Melloleitaoina mutquina, Perafan, Carlos & Perez-Miles, Fernando, 2014

Perafan, Carlos & Perez-Miles, Fernando, 2014, Three new species of Melloleitaoina Gerschman & Schiapelli, 1960 (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae) from northern Argentina, ZooKeys 404, pp. 117-129 : 121-123

Melloleitaoina mutquina sp. n. Figs 7-11

Material examined.

Known only from types.

Type material.

Holotype male from Argentina, Catamarca, Mutquín, 1500m above sea level, 28°19'0"S, 66°10'0"W, 2-ii-1981, E. Maury leg. (MACN-Ar 7737).

Diagnosis.

Male differs from other Melloleitaoina species by the palpal bulb morphology with the embolus less curved, absence of triangular tooth, PS very flat and apex widened (Figs 9 and 10). Females unknown.

Description.

Holotype male (MACN-Ar 7737): total length, not including chelicerae or spinnerets, 9.4, carapace length 4.1, width 3.7. Color (in alcohol): cephalotorax, legs light reddish brown, cephalotorax with few brown and golden setae, abdomen brown with a patch of urticating setae golden brown. Anterior eye row procurved, posterior slightly recurved. Eyes and interdistances: AME 0.15, ALE 0.20, PME 0.11, PLE 0.15, AME-AME 0.11, AME-ALE 0.066, PME-PME 0.33, PME-PLE 0.022, ALE-PLE 0.077, AME-PME 0.055, ALE-ALE 0.40. OQ length 0.68, width 0.61, clypeus 0.022. Fovea transverse, procurved, width 0.66. Chelicerae with 10/9 well-developed teeth on furrow promargin, 5/3 small teeth on the proximal area of furrow. Labium length 0.48, width 0.78, with 6 cuspules. Maxillae with 38/39 cuspules. Sternum length 1.9, width 1.9. Tarsi I-IV scopula widely divided. Tarsal claws with 1-4 small teeth on proximal half, ventral midline. Sparse scopulae on metatarsi; metatarsus I scopulate on distal third, II apically, III and IV without scopula. Tibia I with prolatero-ventral distal apophysis with two very unequal branches (Fig. 11); PB subtriangular, small, with basal curved spine, much longer than branch, RB curved, around ten times bigger than PB with internal medial spine that exceeds length of branch. Metatarsus I slightly curved, flexion on RB. Femur III thickened. Type III-IV intermediate urticating setae present. Palpal organ piriform with the embolus slightly curved, two prolateral keels (PI and PS) present, PS very flat, apex widened (Figs 9 and 10).

Spination. Femora: palp 0; I 0; II 0; III 0; IV 0. Patellae: palp 0; I 0; II 0; III 0; IV 0. Tibiae: palp 0; I 0; II 1P; III 1V, 1P; IV 1V, 1P, 1R. Metatarsi: I 1V; II 1V; III 3V, 2P; IV 4V, 1P. Tarsi: palp, I-IV 0.

Legs and palpal segments lengths (femur/patella/tibia/metatarsus/tarsus). Palp: 2.2/1.3/1.5/0.8 total 5.8; I: 3.5/2.0/2.9/2.1/1.4 total 11.9; II: 3.0/1.7/2.3/2.1/1.4 total 10.5; III: 2.7/1.4/1.8/2.3/1.4 total 9.6; IV: 3.8/1.7/3.0/4.0/1.8 total 14.3.

Etymology.

The specific epithet mutquina is a noun taken in apposition and means place or thing to smell in Quichua language and refers to the locality of Mutquín, where this species is distributed. It denotes the aroma of the flora of the region that emerges especially after rains, perfuming the village of aromatics herbs.