Tibelloides castelo, Prado & Pantoja & Baptista, 2024

Prado, André Wanderley Do, Pantoja, Paulo & Baptista, Renner Luiz Cerqueira, 2024, Two new and unusual species of Tibelloides Mello-Leitão, 1939 (Araneae: Philodromidae), Zootaxa 5497 (4), pp. 559-576 : 561-566

Tibelloides castelo sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:289590C2-591E-412D-A9E7-FBC9811D8A0D

Figs 1–3 , 8

Type-material. Holotype: male from BRAZIL: Piauí: Castelo do Piauí, Serra do Cipó, ECB Rochas Ornamentais LTDA, Fazenda Bonito , 5°14’7.1’’S, 41°41’16.3’’W, no data for collector and date ( MPEG. ARA 35202 ) . Paratypes: BRAZIL: Piauí: 1 male, 1 female ( MPEG. ARA 35206 ) ; 1 female ( MPEG. ARA 35209 ) , same data as for holotype. Piracuruca, PN Sete Cidades, 4°5’40.801’’S, 41°44’2.699’’W , 1 female, 08 July 2006, D. F. Candiani ( MPEG. ARA 35203 ) ; 1 male, same date, N. F. Lo-Man-Hung ( MPEG. ARA 35195 ) . Rio de Janeiro: Araruama, Figueira, 22.9375°S, 42.1888°W , 1 female, 29 March 2009, R. L. C. Baptista & A. Hoffmann ( UFRJ 235 ) .

Additional material examined. BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Santana do Riacho , PN da Serra do Cipó , 1 male, 23 July 2000, E.S.S. Álvares, E.O. Machado ( UFMG 620 ) . Uberlândia, Reserva de Caça e Pesca , 1 female, 5 August 1996, D. Cunha ( IBSP 345186 ) . Piauí: Brasileira, Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades , 4°7’28.942”S, 41°42’47.246”W , 1 female, 12 December 2006, L. S. Carvalho ( MPEG. ARA 35199 ) . Castelo do Piauí, ECB Rochas Ornamentais LTDA, Fazenda Bonito , 5°14’7.1’’S, 41°41’16.3’’W , 1 female ( MPEG. ARA 35196 ) ; 1 female ( MPEG. ARA 35196 ) ; 2 males, 2 females ( MPEG. ARA 35197 ) ; 5 males, 3 females ( MPEG. ARA 35200 ) ; 2 females ( MPEG. ARA 35201 ) ; 1 male ( MPEG. ARA 35202 ) ; 1 male, 2 females ( MPEG. ARA 35204 ) , all same data without specification of collector and date. Piracuruca, Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades , 4°5’40.801’’S, 41°44’2.699’’W , 1 male, 08 December 2006, N. F. Lo-Man-Hung ( MPEG. ARA 35195 ) ; 1 male, same data ( MPEG. ARA 35205 ) ; 1 male, same data ( MPEG. ARA 35208 ) ; 1 male, 07 July 2006, L. S. Carvalho ( MPEG. ARA 35207 ) .

Etymology. The specific epithet, “castelo ”, is a noun in apposition referring to the locality where the holotype and some paratypes were collected.

Diagnosis. Tibelloides castelo sp. nov. and T. juatuba sp. nov. share body and legs very thin and elongated, abdomen at least four times longer than wide, carapace strongly narrowed at eye region, abdomen with one dorsal longitudinal median dark band, male pedipalp with tenent setae extending through almost all the prolateral face of cymbium and no RMC, and female genitalia with elongated and tubular compound copulatory ducts (see Taxonomic notes section in the genus for details and other characteristics). Both sexes of T. castelo sp. nov. differ from T. juatuba sp. nov. by the absence of the median V-shaped band formed by irregular dots on the carapace, and by the absence of marginal dark stripes on the sternum. The male of T. castelo sp. nov. ( Figs 1E, F , 3A–D ) differs from T. juatuba sp. nov. ( Figs 4E, F , 6A–D ) by its embolus wider and less curved, hook-like, with a less pronounced turn that does not encircle the conductor (vs. thinner and more curved, describing a 180 degrees turn around the conductor); wider stem of VTA and RTA in ventral view (vs. narrower); VTA free portion clearly seen as a medium-sized separated rounded lobe, without a keel connecting VTA and RTA (vs. small lobe fused through a thin keel to the RTA free portion); RTA in ventral view shorter, almost straight, with a wide and shallow inner concavity, and with thin, pointed tip (vs. elongated, strongly curved prolaterally, deeply excavated at its inner side in ventral view and with a blunt tip); and RTA in retrolateral view with smaller stem and thinner and pointed tip (vs. more robust stem and less pointed tip). The female of T. castelo sp. nov. ( Figs 2E–G ; 3E–G ) is set apart from T. juatuba sp. nov. ( Fig. 5E–F , 6F ) by its poorly demarcated MS, with its lateral margins indicated by just small sutures (vs. trapezoidal, well-marked MS), CG connected to a very elevated V-shaped median keel over the MS (vs. median keel absent, and anterior lateral margins of MS becoming the mesal portion of CG), which delimit a deep CA (vs. shallow CA); main portion of spermathecae globose and shorter than the long tubular CD (vs. kidney-shaped spermathecae and longer than the tubular CD); and CD strongly curved to the ectal side at the middle, more than three times longer than wide and about as wide as the GH (vs. straight tube about twice as long as wide and wider than the GH).

Description. Male (Holotype MPEG.ARA 35202): Carapace ( Figs 1A, C, D ) much longer than wide, widest between legs II and III, strongly narrowed anteriorly at eye region; background color orange yellow, without median dark band and with two pairs of large lateral dark spots, one at the anterior and the other at the posterior margin of the thoracic area. Between them, there is a faint, interrupted longitudinal band, formed by few irregular and small dark spots. Numerous covering setae and some bristles especially at posterior and lateral margins, and cephalic region of carapace. Cephalic region without a pair of lateral brown cephalic stripes near the PLE. Clypeus vertical and pale yellow, with two irregular dark brown patches and some black dots below the anterior eyes, along with covering setae and a set of long bristles particularly on the margins of the clypeus (most with only sockets left). Chelicerae with basal article yellow bearing scattered black dots and some faint dusky streaks, with two teeth on promargin, cheliceral mound with a set of bristles, fangs light brown ( Fig. 1D ). Labium wider than long, orange yellow, with rounded apex, slightly extending beyond middle of endites. Endites longer than wide, yellow, with one depression on inner margin near base and another on outer margin near apex. Sternum bright yellow, with three pairs of rounded pale yellow markings between legs II-IV, with anterior margin almost straight, and narrow and rounded posterior margin ( Fig. 1B ).

Legs very long and thin, covered by different types of setae and with few long macrosetae disposed mainly on tibiae and metatarsi; tibiae I and II with one ventral pair, no distal ventrolateral pair, and metatarsi I–II with two ventral pairs; metatarsi and tarsi with scopula. Femora, patellae, tibiae, metatarsi, and tarsi yellow covered with irregular black dots and also with some brown spots scattered around. Trochanters with one set of erect thin bristles at distal margin of dorsolateral face. Metatarsi III with a cluster of small conical porous structures on the dorsoapical region. Tarsal claws equal and pectinated, with a row of four barely blunt teeth, spaced out from each other. Claw tuft with abundant scopulated setae, and scopulae conspicuous on tarsi and metatarsi.

Abdomen almost triangular, very elongated, more than four times longer than wide, with a clear notch at middle of anterior margin, covered with few thin and erect dark bristles, and abundant covering setae. Dorsum with background color dusky yellow, with one longitudinal pale brown faint band, interspersed with large isolated dark patches. Cardiac mark brown, not clearly delimited, covered with a black spot. Lateral areas and venter with same background color as dorsum, darker at region anterior to the epigastric furrow and central area, and conic yellow spinnerets ( Fig. 1B ).

Measurements. Total length 4.91. Carapace 1.67 long, 1.19 wide, 0.42 high. Chelicerae 0.38 long, 0.25 wide. Clypeus 0.09 high. Labium 0.18 long, 0.24 wide. Endites 0.31 long, 0.26 wide. Sternum 0.82 long, 0.96 wide. Abdomen 3.21 long, 0.73 wide, 0.62 high. Leg: I. femur 4.05; patella 0.86; tibia 3.64; metatarsus 3.16; tarsus 1.75; total length 13.46; II. 5.48; 0.99; 5.10; 4.48; 2.72; 18.77; III. 3.61; 0.69; 1.37; 2.50; 1.31; 9.48; IV. 5.41; 0.76; 3.94; 4.09; 1.75; 15.95. Leg formula II> IV> I> III. Eyes, diameters and interdistances.AME 0.09, ALE 0.09, PME 0.05, PLE 0.08, AME–AME 0.09, AME–ALE 0.04, ALE–ALE 0.28, PME–PME 0.13, PME–PLE 0.15, PLE–PLE 0.43. MOQ 0.22 long in dorsal view, anterior width 0.25, posterior width 0.23.

Pedipalp ( Fig. 1E, F ; 3A–D ). Yellow, with irregular dark brown spots. Tibia small, almost as long as wide, covered with many bristles throughout, two macrosetae at the ventral margin, near the stem, one dorsal large macroseta at the retrolateral and another at the prolateral margin of its basal half. RTA and VTA originating from a common stem at ventral edge of distal margin of the tibia, flattened in ventral view. RTA shaped as a claw, slightly concave, with a dark pointed apex directed apically in ventral view. VTA shaped as a bulky, yellow ventral lobe with a round tip, merging to the dorsal margin of the RTA and placed alongside the small concavity at RTA basal portion. In lateral view, the stem tapers to the darkened VTA, which appears as an elongated triangle, strongly tapering to its acute dark apex. Cymbium oblong, small, less than twice the length of the tibia, with tip round and narrower than its middle, and with tenent hairs alongside most of the prolateral face up to the tuft at the tip.

Tegulum discoid, orange yellow, embolic base located at prolateral edge of apical margin, partially covered by MF. MF occupying most of retrolateral half and extending to prolateral side of distal cymbial area. Conductor (C) membranous, formed by an inflated translucent lobe covering the retrolateral distal part of the EB and part of the embolus. RMC absent. Embolus black, forming a relatively long and regularly curved claw, pointing prolaterally, oriented almost perpendicularly in relation to the frontal plane of the tegulum, and originating from retrolateral distal edge of EB. Sperm duct clearly visible through most of its extension, forming initially a large curved tube near retrolateral margin of cymbium, disappearing near basal margin of tegulum and reappearing near prolateral lower margin of tegulum as a sinuous S-shaped tube, wider at long median loop and tapering at distal portion, vanishing in black embolus.

Female (MPEG.ARA 35206): Habitus similar as in male, but larger, and with darker color pattern. In female, dark lateral bands on carapace and longitudinal stripe at dorsum of abdomen are more clearly marked, as well as the dark patches on clypeus.

Measurements. Total length 8.13. Carapace 1.69 long, 1.42 wide, 0.43 high. Chelicerae 0.46 long, 0.27 wide. Clypeus 0.11 high. Labium 0.20 long, 0.29 wide. Endites 0.33 long, 0.26 wide. Sternum 1.03 long, 0.73 wide. Abdomen 6.46 long, 1.56 wide, 1.42 high. Legs I, II and III missing. Leg IV. femur 4.68; patella 0.80; tibia 3.67; metatarsus 3.03; tarsus 1.30; total length 13.48. Eyes, diameters and interdistances. AME 0.08, ALE 0.07, PME 0.05, PLE 0.10, AME–AME 0.13, AME–ALE 0.06, ALE–ALE 0.52, PME–PME 0.15, PME–PLE 0.13, PLE–PLE 0.49. MOQ 0.23 long in dorsal view, anterior width 0.26, posterior width 0.24.

Epigyne/vulva ( Figs 2E–G , 3E–G ). Epigyne as long as wide, with a long and almost rectangular median septum (MS), which is very shallow and only demarcated by lateral sutures. Over the center of MS there is a clearly elevated V-shaped keel with high lateral margins curving outwards and forming copulatory guides (CG), which are narrow and shaped as a strongly concave arch. Copulatory atria very deep, clearly delimited at outer elevated margins, and bearing copulatory openings hidden by the elevated and projecting CG. Spermathecae with main portion (S) shaped as a rounded lobe, almost circular, and with a tubular CD placed anteriorly. Area occupied by the two rounded S wider than long, but about as long as wide when including also the CD. Inner margins of spermathecae spaced out from each other through all its extension, external margins of the main part of spermathecae convex, not bearing ectal grooves. CD shaped as a curved tube pointing externally, long and narrow, with more than half of the length of whole spermathecae, and less than half of its width, with texture and sclerotization similar to it. Posterior part of spermathecae narrows slightly and projects dorsally as tubes that taper to fertilization ducts. Glandular head round, placed anteriorly, at CD tip, directed externally, extending beyond anterior margin of S, and without an apparent stalk. Posterior rim thin and round.

Variation. Length variation: 7.17 to 8.13 in females (n = 4) and 4.91 to 5.09 (n = 3) in males. Some specimens may have much darker color pattern, with larger and more contrasting black spots and bands, sometimes with carapace bearing one pair of black longitudinal bands and the abdomen with a large median black band. Also, the three pairs of contrasting pale yellow round spots on the sternum may be inconspicuous. The tibial stem of RTA and VTA may be not so slanted as in the holotype and may also bear a more truncated tip, not tapering right into the triangular RTA, which is placed transversely to it.

Natural history. Most mature specimens were found in open ecosystems during the summer. Most of the records are from Piauí and Minas Gerais, from ecosystems associated to “Cerrado”, some of them characterized by its rupestrian and mountainous soil (“Cerrado rupestre”).

Distribution. There are only isolated records from Brazil, from Piauí (Northern Region) to Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro (Southeastern region) ( Fig. 8 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1A–F. Tibelloides castelo sp. nov., male (MPEG.ARA 35202). A dorsal habitus; B ventral habitus; C cephalothorax in dorsal view; D cephalothorax in frontal view; E, F left pedipalp (E ventral, F retrolateral).Abbreviations: C, conductor; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: A, B 1.0 mm; C, D 0.5 mm; E, F 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 2A–G. Tibelloides castelo sp. nov., female (A–E MPEG.ARA 35206, F,G UFRJ 235). A dorsal habitus; B ventral habitus; C cephalothorax in dorsal view; D cephalothorax in frontal view; E epigyne; F cleared epigyne in ventral view; G vulva in dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD, copulatory duct; CG, copulatory guide; GH, glandular head of spermatheca; PR, posterior rim. Scale bars: A, B 2.0 mm; C, D 0.5 mm; E–G 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 3A–G. Tibelloides castelo sp. nov., male (A–D UFMG 620) and female (E IBSP 345186, F–G MPEG.ARA 35200). A–D left pedipalp (A ventral view, arrows indicate tenent setae, B tegulum apex, C tibial apophyses in retrolateral view, D tibial apophyses in ventral view); E epigyne in ventral view; F, G vulva in dorsal view.Abbreviations: C, conductor; CG, copulatory guide; E, embolus; MF, membranous field; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; VTA, ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: A, C, E, F 0.1 mm; B, D, G 0.02 mm.

FIGURES 4A–F. Tibelloides juatuba sp. nov., male (IBSP 138220). A dorsal habitus; B ventral habitus; C cephalothorax in dorsal view; D cephalothorax in frontal view; E, F left pedipalp (E ventral, F retrolateral). Abbreviations: C, conductor; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: A, B 2.0 mm; C, D 0.5 mm; E, F 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 5A–F. Tibelloides juatuba sp. nov., female (A–E UFMG 12612, F IBSP 81042).A dorsal habitus; B ventral habitus; C cephalothorax in dorsal view; D cephalothorax in frontal view; E epigyne; F vulva in dorsal view.Abbreviations: CD, copulatory duct; CG, copulatory guide; GH, glandular head of spermatheca. Scale bars: A, B 2.0 mm; C, D 0.5 mm; E, F 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 6A–E. Tibelloides juatuba sp. nov., male (A–D IBSP 138219, E MPEG.ARA 35230) and female (F MPEG.ARA 35230). A–D left pedipalp (A ventral view, arrows indicate tenent setae, B tegulum apex, C tibial apophyses in ventral view, D tibial apophyses in retrolateral view); E leg II, prolateral claw (mesal); F epigyne. Abbreviations: C, conductor; CG, copulatory guide; E, embolus; MF, membranous field; MS, median septum; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; VTA, ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: A, F 0.1 mm; B–E 0.02 mm.

FIGURE 8. Known records of Tibelloides castelo sp. nov. and Tibelloides juatuba sp. nov..