Masteria hirsuta L. Koch, 1873

Passanha, Victor & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2018, On the Neotropical spider Subfamily Masteriinae (Araneae, Dipluridae), Zootaxa 4463 (1), pp. 1-73 : 13

Masteria hirsuta L. Koch, 1873

( Figs 6A , 7 )

Masteria hirsuta L. Koch, 1873: 458 , pl. 35, fig. 5; Simon, 1892: 190, fig. 131; Roewer, 1963: 109, fig. 2a–d (male); Raven, 1979: 627, figs 5–7.

Type. FIJI. ♀ holotype, Ovalau , Fiji (17°41’17”S; 178°47’26”E), deposited in ZHM, examined by photos).

Additional material examined. FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA: Yap: Yap Hill, (9°32’0”N; 138°7’0”E), 03.XII.1952, 1♀, J. L. Gressit leg. (BM 17418) ; Ponape: (6°53’0”N 158°14’0”E), 07.I.1953, 2♀, 1 immature, J. L. Gressit leg. (BM 1 7516); Monte Tamatamansakir, (6°53’0”S; 158°14’0”E), 17.I.1953, 1♀, J. L. Gressit leg. (BM 17511).

Diagnosis. The male of Masteria hirsuta from Micronesia is similar to those of M. toddae and M. franzi from the islands of Pacific Ocean; they differ in the absence of paraembolic apophysis. The male resembles those of the Neotropical species M. barona , M. petrunkevitchi and M. soucouyant n. sp. in the elongated bulb, but differs from M. petrunkevitchi and M. soucouyant in the absence of grouped spines retrolaterally on the palpal tibia ( Fig. 7B ). In addition, it resembles those of M. barona in the absence of spines on the palpal tibia but differs in the slight medial curvature on embolus ( Fig. 7B ). Females are similar to those of M. golovatchi in the strongly projected spermathecae base, but differ in the short lobes and developed GR ( Fig. 6A ).

Note. The four examined females have the same eye pattern described by Raven (1979), i.e. six eyes, large PME, with a strongly recurved back row, and with small separation between the anterior laterals, and a compact and wide group of eyes. Our eye description was based on photos of the holotype, MEV pictures from the Micronesian specimens, and hardly differs from those of Raven`s description (1979, fig. 5).

Remarks. The type specimen is herein included for a comparative purpose. Specimens of Masteria hirsuta collected in Micronesia (over 1000 km from Fiji) and studied by Roewer (1963) are also included. We present the diagnosis and drawings of the species`eyes and genitalia of the non-type in order to compare the morphology to the remaining Neotropical species of Masteriinae .

Figures

FIGURE 6. Masteria spp., female genitalia (dorsal view): A Masteria hirsuta (Micronesia, Ponape, female, BM-17516); B M. barona (Saint George County, Arima Valley, Trinidad and Tobago, AMNH). Abbreviations: GR, glandular region; EnL, ental Lobe; EcL, ectal lobe; SB, spermathecae base. Scale bar: A, B 100µm.

FIGURE 7. Masteria hirsuta L. Koch, 1873. A Female eyes, dorsal view (BM-17516); B Male palp (from Roewer, 1963, fig. 2d). Scale bar: A 50µm.