Helvetia santarema Peckham & Peckham, 1894

Figs 11-12

Helvetia santarema Peckham & Peckham, 1894: 119, pl. 12, figs 2, 2a-d ( three female syntypes from Santarém, Pará, Brazil, deposited in Museum of Comparative Zoology, not examined); Galiano 1963b: 2, pl. I, figs 7-10; Galiano, 1965: 48, fig. 9; Platnick, 2007.

Helvetia riojanensis; Galiano, 1965: 50, figs 5-6 (female paratype misidentified).

Cotinusa humillima; Galiano, 1963b: 2 (mismatched male, erroneously synonymized with H. santarema, revalidated in this paper); Galiano, 1965: 47.

Note. Since the type specimens of Helvetia santarema have not been examined, the synonymy is established based on the good illustrations by PECKHAM & PECKHAM (1894, figs 2, 2a-d).

Diagnosis. Females of Helvetia santarema are similar to those of H. albovittata because of the very long copulatory ducts (Fig. 12), but can be distinguished by having very closely set copulatory openings, forming an atrium (Fig. 11).

Description. Female. Described by PECKHAM & PECKHAM (1894: 119).

Male. Unknown.

Note. GALIANO (1963b) supposedly found the male of this species described by Mello-Leitão as Cotinusa humillima, synonymizing these species. This male has a shorter embolus than that expected to be present in this species. The general epigynal conformation of H. santarema is very close to that of H. albovittata, with very long copulatory ducts. The male of H. albovittata, however, has a very long embolus, arising very proximally in the palp and making a loop on the retrolateral, distal part of the cymbium, which is itself modified to hold it. Since there seems to be a very strong correlation between the length of the embolus and the length of the copulatory ducts, Galiano’s establishment is considered erroneous and Cotinusa humillima is revalidated.

Material examined. ARGENTINA, Misiones: 1 female, X.1943, J. Viana leg. (MACN 5110) .

Distribution. Known from Argentina (see also GALIANO

1965: 50) and from the state of Pará, Brazil.