Corythalia verhaaghi, Bayer & Höfer & Metzner, 2020

Bayer, Steffen, Höfer, Hubert & Metzner, Heiko, 2020, Revision of the genus Corythalia C. L. Koch, 1850, part 1: Diagnosis and new species from South America (Araneae: Salticidae: Salticinae: Euophryini), Zootaxa 4806 (1), pp. 1-144 : 45-46

Corythalia verhaaghi sp. nov.

Figs 22 A–C, 62B, 72F, 76F

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Type material. Holotype: ♀, BRAZIL: Ceará: 10 km SW of Barbalha , 7°22’S, 39°22’W, 600 m a.s.l., relict area of Caatinga-forest, dry brook, on tree trunk, M. Verhaagh leg. 23 Jan. 1995, SMNK-ARA 13414 .

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honour of the collector of the holotype, our dear colleague Manfred Verhaagh, who always shows greatest dedication to tropical ecology and entomology.

Diagnosis. Females distinguished from those of all other Corythalia species by the combination of the following characters: anterior margins of epigynal windows (W) not continuous: extended and strongly diverging anterior margins of septum of W ending clearly before meeting the converging anterior sections of lateral margins of W; extremely converging extensions of both lateral margins antero-medially regularly transversely connected ( Figs 22A , 72F ); septum of epigynal windows narrow (about 1/10 the width of W) ( Figs 22A , 72F ). Heads of spermathecae more or less round and almost as large as secondary spermathecae (SS); connective duct between primary spermathecae (PS) and SS very narrow, just slightly curved and shorter than diameter of PS ( Figs 22B , 76F ).

Description. Male: unknown.

Female: total length 4.2, carapace length 2.0, maximal carapace width 1.5, width of eye rectangle 1.3, opisthosoma length 2.2, opisthosoma width 1.7, fovea length 0.14. EYES: AME 0.44, ALE 0.29, PME 0.07, PLE 0.23, AME–AME 0.02, AME–ALE 0.05, PME–PME 1.21, PME–PLE 0.21, ALE–PLE 0.56, PLE–PLE 1.04, clypeus height at AME 0.22, clypeus height at ALE 0.46. Cheliceral furrow with 1 promarginal and 1 retromarginal teeth. SPINATION: palp: no spines. Legs: femur I–III 1500, IV 0500; patella I–II 1000, III–IV 1010; tibia I 2003, II 3003, III–IV 3133; metatarsus I–II 2004, III 3134, IV 4144. MEASUREMENT OF PALP AND LEGS: palp 1.7 [0.6, 0.3, 0.3, 0.5], I 3.1 [1.0, 0.6, 0.7, 0.5, 0.3], II 3.2 [1.1, 0.6, 0.7, 0.5, 0.3], III 3.9 [1.3, 0.6, 0.8, 0.7, 0.5], IV 3.9 [1.2, 0.6, 0.8, 0.8, 0.5]. LEG FORMULA: 4&321 (legs III & IV with exactly the same length). COPULATORY ORGAN: epigyne with more or less oval epigynal windows (W) [however, anterior margin of W uncontinuous, with distinct longitudinal gap as extended, extremely converging lateral margins of W are situated clearly further anterior than strongly diverging extended margins of septum of W (SW)]; anterior margins of both W antero-medially connected; SW narrow ( Figs 22A , 72F ). Epigynal field clearly broader than long ( Figs 22A , 72F ). Vulva with large and round primary spermathecae (PS), touching each other medially ( Figs 22B , 76F ); secondary spermathecae (SS) distinctly small (diameter of SS clearly less than 1/4 the diameter of PS), carrying almost round and only slightly smaller heads of spermathecae laterally to slightly postero-laterally ( Figs 22 B–C, 76F). Copulatory ducts with antero-lateral direction, very light and filmy, thus difficult to recognise in photographic image ( Fig. 76F ). Connective ducts very narrow, from posterior to anterior direction diverging, not long and only slightly curved. Fertilisation ducts distinctly narrow, arising antero-centrally on PS, bent and directed laterally ( Figs 22 B–C, 76F). COLOURATION: see genus description for conservative aspects. Carapace dark red-brown ( Fig. 62B ), light scale hairs quite densely arranged, especially at clypeus (however material examined still quite freshly recorded and in good condition). Legs dark red brown, except for coxae, distal sections of tibiae and metatarsi, patellae III–IV and tarsi II–IV being light brown ( Fig. 62B ). Opisthosoma (unfortunately posteriorly cuticle slightly separated from subcuticle) like noted in genus description under general dorsal colouration, except for chevron-like patch in central band missing ( Fig. 62B ).

Remarks. This species is quite similar to C. argentinensis in general appearance of the epigyne and the vulva: very light and filmy copulatory ducts, comparatively short connective ducts and also very small secondary spermathecae (SS) and lacking SS respectively. All this possibly indicates close relationship between these two species.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Ceará, Brazil.

Figures

FIGURE 22. Corythalia verhaaghi sp. nov., female holotype from Ceará, Brazil.A–C epigyne (A ventral view; B vulva, dorsal view; C schematic course of internal duct system).

FIGURE 62. Corythalia spp., photographic images of female specimens, dorsal view. Corythalia argentinensis: A Paratype MACN 5076 from Misiones, Argentina. Corythalia verhaaghi sp. nov.: B Holotype from Ceará, Brazil. Corythalia luctuosa: C Female SMNK-ARA 14035 from Saint Laurent du Maroni, French Guiana. Corythalia circumflexa: D Lectotype from Presidente Hayes, Paraguay. Corythalia dakryodes Bayer, sp. nov.: E Holotype from Magdalena, Colombia. Corythalia scutellaris Bayer, sp. nov.: F Paratype F-1 from south-eastern part of Ecuador. Corythalia waleckii: G Female RII/9741 (now in SMF) from Vargas, Venezuela. Corythalia foelixi Bayer, sp. nov.: H Female FR-973-00266 from Cayenne, French Guiana. Corythalia fulgipedia: I Female AMNH-IZC 00327943 from Aragua, Venezuela.

FIGURE 72. Corythalia spp., photographic images of epigynes, ventral view. Corythalia antepagmenti sp. nov.: A Paratype SMNK-ARA 13420 and B Holotype from Acre, Brazil. Corythalia parva: C Paralectotype from Brazil. Corythalia placata: D Lectotype from Trinidad. Corythalia argentinensis: E Paratype MACN 5076 from Misiones, Argentina. Corythalia verhaaghi sp. nov.: F Holotype from Ceará, Brazil. Corythalia luctuosa: G Female SMNK-ARA 14035 from Saint Laurent du Maroni, French Guiana. Corythalia circumflexa: H Lectotype from Presidente Hayes, Paraguay. Corythalia scutellaris Bayer, sp. nov.: I Paratype F-2 from south-eastern part of Ecuador.

FIGURE 76. Corythalia spp., photographic images of vulvae, dorsal view. Corythalia antepagmenti sp. nov.: A Holotype and B Paratype SMNK-ARA 13420 from Acre, Brazil. Corythalia parva: C Paralectotype from Brazil. Corythalia placata: D Lectotype from Trinidad. Corythalia argentinensis: E Paratype MACN 5076 from Misiones, Argentina. Corythalia verhaaghi sp. nov.: F Holotype from Ceará, Brazil. Corythalia luctuosa: G Female SMNK-ARA 14035 from Saint Laurent du Maroni, French Guiana. Corythalia circumflexa: H Lectotype from Presidente Hayes, Paraguay. Corythalia scutellaris Bayer, sp. nov.: I Paratype F-2 from south-eastern part of Ecuador.