Eustala cidae, 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 : 446-448

Eustala cidae new species

Figs 29–37 , 85

Type material. Holotype: ♂, São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 29°45’S, 51°13’W, 01.IX.1986, C.J. Becker ( MCTP 334 ). Paratypes: ♂, ♀, P.E.S. da Cantaneira , Pedra Grande, São Paulo, Brazil, 23°27’S, 46°38’W, 20.XII.2000, R. Pinto da Rocha ( MZSP 24667 , 24671 ); ♀, Rancho Queimado, Santa Catarina , Brazil, 09.–13.X.1995, A.A. Lise et al. ( MCTP 7050 ); ♀, Rancho Queimado, Santa Catarina , Brazil, 27°28’S, 48º54’W, 15.–18.XI.1995, A.B. Bonaldo ( MCN 26770 ); ♂, Parque Witeck , Cachoeira do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 09.X.2008, R.G. Buss ( MCTP 28025 ).

Additional material examined. BRAZIL, São Paulo: São Paulo (P .E.S. da Cantareira , Sede), 23°27’S, 46°38’W, ♀, 28.X.2000, R. Pinto da Rocha et al. ( MZSP 24673 ); Cotia ( Reserva Florestal Morro Grande ), 23°35’S, 46°55’W, 3♀, 16.XII.2002, A. Nogueira et al. ( MZSP 23919 , 23920 ). Rio Grande do Sul: Derrubadas ( Parque Estadual do Turvo ), 27°04’S, 53°45’W, 2♀, 19.–22.X.2004, R. Ott et al. ( MCN 38606 , 38686 ); Caxias do Sul, 28°53’S, 51°06’W, ♀, 18.–21.XI.1993, A.A. Lise ( MCTP 4139 ); São Francisco de Paula ( Usina Passo do Inferno ), 29°14’S, 50°31’W, ♀, 16.XI.2006, A.A. Lise ( MCTP 20341 ); Novo Hamburgo, 29°39’S, 51°06’W, ♀, 27.VIII.1982, C.J. Becker ( MCN 11065 ); Santo Antônio da Patrulha, 29°42’S, 50°30’W, ♀, 18.VI.2000, A.B. Bonaldo ( MCN 33112 ); São Leopoldo, 29°45’S, 51°13’W, ♂, 01.IX.1986, C.J. Becker ( MCTP 334 ); ♂, 26.X.1976, C.J. Becker ( MCN 4682 ); Viamão, 29°59’S, 51°00’W, ♂, 08.X.1997, L.A. Moura ( MCN 28513 ); Novo Cabrais ( Parque Witeck ), 29°36’S, 52°55’W, ♂, 09.X.2008, R.G. Buss ( MCTP 28025 ).

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym honoring the Brazilian arachnologist, advisor, Maria Aparecida de Leão Marques, from Museu de Ciências Naturais, Rio Grande do Sul, nicknamed Cida.

Diagnosis. The males of Eustala cidae n. sp. ( Figs 29, 30 ) resemble those of E. crista (see Poeta et al. 2010b: 268, figures 10, 11) by the reduced terminal and subterminal apophysis, but differs by the conductor shape with a posterior thin lobe, and by the elongated, thin and curved embolus ( Fig. 29 ). The epigynum of Eustala cidae n. sp. ( Figs 32–36 ) resembles those of E. pallida Mello-Leitão, 1940 (see Levi 2007, figures) by epigynum with an abrupt annulated scape, but it is distinguished by the conspicuous and very sclerotized projected median plate ( Figs 32, 33 ).

Description. Male (holotype, MCTP 334 ) : Carapace pear-shaped, orange, cephalic area narrow, with light brown bands and white long setae around the lateral eyes and in the thoracic furrow; anterior median eyes projected and posterior median eyes with black borders. Sternum pale yellow with white pigment and gray border. Abdomen longer than wide, with posterior hump. Dorsum yellow with gray spots, folium with a median dark brown patch and four white patches anteriorly ( Fig. 31 ). Venter pale yellow with well-defined dark gray lines from the epigastric furrow to the spinnerets, and an elongated median white patch. Legs pale yellow with gray bands, the trochanters are darker in dorsal view. Total length 7.8. Carapace length 3.9, width 3.4. Leg formula 1243. Length leg I: femur 6.8; patella+tibia 6.9; metatarsus 4.4; tarsus 1.6; total 19.7. Patella+tibia II 5.0; III 1.6; IV 2.2.

Female (paratype, MCTP 7050 ) : Carapace orange, with many long white setae around the lateral eyes, posterior median eyes and lateral eyes with black borders. Sternum orange with light gray border, central white pigment, and long brown setae. The abdomen subtriangular with inconspicuous posterior hump ( Fig. 37 ). Dorsum pale yellow with a slightly visible folium. Venter pale yellow with a delimited white band from the epigastric furrow to the spinnerets, with the white median patch elongated. Legs orange. Total length 8.1. Carapace length 3.0, width 2.6. Leg formula 1243. Length leg I: femur 5.0; patella+tibia 5.8; metatarsus 2.6; tarsus 1.0; total 14.4. Patella+tibia II 4.7; III 2.3; IV 4.0.

Variation. Male (n=4): total length 6.5–7.8; carapace length 3.6–3.9, width 3.1–3.4. Legs and carapace yellow or pale yellow; presence of markings on the cephalic area. Abdomen without well-defined folium and sometimes with a dark brown longitudinal band. Female (n=5): total length 7.2–9.4; carapace length 2.6–3.8, width 2.2–3.0. Carapace pale yellow, with brown marks and brown setae. Legs pale yellow with brown bands. Cephalotorax with a longitudinal dark brown line. Abdomen with conspicuous posterior hump, dorsum with a triangular dark brown mark or a couple of dark brown marks posteriorly.

Distribution. Brazil: São Paulo, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul ( Fig. 85 ).

Figures

FIGURES 29 – 37. Eustala cidae n. sp. 29, 30, Palp (29, mesal; 30, ventral). 31, Male habitus, dorsal. 32 – 36, Epigynum (32, ventral; 33, posterior; 34, lateral; 35, posterior, cleared; 36, lateral, cleared). 37, Female habitus dorsal. Abbreviations: S, subterminal apophysis. Scale bars, 29, 30, 0.5 mm; 32 – 36, 0.25 mm; 31, 37, 2 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.