Uaitemuri Santos & Gonzaga, 2017, GEN. NOV.
Creators: name: Santos, Adalberto J.
name: Gonzaga, Marcelo O.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Uloboridae
Uaitemuri

description: UAITEMURI GEN. NOV.
Type species: Uaitemuri rupicola sp. nov.
Etymology: The generic name means ‘star’ in the language of the Xacriab a �, an indigenous group from south-eastern Brazil, and refers to the shape of the egg sacs of the type species (see below). Uaitemuri is an indeclinable feminine name.
Diagnosis: Uaitemuri can be distinguished from other uloborid genera by the combined presence of two pairs of dorsal and a single posterior tubercle on the opisthosoma (Fig. 1A – C), by the unique flattened, leaf-shaped dorsal setae on the patella and tibia of all legs (Fig. 1A – C), and by characters of male and female genitalia. The male palpus is most similar to those of Polenecia and Miagrammopes in the embolus encircling an apical and branched conductor and a prolateral median apophysis (see Coddington, 1990: figs 35, 38). Uaitemuri can be distinguished by the flattened embolus with a large base, the conductor with the distal portion forming a ventral hyaline plate and a dorsal, long and curved process arising from the basal portion. It can be further recognized by the presence of a retrolateral tegular plate (Fig. 2A – D, Supporting Information, Fig. S1A). Females are known for only one of the two species of the genus, and they present an epigynum and internal genitalia that are highly distinctive from other genera. The female epigynum consists of a ventral bulge and a posterior sclerotized plate containing two lateral copulatory openings (Fig. 3A, B). The internal genitalia contain a pair of large spermathecae with a median gland mound, flattened copulatory ducts located on inflated hyaline copulatory atria and stout fertilization ducts (Figs 3C – D, S 1B, C).
Remarks: As discussed below, Uaitemuri constitutes a monophyletic group within Uloboridae, and cannot be included in any currently described genus in the family. For an additional discussion on taxon names possibly applicable to Uaitemuri, see the Supporting Information.
Description: Total length 2.86 – 3.95 (males), 3.14 – 5.59 (females). Carapace oval, narrowest anteriorly, widest at the coxae III (Fig. 1A), pars cephalica higher than pars thoracica (Fig. 1B). Coloration pale brown, with lateral darker markings on the carapace, sternum, legs and dorsum of opisthosoma. Opisthosoma coloration usually reticulated, with pale brown stripes among white spots (Fig. 1B, C). Whole body covered by white, pseudoserrate setae (Figs 1B – C, 6A). Thoracic fovea and dorsal grooves of carapace inconspicuous. Anterior and posterior eye rows recurved as seen from above (Fig. 1A), procurved as seen frontally. All eyes black, on black tubercles. Eyes subequal in size, except by anterior laterals, which have approximately half the diameter of anterior medians. Distance between median and lateral eyes equal to approximately one median eye diameter in both rows. Median eyes approximately three diameters apart in both rows. Clypeus height equal to about one diameter of anterior median eyes. Chilum absent. Chelicerae darker than carapace, without condyle and with an irregular row of dark setae near the promargin of fang furrow. Fang length equal to about one-third of paturon length. Fang furrow with one retromarginal tooth and two median denticles. Endites subrectangular, serrula covering the entire anterior margin, visible ventrally. Labium approximately as long as wide. Sternum shield-shaped, approximately 1.5 times longer than wide, widest between coxae II, with posterior tip between coxae IV. Lateral margins of sternum depressed near leg coxae, forming dark, shallow pits. Anterior lateral margins of sternum bulging near endites. Female palpus with conical tarsus, with a pectinate claw surrounded by long setae. Patella with a basal and an apical, dorsally flattened macrosetae, usually hyaline. Tibia with one basal and one median similar setae, the median the largest and strongly sclerotized (Figs 1A – C, 6B). Apex of leg tibiae usually with smaller, dorsal flattened setae. Tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi covered with scattered needle-like and pseudoserrate setae (Fig. 6C), usually stronger ventrally. Tarsus IV with a ventral row of stout macrosetae. Femora I, II and III with a dorsal row of long trichobothria (Fig. 1A – C). Basal third of all tibiae gently depressed dorsally, with two rows of smaller trichobothria. Trichobothria serrated, with capsulate basis covered by a shaft with costulate texture. Leg tegument with costate texture (Fig. 6D). Calamistrum located on a dorsal depression, extended over the basal three-quarters of metatarsus IV. Opisthosoma with two pairs of dorsal humps, the posterior the largest; and one posterior median tubercle on a projection that extends beyond spinnerets (Fig. 1A – C). Female cribellum undivided, completely covered by cribellar spigots (Fig. 7A). Anterior lateral spinnerets with a large major ampullate gland spigot and a nubbin, both on a distinct field, surrounded by ~35 short piriform gland spigots (Fig. 7B). Posterior median spinnerets with an anterior, mesal minor ampullate gland spigot, a median field of ~10 aciniform gland spigots, two anterior ectal cylindrical gland spigots, and a posterior field of long paracribellar gland spigots (Fig. 7C). Posterior lateral spinnerets with a posterior ectal pseudoflagelliform gland spigot, four anterior and one ectal cylindrical gland spigots and ~15 scattered aciniform gland spigots (Fig. 7D). Male cribellum a wide plate, without spigots (Fig. 8A). Anterior lateral spinnerets with a single, large major ampullate gland spigot, surrounded by ~ 25 piriform gland spigots (Fig. 8B). Posterior median spinnerets with a single, anterior minor ampullate gland spigot, a nubbin and seven clumped aciniform gland spigots (Fig. 8C). Posterior lateral spinnerets with 13 aciniform gland spigots (Fig. 8D). Female tracheal opening near spinnerets, connected to two large tracheal trunks directed anteriorly, each with three smaller, posteriorly directed branches (as in Opell, 1979: fig. 9). Tracheal trunks extended to prosoma, with large lateral branches inside each leg (as in Opell, 1979: fig. 12). Male palpus tibia gently curved, excavated apically at the prolateral side (Fig. 2A, C). Cymbium spoon-shaped, anteriorly elongated and flattened. Copulatory bulb ovoid, tegulum mostly visible from ventral and retrolateral views, prolateral side covered by a tegular plate (Figs 2A, 4A – C, 5A – C). Subtegulum small, ring-like, connected to tegulum by a median hematodocha (Figs 2B – D, 4A – C, 5A – C, S 1A). Median apophysis as a hyaline outgrowth arising anteriorly from prolateral side of tegulum (Figs 2A, B, 4B, C, 5B, C). Conductor apical, with a crescent-shaped base extended retrolaterally, a ventral, lightly sclerotized plate and a dorsal process forming a furrow (which apparently accommodates the embolus apically) and a dorsal, long and curved process (Figs 2B – D, 4A – C, 5A – C, S 1A). Embolus with a large prolateral base with a posterior lobe inserted behind the tegular plate (Fig. S1A) and flattened median and apical sections around the conductor, ending dorsally to the conductor’s ventral plate (Figs 2B – D, 4A – C, 5A – C, S 1A). Sperm duct trajectory with a marked switchback inside embolus base (Figs 4A, 5A, S 1A). Female epigynum located on a large, ventral hump on epigastric plate, with a posterior sclerotized plate containing two subtriangular copulatory openings (Figs 3A, B, 4D, E). Spermathecae oval, distinctly connected to a porous base from which ducts arise (Fig. 3C, D). Copulatory ducts flattened, inserted inside large, balloon-shaped hyaline copulatory atria (Fig. 3C, 4F, S 1B, C). Fertilization ducts long and sclerotized (Fig. 4F).
Composition: Two species, Uaitemuri rupicola sp. nov. and U. demariai sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Santos, Adalberto J. & Gonzaga, Marcelo O., 2017, Systematics and natural history of Uaitemuri, a new genus of the orb-weaving spider family Uloboridae (Araneae: Deinopoidea) from south-eastern Brazil, pp. 155-174 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 180 (1) on pages 157-159, DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12471, http://zenodo.org/record/14806806