preserved specimens. 1 – 4 Female (holotype, MLP 15450), 1 – 3 habitus (1 dorsal; 2 ventral; 3 lateral), 4 Epigynum, ventral; 5 – 7. Male (MACN – Ar 10758), habitus (5 dorsal; 6 lateral, 7 ventral). Scale bars: 1 – 2, 4 – 7, 2 mm; 3, 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 8 – 16. 8 – 12. Quemedice enigmaticus Mello – Leitão (8 – 9 IBSP 67822; 10 MACN – Ar 10758; 11 – 12 IBSP 1899). 8 – 10 Left male palp (8 ventral, 9 retrolateral, 10 ditto, detail of expanded embolus); 11 – 12. Epigynum (11 ventral, 12 dorsal). 13 – 16. Quemedice piracuruca n. sp. (13 – 14, paratype, IBSP 28565; 15 – 16, paratype, MPEG 6402). 13 – 14 Left male palp (arrows indicate small teeth) (13 ventral, 14 dorsal); 15 – 16. Epigynum (15 ventral, 16 dorsal). (C = cymbium; CD = copulatory duct; CO = copulatory opening; db = dorsal branch of RTA; EA = embolus apophysis; EB = embolus base; E = embolus; FD = fertilization duct; HR = hyaline receptacle; MS = median septum; LL = lateral lobes; ST = subtegulum; T = tegulum; vb = ventral branch of RTA). Scale bars: 8 – 9, 11 – 16, 0.5 mm; 10, 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 17 – 22. Quemedice enigmaticus Mello – Leitão (MACN – Ar 10758). 17 – 22 Left chelicera (17 posterior, 18 retromargin, 19 ditto, detail of cheliceral gland area, 20 ectal, 21 frontal, 22 promargin) (CB = cheliceral boss; CGA = cheliceral gland area; M = macrosetae). Scale bars: 17, 20 – 21, 200 µm; 18, 22, 100 µm; 19, 50 µm.

FIGURES 23 – 28. Quemedice enigmaticus Mello – Leitão (MACN – Ar 10758). 23 – 27 Male, left leg IV (23 claw, retrolateral – apical, 24 tarsal trichobothria, dorsal, 25 tarsal organ, dorsal, 26 trilobate membrane at distal end of metatarsus, prolateral, 27 ditto, dorsal; 28 Epiandrium, ventral view. Scale bars: 23, 26 – 27, 100 µm; 28, 50 µm; 25, 20 µm; 24, 10 µm.