Pinelema elinae Brescovit & Gallão & Cizauskas 2023, sp. nov.

Pinelema elinae sp. nov.

Figs 1−9

Type specimens. Holotype male and paratype female from Lapa do Boqueirão, Carinhanha, Serra do Ramalho karst area, Bahia, Brazil, 25/VI/2022, M.E. Bichuette, J.E. Gallão, F. Chaimowicz & L. S. Horta col., sample 92, deposited in IBSP 289839. Paratypes: same data, 1♂ 2♀ (IBSP 289838); Gruna do Engrunado, Coribe, Serra do Ramalho karst area, Bahia, Brazil, 13/X/2020, M.E. Bichuette, D.F. Torres, L. S. Horta, J. S. Gallo & J. E. Gallão col., 1♂ 1♀, sample RAM I-186 (LES 0029019).

Other material examined. BRAZIL. Bahia: Lençóis, Gruta do Lapão, 12°32'24"S 41°24'09"W, 17/II/2020, M.E. Bichuette, D. F. Torres, G. C. Rabello & J. E. Gallão col., 1♀ (LES 0029018); Andaraí, Igatu county, Gruna Veio de Aurélio (12°51’37”S 41°18’12”W), 28/X/2010, M.E. Bichuette & J.E. Gallão col., 1♀ (IBSP 196421); Serra do Ramalho karst area, Serra do Ramalho, Gruna das Três Cobras, 13°37'06" S 43°45'09" W, 30/V/2012, M.E. Bichuette, N. Hattori & J. E. Gallão col., 2♀ (LES 0029020); Coribe, Gruna do Engrunado (13°49′44″S 44°27′14″W), 13/X/2020, M.E. Bichuette, D.F. Torres, L.S. Horta, J.S. Gallo & J.E. Gallão col., 9 immatures, sample ex RAM I-186 (LES 0029021); same data, 5♀ 1 imm., sample ex RAM I-186 (LES 0029022); 3♀ 3 immatures (IBSP 289842); Carinhanha, Lapa do Boqueirão, 13°46'51"S 44°02'18" W, 28/VI/2001, R.L.C. Baptista col., 1♂ 1♀ (MNRJ 06338); 3 imm. (MNRJ 06338); 1♂ 1♀ (MNRJ ex 06338; SEM ♂); Carinhanha, Lapa do Boqueirão, 25/IV/2022, M.E. Bichuette, L.S. Horta, J.E. Gallão & F. Chaimowicz col., sample 92, 1♀ 2 immatures (LES 0029023); 25/IV/2022, 1♀ (IBSP 289841); Carinhanha, Gruna Pedro Cassiano, 13°47'48"S 43°54'50"W, 10/ IX/2021, M.E. Bichuette & J.E. Gallão col., 1♂ 1♀ (LES 0029024); same data, 1♂ 1♀ (IBSP 289839); Carinhanha, Gruna Água Clara, 13°48'03"S 43°57'05"W, 28/IV/2022, M.E. Bichuette & J.E. Gallão col., sample Boq 249, 1♀ (LES 0029025); same data, 1♀ (IBSP 289840).

Etymology. The specific name is in honor of the researcher Maria Elina Bichuette, specialist in the taxonomy, behavior, ecology and evolution of subterranean fauna in Brazil. Her work has contributed much to the knowledge and conservation of the Brazilian cave fauna.

Diagnosis. Pinelema elinae sp. nov. resembles the species of the Pinelema feilong group by the triangular and short embolus (relative to bulb length) in males and the U-shaped or coiled receptacle in the genitalia of females (see Zhao et al., 2020, figs 2C, 3A; Lin & Li, 2010, fig. 13B–C). Males can be distinguished by the set of ventral spines on the femora of leg I (Figs 1A, D, 3A) and the pear-shaped bulb, almost without folds (Figs 1B–C, E, 6A), and the females by the receptacle with a membranous tube, very thin, long and with a small mushroom-shaped distal projection (Fig. 5E–F).

Description. Male. (Holotype). Total length 1.8. Prosoma 0.7 long, 0.55 wide. Prosoma orange, brilliant, nearly rounded, smooth (Fig. 1A, D). Fovea absent with two elongated setae (Fig. 2A). Eyes absent (Fig. 2A). Chelicerae orange, half the length of the carapace, fang furrow with five promarginal teeth and 8–10 plumose setae, with seven retromarginal tiny denticles (Fig. 2B–C). Endites longer than labium, with conical distal area and elongated serrula presenting more than 40 teeth (Fig. 2D–E). Labium triangular, rebordered and not fused to sternum (Fig. 2D). Sternum 0.45 long, 0.3 wide, yellow, heart-shaped, with two pairs of anterior median slit sense organs (arrow in Fig. 2F), long lateral bristles and projecting between the legs IV. Legs yellow, bearing a dorsal spine on patella distally and a dorsal spine on each tibia medially. Femora I with set of 20–30 elongated and robust ventral spines (Fig. 1D, 3A). Tibiae with transverse grooves bearing small, circular tibial glands (Fig. 3B–C), globose Emerit glands lacking openings (Fig. 3D), slightly elevated trichobothria with smooth bothrium (Fig. 3E) and short sensitive hairs (Fig. 3F). Leg measurements: I 8.0 (2.5, 0.25, 2.5, 1.9, 0.85); II 7.1 (2.4, 0.2, 2.2, 1.6, 0.7); III 5.05 (1.7, 0.2, 1.5, 1.1, 0.55); IV 6.45 (2.2, 0.25, 1.9, 1.4, 0.7). Leg formula: I-II-IV-III. Opisthosoma 1.0 long, 0.8 wide, grayish, globose (1A), dorsally with sparse long setae. Palp cream, white bulb. Femur equal to two times the length of the patella, tibia about two times the length of the patella. Cymbium as long as the tibia, broad proximally and narrow distally, with a prolateral median finger-like prolateral cymbial apophysis (Figs 1E, 4A). Palpal bulb pear-shaped; spiral ridge slightly sclerotized and short; embolus enlarged and slightly sclerotized distally (Figs 1B–C, 4B–D).

Female (Paratype, IBSP 289838). Total length 1.9. Prosoma 0.8 long, 0.7 wide. Sternum 0.6 long, 0.4 wide. Opisthosoma 0.9 long, 0.8 wide. Same coloration and general characters as in male (Fig. 5A–B), except: chelicerae with three promarginal teeth and 5–6 plumose setae, and six retromarginal tiny denticles (Fig. 6A). Pedipalpal tarsus with elongated setae (Fig. 6B). Leg measurements: I 8.05 (2.6, 0.25, 2.6, 1.9, 0.7); II 8.1 (2.3, 0.3, 3, 1.7, 0.8); III 5.0 (1.8, 0.25, 1.6, 0.8, 0.55); IV 6.85 (2.3, 0.25, 2.2, 1.5, 0.6). Leg formula: I-II-IV-III. Three claws, paired curved with 4–5 teeth, unpaired curved, tapered and toothless (Fig. 6C). Colulus rhomboidal in shape and pilose (Fig. 6D). Genital area with anterior border slightly sclerotized and bordered by a row of black setae (Fig. 5B–D); atrium with sinuous margin in the copulatory opening (Fig. 5D). Receptacle very long, tube-shaped, slightly sclerotized and coiled (Fig. 5E–F).

Distribution. Known only from caves of the State of Bahia, in Brazil (Fig. 9).

Natural history. Telemid spiders are found in many and diverse humid microhabitats such as leaf litter, rotten logs, under rocks, and in caves (Dippenaar-Schoeman & Myburgh, 2009, Dupérré & Tapia, 2015, Ubick et al., 2020). Pinelema elinae sp. nov. was found in two sandstone caves from Chapada Diamantina and five limestone caves from the Serra do Ramalho karst area. Specimens of Pinelema elinae sp. nov. were found only in the aphotic zones of the caves where the relative humidity was very high (ca> 96%). They were gently sampled with aid of a fine brush from their irregular but delicate webs (Fig. 7A, C) on the cave walls or from crevices in the walls (Fig.7B, D). In the two caves from Chapada Diamantina, only one female was found in each cave demonstrating the rarity of this spider in the sandstone caves of this region, despite several years of collection efforts (Gallão & Bichuette, 2015). The examination of these specimens showed no morphological difference between spiders collected in karst caves and those from sandstone caves.

In recent years, four caves from Serra do Ramalho karst area (Fig. 8) have been studied and 103 specimens of Pinelema elinae sp. nov. Most specimens were immatures, with the following data: Gruna do Engrunado cave (October 2020: 25 specimens; 1♂ 7♀ 17 imm.); Gruna do Engrunado cave (July 2021: 25 specimens: 1♂ 5♀ 19 imm.); Gruna Pedro Cassiano cave (September 2021: 10 specimens; 2♂ 2♀ 06 imm.); Lapa do Boqueirão cave (April 2022: 33 specimens: 4♂ 12♀ 17 imm.); Gruna Água Clara cave (April 2022: 10 specimens: 4♀ 6 imm.). The spiders were always solitary on their webs, but in some places of the cave, there were up to 10 spiders, mainly immature, about 20 cm close to each other, probably because of the low dispersal of the spiders, and the immature ones remained near the mother. The number of females and immature spiders is much higher than the number of males, indicating the rarity of males of Pinelema elinae sp. nov.

This high number of specimens per cave shows that the species is quite common and seems to have remained abundant despite to the very poor preservation of the Serra do Ramalho karst area. The caves of Serra do Ramalho are a patch of subterranean biodiversity in the region, with troglobite species in various groups, such as springtails, coleoptera, arachnids, amphipods, isopods, millipedes, gastropods, planarians and fish (Trajano et al., 2016).