Meri trinitatis Rheims & Jäger 2022, comb. nov.
Creators: name: Rheims, Cristina A.
name: Jäger, Peter
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Sparassidae
Meri
Meri trinitatis

description: Meri trinitatis (Strand, 1916) comb. nov.
Figs 265–279, 315
Olios trinitatis Strand, 1916: 126 (female holotype from Trinidad [10.2500, ‑59.2500], 1888, G. Gerold, deposited in SMF 4696, examined). Jäger 2020: 81 (misplaced in Olios).
Olios quinquelineatus Tackzanowski, 1872. Caporiacco 1948: 686 (misidentification).
Olios orchiticus Mello‑Leitão, 1930: 67, figs 30–30 (Female holotype from Rio Cuminá, Oriximiná [‑1.7634, ‑55.8620], Pará, Brazil, no date, G. Cruls leg. deposited in MNRJ 105, examined, destroyed in fire). Jäger 2020: 81 (misplaced in Olios) syn. n.
Additional material examined. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Arima: 2♂, Arima, St. George, Asa Wright Nature Center [10.7179, ‑61.2982], 13 July 1979, L.N. Sorkin leg. (AMNH); 1 ♂, 1 juv., same locality as previous specimen, 20 April 1964, no leg. (MCZ 69693); 1♀, Arima, Arima road to Blanchisseuse (10.7061, ‑61.2914), 29 June 1999, R. Pinto da Rocha leg. (MZSP 21533); 1♀, Arima road, gap in Blanchisseusse [10.6374, ‑61.2823], 29 December 1954, A.M. Nadler leg. (AMNH); 1♂, St. George, Spring Hill [10.6374, ‑61.2823], 12 July 1979, L.N. Sorkin leg. (AMNH); 1♂, Arima [10.6374, ‑61.2823], 10–22 February 1924, R. Wygodzynski leg. (AMNH); Tunapuna / Piarco: 1♀, Maracas, Maracas Valley [10.7106, ‑61.4196], February 1972, J.A.L. Cooke leg. (AMNH). VENEZUELA: Miranda: 1♂, Guatopo National Park, 28 km N Altagracia [10. 4000, ‑66.4167], 14 June–5 July 1987, S. & J. Peck leg. (AMNH); Monagas: 1♀, Caripito [10.1103, ‑63.0963], 15–31 March, 1942, W.M. Beebe leg. (AMNH). GUYANA: 1♂, 2♀, Parish (?), 1913, no leg. (AMNH); Cuyuni-Mazaruni: 4♀, Kartabo [6.0000, ‑58.0000], 1924, no leg. (AMNH); 1♀, same locality as previous specimen, 1921, W.M. Beebe leg. (AMNH); 1♀, same locality as previous specimen, 3–12 July 1982, K. & B. Schmidt leg. (AMNH); 1♀, Kamakusa [5.9500, ‑59.9000], 4 November 1929, H. Lang & La Varre leg. (AMNH). SURINAME: Marowijne: 1♂, 3juvs., Langamankondre [5.7022, ‑54.0152], 15–30 August 1965, B. Malkin leg. (AMNH). FRENCH GUYANA: Kourou 1♀, Kourou, Piste de Compagnons [5.1167, ‑52.7000], no date, V. Vedel leg. (MNHN). BRAZIL: Roraima: 1♂, Amajari, Estação Ecológica de Maracá, Furo Santa Rosa [2.0000, ‑50. 4167], 26 March 1987, no leg. (IBSP 151487); Amazonas: 1♀, Presidente Figueiredo, Usina Hidrelétrica de Balbina [‑1.9000, ‑59.4667], 1987–1988, Equipe Butantan leg. (IBSP 271303).
Note. Taczanowski (1872) described Olios quinquelineatus from Cayenne, French Guyana from an immature specimen. Caporiacco (1948) assigned several specimens collected in Guyana to this species and based on these, redescribed the male and newly described the corresponding females. Although this material was not examined, the figures of male RTA and female epigyne provided by Caporiacco (1948: 103–104) clearly show they are conspecific with M. trinitatis comb. nov. and were misidentified by the author. Olios quinquelineatus was later considered nomen dubium by Jäger (2020: 78) based on the lack of adult specimens and the poor description provided by Tackzanowski.
Diagnosis. Males of M. trinitatis comb. nov. resemble those of M. pictitarsis comb. nov. (Figs 221–224) by the palp with embolus bearing a long laminar subdistal projection. They are distinguished from the latter species by the RTA abruptly narrowed medially towards tip (Fig. 267) embolus not bulging prolaterally at base with subdistal projection laterad (Fig. 266) (RTA not abruptly narrowed, with ventral branch and embolus with prolateral bulge at base and subdistal projection mediad in M. pictitarsis comb. nov.). Females resemble those of M. martinique spec. nov. (Figs 200–202) and M. tumatumari spec. nov. (Figs 280–282) by the vulva with GP arising from ducts close to spermathecae, not at first turn. They are distinguished from both species by the MS with anterior margins bottlenecked (Figs 269, 272), FW U-shaped and mediad and SP with strongly convoluted margins (Figs 270–271, 274–274) (MS with anterior margins gently converging, SP margins with few grooves in the other species, FW not U-shaped, postero mediad in M. martinique spec. nov. and postero laterad in M. tumatumari spec. nov.)
Description. Male (IBSP 151487): Total length 14.8. Prosoma 6.2 long, 6.0 wide. Opisthosoma 8.1 long, 4.4 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.46, 0.36, 0.27, 0.36; interdistances: 0.25, 0.12, 0.52, 0.50, 0.30, 0.15. Legs: I: 3308 (9.3, 3.2, 9.4, 9.7, 2.2); II: 35.8 (10.0, 3.3, 10.1, 10.0, 2.4); III: 25.4 (7.7, 2.9, 6.5, 6.5, 1.8); IV: 28.4 (8.5, 2.7, 7.5, 7.9, 2.1). Spination follows the generic pattern. Palp: PTA triangular, roughly 1.3 times wider than long; RTA medially bent at roughly 90° in retrolateral view; cymbium with retroproximal projection; subtegulum barely visible between 9-9:30 o’clock; conductor widest at base; embolus slightly depressed prolaterally (Figs 265–268, 275–277).
Redescription. Female (MZSP 21533): Total length 15.7. Prosoma 6.2 long, 5.8 wide. Opisthosoma 9.1 long, 6.5 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.45, 0.40, 0.30, 0.40; interdistances: 0.36, 0.22, 0.61, 0.66, 0.35, 0.30. Legs: I: 27.5 (8.1, 3.3, 7.1, 7.2, 1.8); II: 28.9 (8.3, 3.3, 7.6, 7.8, 1.9); III: 20.0 (6.0, 2.7, 5.0, 4.8, 1.5); IV: 22.7 (7.1, 2.4, 5.5, 6.0, 1.7). Spination follows the generic pattern. Epigyne: EF wider than long; MAB short, barely conspicuous, embedded into EF; MS hexagonal, as wide as long; EP triangular, at least 2 times longer than wide, opening at posterior margin of MS; LL touching posteriorly (Figs 269, 278). Vulva: internal ducts with FW dilated; GP elongate, three times longer than wide, mediad; FD anteriad to antero laterad (Figs 270–271, 273–274, 279).
Variation. Males (n = 8): total length 10.7–14.8; prosoma length 4.7–6.2; femur I length 8.2–9.3. Females (n = 10): total length 12.5–18.2; prosoma length 5.4–6.9; femur I length 6.1–8.1. Epigyne can have MS longer than wide, covering LL posteriory (Fig. 272).
Distribution. Northern South America (Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil) (Fig. 315).
description: Published as part of Rheims, Cristina A. & Jäger, Peter, 2022, Revalidation of the genus Sadala Simon, 1880 with the description of a new genus of Neotropical huntsman spiders (Araneae, Sparassidae), pp. 1-80 in Zootaxa 5135 (1) on pages 65-69, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5135.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6550195