Tafana Simon 1903

Genus Tafana Simon, 1903

Tafana Simon, 1903:124

(type species by original designation: T. riveti Simon, 1903: 124).

Tafana – Petrunkevitch 1911: 514; 1928: 174. — Roewer 1954: 546. — Bonnet 1959: 4232. — Brescovit 1997: 80, 90, figs 225–238.

Males of species of the genus Tafana resemble those of the genera Aljassa Brescovit, 1997, Aysha Keyserling, 1891, Hibana Brescovit, 1991, Hatitia Brescovit, 1997, Osoriella Mello-Leitão, 1922, Pippuhana Brescovit, 1997, Temnida Simon, 1896, Umuara Brescovit, 1997 and Xiruana Brescovit, 1997 by having an embolic process in the internal male palp (see Brescovit 1997: 176–187, figs 221, 247, 265, 272, 280), an apophysis at the base of the embolus (see Oliveira & Brescovit 2015a: 209, fig. 5a–b) and further resemble Umuara by having a ventral tegular process near the median apophysis in the male palp (see Oliveira & Brescovit 2015b: 438, figs 2a–b), but differ by the presence of a conical or coiled laminar apophysis at the base of the embolus (Figs 9C–F, 12B, C, 23B, 26A–B). The females resemble those of Anyphaena, Patrera Simon, 1903, Iguarima Brescovit, 1997, Umuara and Pippuhana (see Brescovit 1997: 139–187), by having a hood on the anterior fold of the epigynum, but differ by having the posterior extension forming the lateral lobes (Figs 7D, 10F, 22F, 32E–F, 33D–E), lateral lobes sinuous (Figs 17F, 19F) and posterior region of the epigynum covered by cuticle (Figs 10F, 17F, 21F).

Body from pale white to orange and reddish brown (Figs 10A, 11A, 22A). Legs orange or pale and darker at tarsi (Figs 22B, 25A). Carapace sub-rectangular, narrow in anterior region, and enlarged near coxae I–III, cephalic region high, highest behind the posterior eye row (Figs 8A, 10A). Eyes, in dorsal view, anterior row slightly recurved and posterior row procurved (Figs 8A, 10B). Chelicerae robust and projected, with vertical length approximately half the length of the carapace, basal condyle conspicuous (Fig. 11A–B), with 3–5 promarginal teeth and 4–7 retromarginal (Fig. 8B). Two rows of trichobothria with striated base in dorsal view on the metatarsus and tarsus I–IV (Fig. 8J). Tarsal organ with teardrop shape on the distal region of tarsus and male palp (Figs 8I, 20D), slit sensilla elongated on the tarsus (Fig. 8K). Paired tarsal claws with 8–14 teeth (Fig. 8G–H). Male palp: patellar apophysis short and rounded (Figs 10D, 16D–E, 24D); distal prolateral tibial apophysis short (Fig. 13C, E); retrolateral tibial apophysis with large base and conical apex (Fig. 22D–E), usually exhibiting anterior branches and posterior branches (Fig. 13C–D) or only one branch (Figs 10D, 11D, 24D–E); median tibial apophysis branched (Fig. 29D–E) or unique (Fig. 30D–E); cymbium oval with retrolateral projection (Figs 9A–B, 10C, 12A, 22C, 26A, C), with small furrow under this projection, to accommodate the retrolateral tibial apophysis, or without (Figs 29C, 30C); chemosensory setae on the cymbium (Fig. 20D); subtriangular and ypsiloid petiole (Fig. 9C–D, F); subtegulum with 5–6 semicircular rings, short and exposed distal projection on the prolateral side on the palp when not expanded (Fig. 9D–E); tegulum with ventral tegular process narrow near the median apophysis (Figs 9B, 10C, 12B–C, 18B) and bordering the apex of the tegulum (Figs 9A, 22C, 26A–B, 28C); sclerotized median apophysis long, sharp and with a curved apex (Figs 18B, 20B, 23C); embolic process conical, sclerotized, covered by the tegulum, inserted at the base of the embolus (Fig. 9C–F); sperm duct presenting four or five loops in palp expanded (Fig. 9C–F) and in palp not expanded three loops in ventral view (Fig. 9A–B), internally traversing the embolic process reaching the embolus (Fig. 9E); embolus long (Figs 9D, 22C, 24C) or short (Figs 10C, 15C, 17C), filiform helical and curved retro-apically, connected to the embolic process (Figs 9D–E, 15C, 22C); apophysis at the base of the embolus, conical (Figs 9B, E, 10C, 12C, 18A–B) or laminar (Figs 23B, 24C, 26A–B). Oval abdomen, tracheal spiracle curved in the middle of the abdomen in ventral view (Figs 7B, 8L); anterior spinnerets bisegmented, with basal article large and distal article circular, with several spigots of piriform gland and one spigot of the ampullate gland (Fig. 8C–D); median spinnerets unsegmented, with several spigots of the aciniform gland and not presenting spigots of the cylindrical gland (Fig. 8C, E); posterior spinnerets bisegmented with basal and distal article cylindrical, one third longer than the others, with several spigots of the aciniform gland and one spigot of the ampullate gland without spigots of the cylindrical gland (Fig. 8C, F); colulus substituted by 8–10 setae (Fig. 8C). Epigynum with sinuous lateral lobes, lobe parallel in the posterior region (Figs 10F, 22F); hood approximately triangular (Figs 10F, 16F, 25F, 27F), semicircular (Figs 11F, 14F, 32D) or circular (Figs 15F, 17F, 30F, 32J, 33G– H) in the anterior region; posterior region with cuticle covered the lateral lobes (Figs10F, 11F, 17F, 21F, 27F) or without (Figs 13F, 15F, 16F, 28F); atrium with septum in the anterior region (Figs 11F, 14F, 21F) or without (Figs 13F, 15F, 22F, 25F); copulatory ducts sinuous (Figs 10G, 11G, 19G, 32F–I) or coiled (Figs 13G, 16G, 32H, K), running along margin of the lateral lobes, reaching the spermathecae, visible through transparency; secondary spermathecae rounded (Figs 10G, 11G, 14G, 32F–G, I, 33B–C) but may be irregular or inconspicuous (Figs 13G, 28G, 29G, 32H, 33F–G); secondary spermathecae short, near the primary spermathecae (Figs 15G, 17G, 22G, 26D, 32F, J, L), wide (Figs 11G, 13G, 14G, 32G, I) or in the middle of the copulatory ducts (Figs 16G, 21G, 29G, 32K, 33G); primary spermathecae oval, positioned together (Figs 10G, 15G, 20E, 22G, 26D, 32F–G) or separated from each other by almost a third of their diameter (Figs 13G, 28G, 29G, 33F–H); fertilization ducts near the epigastric furrow, originating from base of spermathecae (Figs 10G, 11G, 20E, 22G, 26D, 29G, 32F–L, 33A–H).