Melloleitaoina uru, 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 : 123-124

Melloleitaoina uru sp. n. Figs 12-21

Melloleitaoina crassifemur : Gerschman and Schiapelli 1973: 87, Fig. 50 (in part, female only). Syn n.

Material examined.

Type material. Holotype male from Argentina, Salta, 37,5 Km O. Hickmann, 235m above sea level, 23°11'60"S, 63°34'0"W, Goloboff, Coyle, Bennet leg. (MACN-Ar 26042). Paratypes: female from Argentina, Salta, Aguaray, Punilla, 570m above sea level, 22°16'0"S, 63°43'60"W, iv-1948, Biraben leg. (MACN-Ar 6542); 2 males and 1 female, with the same data (MACN-Ar 6543); male from Argentina, Salta, Campamento Vespucio, 450m above sea level, 22°36'0"S, 63°49'0"W, 10-13-v-1988, Goloboff leg. (MACN-Ar 26043); 2 females from Argentina, Salta, Pocitos (Salvador Mazza), 800m above sea level, 22°4'0"S, 63°43'0"W, xi-1951; Biraben leg. (MACN-Ar 6544).

Other material. Juvenile from Argentina, Salta, Aguaray, Punilla, 22°16'0"S, 63°43'60"W, iv-1948, Biraben leg. (MACN-Ar 6542); 3 juveniles from Argentina, Salta, Pocitos (Salvador Mazza), 22°4'0"S, 63°43'0"W, xi-1951; Biraben leg. (MACN-Ar 6544).

Diagnosis.

Males differ from other Melloleitoina species by the palpal bulb morphology with very curved embolus with a conspicuous subapical triangular tooth and well-developed PI and PS (Figs 16-18). Females differ from other Melloleitaoina species by the shape of the spermathecae with elongated seminal receptacles with small granules (Fig. 15).

Description.

Holotype male (MACN-Ar 26042): total length, not including chelicerae or spinnerets, 13.8, carapace length 6.5, width 5.5. Color (in alcohol): cephalotorax, legs clear reddish brown, cephalotorax with few brown and golden setae, abdomen brown with a patch urticating setae golden brown. Anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior slightly recurved. Eyes and interdistances: AME 0.17, ALE 0.27, PME 0.17, PLE 0.22, AME-AME 0.12, AME-ALE 0.06, PME-PME 0.43, PME-PLE 0.025, ALE-PLE 0.06, AME-PME 0.075, ALE-ALE 0.50. OQ length 0.97, width 0.72, clypeus 0.025. Fovea transverse, procurved, width 0.75. Chelicerae with 8 well-developed teeth on furrow promargin, 12/14 small teeth on the proximal area of furrow. Labium length 0.57, width 1.45, with 11 cuspules. Maxillae with 109/114 cuspules. Sternum length 2.6, width 2.6. Coxae III and IV with spiniform setae on promargin (Figs 19-20). Tarsi I-IV scopula widely divided. Tarsal claws with 3 small teeth on proximal half, ventral midline. Sparse scopulae on metatarsi; metatarsus I scopulate on distal half, II on distal third, III apically, IV without scopula. Tibia I with prolatero-ventral distal apophysis with two very unequal branches (Fig. 21); PB subtriangular, small, with basal spine, similar size to the branch, RB curved, at least five 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 very curved and with a conspicuous subapical triangular tooth, two prolateral keels (PI and PS) present, subequal (Figs 16-18).

Spination. Femora: palp 1P; I 1P; II 1P; III 1P, 1R; IV 1R. Patellae: palp 0; I 0; II 0; III 1P; IV 0. Tibiae: palp 2P; I 2V, 1P; II 3V, 1P; III 7V, 2P, 2R; IV 7V, 2P, 3R. Metatarsi: I 2V, 1P; II 2V, 1P; III 9V, 3P, 2R; IV 10V, 3P, 3R. Tarsi: palp, I-IV 0.

Legs and palpal segments lengths (femur/patella/tibia/metatarsus/tarsus). Palp: 3.2/2.0/2.7/1.1 total 9.0; I: 5.3/2.7/4.0/3.6/2.3 total 17.9; II: 4.7/2.4/3.3/3.2/2.1 total 15.7; III: 3.9/1.9/2.5/3.7/2.1 total 14.1; IV: 5.9/2.4/5.0/6.6/2.3 total 22.2.

Paratype female (MACN-Ar 6542): total length, not including chelicerae or spinnerets, 14.8, carapace length 6.6, width 5.7. Color (in alcohol): as in male. Anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior slightly recurved. Eyes and interdistances: AME 0.17, ALE 0.31, PME 0.17, PLE 0.25, AME-AME 0.15, AME-ALE 0.06, PME-PME 0.4, PME-PLE 0.025, ALE-PLE 0.075, AME-PME 0.10, ALE-ALE 0.56. OQ length 1.02, width 0.95, clypeus 0.025. Fovea transverse, procurved, width 1.12. Chelicerae with 10 well-developed teeth on furrow promargin, 12 small teeth on the proximal area of furrow. Labium length 0.62, width 1.42, with 6 cuspules. Maxillae with 96/89 cuspules. Sternum length 2.9, width 2.9. Coxae III and IV with spiniform setae on promargin (Figs 19-20). Tarsi palp, I-IV scopula widely divided. Tarsal claws with 3 small teeth on proximal half, ventral midline. Sparse scopulae on metatarsi; metatarsus I scopulate on distal half, II on distal third, III and IV without scopula. Type IV urticating setae present. Spermathecae with two elongated seminal receptacles with small granules (Fig. 15).

Spination. Femora: palp 0; I 0; II 1P; III 1P, 1R; IV 0. Patellae: palp 0; I 0; II 0; III 1P; IV 0. Tibiae: palp 3V; I 0; II 0; III 4V, 3P, 1R; IV 7V, 3P, 2R. Metatarsi: I 2V; II 3V; III 6V, 3P, 2R; IV 10V, 3P, 3R. Tarsi: palp, I-IV 0.

Legs and palpal segments lengths (femur/patella/tibia/metatarsus/tarsus). Palp: 3.2/2.4/2.0/2.1 total 9.7; I: 4.0/2.5/3.0/2.4/1.5 total 13.4; II: 3.8/2.5/2.7/2.4/1.6 total 13.0; III: 3.2/2.4/2.0/3.0/1.6 total 12.2; IV: 4.7/2.6/4.0/5.0/2.0 total 18.3.

Variation.

Males and females total length 9.2-16.5. Labium cuspules 6-14.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a noun taken in apposition and refers to an ancient legend Quichua, from the northern limit of Argentina, about the princess Inca Uru, who by their whims and bad government was transformed by the gods into a spider and forced to endlessly work weaving.