Meriola lineolata (Mello-Leitão, 1941) González & Grismado & Ramírez, 2021

González, María E., Grismado, Cristian J. & Ramírez, Martín J., 2021, A Taxonomic Revision Of The Spider Genus Meriola Banks (Araneae: Trachelidae), Zootaxa 4936 (1), pp. 1-113 : 50-54

Meriola lineolata (Mello-Leitão, 1941) , comb. nov.

Figs 39–42 , 92

Ceto lineolata Mello-Leit „o, 1941c: 253 (male holotype from Río Negro , Paraná, Brazil in MNRJ 58289 , examined).

Diagnosis. Males ( Figs 39h , 41 ) are recognized by the combination of a small, acute RTA, the slender, distally projecting copulatory bulb, and the absence of cuspules on the legs. Females ( Figs 39 a–g, 40, 42) are similar to M. mauryi by having large, oval S2 flanked by the smaller, CDR and S1, and a small hood ( Fig. 42d ), but can be distinguished by the smaller and more posterior hood, close to the copulatory openings.

Notes. Lyle & Haddad (2010) provided a diagnosis of the genus Cetonana (replacement name for Ceto Simon , occupied), which can be recognized by the presence of ventral leg cusps on metatarsi and tarsi I and II of both sexes (absent in tibiae of both sexes of Meriola lineolata ); scopulate metatarsi and tarsi I and II of females comprising erectile bristles; the absence of leg spines; flat carapace; AME that are clearly larger than the other eyes; PME that are smaller than the PLE; female epigyne with posterior copulatory openings; and male palp with strongly ventrally curved cymbium and a tegulum occupying only part of the ventral side of the cymbium. This combination of characters is not present in the holotype here examined.

In the original description, Mello-Leit„o wrote “Palpos sem apófise” (palps without apophyses), but the holotype has a small RTA ( Fig. 41 h–i).

Description. Female (MZSP 12508): Carapace length 1.55, width 1.05, narrowed in eye region. Carapace coated with low tubercles. Palpal tarsus length 0.40. Sternum length 0.83, width 0.67. Length of tibia/metatarsus: I, 1.17/0.92; II, 0.83/0.75; III, 0.50/0.53; IV, 0.83/0.83. Spines and leg cuspules absent. Distal segments of legs I and II covered with long setae, weak scopulae, metatarsi of legs III and IV with setae and distinct preening comb. Opisthosoma length 2.00. Color in ethanol: Prosoma reddish-orange. Chelicerae reddish-orange. Legs yellowish-orange. Distal segments of legs I and II reddish-orange. Sternum orange. Opisthosoma yellowish-brown. Venter pale yellow. Epigyne ( Fig. 42 ): a single plate with transverse ridge before small median hood, followed by two small, median copulatory openings and arched copulatory ducts; S2 elongated, widened anteriorly, connected through transversal copulatory ducts to the CDR. Receptacle of copulatory ducts very small and rounded, anterior to S1. S1 small, spherical.

Male (holotype): Carapace length 1.38, width 1.00, narrowed in eye region. Length of tibia/metatarsus: I, missing; II, 0.83/0.65; III, 0.48/0.50; IV, 0.75/0.75. Palpal tarsus length 0.43. Sternum length 0.80, width 0.67. Spines and leg cuspules absent. Opisthosoma length 1.58. Coloration as in female. Palp ( Fig. 41 g–i): Tibia short. RTA short, ventral edge arched. Embolus short, slightly curved to prolateral.

Natural history and habitat. Unknown

Distribution. Only known from subtropical areas in S„o Paulo and Paraná in Brazil, and Salta and Misiones in Argentina ( Fig. 89 ).

Records. BRAZIL: São Paulo: Baruerí , S 23.511369°, W 46.872942°, 26.XII.1965, K. Lenko, 1 female, temporary preparations MGM-00482, MGM-00483 ( MZSP 12508 ) . Paraná: Rio Negro , S 26.113059°, W 49.670720°, 1 male, temporary preparations MGM-00480, MGM-00481 (male holotype, MNRJ 58289 ) . Argentina: Salta: Orán, Finca Jakulica , 25 km NW de Aguas Blancas, S 22.5756843°, W 64.5263564°, 15.XI.1994, M. Ramírez & P. Goloboff, sample MGM-00346, 1 female ( MACN-Ar 16326 ) . Misiones: no further data [center of province S 26.94°, W 54.58°], V.1960, J. Viana, 1 female, samples MGM-00344, MGM-00345 ( MACN-Ar 16375 ) .

Figures

FIGURE 39. Meriola lineolata (Mello-Leit„o). a, female from S„o Paulo, Brazil, habitus, dorsal view (MZSP 12508); b, same, ventral view; c, same, lateral view; d, prosoma, dorsal view; e, same, ventral view; f, same, lateral view; g, habitus, anterior view. h, male from Paraná, Brazil, habitus, anterior view (MNRJ 58289).

FIGURE 40. Meriola lineolata (Mello-Leit„o), female from Jujuy, Argentina (MACN-Ar 16326). a, habitus, dorsal view; b, same, ventral view; c, same, lateral view; d, prosoma, dorsal view; e, same, ventral view; f, same, lateral view; g, same, anterior view; h, left leg i, retrolateral view.

FIGURE 41. Meriola lineolata (Mello-Leit„o), male (holotype MNRJ 58289). a, habitus, dorsal view; b, same, ventral view; c, same, lateral view; d, prosoma, dorsal view; e, same, ventral view; f, same, lateral view; g left palp, prolateral view; h, same, retrolateral view; i, same, ventral view; j, same, cleared, retrolateral view.

FIGURE 42. Meriola lineolata (Mello-Leit„o), female genitalia. a, epigyne, ventral view, female from S„o Paulo, Brazil (MZSP 12508); b, epigyne, ventral view, female from Jujuy, Argentina (MACN-Ar 16326); c, same, cleared, dorsal view.

FIGURE 89. Known distribution of Meriola arcifera and M. foraminosa in America. Records of M. arcifera in U.S.A., Easter Island and Robinson Crusoe Island, marked with a dotted line are probably recent introductions.

FIGURE 92. Known distribution of Meriola lineolata comb. nov., M. macrocephala comb. nov. and M. teresita in South America.