Pamphobeteus grandis, Bertani, Rogério, Fukushima, Caroline Sayuri & Júnior, Pedro Ismael Da Silva, 2008

Bertani, Rogério, Fukushima, Caroline Sayuri & Júnior, Pedro Ismael Da Silva, 2008, Two new species of Pamphobeteus Pocock 1901 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae) from Brazil, with a new type of stridulatory organ, Zootaxa 1826, pp. 45-58 : 52-55

Pamphobeteus grandis sp. nov.

( Figs 13–19 . Tables 3 , 4)

Material examined: – Holotype male, MNRJ 34, Brazil: Acre: Embira River, B. de Oliveira. Paratypes: female, IBSP 8246, Brazil: Acre: Serra do Divisor National Park, R. Vieira et al. col., 9 Apr 1997; male, MNRJ 13594, Brazil: Amazonas, Rio Itecoahy Parko col., 1942; male, MNRJ 13710, Brazil: Amazonas: Rio Itecoahy Parko col. and 1 female, 2 males, MNRJ 14001, Brazil: Goiás: Lako col.

Diagnosis: – Males resemble those of P. antinous , P. c r a s s i f e m u r sp. nov., P. petersi , P. ultramarinus and P. vespertinus by the broad embolus; they can be distinguished from P. v e s p e r t i n u s, P. ultramarinus and P. petersi by the shorter embolus; from P. crassifemur sp. nov. by lacking thickened leg femora, especially the 3rd pair, and from P. antinous by the more developed retrolateral keel on the bulb and the purple (instead of steel blue) femora. Females resemble those of P. p e t e r s i, P. c r a s s i f e m u r sp. nov. and P. ultramarinus in the spermathecae having a wide base, more than twice as long as the receptaculum ( Fig. 17 ). They can be distinguished from P. c r a s s i f e m u r sp. nov. by lacking thickened femora, from P. petersi by its uniform abdominal color pattern, which contrasts with the red hairs of the latter, and from P. ultramarinus by the uniform cephalothorax pattern, without two large colored areas from both sides of eye tubercle that extend backwards.

Etymology: – The specific name means “huge” in Latin. The specimen was found with a label written by Brazilian arachnologist, Cândido Mello-Leitão, stating “ Phormictopus grandis , typus ”. However, the species has remained unpublished until now.

Description (Holotype male): – Total length, not including chelicerae or spinnerets 56. Cephalothorax 28.66 long, 24.70 wide. Anterior eye row procurved, posterior row recurved. Eyes sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.68, ALE 1.05, PME 0.42, PLE 0.65, AME–AME 0.49, AME–ALE 0.59, AME–PME 0.28, ALE– ALE 2.07, ALE–PME 0.55, PME–PME 1.92, PME–PLE 0.13, PLE–PLE 2.85, ALE–PLE 0.45. Eye tubercle: length 2.99, width 3.63; clypeus 1.26. Fovea deep, straight, 4.84 wide. Cephalic area moderately raised. Thoracic striae conspicuous. Labium: length 3.72, width 4.37, with 60 cuspules. Maxillae: 100–200 cuspules spread across inner edge. Sternum: length 11.47, width 10.20. Sigilla: posterior pair more than two diameters from margin. Chelicerae: 12 teeth decreasing in size from distal area and row of small teeth on promargin. Tarsi I–IV densely scopulate. Metatarsi I fully scopulate; II 2 /3 scopulate, III 1 /2 densely scopulate; IV 1 /3 densely scopulate. Spination: femora palp p0–0–1, I p0–0–1, II p0–0–1, III p0–0–1, r0–0–1, IV r0–0–1; patellae palp 0, I p2, II p2, III p3, r2, IV p2, r3; tibiae palp v0–1–0, p3–3–2, I p1–1–1, II v0–1–2(ap), p1–2–1, III v1–3 –2(ap), p2–1–1, r1–1–1, IV v2–5 –2(ap), p2–2–1, r2–2–1; metatarsi I v0–0–2(ap), II v1–1 –0, p1–0–1, III v3–4 –4(3 ap), p2–1–2, r0–1–1, IV v20 (4 ap), p2–2–1, r0–1–1. Spiniform setae prolaterally on coxae I, retro- and prolaterally on coxae II–III, retrolateral coxae IV; prolateral/dorsal on trochantera I, prolateral/dorsal and retrolateral/dorsal on trochantera II–III, retrolateral trochantera IV. STC with small teeth. PLS segment lengths: apical missing, medial 3.97 and basal 5.28. PMS rounded, small. Urticating hair types I and III present. Cephalothorax and abdomen dark brown. Conspicuous stripes on leg and palpal femora, patellae and tibiae. All femora, patellae, tibiae, metatarsi, carapace and chelicerae iridescent purple ( Fig. 18 ). Carapace and eye tubercle hairy. Tibial apophysis with retrolateral branch slightly longer than prolateral ( Fig. 16 ). Metatarsus I folds between the two branches. Male palpal bulb strongly flattened laterally, spoon–like shaped ( Figs 13–15 ). Prolateral superior keel well-developed, prolateral inferior keel absent; apical keel extended ventrally to mid-length of embolus; retrolateral keel long, reaching more than half of apical keel length in retrolateral view, strongly developed, forming a crest in its distal portion.

Description: Paratype female, IBSP 8246. Total length, not including chelicerae or spinnerets 61. Cephalothorax 25.40 long, 23.44 wide. Anterior eyes row procurved, posterior row recurved. Eyes sizes and inter– distances: AME 0.45, ALE 0.67, PME 0.68, PLE 0.77, AME–AME 0.48, AME–ALE 0.50, AME–PME 0.28, ALE–ALE 2.19, ALE–PME 0.64, PME–PME 1.48, PME–PLE 0.18, PLE–PLE 2.26, ALE–PLE 0.73. Eye tubercle: length 2.77, width 3.25; clypeus 1.43. Fovea deep, slightly procurved, 5.68 long. Cephalic area moderately raised. Thoracic striae conspicuous. Labium: length 3.32, width 4.04, with ca.100 cuspules. Maxillae: 100–200 cuspules spread across inner edge. Sternum: length 11.48, width 10.31. Sigilla: small 2nd pair 1 ½ diameter from margin; small 3rd pair 1 diameter from margin; small 4th pair, two diameters from margin. Chelicerae: 11 teeth decreasing in size from distal area and row of small teeth on promargin. Tarsi I–IV densely scopulate. Metatarsi I–II fully scopulate; III 1 /2 densely scopulate; IV without scopula. Spination: femur palp p0–0–1, I p0–0–1, II 0, III r0–3–1, IV r0–0–2; patellae palp p1, I p1, II p1, III p2, r1, IV v1–3 –2(ap), p1–2–1, r3; tibiae palp v0–1–4(ap), p1–4–1; I 0–1–3 (ap), p1–1–0, II v0–1–3(ap), p1–1–2; III v0–2–3(ap), p1–1–1, r1– 1–1, IV v1–1 –1; metatarsi I 0–0–3 (ap), II v1 –0–3(ap), p0–1–1(ap), r1–0–1(ap) III v4–2 –6 (5 ap), p2–1–1, r0– 1–1, IV 2–1 –4 (ap), p0–1–1, r0–0–1. Spiniform setae as in male. STC with small teeth. PLS segment lengths: apical 6.01, medial 4.37, basal 5.85. PMS rounded, small. Urticating hairs type I and III present. Cephalothorax and abdomen dark brown with light–brown hairs. Conspicuous stripes on legs and palpal femora and patellae. Labium, sternum, maxillae and coxae dark brown, other articles light brown. Cephalothorax and eye tubercle hairy. Chelicerae light brown. Two spermathecae broadly fused ( Fig. 17 ).

Distribution: –Western part of the states of Acre and Amazonas, Brazil ( Fig. 19 ). Records from the state of Goias, Brazil (MNRJ 14001) are dubious. Goias formerly included the region that is now the state of Tocantins. This state has, in its northern boundary, some influences from Amazonian vegetation, which is, however, very distinct when compared with the known distribution for the species, i.e., deep Amazonian Forest in the western Brazilian boundary.

Remarks: – Pocock (1903) presented a key separating P. antinous from other Pamphobeteus species based on the broad palpal organ of the male. At that time, P. antinous was the only species known outside the Andean region, suggesting a separation between Andean and east of the Andes groups of Pamphobeteus species. However, after mapping other recently described species, it can be seen that the division between broad and slender palpal embolus is related to northern/southern distribution ( Fig. 19 ), not with the western/eastern side of the Andean mountain range.

Note: – Females of P. augusti , P. insignis and P. ornatus are unknown. Females of P. antinous and P. v e s - pertinus were described by Schmidt (1993); however, based only on the poor descriptions it is not possible to be sure that they are conspecifics.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Pamphobeteus grandis sp. nov .. Male. Photo: Rick C. West.

FIGURE 19. Records of Pamphobeteus species in South America, based on the type locality (included only species whose type is a male) and the examined material of P. crassifemur sp. nov. and P. grandis sp. nov. A geographic distribution with northern males having slender bulb and southern males having thicker embolus is visible.

FIGURES 13 – 17. Pamphobeteus grandis sp. nov .. 13 – 16 Male holotype. 13 – 15. Palpal bulb. 13, prolateral, 14, retrolateral, 15, dorsal. 16, Tibial apophysis, ventral. 17 Female paratype, spermathecae.

Tables

TABLE 3. Pamphobeteus grandis sp. nov .. Male holotype. Length of right legs and palpal segments.

Pedipalp	I	II	III	IV
Tarsus 6.77	14.94	13.99	13.37	14.58
Metatarsus –––	21.10	20.17	21.72	31.00
Tibia 16.35	18.20	16.93	16.49	19.90
Patella 8.47	12.90	12.40	11.37	12.51
Femur 15.82	24.78	22.75	22.53	25.77
TABLE 4. Pamphobeteus grandis	sp. nov.. Female	paratype. Length of	left legs and palpal	segments.
Pedipalp	I	II	III	IV
Tarsus 7.02	14.25	13.63	13.30	14.27
Metatarsus –––	22.07	21.27	23.44	30.39
Tibia 14.52	17.94	18.51	17.48	20.95
Patella 9.82	13.14	12.62	13.25	13.48
Femur 16.20	25.39	23.62	22.46	26.01