Figs 585–587
Blechroscelis cambridgei Mello-Leitão, 1947a: 160, fig. 3 (♂♀, Brazil: Pará). Mesabolivar cambridgei: Huber 2000: 228, figs 895–901.
Notes. In Huber (2000: 191), this species was considered part of a “miscellaneous group [of Mesabolivar], certainly polyphyletic, whose representatives did not fit convincingly into any other genus”. Machado’s (2007) cladistic analysis suggested inclusion in the genus Carapoia. Morphological characters supporting this position are the dorsal membranous protrusion of the bulbal process (Huber 2000: fig. 896) and the pair of sclerites embedded in membrane behind the epigynum (Huber 2000: fig. 901). Our recent molecular phylogeny of Pholcidae (Eberle et al., unpublished data) strongly supports this view (Appendices 1–2). Therefore, the species is here formally transferred to Carapoia.
The holotype (erroneously called “ lectotype ” twice in Huber 2000) originates from Santarém, Pará. Our recent collecting effort near Santarém (at Floresta Nacional de Tapajós) did not produce this species. Instead, the material listed below is from ~ 450–700 km ENE to ESE of Santarém. It seems to differ slightly from the type material in the position of the male cheliceral apophyses (slightly more proximal). For this reason, the specimens below are assigned tentatively. The details of the procursus tip seem to be identical to the holotype. All newly examined females have a very indistinct median crest posteriorly on the epigynum. This crest is barely visible in ventral view and it is possibly for that reason that it is not shown in Huber 2000: fig. 901 (based on a paratype specimen from Monte Alegre collected in 1896).
Type material. BRAZIL: Pará: ♂ holotype (?—see Huber 2000), 1♀ paratype, BMNH, Santarem [2.43°S, 54.64°W], forest, leg. F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, examined (Huber 2000). Further paratypes from Monte Alegre [2.00°S, 54.08°W], Breves [1.68°S, 50.47°W], and “Lower Amazon” (see Huber 2000).
New records (specimens assigned tentatively, see above). BRAZIL: Pará: 9♂ 6♀, ZFMK (Ar 19246), Belém, Parque Estadual do Utinga, ‘site 1’ (1.424°S, 48.429°W), 25 m a.s.l., 5.x.2016 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho); 1♂ 2♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br 16-235), same data. 12♂ 7♀, ZFMK (Ar 19247–48), Parque Estadual do Utinga, ‘site 2’ (1.433°S, 48.410°W), 25 m a.s.l., 5–6.x.2016 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho); 1♂ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br 16- 230a), same data. 6♂ 6♀ 1 juv., ZFMK (Ar 19249), Marabá, forest near road, ‘site 1’ (5.414°S, 49.074°W), 140 m a.s.l., 7–8.x.2016 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho); 1♂ 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Br 16-236), same data. 2♂ 2♀ 1 juv., ZFMK (Ar 19250), Marabá, forest near road, ‘site 2’ (5.360°S, 49.058°W), 120 m a.s.l., 10–11.x.2016 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho).
Amapá: 6♂ 5♀, ZFMK (Ar 19251), forest SW Macapá, ‘site 1’ (0.051°S, 51.136°W), 25 m a.s.l., 12.x.2016 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho). 2♂, ZFMK (Ar 19252), forest SW Macapá, ‘site 2’ (0.051°S, 51.123°W), 20 m a.s.l., 12.x.2016 (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho).
Description (amendments; see Huber 2000). Tibia 1 in 33 newly examined males: 10.3–14.8 (mean 12.4); in 22 females: 7.9–10.7 (mean 9.4). As pointed out previously (Huber 2000), there is variation in male leg hairs. In addition to spines ventrally on all femora, large males tend to have spines also ventrally on tibiae 2 and 3 (or only tibiae 3). Curved hairs (in high density) occur in small and large males but only on tibiae 1. Females do not have spines, but most females have curved hairs, either on both tibiae and metatarsi 1 or only on metatarsi 1. Male (and female) femora all of approximately same width; diameters femora 1–4 in large male: 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.22. Most specimens with distinctive transversal dark band on carapace behind ocular area (in addition to median band in thoracic furrow).
Natural history. At Belém and Macapá, the domed webs were rather exposed among vegetation, partly even in direct sunlight; in Marabá, they were mostly closer to the ground, sometimes even under large dead leaves on the ground. When disturbed, the spiders vibrated but were easy to catch.
Distribution. Widely distributed along the lower Amazon river, Brazil (Fig. 742).