Ocrepeira planalto, Ferreira-Sousa & Motta, 2022

Ferreira-Sousa, Leonardo & Motta, Paulo César, 2022, Diagnostic notes on the spider orb-weaving genera Carepalxis and Ocrepeira (Araneae: Araneidae), with description of three new species from Central Brazil, Zootaxa 5087 (2), pp. 389-399 : 395-398

Ocrepeira planalto new species

Figs. 23 –31

Material examined. Female holotype ( DZUB 9280 ) and male and female paratypes ( DZUB 9279 ) from Brazil, Bahia, Jaborandi, Fazenda Trijunção [-14.643925, -45.802133] collected by P. C. Motta XI.2018 ; female from Brazil, Goiás, Alto Paraíso ( São Jorge ), Parque Nacional Chapada dos Veadeiros [-14.038814, -47.622971]. Collected by P. C. Motta, X.2009 ( DZUB 5357 ) ; male from Brazil, Goiás, Cavalcante, Fazenda Miraflores [-13.811866, -47.432565]. Collected by P. C. Motta, XI.2013 ( DZUB 7494 ) ; female from Brazil, Goiás, Cristalina, Serra dos Topázios [-16.716671, -47.633332]. Collected by P. C. Motta, XI.2016 ( DZUB 8701 ) .

Etymology. The species is named after the geographical region of the type locality, named Planalto Central (noun in apposition).

Generic placement. It belongs in Ocrepeira by having wide and low carapace. The abdomen has one pair of anterior tubercles and is attached to the pedicel by its anterior half. The epigynum have a broad scape and is heavily sclerotized, with distinct median and lateral plates. In the males, one macroseta is present on the palpal patella. The large conductor is attached to the thin paramedian apophysis and the median apophysis is long and wide, as stated by Levi (1993).

Diagnosis. The females differ from most Ocrepeira species by the wide lateral plates of the epigynum touching each other in the posterior view and partially hiding the posterior median plate ( Fig. 25 ). Ocrepeira pinhal Levi has both the lateral plates touching and triangular scape originating from the base of the epigynum ( Levi, 1993, fig. 213) as in O. planalto n. sp. The latter is different by having the scape slightly smaller than the base ( Fig. 23 ), and the epigynum is about square-shaped in posterior view due to its very wide lateral plates ( Fig. 24 ). Furthermore, two dark spots are present in the ventral view of the epigynum in all females of O. planalto n. sp. ( Fig. 22 ). The male resembles O. gima Levi by the sickle-shaped terminal apophysis and the size of the median apophysis. It differs by the elliptical shape of the conductor. Both terminal and median apophysis are longer and the latter has a smooth tip ( Fig. 27 ).

Description. Female holotype from Fazenda Trijunção, Jaborandi. Total length 6.40. Carapace: 3.05 long, 2.68 wide, 1.18 high. Cephalic region brown with short white setae, thoracic region with glabrous dark brown sides. Clypeus: 0.21. Chelicerae: orange to brown, fangs redish-brown. Eye diameters: AME 0.14, ALE 0.11, PME 0.16, PLE 0.10. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.18, AME–ALE 0.53, PME–PME 0.25, PME–PLE 0.67, AME–PME 0.15. Endites: 0.54 long, 0.46 wide, brown, white from the half to median edges. Labium: 0.45 long, 0.64 wide, same color pattern as in endites. Sternum: 1.30 long, 1.34 wide, orange with white spots. Legs: yellow with irregular brown rings and spots. Leg formula 1 2 4 3. Measures: L1. Femur 3.27, patella 1.44, tibia 2.48, metatarsus 2.32, tarsus 0.90 / L2. Femur 2.93, patella 1.43, tibia 2.07, metatarsus 2.16, tarsus 0.78 / L3. Femur 1.73, patella 0.94, tibia 1.25, metatarsus 1.13, tarsus 0.63 / L4. Femur 2.57, patella 1.05, tibia 1.90, metatarsus 1.95, tarsus 0.68 / Pedipalp. Femur 0.75, patella 0.40, tibia 0.54, tarsus 0.93. Abdomen: 5.57 long, 3.93 wide, 2.67 high. Dark grey with light spots and a white cardiac mark, the sides have a wavy black line each. The venter has a wide dark grey area, with two small white spots near the spinnerets.

Male paratype from Fazenda Trijunção, Jaborandi. Total length 4.91. Carapace: 2.57 long, 2.28 wide, 0.81 high. Covered with short white setae on the sides, cephalic region orange with brown spots, thoracic region orange with brown. Clypeus: 0.18. Chelicerae: orange to greyish-orange, fangs brown. Eye diameters: AME 0.15, ALE 0.09, PME 0.16, PLE 0.08. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.15, AME–ALE 0.27, PME–PME 0.24, PME–PLE 0.40, AME–PME 0.11. Endites: 0.38 long, 0.40 wide; orange, white from the half to median edges. Labium: 0.24 long, 0.42 wide, same color pattern as in endites. Sternum: 1.18 long, 1.06 wide, light orange with white spots. Legs: same color pattern as in females, second femur with groove, second tibia wide and armored with strong macrosetae. First coxae with a distal hook, third and fourth coxae and trochanters with one macrosetae each. Leg formula 1 2 4 3. Measures: L1. Femur 2.57, patella 0.97, tibia 1.89, metatarsus 1.78, tarsus 0.66 / L2. Femur 2.69, patella 1.03, tibia 1.67, metatarsus 1.89, tarsus 0.74 / L3. Femur 1.66, patella 0.66, tibia 1.10, metatarsus 0.89, tarsus 0.53 / L4. Femur 2.21, patella 0.74, tibia 1.38, metatarsus 1.62, tarsus 0.61. Abdomen: 2.93 long, 2.33 wide, 1.03 high.Abdomen grey with light spots. The venter has a big grey square and two white spots near the spinnerets, as in females.

Variation. Total length of females 6.40 to 8.50. Abdomen varies from orange to dark grey and pattern of spots and stripes on the dorsal abdomen may be variable. Total length of males 3.95 to 4.91, the abdominal wavy black line might be inconspicuous.

Matching sexes. One pair was collected in a recently made wasp nest in Jaborandi. They were considered conspecific by having one pair of abdominal tubercles with an anterior white band between them, ventral abdomen with a pair of posterior white patches, legs with femur distal brown and proximal beige, AME straight, PME procurved and on a swelling, and clypeus height about 1.5 diameters of AME.

Distribution and natural history. Found in Central Brazil. The females were collected in the hub of complete orb-webs. One specimen from Jaborandi made its egg sac and wrapped it with the data label as observed in the female of Carepalxis quasimodo n. sp.

Figures

FIGURES 22–29. Ocrepeira planalto n. sp. 22–25, Epigynum (22, ventral; 23, lateral; 24, posterior; 25, posterior, cleared). 26, Female dorsal habitus. 27, Male palp. 28–29, Male habitus (28, dorsal; 29, lateral). Voucher: 22–24, 26, (DZUB 9280); 25, (DZUB 5357); 27–29, (DZUB 9279). Scale bars: genitalia, 0.25 mm; other drawings, 1 mm.