(Figs. 1 C, 3 A–D, 6 AB, 7 A)
Type. Male holotype (UFMG 11538) from Brazil, Minas Gerais: Marliéria (Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, 19 º 42 ’S 42 º 44 ’W, 597 m), 1–10 September 2003, T. Rodrigues et al. leg.
Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition composed by the fusion of two Latin words, fluvii (river) and dulcifis (sweet). This name alludes to the type locality of the species, Rio Doce (“Sweet River”) State Park.
Diagnosis. Males of Philoponella fluviidulcifis resemble those of the Philoponella semiplumosa species group (see Opell 1979: 532) in having the retrolateral tubercle of the palpal femur longer than the prolateral one (Fig. 3 D), and the conductor spike longer than the apical projection of the median apophysis spur, but can be distinguished from other members of the group and all other tropical American Philoponella species by the median apophysis spur with a large base and the apical projection forming a 180 ° hook (Figs. 3 A, B; 6 A).
Description. Male (holotype). Total length 3.72, carapace length 1.40, sternum length 0.56, abdomen length 2.19, leg I, length of articles: femur 2.08, patella 0.28, tibia 1.86, metatarsus 1.83, tarsus 0.79. Length of tibiae II 0.69, III 0.51, IV 1.02. Carapace pale-yellow with two paramedian longitudinal dark bands (Fig. 1 C). Chelicerae pale-yellow. Endites, labium and sternum light grey. Legs pale-yellow (Fig. 1 C). Abdomen dorsally pale-yellow with white spots and posterior region dark (Fig. 1 C), ventrally light brown. Anal tubercle and spinnerets light brown. Embolus filiform, in clockwise direction in left palp (Figs. 3 A, B). Median apophysis bulb not tumescent and not covering the embolus (Figs. 6 A, B). Conductor basal lobe longer than wide, canoe-shaped in retrolateral view (Fig. 3 A). Conductor spike rounded in retrolateral view (Fig. 3 A), acute and curved in apical view (Fig. 3 B) and longer than the apical projection of median apophysis spur (Figs. 3 A, B).
Female. Unknown.
Variation. Male (N = 4). Carapace length 1.19–1.40, sternum length 0.66–0.71, abdomen length 1.91–2.67.
Additional material examined. Brazil, Minas Gerais: Marliéria: Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, 19 º 39 ’ 28 ”S 42 º 34 ’ 22 ”W, 270 m, 21.VIII. 2010, B.T. Faleiro leg, 1 ♂ (UFMG 4972); Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, 19 º 42 ’ 59 ”S 42 º 44 ’ 2 ”W, 597 m, 19–20.V. 2010, A.J. Santos leg, 2 ♂ (UFMG 9516).
Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 7 A).