Research Article |
Antonio D. Brescovit‡, Ivan L. F. Magalhaes§, Igor Cizauskas‡
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Corresponding author: Antonio D. Brescovit ( antonio.brescovit@butantan.gov.br ) Academic editor: Cor Vink
© 2016 Antonio D. Brescovit, Ivan L. F. Magalhaes, Igor Cizauskas.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Brescovit AD, Magalhaes ILF, Cizauskas I (2016) Three new species of Misionella from northern Brazil (Araneae, Haplogynae, Filistatidae). ZooKeys 589: 71-96. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.589.7951
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Abstract
Three new species of the genus Misionella are described from Brazil: M. carajas sp. n. and M. aikewara sp. n. from caves in the states of Pará and Tocantins and M. pallida sp. n. from natural and synanthropic dry areas in the states of Piauí, Maranhão, Rio Grande do Norte and Bahia. These species seem to belong to a distinct group within the genus; the males have an elongate palpal tibia and bulb, a pair of characteristic and hirsute macrosetae in the second metatarsus and the females have internal genitalia with only one pair of spermathecae, with relatively short ducts, lacking the auxiliary receptacles. Their phylogenetic placement and geographic distribution are briefly discussed.
Keywords
Caves, Caatinga, endemics, Prithinae , spiders, taxonomy
Introduction
The genus Misionella Ramírez & Grismado, 1997 was established to include the species Filistata mendensis described by
The species of the genus Misionella resemble those of Pikelinia Mello-Leitão in having enlarged male palpal tibia and second male metatarsi retrolaterally excavated, with short spinules (Figs
Female from Cave N4E_0079, Flona Carajás, Parauapebas, Pará (
In this paper, we describe these three new, morphologically deviant species of Misionella from Brazil, two from caves in the states of Pará and Tocantins and a third from dry areas in the states of Piauí, Maranhão, Rio Grande do Norte and Bahia.
Material and methods
The material examined belongs to the following institutions:
CHNUFPI
Coleção de História Natural,
ISLA
Zoology Collection, Seção de Invertebrados Subterrâneos da
Descriptions follow
Taxonomy
Family Filistatidae Ausserer, 1867
Subfamily Prithinae Gray, 1995
Misionella
Misionella Ramírez & Grismado, 1997: 342, type species Misionella mendensis (Mello-Leitão, 1920), by monotypy and original designation.
Diagnosis
Males of Misionella have the cymbium fused to the tegulum, as do Pikelinia and Lihuelistata; they can be distinguished from Pikelinia by the lack of an apophysis on the palpal tibia, and from Lihuelistata by the modified second metatarsi (
Misionella carajas sp. n.
Types
Male holotype from Cave N4E_0024 (06°02'01"S, 50°10'07"W), FLONA Carajás, Parauapebas, Pará, Brazil, 20/IV‒04/V/10, D. B. Pedroso col. (
Additional material examined
BRAZIL. Pará: Parauapebas, Flona Carajás, Cave GEM-1797 (06°06'25"S, 50°08'07"W), 3♂ 3♀, 23/VIII/2010, R. Zampaulo col. (
Etymology
The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.
Diagnosis
Males of Misionella carajas can be distinguished from M. aikewara by the longer palpal tibia and shorter paraembolic lamina (Fig.
Description
Male (
Female (
SEM images of Misionella carajas sp. n., female from Cave N4E-0024, Flona Carajás, Parauapebas, Pará (
Variation
10 males: total length 3‒4.2; carapace 1.4‒1.7; femur I 2.8‒4.5. 10 females: total length 4.2‒6.8; carapace 1.7‒2.4; femur I 2.7‒3.2.
Natural history
This species is very common in the Carajás area, where 352 adult specimens were collected. 101 males, 251 females and approximately 400 immature (only 164 included here) were sampled in 144 caves, between the years 2006–2010. The caves are formed in iron ore in areas of residual plateau, more specifically on the bases of outcrops of iron ore or ‘canga’. The ‘canga’ are usually covered by open vegetation type called ‘metalophylic vegetation’, which is characterized by plants able to grow in soils rich in iron and other heavy metals (
Distribution
The species seems to occur exclusively in caves in the region of the Flona of Carajás, in the municipalities of Parauapebas and Canaã dos Carajás (Fig.
Misionella aikewara sp. n.
Type material
Male holotype from Cave SI-07 (788310 9295476), São Geraldo do Araguaia, Pará, Brazil, 31.VIII–09.IX.2009, F. P. Franco et al., deposited in
Additional material examined
BRAZIL. Pará: São Geraldo do Araguaia, Cave SI-30 (783442 9304748), 1♀, 31.VIII‒09.IX.2010, F. P. Franco et al. (
Etymology
The specific name is a noun in apposition and refers to the ethnic group of the region of São Geraldo do Araguaia, where the type locality is located: the Tupi indigenous group Aikewará.
Diagnosis
Males of Misionella aikewara can be distinguished from M. carajas and M. pallida by the shorter palpal tibia and elongated paraembolic lamina (Figs
Misionella aikewara sp. n.. Male from São Geraldo do Araguaia, Pará (
Description
Male (holotype). Carapace orange with brown submarginal bands. Thoracic groove and ocular area black. Chelicerae orange. Labium and endites yellowish. Sternum yellowish with brown borders. Legs and palps orange. Abdomen dark brown (Fig.
Female (
Variation
5 females: total length 3‒4.5; carapace 1.4‒2; femur I 1.7‒2.2.
Natural history
Eleven specimens were collected, only one male, eight females and two immature, in four limestone caves located in municipalities very close to the border of the states of Pará and Tocantins (Fig.
Distribution
This species occurs only in the region of the State Park of Serra das Andorinhas, in states of Pará and Tocantins (Fig.
Misionella pallida sp. n.
Type material
Male holotype from Bairro Morada do Sol (5°3'56"S, 42°46'1,02"W), Teresina, Piauí, Brazil, 30.I.2006, L.S. Carvalho col., deposited in
Additional material examined
BRAZIL. Piauí: José de Freitas, Fazenda Nazareth (4°45'21"S, 42°34'33"W), 1♂ 1♀ 2 imm, 12.X.2003, J. Riceti (
Etymology
The name is an adjective referring to the pale coloration of the body in both males and females of this species.
Diagnosis
Misionella pallida can be distinguished from other Misionella species by the pale coloration of the body. Males are further distinguished by the large and flattened paraembolic lamina (Figs
Misionella pallida sp. n.. A, G–H Male from Bairro Morada do Sol, Teresina, Piauí (
SEM images of Misionella pallida sp. n., male from Floriano, Piauí, Brasil (
Description
Male (
SEM images of Misionella pallida sp. n., male from Bairro Morada do Sol, Teresina, Piauí (
SEM images of Misionella pallida sp. n., female from Parque Municipal Pedra do Castelo, Castelo do Piauí, Piauí (
SEM images of Misionella pallida sp. n., male from Floriano, Piauí, Brasil (
SEM images of Misionella pallida sp. n., female from Parque Municipal Pedra do Castelo, Castelo do Piauí, Piauí (
Misionella carajas sp. n., male and female from Cave N5S_0059, Flona Carajás, Parauapebas, Pará (
Female (
Spermathecae, dorsal view, latic acid cleared. A Misionella carajas sp. n., female from Cave N4E_0079, Flona Carajás, Parauapebas, Pará (
Variation
10♂: total length 1.9‒2.8; carapace 1‒1.3; femur I 1.4‒2.6; 10♀: total length 3.8‒4.2; carapace 1.6‒1.8; femur I 1.8‒2.1.
Natural history
This species has been collected several times in both natural and synanthropic habitats in northeastern Brazil. The species seems to naturally occur in Caatinga vegetation, a type of seasonally dry tropical forest. In synanthropic conditions, females can be found in their webs in the corners and cracks of windows and doors (L.S. Carvalho, pers. comm.). Males have been collected in pitfall traps in Caxias, in the state of Maranhão.
Discussion
Phylogenetic placement. The three new species herein described superficially resemble Filistatoides F.O. Pickard-Cambridge due to the elongate palps and bulbs, and by the female genitalia with a single pair of spermathecae (see
Biogeography. Filistatids are known to occur mainly in arid and semi-arid environments. To date, Misionella have been an exception as they seem to prefer more humid habits: M. mendensis occurs in the Cerrado (a savannah) and the Atlantic Forest, and M. jaminawa is Amazonian (
Acknowledgments
We thank the curators of the collections cited above. We are grateful to Beatriz Mauricio, the operator of the Centro de Microscopia Eletrônica at the Instituto Butantan, and F. Tricárico, at the
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