Castianeira spinipalpis Mello-Leitão, 1945

Pett, Brogan L. & Perger, Robert, 2021, Contributions to the knowledge of Neotropical Castianeirinae (Araneae: Corinnidae): redescription of Castianeira spinipalpis Mello-Leitão, 1945, with first description of the male, and description of a new Myrmecotypus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1894 from the Bolivian Moxos plains, Zootaxa 5082 (2), pp. 145-158 : 147-148

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5082.2.4
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:62D95742-274B-46BD-9174-0F3B77F57CEE
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5786297
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7A3D585A-196E-E809-21BC-6A3F9DB825E3
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Castianeira spinipalpis Mello-Leitão, 1945
status

Treatment

Castianeira spinipalpis Mello-Leitão, 1945 View in CoL

Figs 2–5 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5

Castianeira spinipalpis Mello-Leitão, 1945: 259 View in CoL , fig. 44.

Type material. Holotype ♀: ARGENTINA: Misiones Province , San Ignacio, 1941, leg. Birabén (MACN-Ar 16.570) (examined by photos, Figs 1A–F View FIGURE 1 ).

Material examined. PARAGUAY: 4♂, 2 juv., Alto Paraguay department, Parque Nacional Defensores del Chaco, Madrejón , -20.633, -59.866, 10.xi.1982, “undisturbed low forest”, leg. J.A. Kochalka (IBNP-JAK-CR 000.00.2.742) GoogleMaps ; 2♀, Alto Paraguay department, Parque Nacional Defensores del Chaco , 1-6.ix.1982 (IBNP-JAK-CR 000.00.2.744) ; 1♂, 3♀, Alto Paraguay department, Parque Nacional Defensores del Chaco, Cerro León , -20.423, -60.309, 19–27.xi.1984, leg. J.A. Kochalka (IBNP-JAK-CR 000.00.2.747 and IBNP-JAK-CR 000.00.2.748) GoogleMaps ; 3♀, Ñeembucú department, Pilar military base, -26.844, -58.305, 17.vi.2020, “pasture grassland”, leg. B.L. Pett & V GoogleMaps . Vladimirova (CIPLT-Ar 689) ; 2♂, Itapúa department, Distrito Alto Verá, Cangue Cuá, Estancia Mendieta , -26.578, -55.653, 9–12.ii.1999, leg. J.A. Kochalka (IBNP-JAK-CR 000.00.2.723) GoogleMaps . BOLIVIA: 3♂, 4♀, Santa Cruz department, Santa Cruz de la Colina, Urubo , “ Cerrado-like grassland in urbanization”, -17.760, -63.24, 432 m a.s.l., 21–28 Dec. 2019, leg. R . Perger ( CBF) .

Remarks. The conspecificity of the males and females cited in the material is supported by the collection of a series of male and females co-occurring in the same microhabitats in Paraguayan and Bolivian locations.

Diagnosis. Castianeira spinipalpis can be distinguished from other known Neotropical Castianeira by the following combination of characters: tibia I with 4-4 ventral spines ( Figs 2C, D View FIGURE 2 , 4B View FIGURE 4 ); relatively long and erect setae covering abdomen ( Figs 3A, B View FIGURE 3 , 4A View FIGURE 4 ); eyes all equal and relatively large (i.e. larger eye diameter / cephalic region surface area than other Castianeira ) ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ). Males can be recognized by the prolaterally-projected hook-like embolus with four coils ( Figs 5A, B View FIGURE 5 ), largest and thickest coil at the basal curvature of the embolus, to very fine coils at apex. Sperm ducts convoluted. Females can be recognized by the ventral spines of tibia I strongly developed ( Figs 2C View FIGURE 2 , 3B View FIGURE 3 ), the conspicuous paddle-shaped ST with wide, longitudinal slit-like CO positioned postero-laterally to ST II ( Figs 3C–F View FIGURE 3 ); CDs with one moderately well-sclerotized twist.

Remarks. Castianeira vittatula Roewer, 1951 (replacement name for Castianeira vittata Keyserling, 1891 ) and C. luteipes Mello-Leitão, 1922 (both species described from Brazil) are the only other new world Castianeira with tibia I ventral spination 4-4. These species additionally have erect abdominal setae. However, since the descriptions of those species cite AME twice as large as the ALE ( Keyserling 1891; Mello-Leitão 1922), they clearly could not be synonymous with C. spinipalpis .

Description. Female (IBNP-JAK-CR 000.00.2.744)

Measurements. Total length 6.04. Carapace: length 2.42, width 1.60, index 66. Cephalic region: width 0.77, index 32. Sternum: length 1.10, width 0.92. Abdomen: length 3.62, width 2.59. Clypeus height 0.45. Chelicerae: length 0.82, width 0.36. Eyes: AME 0.15, ALE 0.13, PME 0.14, PLE 0.14. Legs: formula 4132; I = 6.60 (1.83, 0.61, 1.71, 1.33, 1.12); II = 5.86 (1.50, 0.60, 1.41, 1.35, 1.00); III = 6.15 (1.92, 0.56, 1.42, 1.27, 0.98); IV = 8.18 (2.23, 0.72, 2.14, 2.29, 0.80).

Carapace: Long and wide, ranging from deep orangish-brown ( Figs 2B, D View FIGURE 2 ) to brown, with quite intense black mottling ( Figs 3A, B View FIGURE 3 ), narrowed anteriorly and ocular region darkest.

Eyes: Medium to large, all roughly equal in diameter. PER procurved, AER row recurved.

Chelicerae: Chelicerae with two retromarginal teeth, two teeth on promargin, with distal one about twice the size, one very small denticle present just distal from larger tooth.

Sternum: Shield-shaped, with dark edges ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ).

Legs: Coxae all pale ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ). Femora I dark brown, otherwise all leg segments brown to orange, darkening at apices of tibiae. With 4-4 tibial spines on anterior legs ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ).

Abdomen: Oval, light brown to grey, with pale spots (areas without pigment showing pale cuticle underneath) throughout entire surface of abdomen ( Figs 2B, E, F View FIGURE 2 , 3A, B View FIGURE 3 ). Dorsal sclerite brown, sub-rectangular, around ¼ abdomen length. Relatively long, erect setae throughout abdomen giving hairy appearance ( Figs 3A, B View FIGURE 3 ), hairs longer at final 1/3 of abdomen. Two roughly triangular white patches just posterior to dorsal sclerite ( Figs 2B View FIGURE 2 , 3A, B View FIGURE 3 ). Two strong spines present at anterior margin of dorsal sclerite. Venter lighter, with faint white markings where ventral sclerite is present in males ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ). Epigastric sclerite weakly sclerotized, translucent orangish-brown.

Epigyne: Clearly visible externally ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ). ST appear paddle-like, with large anterior ST II oval, posteriorly extending into narrower and smaller ST I, with indistinct separation. COs distinct, slit-like and longitudinal, situated lateral of posterior end of ST II, directed posterolaterally ( Figs 3C–F View FIGURE 3 ).

Leg spination: I: F = d2 pl1 (rlv7 macrosetae), T = plv4 rlv4, Mt = plv2 rlv2; II: F = d3 (plv8 rlv8 macrosetae), T = plv4 rlv3, Mt = plv2 rlv2; III: F = d2 (plv9 rlv10 macrosetae), T = plv3 rlv4, Mt = plv2 rlv2; IV: F = d2, T = d3 (pl1), plv3 rlv3, Mt = d1, pld1 rld1, plv1 rlv2.