Mysmenopsis rodriguesae Pantoja & Bonaldo & Xavier 2023, new species

Mysmenopsis rodriguesae new species

Figs 1–3, 12A

Type material. 1♁ holotype. BRAZIL: Pará, Belém, 2° Batalhão de Operações Ribeirinhas, Mata da Marinha, 01°51’34.57”S 50°39’24.92”W, 22.IV.2019, P. Pantoja leg. (MPEG. ARA 35707). Paratypes. BRAZIL: same data as the holotype, 01°23’36.3”S 48°26’58.3”W, 03.XII.2018, J. Rodrigues leg., 1♀ (MPEG. ARA 35706); Parque Estadual do Utinga, Trilha da Castanheira, 01°25’1.4”S 48, P. Pantoja leg., 1♀ (MPEG. ARA 36319); Portel, Estação Científica Ferreira Penna, FLONA Caxiuanã, 01°51’19.3”S 51°25’57.5”W, 17.XI.2005, N.S. Abrahim leg., 1♁ 1♀ (MPEG. ARA 38413).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of Juliana Rodrigues, biologist who studied spiders in forest fragments in Belém, Pará, Brazil and collected a female paratype of this species.

Diagnosis. Males of M. rodriguesae n. sp. differ from all other species by the presence of two apical projections on the retroapical margin of the palpal tibia (Figs 1A, 3A); females differ from all other species by the very bulky oval spermathecae, which occupy almost entirely the posterior region of the epigynum (Figs 1F, 3G). Additionally, both males and females differ from all other species by the shape of abdomen, with two pairs of dorsolateral projections (Fig. 2).

Description. Male holotype: Total length: 1.09; carapace length: 0.38; carapace width: 0.44; abdomen length: 0.62; abdomen width: 0.75. Cephalothorax: carapace dark brown, pear-shaped; suffused black along pars cephalica and radiating lines (Fig. 2A). Sternum dark brown. Clypeus brown, high (3x AME diameter). Chelicerae brown. Eyes: eight, rounded, AME approximately 1.5x larger than the others, which are approximately equal size; ocular region on protuberance; AME separated by their diameter; AME–ALE touching; ALE–PLE contiguous, PLE–PME separated by their diameter; PME separated by their diameter.Abdomen: straight posterior edge and domed anterior edge in dorsal view, brown with dorsal region grey suffused with white patches, cardiac area brownish (Figs 2A, C) followed by transversal dark brown patches, with two pairs of dorsolateral conical projections (Figs 2A, C). Legs: grey with black rounded spots in all segments. Leg spination: tibia I with one apical prolateral clasping spur; metatarsus I with one medial prolateral clasping spur (Fig. 3D). Total length leg I: 1.80 (0.55/0.17/0.52/0.26/0.30); leg II: 1.44 (0.40/0.17/0.41/0.23/0.23); leg III: 1.21 (0.40/0.12/0.23/0.21/0.25); leg IV: 1.21 (0.42/0.10/0.23/0.20/0.26). Genitalia (Figs 1A–C, 3A–C): tibia globular with ventral pedicel and two sclerotized retrolateral projections, longer than wide, cusps absent; cymbium with pointed apical region, subtriangular, paracymbium domed; bulky tegulum; embolus short with a wide base and narrow median and apical region, curved prolaterally.

Female paratype (MPEG.ARA 35706): Total length: 1.02; carapace length: 0.44; carapace width: 0.44; abdomen length: 0.58; abdomen width: 0.70. Cephalothorax, sternum and chelicerae: as in male (Fig. 2B). Clypeus brown, low (1.5x AME). Eyes as in male. Abdomen: shape as in male, dark brown with dorsal region grey suffused with white patches, cardiac area brownish (Figs 2B, D) followed by transversal dark brown patches (Figs 2B, D). Legs: coloration as in male; femur I with no modifications. Total length leg I: 1.64 (0.50/0.18/0.43/0.27/0.26); leg II: 1.53 (0.48/0.20/0.32/0.28/0.25); leg III: 1.27 (0.40/0.12/0.23/0.21/0.25); leg IV: 1.34 (0.44/0.15/0.26/0.27/0.22). Genitalia (Figs 1D–F, 3E–G): epigynum protuding, ventral epigynal plate sclerotized posteriorly and hyaline anteriorly, domed posterior margin; posterior plate sclerotized; internal genitalia with copulation ducts positioned anteriorly, with poorly defined proximal region; spermathecae large and elliptical, almost contiguous posteriorly.

Additional material examined. BRAZIL. Pará. Portel, Estação Científica Ferreira Penna, FLONA Caxiuanã, 01°51’19.3”S 51°25’57.5”W, 17.XI.2005, N.S. Abrahim leg., 2♁ (MPEG. ARA 27755); same data, B.C. Araújo leg., 1♀ (MPEG. ARA 27756); same data, J.A.P. Barreiros leg., 1♀ (MPEG. ARA 27757); same data, 01° 47’32.7”S 51°25’29.2”W, 23.XI.2005, N.S. Abrahim leg., 1♀ (MPEG. ARA 27758); same data, J.A.P. Barreiros leg., 1♀ (MPEG. ARA 27759).

Distribution. Known from Brazil (Pará).

Natural History. The specimens were collected in rainforest areas with beating tray and also with manual collecting.