Eilica pomposa Medan, 2001

Ott, Ricardo & Rodrigues, Everton Nei Lopes, 2011, Description of the female of Eilica pomposa (Araneae, Gnaphosidae) with new records and notes on species distribution, Zootaxa 3041, pp. 63-65 : 63-65

Eilica pomposa Medan, 2001

( Figs. 1–9 )

Eilica pomposa Medan, 2001: 423 , figs. 5–7 (male holotype from Reserva Natural Otamendi, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, 18 March 1998, Belén Fuentes and Osvaldo Di Iorio leg., deposited in MACN 2780, not examined).

Diagnosis. Eilica pomposa females ( Figs. 5–9 ) are close to E. modesta and E. trilineata by genital shape ( Platnick, 1975: 7–8, fig. 11, 15), however it differs from the first by the larger and more conspicuous anterior spermatic ducts and from the later by the absence of a large coil in the posterior portion of the copulatory duct ( Figs 7, 9 ). Males ( Fig. 1 ) are close to E. modesta and E. rufithorax in the palp structure (see Medan, 2001: 425, figs. 6, 7) but they differ from the first by the larger median apophysis and from the latest by the larger tibial apophysis ( Fig. 1 ).

Description. Male. Described by Medan (2001: 424).

Female (MCN 40230). Total length 4.70. Carapace orange-brown 2.50 long, 1.80 wide, fovea 1.63 appart from anterior carapace border. Chelicera orange-brown with a mesal row of anteriorly directed dark thornlike setae. Endites orange-brown 0.76 long, distally bearing a mesial directed brush of pale setae, anterior border with dark thornlike setae ( Fig. 4 ). Labium 0.55 long; spear shaped. Sternum 1.51 long, 1.08 wide, elliptic, projecting posteriorly between coxae IV ( Fig. 3 ). Abdomen 2.79 long, 1.90 wide, mainly brown appearance defined by a pale background and surrounding wrinkled brown stripes; two main chevron-like pale transversal discontinuous bands, an anterior small one and a half abdominal length broad one; four pairs of dorsal sclerotized depressions ( Fig. 2 ). Epigynum ventral view with anterior hood strongly curved, large spermathecae and posterior “V” shaped border; dorsal view with large spermathecae, copulatory ducts basal portion large and antero-laterally directed, posterior portion smoothly coiled ( Figs. 5–9 ). Legs patella and tibia ventrally slightly darkened; metatarsi of legs I and II darkened. Length femur/tibia I 1.60/1.09, II 1.19/ 0.91, III 1.26/0.79, IV 2.45/1.45. Leg spination: femur: I d0-1-1-0, p1ap.; II d0-1-1-0; III d0-1-1-0, p1ap; IV d0-1-1-0; r1ap. tibia: I v2 -0-2-2; II v2-1 -3-2; III d1-1-1-0, p0-1-1-1, r0-0-1-0, 0-2-2-0; IV p1-0-1-1, r1-0-1-1, v1-2 -3-2; metatarsi: I v2-3 -2-2; II v2-4 -5-2; III p1prox., r1ap., v2-2 -2-2; IV p1ap., r0-1-0-1, v0-2-4-2; tarsi: I v1-2 -3-2; II v0-2-5-3; III v1-3 -4- 2; IV v0-4-4-3.

Variation. Total length 4.28–4.70; carapace dorsal 2.19–2.50; abdomen dorsal 2.34–2.79.

Notes. The male and female sternum shape of Eilica pomposa doesn’t match the generic description of genus presented by Platnick (1975), projecting posteriorly between coxae IV. The ventral leg spination of the specimens seems to be very variable across specimens, both in number of spines and their position; females are apparently more spinose than males.

New records. BRAZIL: Rio Grande do Sul: Porto Alegre, Reserva Biológica do Lami, Lagoa dos Patos Estuary (30°14’09”S, 51°06’15”W), 20.X – 08. XI.2005, 5 males, 2 females, R. Moraes col. (MCN 40230); Porto Alegre, Lami (30°15’04”S, 51°03’52”W), 16. XII.2009, 1 male, R. Ott col. (MCN 46908).

Notes. The specimens from vial MCN 40230 were collected with pitfall traps on sand dunes areas at margins of the Guaíba River – Lagoa dos Patos Estuary (Reserva Biológica do Lami) in areas of “restinga” mixed shrub and hardwood forests. One male, vial MCN 46908, was collected by hand in between 10:00–12:00 AM running under the hot sun between grasses on sand dunes close to the border of “restinga” forests.

Distribution. Known from Argentina (provinces of Buenos Aires and Mendoza) and south Brazil (state of Rio Grande do Sul).

Discussion. The wide distribution of the species reported by Medan (2001) does not constitute surprise for arachnids in this region. Wide distribution patterns of Eilica species were presented by Platnick (1975) for E. modesta , E. rufitorax , E. trilineata and E. uniformis . Even if disrupted, probably due to lack of sampling, another wide distributions of arachnids species, between South America meridional areas close to the Atlantic Ocean and pre-andine areas at Northwest of Argentina, were presented by Ott & Lise (2002) ( Nesticus calilegua Ott & Lise, 2002 ) and Lise et al. (2009) ( Cybaeodamus taim Lise, Ott & Rodrigues, 2009 ) and Maury et al. (1996) ( Acropsopilio chilensis Silvestri, 1904 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1 – 9. Eilica pomposa Keyserling, 1891. 1. Male, Left palpus, ventral view. 2. Female, dorsal view. 3. Female, detail, sternum. 4. Female, carapace, anterior view. 5. Epigynum, detail, ventral view. 6. Epigynum, ventral view; clarified. 7. Epigynum, dorsal view; clarified. 8. Epigynum, ventral view; drawing. 9. Epyginum, dorsal view; drawing. Scale bar: (8, 9) 0.5 mm.