Tullgrenella quadripunctata, Mello-Leitao, 1944, Mello-Leitao, 1944

Marta, Kimberly S., Bustamante, Abel A., Hagopián, Damián, Teixeira, Renato A., Brescovit, Antonio D., Valiati, Victor H. & Rodrigues, Everton N. L., 2024, Taxonomic revision of the jumping spider genus Tullgrenella Mello-Leitão, 1941 (Araneae: Salticidae: Freyina), Zootaxa 5411 (1), pp. 1-71 : 27-28

quadripunctata group

Species included. Tullgrenella quadripunctata ( Mello-Leitão, 1944) , T. nadjae Estol, Marta & Rodrigues, 2020 and T. lunata ( Mello-Leitão, 1944) .

Diagnosis. Males can be distinguished by the following putative synapomorphies: embolar base ribbon-flat shape, sickle-shaped cymbium, longer embolus (the size exceeding the cymbium apex), and lanceolate conductor ( Figs 4B , 6D–E , 21C , 23C , 25C ). Females are distinguished based on the following synapomorphies: copulatory opening antero-medially placed and faced down, and copulatory ducts having loops of similar dimensions ( Figs 7F–7H , 22D , 24D , 26D ).

Distribution. Bolivia [La Paz], Brazil (Amapá, São Paulo, and Rio Grande do Sul), Uruguay (Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandú, Río Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Treinta y Tres, Salto, and Durazno) and Argentina (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, La Pampa, Neuquén, Río Negro, and Corrientes) ( Figs 51A–B ).

Natural history. Individuals can be associated with soil habitats, as they were collected on rocks and shrubs in grasslands. The species T. quadripunctata and T. lunata can be considered sympatric in the Chacoan–Brazilian subregions, but T. lunata has a larger distribution area, exceeding the South America Transitional Zone and occurring in the Andean subregion ( Figs 51A–B ). In this regionalization, different provinces are present, which include both forest and grassland physiognomies. Of these species, T. nadjae seems to be restricted to the South American Transitional Zone ( Figs 51A–B ). The altitudinal occurrence of these species is 5–4776 m a. s. l. ( Figs 51A–B ).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Scanning electronic microscopy of male left palp, ventral view.A T. musica (Mello-Leitão, 1945) (MCN 53370). B T. quadripunctata (Mello-Leitão, 1944) (MCTP 16531). C T. yungae Galiano, 1970 (MCN 44133). D T. serrana Galiano, 1970 (MCTP 31126). E T. aisenbergae Marta, sp. nov. (IBSP 118477). F T. peniaflorensis Galiano, 1970 (FNAG36 1464). Scale bars: 0.50 mm. Colored homology: purple and purple arrow (tegular membranous process), blue (embolar base), green (conductor), magenta (tegulum), orange (embolus), red (pars pendula).

FIGURE 6. Expanded male left palp of Tullgrenella.A–C T. musica (Mello-Leitão, 1945) (MCN 53371), ventral (A), retrolateral (B) and prolateral (C) view. D–F T. lunata (Mello-Leitão, 1944) (MACN-Ar 42300), ventral view (D), retrolateral (E) and prolateral (F) view. G–I T. serrana Galiano, 1970 (MACN-Ar 6262), ventral (G), retrolateral (H) and prolateral (I) view. Scale bars: 0.50 mm. Black arrow: rotation direction; arrows in other colors refer to the structures with the same annotated colors.

FIGURE 7. Illustrations of female epigynum of Tullgrenella, dorsal view. A–E morenensis group: A T. morenensis (Tullgren, 1905) (MCN 19940), B T. guayapae Galiano, 1970 (MCN 55520), C T. brescoviti Estol, Marta & Rodrigues, 2020 (MCN 24104), D T. musica (Mello-Leitão,1945) (MCN 53372), E T. corrugata Galiano, 1981 (MACN-Ar 7206). F–H quadripunctata group: F T. quadripunctata (Mello-Leitão, 1944) (MCTP 2239), G T. nadjae Estol, Marta & Rodrigues, 2020 (MCN 56814), H T. lunata (Mello-Leitão, 1944) (MACN-Ar 6214). I–J melanica group: I T. melanica (Mello-Leitão, 1941) (MACN-Ar 6244), J T. yungae Galiano, 1970 (MCTP 39713). K–O serrana group: K T. serrana Galiano, 1970 (MCTP 12173), L T. legalissima Marta & Hagopián, sp. nov. (IBSP 118228), M T. aisenbergae Marta, sp. nov. (IBSP 123129), N T. gertschi Galiano, 1981 (MACN-Ar 7206), O T. sciosciae Marta & Bustamante, sp. nov. (MCTP 31135). P–Q peniaflorensis group: P T. peniaflorensis Galiano, 1970 (MACN-Ar 6242), Q T. selenita Galiano, 1970 (FNAC 36). Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 21. Male of T. quadripunctata (Mello-Leitão, 1944). A habitus (MCN 14882), dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C left palp (IBSP 123127), ventral view, red arrow: tegulum central depression. D same, retrolateral view. Scale bars: A–B 1 mm, C–D 0.50 mm.

FIGURE 22. Female of T. quadripunctata (Mello-Leitão, 1944). A habitus (MCN 14882), dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C epigynum (MCTP 2239), ventral view. D same, dorsal view. Scale bars: A–B 1 mm, C–D 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 23. Male of T. nadjae Estol, Marta & Rodrigues, 2020 (MCN 23782). A habitus, dorsal view. B same, ventral view. C left palp, ventral view. D same, retrolateral view, red arrow: ventral projection on tibia. Scale bars: A–B 1 mm, C–D 0.50 mm.

FIGURE 24. Female of T. nadjae Estol, Marta & Rodrigues, 2020 (MCN 56814). A habitus, dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C epigynum, ventral view, red arrow: subseptum. D same, dorsal view. Scale bars:A–B 1 mm, C–D 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 25. Male of T. lunata (Mello-Leitão, 1944) (MACN-Ar 6214). A habitus, dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C left palp, ventral view, red arrow: tegulum central depression. D same, retrolateral view. Scale bars: A–B 1 mm, C–D 0.50 mm.

FIGURE 26. Female of T. lunata (Mello-Leitão, 1944) (MACN-Ar 6217).A habitus, dorsal view, red arrow: spotted coloration pattern. B same, ventral view. C epigynum, ventral view. D same, dorsal view. Scale bars: A–B 1 mm, C–D 0.25 mm.

FIGURE51. NeotropicalandAndean regionalization(Morrone 2014) anddistributional recordsfor speciesof the quadripunctata group. A Neotropical, South America, Brazilian subregion Chacoan subregion, South America Transition Zone and Andean region. B Southern South America, focusing on species occurrence. C habitat inference, Uruguay: Montevideo, Melilla, photographed by collector Damián Hagopián.