Masteria simla ( Chickering, 1966 )

Passanha, Victor & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2018, On the Neotropical spider Subfamily Masteriinae (Araneae, Dipluridae), Zootaxa 4463 (1), pp. 1-73 : 46-48

Masteria simla ( Chickering, 1966)

( Figs 26 , 31B , 32 )

Accola simla Chickering, 1966: 160 , figs 6–8).

Masteria simla: Brignoli, 1983: 126 .

Type. TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. ♂ holotype, William Beebe Tropical Research Station (10°41'1"N; 61°17'W), Arima Valley , Arima, Saint George County, 15.IV.1964, A.M. Chickering leg., deposited in AMNH, examined.

Additional material examined. TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, Saint George County: Arima, Arima Valley (10°37’0”N; 61°16’0”W) 1♂, 1♀, P. Wygodzinsky & D. Rosen leg. ( AMNH) .

Diagnosis. Males of Masteria simla resemble those of M. spinosa , M. sabrinae n. sp. and M. galipote n. sp. in have paraembolic apophysis in the male palp, but differ from these species in the long and straight paraembolic apophysis, and embolus with an accentuate curvature ( Fig. 26A–B ). Females are similar to Masteria spinosa and M. galipote n. sp. in the bilobed spermathecae with the ectal lobe high and inner short, but differ from M. spinosa in the smaller ectal lobe and glandular region in the median area, and from M. galipote n. sp. in the contiguous lobes of spermathecae ( Fig. 26E ).

Note. Femur I of the male used in the description is missing; the apical segment of posterior lateral spinneret of the male is missing, as is the abdomen of the female used in description, except genitalia in this damaged specimen.

Description. Male ( Trinidad, Arima, Arima Valley, AMNH). Color: carapace in dorsal and ventral views and legs yellowish, abdomen whitish. Total length 2.93. Carapace 1.28 long, 1.13 wide. Abdomen 1.65 long. Fovea 0.09. Clypeus 0.04. Ocular tubercle 0.18 long, 0.28 wide. Eyes: 8, posterior row slightly recurved. AME, 0.02, ALE 0.10, PME 0.06, PLE 0.11. Basal segments of chelicerae with 10 prolateral teeth, and 11 smaller mesobasal teeth. Labium 0.13 long, 0.25 wide. Sternum 0.65 wide, 0.68 long. Palp: femur 0.91/ patella 0.44/ tibia 0.75/ tarsus 0.25/ total 2.35. Legs I: femur absent/ patella 0.66/ tibia 1.10/ metatarsus 0.82/ tarsus 0.69/ total 3.27; II: femur 0.94/ patella 0.50/ tibia 0.75/ metatarsus 0.72/ tarsus 0.63/ total 3.54; III: 1.00/ 0.44/ 0.82/ 0.85/ 0.66/ 3.77; IV: 1.22/ 0.54/ 1.19/ 1.16/ 0.72/ 4.83; Leg formula 4132 (inferred); Spination: palp: patella v1, p1, tibia r1; Legs I: tibia v1, p1, metatarsus v1-1 -1, p1; II: patella v1, p1, tibia v1-1, p1-1-1, metatarsus v1-1, p1; III: femur p1, r1, patella p1, r1-1, tibia d1-1-1, v1-1 -1-3ap, p1-1-1, r1-1, metatarsus d1-1-1, v1-1 -3ap, p1, r1-1; IV: femur p1, r1, patella v1, p1-1, r1, tibia d2b, v1-1 -1-3ap, p1-1-1, r1-1, metatarsus d1-2, v1-3 ap, p1, r1. Tibia I: P1 a strong and projected spur, P2 a strong spur with slightly projected base below P1 and P3, and P3 two spines sharing same projected base. Metatarsus I with flattened basal spine and basal depression associated with with prolateral processes of tibia I ( Figs 26C , 31B ). Palpal tibia 2.5 times length of cymbium, with row of 6–7 elongated ventral setae, group of 30– 35 elongated setae on medial portion in retrolateral view ( Fig. 26D ). Cymbium as long as wide with 4 apical spines. Palpal bulb piriform with elongated tegulum, long embolus, bigger than paraembolic apophysis, with strong curvature, paraembolic apophysis flattened, shorter than embolus ( Fig. 26A–B ). PLS: basal and medial, apical lost, 0.48, 0.50 long.

Female ( Trinidad, Arima, Arima Valley , AMNH). Color: Carapace in dorsal view yellowish, carapace in ventral view and legs whitish. Carapace 1.20 long, 0.93 wide. Abdomen lost. Fovea 0.07. Clypeus 0.03. Ocular tubercle 0.14 long, 0.19 wide. Eyes: 8, posterior row slightly recurved. AME 0.02, ALE 0.06, PME 0.04, PLE 0.08. Basal segment of chelicerae with 10 prolateral teeth and 11 smaller mesobasal teeth. Labium 0.15 long, 0.23 wide. Sternum 0.58 wide, 0.65 long. Palp: femur 0.58/ patella 0.30/ tibia 0.43/ tarsus 0.40/ total 1.71; Legs I: femur 0.95/ patella 0.48/ tibia 0.73/ metatarsus 0.58/ tarsus 0.50/ total 3.24; II: 0.70/ 0.40/ 0.53/ 0.48/ 0.43/ 2.54; III: 0.73/ 0.38/ 0.48/ 0.53/ 0.45/ 2.57; IV: 0.98/ 0.43/ 0.78/ 0.78/ 0.55/ 3.52; Leg formula 4132. Spination: palp: femur p1, patella v1, tibia v1-1, tarsus v2 b; Legs I: femur p1, patella v1, p1, tibia v1-1 -1, p1-1, metatarsus v1-1 -1, p1; II: femur p1, patella v1, p1, tibia v1-1 -1, p1-1, metatarsus v1-1 -1, p1; III: femur r1, patella v1, p1, r1, tibia d1b , v1-1 -1, p1-1, r1- 1, metatarsus d1, v1-1 -3ap, p1, r1; IV: femur p1, r1, patella v1, p1, tibia d2b-1, v1-1 -1-3ap, p1-1-1, r1-1, metatarsus v1-3 ap, p1, r1-1. Palpal claw with 15 teeth. Spermathecae bilobed, ectal lobe with elongated duct, ental lobe with inconspicuous duct and small glandular region between the lobes ( Fig. 26E ). PLS lost.

Variation. 2 males: total length 2.93–3.29.

Distribution. Northern Trinidad, Simla, Arima Valley ( Fig. 32 ).

Figures

FIGURE 26. Masteria simla (Chickering, 1966). (male and female, Saint George County, Arima Valley, Trinidad and Tobago, AMNH). A Palpal bulb, retrolateral view; B Palpal bulb, ventral view; C Prolateral processes of tibia I (right leg, prolateral view); D Retrolateral grouped spines of palpal tibia, retrolateral view; E Female genitalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: PA, paraembolic apophysis; BS, basal spine; P1, Process 1; P2, Process 2; P3, Process 3. Scale bar: A, B 100µm; C 50µm; D 100µm; E 50µm.

FIGURE 31. Prolateral processes of leg I. A Masteria spinosa. B M.simla. C M. sabrinae. D M. galipote. Abbreviations: BS, basal spine; P1, Process 1; P2, Process 2; P3, Process 3. Scale bar: A 100µm; B 50µm, C 100µm, D 100µm.

FIGURE 32. Distribution map of Masteria species.