Tafana arawak De Oliveira & Brescovit 2021, sp. nov.

Tafana arawak sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7BF3C0A5-9472-46CF-80F3-AEEDFB9EA022

Figs 27, 33E, 35

Diagnosis

Males of Tafana arawak sp. nov. resemble others of the silhavyi group by a laminar and coiled apophysis at the base of the embolus, but differ by the retrolateral tibial apophysis bifid (Fig. 27C–E). Females resemble those of T. silhavyi and T. maracay sp. nov. by the epigynal plate with wide atrium, but differ by the atrium extremely wide and the large hood (Figs 27F–G, 33E).

Etymology

The specific name is derived from the Brazilian Portuguese word ‘Aruaques’ (in Spanish ‘Arahuaco’) for the name of an indigenous group from the Americas, named ‘Arawak’, meaning ‘flour eater’. The name should be treated as a noun in apposition.

Material examined

Holotype VENEZUELA • 1 ♂; Aragua, Colonia Tovar; [10°24′20″ N, 67°17′22″ W]; no date; E. Simon leg.; MNHN 11320.

Paratype VENEZUELA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; MNHN 11320.

Description

Male (holotype, MNHN 11320)

COLOR. Exemplar probably discolored. Carapace orange with cephalic region dark (Fig. 27A). Labium, sternum and endites yellow. Chelicerae reddish. Legs I–IV yellow, darkest at tarsi. Abdomen yellow with spots in dorsal view (Fig. 27A).

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 6.1, carapace length 2.7, width 2.2. Clypeus height 0.08. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.12, PME 0.1, PLE 0.12; AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.02, PME– PME 0.12, PME–PLE 0.06, ALE–PLE 0.04. Chelicerae 1.0 long, with four promarginal teeth and four retromarginal denticles.

LEG MEASUREMENTS. I—femur 3.1/ patella 1.1/ tibia 3.8/ metatarsus 3.27 / tarsus 1.3/ total 12.57; II— 2.8/ 1.1/ 3.1 /2.8 / 1.1/ 10.9; III—2.0 /0.8 / 1.2/ 2.0/ 0.6/ 6.6; IV—2.8 / 0.75 /2.6 / 3.2/ 0.8/ 10.15.

LEG SPINATION. I—tibia v2-2-2, p1-1-1, r1-1-1, metatarsus v2-0-0, p0-1-0, r0-1-0; II—tibia v2-2-2, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, metatarsus p0-1-0, r0-1-0; III—tibia v2-2-2, p1-1-0, r1-1-0; IV—tibia p1-1-0.

PALP. Retrolateral tibial apophysis bifid with anterior branch truncated and posterior branch thin; cymbium with retrolateral projection; apophysis at the base of the embolus laminar and coiled; embolus long with large base and narrow apex; median apophysis long and curved apically; ventral tegular process long and hyaline; basal protuberance of the tegulum short; sperm duct with secondary looping in oblique position in the tegulum (Fig. 27C–E).

ABDOMEN. Length 3.2, epigastric furrow 0.63 from tracheal spiracle, spiracle 1.6 from base of spinnerets.

Female (paratype, MNHN 11320)

COLOR. Exemplar probably discolored. Coloration as in males of this species (Fig. 27B).

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 7.1, carapace length 2.9, width 2.2. Clypeus height 0.06. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.1, PME 0.1, PLE 0.12; AME–AME 0.02, AME–ALE 0.02, PME– PME 0.14, PME–PLE 0.08, ALE–PLE 0.04. Chelicerae 1.0 long, with four promarginal teeth and six retromarginal denticles.

LEG MEASUREMENTS. I—femur 2.9/ patella 1.1/ tibia 3.2/ metatarsus 2.59 / tarsus 1.1/ total 10.89; II— 2.6/ 1.0/ 2.75 / 2.3/ 1.0 /9.65; III—2.0 / 0.8/ 1.5 /1.7 /0.6 / 6.6; IV—2.8/ 0.82 / 2.5/ 3.1 /0.75 / 9.97.

LEG SPINATION. I—tibia v2-2-2, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, metatarsus v2-0-0, p0-1-0, r0-1-0; II—tibia v2-2-2, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, metatarsus p0-1-0, r0-1-0; III—tibia p1-1-0, r1-1-0; IV—tibia r1-1-0.

EPIGYNUM. Hood triangular; wide atrium; epigynal plate covered with hyaline cuticle in the posterior region; lateral lobes sinuous. Internally, copulatory ducts extremely large in the anterior region; primary spermathecae oval and separated; secondary spermathecae small, lateral of the primary spermathecae, and fertilization ducts longer than the primary spermathecae (Figs 27F–G, 33E).

ABDOMEN. Length 4.0, epigastric furrow 0.8 from tracheal spiracle, spiracle 2.2 from base of spinnerets.

Distribution

Venezuela (Fig. 35).