Architis capricorna Carico, 1981

Santos, Adalberto J. & Nogueira, André A., 2008, Three new species, new records and notes on the nursery-web spider genus Architis in Brazil (Araneae: Pisauridae), Zootaxa 1815, pp. 51-61 : 55-57

Architis capricorna Carico, 1981

( Figures 9–10 )

Material examined. BRAZIL: Santa Catarina: 138ɗ 72Ψ, Paulo Lopes, Parque Estadual do Tabuleiro, 28º16'S 49º03'W, 10–20.I.2003, equipe Biotal coll. ( IBSP 60425, 94833–94882).

Remarks. All specimens cited above were collected by pitfall trap, with the exception of a male (IBSP 60425) collected with winkler extractor. This confirms the suggestion by Santos (2007a) that this is an active, ground-dwelling species.

Female specimens from above locality have a marked variation in the morphology of the epigynum. Instead of lateral lobes that project posteriorly and over the median field, as observed in all specimens examined earlier ( Santos 2007a; fig. 19D), these spiders have the lateral lobes projected ventrally and with a markedly hyaline ventral face leaving the median field completely exposed ( Fig. 9 ). However, the internal genitalia and male pedipalpus are virtually undistinguishable from those of specimens from other localities (but see comments on male genitalia below), suggesting this species has a dimorphic epigynum. Genitalic dimorphism or polymorphism has been observed in other spiders species such as the oxyopid Peucetia viridans (Hentz, 1832) , the salticid Bryantella smaragdus (Crane 1945) and the pholcid Siboneya anthraia Huber & Gonzalez 2001 ( Brady 1964; Scioscia 1995; Huber & Gonzalez 2001). It is not clear whether this is a rare phenomenon in spiders or if it is common but usually undected due to the preferential use of genitalic organs to delimit spi- der species and the fact that most species are based on few specimens ( Jocqué 2002; Huber 2003).

The examination of several males from Paulo Lopes reveals some variation in the shape and width of the retrolateral projection of the ventral tibial apophysis. However, this variation is apparently continuous within the specimens and it seems to be a result of differences in positioning. This structure is an outgrowth of the ventral tibial apophysis, fused laterally to the dorsal branch of the retrolateral tibial apophysis ( Fig. 10 ; Santos 2007a; fig. 20C). Thus its projection in lateral view depends on how much it is folded prolaterally, which is variable between specimens. Finally, the examination of these recently examined specimens also revealed a formerly unnoticed feature, the presence of a hyaline area at the baso-retrolateral border of the cymbial alveolus ( Fig. 10 ).

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 10. Architis spp. 7 – 8, Architis neblina Santos & Nogueira sp. nov. (paratype IBSP 91474): 7, female epigynum, ventral view; 8, female internal genitalia, dorsal view. 9 – 10, Architis capricorna Carico (IBSP 94871): 9, female epigynum, ventral view; 10, male pedipalpus, ventral-retrolateral view. The arrow points to a hyaline area at the retrolateral-posterior border of the cymbial alveolus. Abbreviations: C, conductor; CD, copulatory ducts; dRTA, dorsal branch of retrolateral tibial apophysis; DTP, distal tegular projection; FD, fertilisation ducts; HS, head of spermathecae; LL, lateral lobes of epigynum; MA, median apophysis; MF, median field of epigynum; RP, retrolateral projection of VTA; SC, sclerotised case of CD; SK, spermathecal knob; SS, stalk of spermathecae; ST, subtegulum; vRTA, ventral branch of retrolateral tibial apophysis; VTA, ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: 7 – 9, 0.1 mm; 10, 0.2 mm.