Mesabolivar kathrinae Huber, 2015

Huber, Bernhard A., 2018, The South American spider genera Mesabolivar and Carapoia (Araneae, Pholcidae): new species and a framework for redrawing generic limits, Zootaxa 4395 (1), pp. 1-178 : 68

Mesabolivar kathrinae Huber, 2015

Figs 255–256 , 273 , 296

Mesabolivar kathrinae Huber, 2015: 8 , figs 4, 11, 26–27, 57–61, 75–77 (♂♀, Brazil: Bahia).

Diagnosis. (amended; see Huber 2015). Easily distinguished from similar congeners ( M. pallens , M. azureus , M. brasiliensis ) by slender procursus (compare Figs 271–279 ) (but see Note below) and by epigynum without median pocket (Huber 2015: figs 26, 60; Fig. 296 ).

Note. A very similar species occurs in Paraná state (Fazenda Experimental Gralha Azul, 25.667°S, 49.270°W; specimens in ZFMK Ar 19104 and Br10-59; “Br10-4” in Fig. 730 ). Males seem to be slightly larger but otherwise identical in all details; females differ by having a shallow but distinct median epigynal pocket ( Fig. 297 ).

Type material. BRAZIL: Bahia: ♂ holotype, 1♀ paratype, IBSP (166456), 7♂ 3♀ paratypes, ZFMK (Ar 12621), Reserva Biológica de Una, ‘site 2’ (15°10.6’S, 39°03.5’W), ~ 50–100 m a.s.l., 4.x.2011 (B.A. Huber, A. Pérez-González, M. Alves Dias).

New records. BRAZIL: Bahia: 5♂ 6♀ in pure ethanol, UFPI ( ARA 272 ), Maracás, near Sede da Ferbasa (13.471°S, 40.438°W), 955 m a.s.l., 11–13.iii.2012 (E. Araújo, A. Medeiros).

Alagoas: 27♂ 23♀, ZFMK (Ar 19094–95), near Murici, Estação Ecológica de Murici (9°14.8’S, 35°50.3’W), 350– 400 m a.s.l., 18.v.2015 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho) ; 1♂ 2♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br 15-198), same data ; 12♂ 14♀ 5 juvs, ZFMK (Ar 19096), same data but 19.v.2015 ; 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br 15-205), same data .

Pernambuco: 5♂ 4♀ 6 juvs, ZFMK (Ar 19097), near Bonito, forest near Cachoeira da Gruta (8°32.8’S, 35°42.7’W), 380 m a.s.l., 24–25.v.2015 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho) ; 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br 15-223), same data . 6♂ 16♀ 2 juvs, ZFMK (Ar 19098–99), Reserva Biológica de Saltinho (8°43.6’S, 35°10.7’W), 50 m a.s.l., 26.v.2015 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho).

Paraíba: 2♂ 2♀ 3 juvs, ZFMK (Ar 19100), Jardim Botânico Benjamin Maranhão, " Mata do Buraquinho " (7°08.31’S, 34°51.46’W), 30 m a.s.l., 2.vi.2015 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho) ; 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br 15- 247), same data . 2♂ 2♀ 4 juvs, ZFMK (Ar 19101), Floresta Nacional da Restinga de Cabedelo, " Mata do Amém " (7°03.9’S, 34°51.2’W), 30 m a.s.l., 2.vi.2015 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho); 2 juvs in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br 15- 248), same data .

Amapá: 6♂ 4♀ 6 juvs, ZFMK (Ar 19102–03), forest SW Macapá, ‘site 1’ (0.051°S, 51.136°W), 25 m a.s.l., 12.x.2016 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho) ; 2♀ 3 juvs in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br 16-247), same data .

Description (amendments; see Huber 2015). Tibia 1 in 56 newly examined males: 7.2–10.7 (mean 9.4); in 62 females: 6.3–8.6 (mean 7.4). Male and female leg femora distally wider than proximally; male femora 2 thicker distally than other femora (femora maximum width in large male: 0.17, 0.25, 0.17, 0.18). ‘Valve’ in internal female genitalia sometimes dark and clearly visible through cuticle, sometimes not visible from outside.

Natural history. The spiders were found in weakly domed webs freely suspended among the vegetation, usually about 0.5–1.5 m above the ground. Males and females sometimes shared a web.

Distribution. Widely distributed in NE Brazil ( Fig. 730 ).

Figures

FIGURES 253–260. Live specimens, Mesabolivar kathrinae group and M. cyaneotaeniatus group. 253–254. M. azureus (Badcock, 1932), males from Penedo. 255–256. M. kathrinae Huber, 2015, male and female from Murici. 257–258. M. cyaneotaeniatus (Keyserling, 1891), male and female from St. Hilaire/Lange. 259–260. M. kaingang sp. n., male and female from St. Hilaire/Lange.

FIGURES 271–279. Left procursi, retrolateral views. 271. Mesabolivar azureus (Badcock, 1932) (ZFMK Ar 19087). 272. M. pallens sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 19093). 273. M. kathrinae Huber, 2015 (ZFMK Ar 12621). 274–279. M. brasiliensis (Moenkhaus, 1898), males from Cantareira (274, ZFMK Ar 19106), Ubatuba (275, ZFMK Ar 19105), Paraty (276–277, ZFMK Ar 19109, 19116), Rio das Pedras (278, ZFMK Ar 19113), and Guapiaçú (279, ZFMK Ar 19110). Arrows point at present/absent dorsal widening possibly indicating presenceof two species.Scale line:0.2 (all at same scale).

FIGURES 292–305. Female epigyna in ventral views and cleared female genitalia in dorsal views, Mesabolivar kathrinae group and M. cyaneotaeniatus group. 292–293. M. azureus (Badcock, 1932) (ZFMK Ar 19087). 294–295. M. pallens sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 19093). 296. M. kathrinae Huber, 2015 (ZFMK Ar 12621). 297. M. sp., undescribed species (ZFMK Ar 19104), from Paraná, Fazenda Experimental Gralha Azul.298–299. M.brasiliensis (Moenkhaus, 1898), from Ubatuba (298, ZFMK Ar 19105) and Guapiaçú (299, ZFMK Ar 19110). 300–303.M.cyaneotaeniatus (Keyserling, 1891) (‘true’) from St.Hilaire/Lange (300, ZFMK Ar 19134) and Vargem Alta (301, ZFMK Ar 19136), and possible heterospecific specimens from Guapiaçú (302, ZFMK Ar 19120) and Pau Brasil (303, ZFMK Ar 19141). 304–305. M. kaingang sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 19142). Arrows point at present (300)/absent (302) dark ridges.

FIGURES 730–731. Known distribution of the Mesabolivar kathrinae group. “?”: dubious record of M. brasiliensis in Mello- Leitão (1947c).TL, type locality.