Corythalia tropica ( Mello-Leitão, 1939 )

Bayer, Steffen, Höfer, Hubert & Metzner, Heiko, 2020, Revision of the genus Corythalia C. L. Koch, 1850, part 1: Diagnosis and new species from South America (Araneae: Salticidae: Salticinae: Euophryini), Zootaxa 4806 (1), pp. 1-144 : 64-65

Corythalia tropica ( Mello-Leitão, 1939)

Figs 31 A–B, 58G, 65I, 69D

Evarcha tropica Mello-Leitão 1939: 85 , figs 74–75 (description & illustration of ♂). Holotype ♂ from Venezuela: Falcon: very likely Distr. of Acosta , area between Auraurima and San Juan de Los Cayos, roughly ca. 11°00’N, 68°34’ (+/- 20 km) W, about 90 m a.s.l., Dr Hans Gottfried Kugler leg. 1925–1934, NHMB 1202 a, examined.

Corythalia tropica— Galiano 1962: 16, figs 9–10 (transfer from Evarcha ; description & illustration of ♂); Prószyński 1976: 153, fig. 200 (illustration of ♂).

Diagnosis. Males distinguished from those of all other Corythalia species by the following characters in combination: embolus (E) (actual tubular section) moderately long [at most slightly longer than width of tegulum (T); ≤ 1.1x width of T], strong, just minimally S-shaped and distally evenly bifurcated ( Figs 31A , 65I ); distal section of E directed prolatero-distally, E (pre-) subdistally widened, but only at prolateral section; embolus base (EB) circle broader than 1/2 but (slightly) narrower than 2/3 the width of T ( Figs 31A , 65I ).

Description. Male: total length 7.3, carapace length 3.8, maximal carapace width 2.7, width of eye rectangle 2.2, opisthosoma length 3.3, opisthosoma width 2.4, fovea length 0.30. EYES: AME 0.69, ALE 0.46, PME 0.11, PLE 0.40, AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.06, PME–PME 1.91, PME–PLE 0.31, ALE–PLE 0.88, PLE–PLE 1.64, clypeus height at AME 0.43, clypeus height at ALE 0.90. Cheliceral furrow with 1 promarginal and 1 retromarginal teeth. SPINATION: palp without spines. Legs: femur I 1500, II–IV 1600; patella I–II 1000, III–IV 1010; tibia I 2026, II 3025, III 3133, IV 3134; metatarsus I–II 2024, III 3134, IV 4144. MEASUREMENT OF PALP AND LEGS: palp 2.8 [1.1, 0.5, 0.3, 0.9], I 6.5 [2.1, 1.1, 1.4, 1.2, 0.7], II 6.6 [2.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.2, 0.7], III 7.9 [2.5, 1.2, 1.7, 1.8, 0.7], IV 7.7 [2.4, 1.0, 1.6, 1.9, 0.8]. LEG FORMULA: 3421. COPULATORY ORGAN: embolus (E) moderately long (longer than width of tegulum (T), but at most 1.1x), moderately broad, minimally S-shaped and distally evenly bifurcated ( Figs 31A , 65I ); embolus base (EB) circle clearly more than 1/2 but slightly less than 2/3 as broad as T; T somewhat narrower than cymbium ( Figs 31A , 65I ); sperm duct double-stacked S-shaped, occupying about retrolateral 3/4 of T; proximal tegulum lobe not distinguished from remaining T-section, but T retrolateroproximally conically converging with blunt-rounded ending; cymbium in ventral view distally conically converging and at distalmost section rounded; palpal tibia quite short, broader than long ( Figs 31 A–B, 65I, 69C) and ventral tibial bump in ventral view conical and distally rounded; RTA narrow, with retrolatero-distal direction and dorsally with conspicuous serration ( Figs 31A , 65I ), in retrolateral view serration also clearly recognisable ( Figs 31B , 69C ). COLOURATION: see genus description for conservative aspects. Carapace dark red-brown ( Fig. 58G ). Legs dark brown to red-brown, except for tarsi III & IV being lighter ( Fig. 58G ). Opisthosoma like noted in genus description under general dorsal colouration, chevron-like patch in central band present but inconspicuous (however, cuticle of opisthosoma already slightly separated from sub-cuticle) ( Fig. 58G ).

Female: unknown.

Remarks. It is highly probable that the district of Acosta is the type locality of this species as H.G. Kugler, who collected the type specimen, also collected Foraminifera exactly from that region ( Cushman & Renz 1941).

Corythalia tropica is distinctly similar to C. waleckii . These two species are distinguished by just fine differences that may could be regarded as intraspecific variation. However, as long as there is no additional material of C. tropica available (showing variation encountering the variation spectrum of C. waleckii ) we regard the fine differences (see diagnosis above) as specific and thus C. tropica as valid species and not as junior synonym of C. waleckii . Moreover, the female of C. tropica is still unknown so the potential differences in female copulatory organs cannot be considered. According to the distinct similarity, we suppose C. waleckii to be the closest relative of C. tropica .

Distribution. Currently known only from the type locality Falcon, Venezuela.

Figures

FIGURE 31. Corythalia tropica, male holotype from Falcon, Venezuela. A–B Left palp (A ventral view; B retrolateral view).

FIGURE 58. Corythalia spp., photographic images of male specimens, dorsal view. Corythalia fimbriata: A Holotype from Bahia, Brazil. Corythalia argentinensis: B Holotype from Misiones, Argentina. Corythalia luctuosa: C Lectotype from Saint Laurent du Maroni, French Guiana. Corythalia cincta: D Holotype from Presidente Hayes, Paraguay. Corythalia scutellaris Bayer, sp. nov.: E Holotype from south-eastern part of Ecuador. Corythalia waleckii: F Syntype MIZ 225794, Cayenne, French Guiana. Corythalia tropica: G Holotype from Falcon, Venezuela. Corythalia foelixi Bayer, sp. nov.: H Holotype from Cayenne, French Guiana. Corythalia fulgipedia: I Male AMNH-IZC 00327930 from Aragua, Venezuela.

FIGURE 65. Corythalia spp., photographic images of left palps of male specimens, ventral view. Corythalia gasnieri sp. nov.:A Holotype from Amazonas, Brazil. Corythalia fimbriata: B Lectotype from Bahia, Brazil. Corythalia argentinensis: C Holotype from Misiones, Argentina. Corythalia luctuosa: D Lectotype from St. Laurent du Maroni, French Guiana. Corythalia cincta: E Holotype and F Male NHMB 1217a (holotype of Taeoma barbipes) from Presidente Hayes, Paraguay. Corythalia scutellaris Bayer, sp. nov.: G Holotype from south-eastern part of Ecuador. Corythalia waleckii: H Syntype MIZ 225794 from Cayenne, French Guiana. Corythalia tropica: I Holotype from Falcon, Venezuela. Corythalia foelixi Bayer, sp. nov.: J Holotype and K Paratype from Cayenne, French Guiana. Corythalia fulgipedia: L Male AMNH-IZC 00327822-1 from Aragua, Venezuela.

FIGURE 69. Corythalia spp., photographic images of left palps of male specimens, retrolateral view. Corythalia cincta: A Holotype from Presidente Hayes, Paraguay. Corythalia scutellaris Bayer, sp. nov.: B Holotype from south-eastern part of Ecuador. Corythalia waleckii: C Syntype MIZ 225794 from Cayenne, French Guiana. Corythalia tropica: D Holotype from Falcon, Venezuela. Corythalia foelixi Bayer, sp. nov.: E Holotype from Cayenne, French Guiana. Corythalia fulgipedia: F Male AMNH-IZC 00327329 from Aragua, Venezuela. Corythalia electa: G Lectotype from Colombia. Corythalia chalcea: H Male AMNH-IZC 00327893 from Aragua, Venezuela. Corythalia metallica: I Holotype from St. Vincent Island. Corythalia blanda: J Paralectotype M-1 from Trinidad. Corythalia xanthopa: K Male M-2, AMNH-IZC 00326903, from Aragua, Venezuela. Corythalia latior sp. nov.: L Holotype from Beni, Bolivia.