Sparianthis Simon 1880
Creators: name: Casas, Cristian M.
name: Rheims, Cristina A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Sparassidae
Sparianthis

description: Genus Sparianthis Simon, 1880
Diagnosis and description. See Rheims (2020).
Composition. Nineteen species: S. beebei Rheims, 2020; S. boraris Rheims, 2020; S. boibumba spec. nov.., S. caracarai Rheims, 2020; S. cascalheira spec. nov., S. chicaque spec. nov., S. chickeringi (Gertsch, 1941); S. crulsi (Mello-Leitão, 1930); S. granadensis (Keyserling, 1880); S. humaita Rheims, 2020; S. iguaque spec. nov., S. juazeiro Rheims, 2020; S. juruti Rheims, 2020; S. matupiri spec. nov., S. medina spec. nov., S. megalopalpa (Caporiacco, 1954); S. picta (Simon, 1887), S. ravida (Simon, 1898) and S. tuparro spec. nov.
Distribution. Neotropical region: northern South America, Panama and the islands of St. Vincent and Trinidad.
Identification key for all species of Sparianthis (updated from Rheims 2020).
1 Males .............................................................................................. 2
- Females............................................................................................ 18
2(1) Palpal tibia with a medial-retrolateral, modified spine (Figs 10E, 11C; Rheims 2020: figs 99, 104, 121, 124)............. 3
- Palpal tibia without a medial-retrolateral, modified spine (e.g. Figs 5E, 7C, 19C; Rheims 2020: figs 13, 23, 50)........... 5
3(2) Embolus short, with ventral hyaline membrane; TBC with retrolateral part strongly protruding and distally rounded; MA elongate roughly three times longer than wide, with the same width throughout the entire length (Figs 10D, 11B; Rheims 2020: figs 123–124)........................................................................................ 4
- Embolus long, with subdistal pointed projection; TBC keel-like, not protruding distally; MA short, slightly longer than wide, apically widened with medially indented margin (Rheims 2020: figs 98–99, 103–104)......................... S. juruti
4(3) Medial-retrolateral modified spine with slender, pointed tip; TBE roughly sub-squared, with apical projection widened and twisted (Rheims 2020: figs 120–121; 123–124)........................................................ S. picta
- Medial retrolateral modified spine robust with truncated tip (Figs 10E, 11C); TBE with apical projection long and slender, more than four times longer than wide (Figs 10D, 11D)........................................... S. matupiri spec. nov.
5(2) TBE with elongate apical projection accompanying embolus throughout most of its length (e.g. 1D, 2B, 2D, 5D, 7B, 7D; Rheims 2020: figs 112–113, 115–116)..................................................................... 6
- TBE with short apical projection, not accompanying embolus (e.g. Figs 17D, 19B; Rheims 2020: figs 22, 27, 59, 64)..... 11
6(2) mRTA present (e.g. Figs 1E, 2C; Rheims 2020: figs 113, 116).................................................. 7
- mRTA absent (e.g. Figs 5E, 7C, 12E, 14C)................................................................. 9
7(6) mRTA closer to vRTA than to dRTA; dRTA short, concave, barely reaching the margin of the alveolus (Figs 3E, 4C; Rheims 2020: figs 113, 116)................................................................................... 8
- mRTA distinctly separated from vRTA; dRTA long, finger-like and curved, tip ventrad, surpassing the margin of the alveolus (Figs 1E, 2C)...................................................................... S. boibumba spec. nov.
8(7) mRTA single branched, half the size of vRTA (Figs 3E, 4C); TBE with apical projection tapering and pointed, slightly shorter than embolus (Figs 3D, 4B, 4D)....................................................... S. cascalheira spec. nov.
- mRTA bifid (best seen in retrolateral view), as long as vRTA (Rheims 2020: figs 113, 116); TBE with apical projection longer than embolus, cylindrical, widened at tip and with subapical prong (Rheims 2020: figs 112–113, 115–116).. S. megalopalpa
9(6) Tibia without retrolateral spines; vRTA smaller than dRTA (Figs 5E, 7C, 8E, 9C).................................. 10
- Tibia armed with two prolateral long spines; vRTA and dRTA similar sized (Figs 12E, 14C).......... S. medina spec. nov.
10(9) Embolus shorter than apical projection, distally acute (Figs 5E, 7C–D); TBC long, keel-like, strongly projecting retrolaterally (Figs 5D, 7B)....................................................................... S. chicaque spec. nov.
- Embolus as long as apical projection, laminar and distally wide with median pointed projection on anterior margin (Figs 8E, 9C–D); TBC short, keel-like, not projecting (Figs 8D, 9B)..................................... S. iguaque spec. nov.
11(5) mRTA present (e.g. Figs 17E, 19C; Rheims 2020: figs 60, 65, 134, 139); embolus slender, roughly the same width throughout its length, without abrupt narrowing (e.g. Figs 17D, 19B; Rheims 2020: figs 12, 33)............................... 12
- mRTA absent (Rheims 2020: figs 77, 82); embolus laminar, abruptly narrowing sub-apically (Rheims 2020: figs 81, 82)................................................................................................ S. humaita
12(11) mRTA closer to vRTA than to dRTA (e.g. Rheims 2020: figs 34, 45, 50)......................................... 13
- mRTA closer to dRTA than to vRTA (Figs 17E, 19C; Rheims 2020: figs 60, 65)................................... 16
13(12) mRTA smaller than vRTA and dRTA, tubercle-like; vRTA single branched (Rheims 2020: figs 34, 45, 50 134, 139)....... 14
- mRTA at least as large as dRTA; vRTA bifid in retrolateral view (Rheims 2020: figs 23, 28)................... S. boraris
14(13) Embolus simple, slender, with no projections or small sub-apical tooth-like projection (Rheims 2020: figs 44, 49, 133, 138). .................................................................................................. 15
- Embolus wider, with sub-apical keel-like projection (Rheims 2020: figs 33, 35)........................... S. caracarai
15(14) TBE with apical projection short and laminar; TBC wide, keel-like, embolus with small sub-apical tooth-like projection (Rheims 2020: figs 133, 138–139)......................................................................... S. ravida
- TBE with apical projection gutter-shaped; TBC reduced to small keel, embolus with no projections (Rheims 2020: figs 44–45, 49–50).................................................................................... S. chickeringi
16(12) vRTA larger than mRTA (Rheims 2020: figs 13, 60, 65); TBC keel-like, wide, more than two times wider than long (Rheims 2020: figs 12, 59, 64)................................................................................. 17
- vRTA smaller than mRTA (Figs 17E, 19C); TBC short, roughly as long as wide (Figs 17D, 19B)...... S. tuparro spec. nov.
17(16) TBE with apical projection short and laminar (Rheims 2020, fig. 64)...................................... S. crulsi
- TBE with apical projection resembling a fishtail (Rheims 2020: figs 12–13)................................. S. beebei
18(1) Anterior and lateral furrows discontinuous (e.g. Figs 18C, 19D; Rheims 2020: figs 46, 51, 61, 66, 78,83)............... 19
- Anterior and lateral furrows continuous (e.g. Figs 6C, 7E; Rheims 2020: figs 24, 29, 125)........................... 25
19(18) Lateral furrows widely separated from anterior furrow (Rheims 2020: figs 46, 51, 100, 106)......................... 20
- Lateral furrows reaching anterior furrow (Figs 18C, 19D; Rheims 2020: figs 14, 90)............................... 23
20(19) Anterior furrow with lateral tips extending posteriorly, AA with transversal grooves (Rheims 2020: figs 78, 83, 100, 106).. 21
- Anterior furrow with lateral tips gently curved, not extending posteriorly, AA smooth (Rheims 2020: figs 61, 66)........ 22
21(20) Anterior furrow gently curved, almost straight (Rheims 2020: figs 78, 83); IDS as wide as spermathecae; first winding laterad (Rheims 2020: figs 79, 84–85)................................................................... S. humaita
- Anterior furrow more strongly curved (Rheims 2020: figs 100, 106); IDS slender, half the width of spermathecae; first winding posteriad (Rheims 2020: figs 110, 107–108).......................................................... S. juruti
22(20) Anterior furrow medially depressed; LL with secondary longitudinal furrows (Rheims 2020: figs 46, 51); GP small, posteromediad (Rheims 2020: figs 47, 52–53).......................................................... S. chickeringi
- Anterior furrow straight; LL smooth, without secondary furrows (Rheims 2020: figs 61, 66); GP large, antero-laterad (Rheims 2020: figs 62, 67–68)............................................................................ S. crulsi
23(19) MS wider than long or as wide as long (Figs 18C, 19D; Rheims 2020: fig. 14); first winding anteriad (Figs 18D, 19E–F; Rheims 2020: figs 15–16).................................................................................... 24
- MS longer than wide (Rheims 2020: fig. 90); first winding mediad (Rheims 2020: figs 91–92)................ S. juazeiro
24(23) MS wider than long; AA widest medially (Rheims 2020: fig. 14); first winding reaching half the EF length; spermathecae round (Rheims 2020: figs 15–16)........................................................................ S. beebei
- MS as long as wide; AA widest posteriorly (Figs 18C, 19D); first winding surpassing half the EF length; spermathecae oval (Figs 18D, 19E–F).................................................................... S. tuparro spec. nov.
25(18) MS light bulb-shaped (Rheims 2020: figs 69–70, 125)....................................................... 26
- MS not light bulb-shaped (e.g. Figs 6C, 7E, 15A, 16A; Rheims 2020: figs 36, 135, 140)............................ 27
26(25) AA oval; leg metatarsi I–II with three pairs of ventral spines (Rheims 2020: fig. 125).......................... S. picta
- AA sub-rectangular (Rheims 2020: figs 69–70); leg metatarsi I–II with two pairs of ventral spines.......... S. granadensis
27(25) AA distinctly larger than MS (e.g. Figs 15A, 16A; Rheims 2020: figs 24, 29)..................................... 28
- AA roughly the same size or smaller than MS (e.g. Figs 13D, 14F; Rheims 2020: fig. 36)........................... 30
28(27) AA roughly squared, as wide as long (Rheims 2020: figs 29, 140); IDS reaching half AA length (Rheims 2020: figs 30, 141). .................................................................................................. 29
- AA roughly bean-shaped, wider than long (Figs 15A, 16A); IDS reaching anterior margin of AA (Figs 15B, 16B)................................................................................................. S. megalopalpa
29(28) MS widest anteriorly, with posterior margin rounded (Rheims 2020: Figs 24, 29); vulva with spermathecae elongate (Rheims 2020: figs 25, 30).............................................................................. S. boraris
- MS anteriorly narrowed, with posterior margin straight or slightly sinuous (Rheims 2020: figs 135, 140); vulva with spermathecae rounded (Rheims 2020: figs 136, 141)............................................................... S. ravida
30(27) Anterior margin of AA almost straight; MS without lateral margins extending into AA (Figs 6C, 7E; Rheims 2020: fig. 36) 31
- Anterior margin of AA rounded; MS with lateral margins extending distinctly into AA (Figs 13C, 14E) S. medina spec. nov.
31(30) Posterior margin of MS surpassing the epigastric furrow; AA smaller than MS; roughly squared, as wide as long (Rheims 2020: fig. 36); IDS with first winding mediad (Rheims 2020: figs 37–38)..................................... S. caracarai
- Posterior margin of MS not surpassing the epigastric furrow; AA roughly the same size as MS, trapezoid, widest anteriorly (Figs 6C, 7E); IDS with first winding anteriad (Figs 6D, 7F–G)................................ S. chicaque spec. nov.
description: Published as part of Casas, Cristian M. & Rheims, Cristina A., 2024, An update on the genus Sparianthis Simon, 1880 (Sparassidae: Sparianthinae), pp. 343-369 in Zootaxa 5496 (3) on pages 344-346, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5496.3.3, http://zenodo.org/record/13346799