Sphecozone personata Simon 1894

Sphecozone personata (Simon, 1894)

(Figs. 6–10, 11–19, 21)

Typhistes personatus Simon, 1894:672 (Syntypes 3 and Ƥ, south Brazil, in MNHN, not examined); Roewer, 1942: 710; Bonnet, 1959: 4742.

Sphecozone personata: Millidge, 1991: 175, f. 739–742; Platnick, 2011.

Diagnosis. See S. rostrata.

Description. Male (MCN 47501): Total length 1.65. Carapace length 0.82, width 0.52, height 0.30. Clypeus height 0.13. Sternum length 0.40, width 0.35. Abdomen length 0.85, width 0.60, height 0.60. Leg formula IV/I/II/III; lengths (I/ II/III/IV): femora 0.52/0.44/0.40/0.57; patellae 0.12/0.15/0.12/0.15; tibiae 0.44/0.44/0.35/0.50; metatarsi 0.35/0.37/0.35/ 0.44; tarsi 0.27/0.27/0.25/0.25; total 1.70/1.67/1.47/1.91. Coxae III slightly smaller; coxae IV separated by more than their width. TmI 0.44. Metatarsal trichobothria I–III present, IV absent. Tibial spine formula: 1-1-1-1. Eye diameters: AME 0.0 3, ALE, PME and PLE 0.0 5. Eyes with dark borders (Figs. 10, 11). Ocular area dark-brown. Clypeus glabrous. Carapace dark red-brown, projected and pubescent in the cephalic region (Fig. 13). Chelicerae and endites pale orange. Labium brownish. Chelicerae promargin with five teeth, retromargin with four. Sternum (Fig. 12) pale orange with dark red-brown borders, posteriorly truncated. Coxa yellowish; femurae and patellae pale orange; legs I–III tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi brown; leg IV tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi dark-brown. Abdomen (Fig. 11) and spinnerets brownish. Colulus well developed. Retrolateral tibial apophysis short and curved; prolateral tibial apophysis long, pointed dorsally. Membranous column and embolic membrane present. Embolus long with several turns (Figs. 6, 7).

Female (MCN 47501; as male except noted): Total length 1.57. Carapace length 0.62, width 0.52, height 0.27. Clypeus height 0.0 8. Sternum length 0.37, width 0.37. Abdomen length 1.0 2, width 0.75, height 0.77. Leg formula IV/I/ II/III; lengths (I/II/III/IV): femora 0.50/0.47/0.42/0.57; patellae 0.17/0.15/0.15/0.15; tibiae 0.40/0.37/0.30/0.44; metatarsi 0.37/0.35/0.32/0.40; tarsi 0.25/0.27/0.25/0.25; total 1.69/1.61/1.44/1.81. TmI 0.40. Eye diameters: AME 0.0 3, ALE, PME and PLE 0.0 5. Carapace red-brown (Fig. 14) not projected, setae present at ocular area and a median row with 3–4 setae. Sternum (Fig. 15) pale orange with reddish-brown borders, posteriorly truncated. Tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi brown. Abdomen, longer than wide (Fig. 14), with longitudinal stripe. Epigynum with ventral plate wider than long (Fig. 8), short fertilization ducts, elongate spermathecae in the half length of epigynum (Fig. 9).

Material examined. Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul: Maquiné (riparian forest, Maquiné river), 2533, 360Ƥ, 01.VIII.2007 – 07.VI.2009 (MCN 47347, 47501-47513); Parobé (riparian forest, Sinos river), 1Ƥ, 17.IX.2007 (MCN 47514) all collected with a beating tray by E.N.L. Rodrigues.

Distribution. Brazil (São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul).

Ecology. Sphecozone personata was the most abundant species (N=1,222) amongst 440 recorded in riparian forests of southern Brazil, sampled from Maquiné (N=1,220) and Sinos rivers (N=2). More females (N=726; 59.5%) than males (496; 40.5%) were captured (sex ratio, 1.5:1). This species was most abundant in the forest interior (N=599; 49%), followed by forest-grassland edges (330; 27%) and forest-river edge (293; 24%). Both S. rostrata and S. personata seem to have a preference for the forest interior rather than the edges.

Sphecozone personata was found throughout the year with a peak in autumn to winter. The seasonal abundance distribution was similar in both sexes. The lowest abundances were recorded during the summers (Fig. 21).

The family Linyphiidae is known for its great diversity in the Northern Hemisphere and for maturing and reproducing during the winter season there (Schaefer, 1977; Buddle & Draney, 2004). Sphecozone personata conforms to this pattern by seeming to have a preference for milder temperatures in this region of southern Brazil, preferring cold seasons (winter and autumn).

Hermaphrodite (MCN 47347). One individual has a bilateral hermaphrodite appearance. This specimen has an underdeveloped male palp on the right side (Figs. 16, 18) with several sclerites. The left palp remains unmodified as in females. The specimen presents a well developed but slightly deformed epigynal plate with an atrium ventrally at the left side of the abdomen. The right side of the epigastric furrow seems to remain unmodified as in other males (Figs. 16, 17). The hermaphrodite specimen lacks the characteristic cephalic projection found in males of the species (Fig. 19).