Cosmopelma ceplac, Mori, Andre & Bertani, Rogerio, 2016

Mori, Andre & Bertani, Rogerio, 2016, On the genus Cosmopelma Simon, 1889 (Araneae, Barychelidae), Zootaxa 4137 (4), pp. 520-534 : 526-530

Cosmopelma ceplac sp. nov.

( Figs 20–35 , 38 , 42–44 , Tables 3–4 .)

Etymology. The name is a noun in apposition in honor of the institution CEPLAC (Comissão Executiva do Plano da Lavoura Cacaueira), a public institution that conducts researches and supports sectors of agriculture, particularly with regards to cocoa plantations. While studying the cocoa-related fauna, numerous specimens of the local fauna and flora were collected by CEPLAC researchers, among them many new species, including C. ceplac sp. nov., therefore contributing to the knowledge of the rich endemic biota of southern Bahia.

Diagnosis. Females can be distinguished from C. decoratum by the presence of the D-shaped base of the spermathecae and the spiralled stalks connected to the receptacles ( Fig. 38 ); males can be distinguished by the absence of maxillary and coxal cuspules ( Fig. 29 ), the presence of a megaspine on tibia I ( Fig. 32 ) and a thick, short, curved embolus ( Figs 33–34 ).

Type material. Holotype female: Brazil, State of Bahia, Lomanto Júnior, now Barro Preto (14°48'35.8"S, 39°28'18.2"W), without additional data ( MNRJ 06886). Paratypes: 4 females, 3 males [1 immature], same locality and data ( MNRJ 06887).

Other Material examined. None.

Description. Holotype female. MNRJ 0 6886. Carapace 3.02 long, 2.74 wide. Abdomen 3.4 long, 2.76 wide. Total length 6.73. Carapace: Surface smooth. Thoracic striae faint and shallow. Caput slightly raised. Fovea short, shallow, slightly procurved. Eight eyes on low tubercle, 0.19 high, 0.83 wide, 0.40 long. Clypeus 0.20. MOQ 0.83 wide, 0.28 long. Anterior eye row slightly procurved; posterior slightly recurved. AME, 0.16; ALE, 0.14; PME, 0.07; PLE, 0.13. Eye interspaces: AME-AME, 0.14; AME-ALE, 0.06; ALE-ALE, 0.52; PME-PLE, 0.04; PME- PME, 0.38; ALE-PLE, 0.02. Chelicerae: 1.26 long with very fine setae on pro- and retrolateral sides. Seven teeth on promargin. Fangs pale at base, darkening distally, becoming a light brown hue. Rastellum absent, distal edge with 8 dark very thick setae. Labium: 0.25 long, 0.58 wide, with one row of fine setae anteriorly. Cuspules absent. Labiosternal groove shallow, flat, with pair of sigilla. Maxillae: 0.91 long in front, 1.22 behind, 0.59 wide, with 37 spiky cuspules ventrally on inner angle of both maxillae. Maxillary heel rounded, anterior lobe indistinct. Fine setae uniformly over surface, without dense patches. Lyra absent. Coxa I: 19 spiky cuspules ventrally on low inner mound. Sternum: 1.53 long, 1.44 wide. Fine setae throughout the surface, without dense patches. Three faint pairs of sigilla circular, close to coxa of legs I, II and III, one diameter from sternum margin. Booklungs: semi-circular, with elliptical aperture; booklung combs not evident.

Legs: formula IV I II III. Measurements in table 3. Spines: leg I: fe 0, pa 0, ti r1-1-1, me v2 -0-1(ap), ta 0; leg II: fe 0, pa 0, ti v1-2 -1, me v2 -0-1(ap), ta 0. Leg III: fe 0, pa 0, ti 0, me p0-0-1 v1 -0-2(ap), ta 0. Leg IV: fe 0, pa 0, ti 0, me v0-0-2(ap), ta 0; palp: fe 0, pa v0-1-0, ti v2-2 -2, ta 0. Preening combs absent. Few (4–7) clavate trichobothria on tarsi of all legs and palps, median-positioned. Claws: palpa1 claw without teeth, slightly longer than claw tuft. Two claws without teeth on other legs, slightly longer than claw tuft. Claw tufts: dense on all legs and palp, slightly separated in two symmetrical parts. Scopulae: undivided and dense on tarsi and of palp, metatarsi and tarsi of legs I and II, weak on tarsi of legs III and IV.

Spermathecae: two, with darker D-shaped base, from which two receptacles branch; external receptacle rounded, connected by long spiraled stalk; internal receptacle rod-shaped, connected by long spiralled stalk; stalks and rounded margins of base very sclerotized.

Spinnerets: PMS short, triangular, 0.19 long, 0.12 wide. Basal, middle, and apical segments of PLS 0.45 long, 0.44 wide, 0.19 long, 0.31 wide; 0.26 long, 0.22 wide, respectively; apical triangular with two pale bands around it: one basal and one distal. All segments covered by fine setae.

Color pattern: Chelicerae and carapace light brown, legs bicolored, with alternating pale and brown bands, abdomen dorsally bicolored, with a distinctive symmetric pattern of pale and brown areas: 3 anterior pairs of bands separated by brown area in middle and 3 posterior bands undivided; ventrally pale.

Paratype Male. MNRJ 0 6887. All characters as in female except: carapace 3.58 long, 3.18 wide. Abdomen 3.04 long, 1.57 wide. Total length 6.62. Eight eyes on tubercle 0.30 high, 0.81 wide, 0.50 long. Clypeus, 0.15. MOQ 0.81 wide, 0.28 long. AME, 0.22: ALE. 0.18; PME, 0.08, PLE, 0.13. Eye interspaces: AME–AME, 0.11; AME–ALE, 0.05; ALE–ALE, 0.61; PME–PLE, 0.03; PME–PME, 0.45; ALE–PLE, 0.04. Chelicerae 1.06 long. Labium 0.19 long, 0.57 wide, without cuspules. Maxillae 0.94 long in front, 1.23 long behind, 0.44 wide, without cuspules. Coxa I: cuspules absent. Sternum: 1.87 long, 1.57 wide.

Legs: Formula IV I II III. Measurements in Table 4 . Spines: leg I: fe 0, pa 0, ti r0-1-1 (1 megaspine), me v0-0- 1, ta 0; leg II: fe 0, pa 0, ti v0-2-1, me r1-0-1(ap), ta 0. Leg III: fe 0, pa 0, ti 0, me p0-0-2 (1ap) r0-0-2(1ap), ta 0. Leg IV: fe 0, pa 0, ti 0, me v0-0-2(1ap) r0-0-1(ap), ta 0; palp: fe 0, pa 0, ti 0, ta 0. Scopulae entire on all tarsi of legs, absent elsewhere. Tibial apophysis on leg I absent, with one regular spine and one megaspine instead.

Palp: bulb piriform. Embolus short, thick and curved. Several dark parallel keels around bulb surface. Duct gradually tapering; coiled twice on prolateral face.

Spinnerets: PMS 0.19 long, 0.11 wide. Basal, middle, and apical segments of PLS 0.46 long, 0.37 wide; 0.33 long, 0.30 wide; 0.14 long, 0.14 wide, respectively.

Distribution. Known only from type locality, Lomanto Júnior, now Barro Preto, State of Bahia, Brazil.

Discussion. A new species of Cosmopelma is described based on 5 females ( Figs 20–26 ) and 3 males ( Figs 27–35 ). The females show a high similarity in morphology to C. decoratum , differing primarily in the spermathecae shape ( Fig. 38 ). Females of C. ceplac sp. nov. have a very distinctive D-shaped base of spermatheca to which long spiralled stalks leading to the receptacles are connected.

Males, on the other hand, differ by the absence of cuspules on the maxillae and the coxae I ( Fig. 29 ), and also on the bulb morphology ( Figs 33–34 ). The tibial apophysis on leg I is also absent, but males bear one megaspine and one regular spine ( Fig. 32 ) on tibiae I instead of the two regular spines found in C. decoratum ( Fig. 16 ).

Figures

FIGURES 20 – 26. Cosmopelma ceplac sp. nov., female holotype, MNRJ 0 6886. 20, habitus. 21, ventral view. 22, low and reduced eye tubercle. 23, maxillae and coxae I, showing spiky cuspules. 24, four spinnerets, showing two pale bands on apical portion of PLS. 25, palps and legs I, showing symmetric pattern of spines. 26, left tarsus I, clavate trichobothria. Scales = 1 mm (20, 21, 24), 0.5 mm (22 – 24, 26).

FIGURES 27 – 35. Cosmopelma ceplac sp. nov., male paratype, MNRJ 0 6887. 27, habitus. 28, ventral view. 29, maxillae, without cuspules. 30, eye tubercle. 31, four spinnerets, showing pale bands on apical article of PLS. 32, left tibia I, showing one megaspine and one spine instead of tibial apophysis. 33, left bulb, prolateral view. 34, left bulb, retrolateral view. 35, left tarsus I, trichobothria clavate. Scales = 1 mm (27 – 28), 0.5 mm (29 – 34).

FIGURES 36 – 38. Spermathecae: 36, C. decoratum, holotype MNHN AR 8756 B. 102; 37, C. decoratum, MNRJ 12919. 38, C. ceplac, holotype MNRJ 0 6886, note D-shaped base and spiralled stalks connect to receptacles. Scales = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 39 – 44. SEM microphotographs. Cosmopelma decoratum, female, MNRJ 12919. 39, left leg spines of tibia I. 40 – 41, spiky maxillary cuspules. Cosmopelma ceplac sp. nov., female, MNRJ 0 6887. 42, left leg spines of tibia I. 43 – 44, spiky maxillary cuspules.

FIGURES 11 – 19. Cosmopelma decoratum, male, CEPLAC 3793. 11, habitus. 12, ventral view. 13, maxillae and coxae I, note few cuspules on maxillae, and none on coxae I. 14, eye tubercle. 15, four spinnerets, note two pale bands on apical article of PLS. 16, left tibia I, showing two spines instead of tibial apophysis. 17, left bulb, prolateral view. 18, left bulb, retrolateral view. 19, left tarsus I, clavate trichobothria. Scales = 1 mm (11 – 13), 0.5 mm (14 – 19).

Tables

TABLE 4. Cosmopelma ceplac sp. nov. Paratype male, MNRJ 0 6887. Leg measurements, left side.

	Tarsus	Metatarsus	Tibia	Patella	Femur	Total
Palp	0.66	–	1.24	1.09	1.61	4.60
Leg I	0.91	1.66	1.90	1.64	2.52	8.63
Leg II	0.86	1.75	2.09	1.77	2.68	9.15
Leg III	0.91	1.90	2.13	1.58	2.52	9.04
Leg IV	0.98	2.38	2.57	1.79	3.31	11.03