Carapoia, GONZALEZ-SPONGA, 1998

HUBER, BERNHARD A., 2000, New World Pholcid Spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae): A Revision At Generic Level, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2000 (254), pp. 1-348 : 238-241

CARAPOIA GONZÁLEZ-SPONGA, 1998

Carapoia González-Sponga, 1998: 18–19 (type species by original designation C. paraguaensis González-Sponga, 1998 ; examined).

DIAGNOSIS: Medium-sized (total length 2.5–4.5 mm), fairly dark, eight-eyed pholcids with long legs; distinguished from similar genera ( Mesabolivar , Mecoloesthus , Coryssocnemis ) by the modified hairs on the male chelicerae (e.g., figs. 947, 955, 967), and by the pair of diverging sclerites behind the epigynum (e.g., figs. 953, 960, 971).

DESCRIPTION: Total length ~ 2.5–4.5 mm. Carapace with distinct thoracic groove, ocular area moderately elevated, with eight eyes, AME smallest; distance PME-ALE relatively large (50 –80% of PME diameter). Sternum without humps. Male clypeus unmodified. Male chelicerae with modified (globular or cone-shaped) hairs frontally, sometimes on protrusion; without stridulatory ridges laterally. Male palpal coxa with retrolateral apophysis, femur with large roundish retrolateral apophysis proximally, conspicuously enlarged distally; procursus simple (figs. 950, 958, 965); bulb large, with strong distal spine and conspicuous whitish globular area dorsally on embolar division (figs. 952, 956, 970). Tarsal organ exposed (examined: C. fowleri , n. sp.; ocaina , n. sp.). Legs very long (leg 1 about 11–13 × body length; tibia 1 l/ d about 70–100); leg formula 1423; legs without spines and vertical hairs; sometimes (always?) with curved hairs (on femora and/ or tibiae); retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 very proximal [at ~ 3%, not seen in C. genitalis (Moenkhaus) ]; tarsus with ~ 25–30 pseudosegments (unknown in C. genitalis ). Opisthosoma elongate, with or without dark- er spots. Male gonopore without epiandrous spigots (examined: C. fowleri , ocaina : fig. 131). ALS with only one piriform gland spigot each (examined: C. fowleri , ocaina : fig. 179), other spinnerets typical for family.

Sexual dimorphism slight; legs of females often with distinct dark rings on femora (dis- tally) and tibiae (proximally and subdistally); epigynum dark flat plate, with distinctive pair of sclerites diverging behind plate.

MONOPHYLY: The four species included share the modified hairs on the male chelicerae and the diverging sclerites behind the epigynum; C. genitalis is included tentatively, as it does not share an additional set of

Carapoia paraguaensis González-Sponga, 1998 Figures 947–954

characters that unites the other three species (globular outgrowth dorsally on embolar division, details of procursus shape).

GENERIC RELATIONSHIPS: The genus is clearly part of the New World clade: male palpal coxa with retrolateral apophysis, epiandrous spigots absent, ALS piriform gland spigots reduced to one, thoracic groove present, exposed tarsal organ, large distance PME-ALE. Otherwise, the phylogenetic relationships are obscure. The close relationship with Chibchea proposed by the cladogram in appendix 2 is based on the presence of curved hairs on legs and is probably an artifact.

SPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS: The three northern species ( C. paraguaensis , fowleri , ocaina ) are closely related (see Monophyly), whereas C. genitalis from southeastern Brazil stands separate and is included tentatively.

DISTRIBUTION: Widely distributed in northern South America (map 7); C. genitalis from southeastern Brazil is included tentatively.

COMPOSITION: The genus as construed here includes four named species, all of which are treated below. Two of the species are newly described.

Carapoia paraguaensis González-Sponga, 1998: 19–21 , figs. 1–10.

TYPES: Male holotype, 13 5♀ paratypes, 2 juveniles from Rio Carapo , at base of tepui Guaiquinima, Dept. Heres, Bolívar, Venezuela ; Feb. 17, 1980 (L. Sanabria), in collection González-Sponga (1178a, b), not examined.

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished from congeners by the high number of modified hairs on prominent projections of the male chelicerae (figs. 947–948), the slender bulbal apophysis (fig. 952), and details of the procursus (figs. 950–951).

MALE ( Guyana, Kartabo): Total length ~ 3.2 (opisthosoma damaged), carapace width 1.4; leg 1: (9.7+0.5; rest missing), tibia 2: 6.2, tibia 3: 4.6, tibia 4: 5.7. Habitus very similar to C. fowleri (cf. fig. 962); carapace orange-ochre, only thoracic groove blackish; ocular area moderately elevated (prosoma in general very similar to Coryssocnemis simla , cf. figs. 982–983), orange-ochre; distance PME-ALE about 70% of PME diameter. Sternum rather orange (1.0 wide, 0.6 long); chelicerae with pair of large apophyses proximally, each provided with ~ 40 modified hairs, and pair of small distal apophyses (figs. 947–948). Palps in general as in C. fowleri (cf. figs. 963–964), procursus simple (figs. 950–951), bulb with conspicuous whitish globular area dorsally on embolar division, and slender apophysis (fig. 952). Legs orange-ochre, tibiae with light tips, no dark rings visible; legs without spines, without curved and vertical hairs. Opisthosoma pale ochre, shape as in C. fowleri (cf. fig. 962).

VARIATION: Tibia 1 in 3 other males examined: 8.3, 9.6, 12.1; tibia 1 in male holotype: 11.4; leg 1 in male from Corocito, Bolívar, Venezuela: 40.4 (9.5+0.5+9.6+18.8 +2.0), tibia 1 l/d: 80; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 3%; tarsus 1 with over 25 pseudosegments; two of the loose legs in that vial have curved hairs on the tibiae (as in C. fowleri ), but not all the legs seem to be from the specimen.

FEMALE: In general similar to male. Carapace with brown lateral bands and brown Y mark. Sternum with brown spot anteriorly, clypeus with brown mark. Legs with dark rings on femora (subdistally) and tibiae (proximally and subdistally). Tibia 1 (N = 10) 5.9–8.9 (x¯ = 7.2). Opisthosoma with several dark spots, dorsally and laterally. Epigynum and internal genitalia as in figs. 953–954.

DISTRIBUTION: Known from Guyana, eastern Venezuela and northern Brazil (map 7).

MATERIAL EXAMINED: GUYANA: Kartabo (6°23'N, 58°42'W), 1924 (collector not given), 13 in AMNH. Sauriwau River (3°09'N, 59°54'W), ‘‘pusc. Tacuta,’’ Oct. 23, 1937 (collector not given), 13 in MZF. Kaietur, July 30, 1911 (F. E. Lutz), 1♀ in AMNH. Isherton (‘‘ Ishear-tun ’’), 10 mi E Rupunini River, Nov. 1937 (W. G. Hassler), 1♀ in AMNH. BRAZIL: Roraima: Estação Ecológica de Maracá, Ilha de Maracá , Alto Alegre, July 20, 1987 (A. A. Lise), 3♀ in MCN (17583) ; same data, but July 18, 1987: 2♀ in MCN (17582) ; Ilha de Maracá , Jan. 31–Feb. 14, 1992 (A. A. Lise), 13 9♀ in MCP (1851) ; same locality, May 1992 (M. Nascimento), 1♀ in MCP (1967). VENEZUELA: Bolívar: 10 km N Corocito, Rio Caura (7°12'N, 64°59'W), rain forest, June 18–Aug. 3, 1987 (S. & J. Peck), 13 in AMNH .

Figures

Figs. 947–954. Carapoia paraguaensis González-Sponga. 947 948. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 949. Modified hairs on male chelicerae. 950. Left procursus, prolateral view. 951. Left procursus, retrolateral view. 952. Embolar division of left bulb, prolateral view. 953. Epigynum, ventral view. 954. Epigynum, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm (949 without scale).