Cosmopelma Simon 1889

Cosmopelma Simon, 1889

Cosmopelma Simon, 1889: 217; 1892: 128; Petrunkevitch, 1911: 54; Mello-Leitão, 1923: 123; Roewer, 1942: 220; Raven, 1985: 41. Goloboff, 1995: 27.

Type species. Cosmopelma decoratum Simon, 1889, by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Males and females of Cosmopelma differ from those of Sason by the wide clypeus (Figs 1, 6, 14, 22, 30), from Neodiplothele by the presence of 4 spinnerets (Figs 8, 15, 24, 31) and from Paracenobiopelma by the absence of cuspules on the labium (Figs 2, 7, 13, 23, 29). Additionally, females of Cosmopelma differ from those of other Sasoninae by the presence of spiky cuspules ventrally on the maxillae and coxae I (Figs 2, 7, 23, 40, 41, 43, 44). Two other possible diagnostic characters for females are the two pale bands around the apical segment of the PLS (Figs 8, 15, 24, 31), and the symmetric set of three pairs of spines on the tibiae of the palps in females (Figs 3, 9, 25, 39, 42).

Description. Carapace: longer than wide, surface smooth. Thoracic striae faint and shallow. Caput slightly raised. Fovea shallow, short, slightly procurved. Females with eight eyes on reduced and low tubercle; males with eight eyes on raised tubercle. Anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior slightly recurved. Chelicerae with very fine setae on pro- and retrolateral sides. Fangs pale at base, darkening distally, reaching light brown hue. Rastellum absent, distal edge with dark very thick setae. Labium wider than long, without cuspules. Labiosternal groove shallow, flat, with pair of sigilla. Females with spiky cuspules ventrally on inner angles of maxillae and coxae I. Males with maxillary and coxal cuspules absent or reduced. Maxillary heel rounded, anterior lobe indistinct. Lyra absent. Booklungs semicircular, with elliptical aperture; booklung combs not evident.

Leg formula: IV I II III. Females with symmetric pattern (2-2-2) of ventral long curved spines on palpal tibiae; legs I and II with distinct pattern (2-0-1) of ventral long curved spines on metatarsi and (1-1-1) of retrolateral long curved spines on tibiae. Preening combs absent. Few clavate trichobothria on tarsi of palps and all legs, median positioned. Females with smooth claw on palp. Males and females superior tarsal claws smooth on all legs. Tibial apophysis absent on legs I, replaced or not by a megaspine.

Four spinnerets. PMS well developed. Apical segment of PLS with two pale bands around it: one basal and one apical.

Two spermathecae with two receptacles each. Male palpal bulbs pyriform with parallel keels.

Chelicerae and carapace light brown, legs bicolored, with alternating pale and brown bands, abdomen dorsally bicolored, with a distinctive symmetric pattern of pale and brown areas: 3 anterior pairs of bands separated by brown area in middle and 3 posterior bands undivided; ventrally pale.

Distribution. Cosmopelma is endemic to the State of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil (Figs 45–47), and found in woods near the sea shore. They have been found only between the rivers De Contas (to the north) and Pardo (to the south), within an area known as “Cacao region”.