Tisentnops mineiro, Brescovit, Antonio D. & Sanchez-Ruiz, Alexander, 2016

Brescovit, Antonio D. & Sanchez-Ruiz, Alexander, 2016, Descriptions of two new genera of the spider family Caponiidae (Arachnida, Araneae) and an update of Tisentnops and Taintnops from Brazil and Chile, ZooKeys 622, pp. 47-84 : 49-52

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Caponiidae

Tisentnops mineiro sp. n. Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 A–E, 17A

Types.

Male holotype from Gruta da Serra da Moeda (20°19'58"S, 44°03'10"W), Moeda, Minas Gerais, Brazil, X.2005, R.L. Ferreira, deposited in IBSP 191293; female paratype from Gruta MP-10 (20°15'58"S, 43°53'16"W), Itabirito, Minas Gerais, Brazil, IX.2007, R.L. Ferreira, deposited in IBSP 191294.

Etymology.

The specific name is the designation for the native people from the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where this species was found.

Diagnosis.

Tisentnops mineiro sp. n. is easily separated from other species of the genus by the absence of eyes (Figs 1A, 17A).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 3.6. Carapace 1.6 long, 1.2 wide. Coloration: cephalothorax orange reddish. Palps yellow. Legs yellow, except coxae I-II orange-reddish. Abdomen uniformly yellow-white. Eyes absent of setae with elongated bases forming a row on the anterior margin of the endites, infrequent on the sub-marginal part (Fig. 1B). Leg measurements: I: femur 1.3/ patella 0.6/ tibia 1.1/ metatarsus 0.6/ tarsus 0.6/ total 3.7; II: 1.1/ 0.6/ 1.0/ 0.5/ 0.4/ 3.6; III: 0.9/ 0.4/ 0.6/ 0.6/ 0.4/ 2.9; IV: 1.1/ 0.6/ 1.1/ 0.8/ 0.7/ 4.3. Sockets bases of setae elongate on leg I forming an asymmetric row on the ventral margin of the femur and the tibia (Figs 1C, J). Palpal cymbium twice the length of the bulb, embolus short and curved, half the length of the bulb (Figs 1 D–F; 4 A–C).

Female (paratype). Total length 3.8. Carapace 1.7 long, 1.2 wide. Coloration: cephalothorax and legs orange, except legs III-IV yellow and external border of endites brown. Abdomen grayish. Palpal endites as in male, but with fewer sub-marginal modified sochets (Fig. 1I). Leg measurements: I: femur 1.1/ patella 0.5/ tibia 0.9/ metatarsus 0.5/ tarsus 0.4/ total 3.4; II: 1.0/ 0.5/ 0.7/ 0.5/ 0.4/ 3.1; III: 0.8/ 0.4/ 0.5/ 0.6/ 0.5/ 2.8; IV: 1.2/ 0.5/ 0.9/ 0.8/ 0.5/ 3.9. Internal female genitalia with a triangular anterior margin of the hyaline membrane that covers transverse sclerotized bars, an elongate membranous anteromedian receptaculum with a wide base, and a transverse, enlarged, V-shaped dorsal fold (Figs 3 G–L, 4 D–E).

Other material examined.

BRAZIL, Minas Gerais: Conceição do Mato Dentro, Cave CSS-05 (18°55'02"S, 43°25'41"W), 1♀, 12-26/VIII/2013, L. Madeira (IBSP 191297, MEV); Cave CSS-06 (18°55'02"S, 43°25'42"W), 1♀ 2 imm., 15/XII/2010-14/I/2011, L. Tunes (IBSP 191299); Cave CSS-06 (18°55'02"S, 43°25'42"W), 1 imm., 15/XII/2010-14/I/2011, C.R.A. Souza (IBSP 191300); Cave CSS-06 (18°55'02"S, 43°25'42"W), 1♀, 03-13/V/2011, K. Pinheiro (IBSP 191301, MEV); Cave SERP-118 (19°05'55"S, 43°20'34"W), 2♀, 03/XII/2013, L.G.S. Soares (IBSP 191304); Santa Bárbara, Cave SG-07 (20°02'59"S, 43°41'05"W), 1 imm., 26-30/IX/2011, K. Pinheiro (IBSP 191312); Cave SG-10 (20°03'18"S, 43°41'09"W), 2♀, 26-30/IX/2011, K. Pinheiro (IBSP 191313); Cave AP-47 (20°01'40"S, 43°40'53"W), 1♀, 31/IV-05/V-2012, G.P. Perroni (IBSP 191314), Cave AP-38 (20°01'51"S, 43°40'45"W); 1♀, 31/IV-05/V-2012, G.P. Perroni (IBSP 191317); Nova Lima, Serra da Piedade, Cave SC-11 (19°57'03"S, 43°53'28"W), 2♀ 4 imm., 18/VII- 21/XI/2014, M. P.A. Oliveira (IBSP 191296, IBSP 191298); Cave SC-07 (19°57'39"S, 43°53'28"W), 1 imm., 18/XI/2014, M.P.A. Oliveira (IBSP 191302); Cave SC-05 (19°57'05"S, 43°53'28"W), 1 imm., 21/VII/2014, M.P.A. Oliveira col. (IBSP 191303); Rio Acima, Cave VG-27 (20°06'59"S, 43°53'54"W), 1♀, 02-10/VIII/2011, I. Cizauskas et al. (IBSP 191318); Cave VG-28 (20°06'58"S, 43°53'55"W), 1 imm., 02 -10/VIII/2011, I. Cizauskas et al. (IBSP 191319); Caeté, Gruta do Triangulo (19°49'03"S, 43°40'51"W), 2♀ 1 imm., 25/III/2012, M.E. Bichuette & J.E. Gallão (IBSP 191322-191323); Cave AVG-30 (19°49'21"S, 43°41'50"W), 1♀, 18/V/2013 (IBSP 191324); Cave AVG-47 (19°49'22"S, 43°41'44"W), 3♀ 6 imm., 19/XII/2012- 17 /V/2013 (IBSP 191325-191326); Cave AVG-66 (19°49'28"S, 43°41'34"W), 1♂, 08/IV/2014 (IBSP 191305), all collected by M. P.A. Oliveira; Itabirito, Gruta MP-10 (20°15'58"S, 43°53'16"W), 1 imm., 30/III/2012, Equipe Carste col. (IBSP 191295); Cave VL-29/30 (20°20'06"S, 43°56'19"W), 1♂ 1imm., 3-20/XI/2007, R. Andrade et al. (IBSP 97952); 1♀, 03-06/X/2011, J. Mascarenhas (IBSP 191320); 1♂, 29/III-03/IV/2012, J. Mascarenhas (IBSP 191321).

Distribution.

Known only from the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil (Fig. 18 A–B).

Natural history.

All 79 specimens (7♂, 24♀, 48 immature) of Tisentnops mineiro sp. n. were collected in 33 caves distributed in rock outcrops in rupestrian fields found in mountain peaks of the Atlantic Forest and lowland areas of regenerated forest or grasslands. Unlike Tisentnops onix sp. n. from limestone caves, Tisentnops mineiro sp. n. was only found in iron caves. Additionally, Tisentnops mineiro sp. n. was found in palaeoburrows “Paleotoca” (natural shelter of extinct mammals, e.g. Giant Armadillos, see Bittencourt et al. 2015, figs 5-6) in Cave AP-38 in the municipality of Santa Bárbara. Tisentnops mineiro sp. n. were found on the ground, under rocks in aphotic zones with high relative humidity (≥ 98%). Tisentnops mineiro sp. n. is a troglobite spider restricted to caves from target mining areas and regions of iron formations with high economic interest.