Eustala ericae, Poeta, Maria Rita Muniz, 2014

Poeta, Maria Rita Muniz, 2014, The orb-weaving spider genus Eustala Simon, 1895 (Araneae, Araneidae): eight new species, redescriptions, and new records, Zootaxa 3872 (5), pp. 440-466 : 445-446

Eustala ericae new species

Figs 19–28 , 85

Type material. Holotype: ♂, Potreiro Velho , São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 29°14’S, 50°31’W, XII.1996, A.A. Lise ( MCTP 14139 ). Paratypes: ♀, same data as holotype ( MCTP 14139 ); ♀, São Luiz do Purunã, Paraná, Brazil, 25º27’S, 49º42’W, 27.IV.1967, P. Biasi ( MZSP 7024 ); ♀, Cambará do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 29°02’S, 50°08’W, 30.VIII.1994, N. Silveira ( MCN 25806 ).

Additional material examined. BRAZIL, Rio Grande do Sul: Bom Jesus ( Fazenda Aver ), 28°39’S, 50°26’W, 3♀, 24.III.1989, A.B. Bonaldo ( MCN 18458 , 18460 ); ( Fazenda Santa Cruz ) 2♀, 28.–31.III.1998, A.B. Bonaldo ( MCN 29284 , 29285 ); Cambará do Sul, 29°02’S, 50°08’W, 2♀, 09.I.1976, A.A. Lise ( MCN 3336 , 4049 ); 2♀, 20.X.1994, N. Silveira ( MCN 25822 ); ♀, II.2006; ♀, IV.2006; ♀, XI.2006 ( MCTP 33344–33346 ), all collected by LOAM, Projeto Fogo, UNISINOS; ( Itaimbezinho ) 3♀, 27.IV.1985, A.A. Lise ( MCN 13292 ); ♀, 18.V.1985, A.A. Lise ( MCN 13301 ); São Francisco de Paula ( Potreiro Velho ), 29°14’S, 50°31’W, ♀, 10.–13.IV.1997, A.A. Lise ( MCTP 14243 ).

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym honoring the Brazilian arachnologist, and my first advisor, Erica Helena Buckup from Museu de Ciências Naturais, Rio Grande do Sul.

Diagnosis. Males of Eustala ericae n. sp. ( Figs 19, 20 ) are close to those of E. photographica (see Poeta et al. 2010a: 158, figures 30, 31) by the prominent tegular projection and by the laminar terminal apophysis in the palp. It differs from this species by the lack of the subterminal projection and by the distal part of the embolus hidden by the conductor in mesal view ( Fig. 19 ). Unlike most of species, the embolus can be completely evident in ventral view ( Fig. 20 ). The epigynum ( Figs 23–27 ) of E. ericae n. sp. resembles those of E. photographica (see Poeta et al. 2010a: 158, figures 32–34) by the short and annulated scape and by the large posterior median plate. However, E. ericae n. sp. presents two distinct circular projections on the median plate, in ventral and posterior views ( Figs 23, 24 ), unlike E. photographica that has it flat.

Description. Male (holotype, MCTP 14139): Carapace orange, Anterior median eyes projected ( Figs 21, 22 ), lateral eyes with long white setae, median posterior eyes with dark borders. Sternum pale yellow with gray border. Abdomen oval, longer than wide, dorsum pale white with gray folium, ventral surface light gray with the white median patch faint ( Fig. 22 ). Legs pale yellow. Total length 3.9. Carapace length 2.2, width 1.8. Leg formula 1243. Length leg I: femur 2.5; patella+tibia 2.9; metatarsus 1.8; tarsus 0.7; total 7.9. Patella+tibia II 2.4; III 1.4; IV 2.2.

Female (paratype, MCTP 14139): Carapace pale yellow with a white marking like a “V”, thoracic area with white setae. Posterior median eyes with black borders. Sternum pale yellow with gray border. Abdomen oval, longer than wide. Dorsum pale yellow, with a dark gray band that extends vertically through the abdomen, and a partial folium ( Fig. 28 ). Venter with well-defined dark gray band from the epigastric furrow to the spinnerets and an elongated median white patch. Legs pale yellow. Total length 5.6. Carapace length 2.3, width 1.9. Leg formula 1243. Length leg I: femur 2.3; patella+tibia 3.1; metatarsus 1.9; tarsus 0.8; total 8.1. Patella+tibia II 2.7; III 1.4; IV 2.1.

Variation. Male (n=2): carapace length 1.9–2.2, width 1.6–1.8. Female (n=5): total length 4.7–5.6; carapace length 1.9–2.3, width 1.4–1.9. Carapace and legs orange. White marking on the carapace faint or absent. Abdomen subtriangular or oval.

Distribution. Brazil: Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul ( Fig. 85 ).

Figures

FIGURES 19 – 28. Eustala ericae n. sp. 19, 20, Palp (19, mesal; 20, ventral). 21, Male habitus dorsal. 22, Male carapace, lateral. 23 – 27 Epigynum (23, ventral; 24, posterior; 25, lateral; 26, posterior, cleared; 27, lateral, cleared). 28, Female habitus, dorsal. Abbreviations: A, terminal apophysis; E, embolus; MPp, median plate projection; Tp, tegular projection. Scale bars, 19, 20, 23 – 27, 0.25 mm; 22, 0.5 mm; 21, 28, 1 mm.

FIGURE 85 – 87. Records of the Eustala species. 85, Eustala guarani n. sp., E. catarina n. sp., E. ericae n. sp., and E. cidae n. sp. 86, Eustala lisei n. sp., E. cuia n. sp., E. farroupilha n. sp., and E. eldorado n. sp. 87, Eustala ulecebrosa (Keyserling, 1892), E. itapocuensis Strand, 1916, E. photographica Mello-Leitão, 1944, and E. mourei Mello-Leitão, 1947. Scale bars, 500 km.