Eupalaestrus crassimetatarsis Malta Borges & Paladini & Bertani 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Malta Borges, Leandro
name: Paladini, Andressa
name: Bertani, Rogério
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Theraphosidae
Eupalaestrus
Eupalaestrus crassimetatarsis

description: Eupalaestrus crassimetatarsis sp. nov. (Figures 1–3, 7 (a), 8)   
 Type material. Holotype male, Brazil, state of Paraná, Reserva do Iguaçu, Vila da Copel (25.794°S, 52.092°W), 18 March 1997, (MZUSP15785). Paratypes: male, Brazil, state of Paraná, Guarapuava (25.400°S, 51.500°W) V.2018, W.J. Moeller coll. (MCTP43983); male, same location, June 2018, W.J. Moeller coll. (MCTP43984); female, Brazil, state of Paraná, Clevelândia (26.380°S, 52.342°W), May 2017, E. Schaefer coll. (MCTP43985).   
 Additional material examined. ARGENTINA, Misiones, Loreto, two males, April 1956, Dad. Ing. Sánches de Bustamante coll. (MACN-Ar4490), San Ignacio, female, 6 November 1940, Ex. Zotta-Scravaglieri and Armanini coll. (MACN-Ar2045); BRAZIL, Paraná, Boa Vista da Aparecida, three females, 13 October 1998, E.G. Matias and P. Tierling coll. (MZUSP17919); Rio Grande do Sul, Campinas do Sul, female, 16 September 1991 (MCN 22114), female, same data (MCN 22115); Derrubadas, male, March 2019, M. Rocha coll. (MCTP44005).   
 Etymology. The specific name refers to the strong thickness of the metatarsus IV found predominantly in females.   
 Diagnosis. Adults of both sexes differ from all other species of the genus by strong (females) (Figure 2 (e)) or slight (males) (Figure 1 (f)) incrassate metatarsi IV. The thickened metatarsus IV is also found in females of E. spinosissimus and large females of Eupalaestrus roccoi sp. nov., but they are not so distinct. Females also differ from E. spinosissimus by lacking stiff setae on tibia and metatarsi IV. Both sexes can also be distinguished from E. campestratus and E. larae by the absence of long ventral hairs dispersed along the sternum and coxae (Figures 1 (b), 2(b)) and from E. weijenberghi by the colour, with remarkable yellow lines on the legs (Figure 3), distinct incrassate tibia IV (Figures 1 (f), 2(e)) and incrassate femur III. Additionally, females can be distinguished from all other species, except E. roccoi sp. nov., by a large group of spiniform setae between the retrolateral faces of coxae IV (Figure 2 (c)). Males also have these setae but generally in a smaller quantity.   
 Description. Male holotype (MZUSP15785). Carapace 18.63 long, 17.56 wide, chelicerae 7.81. Legs (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus, total): I: 17.36, 8.29, 12.55, 11.28, 7.91, 57.39. II: 15.39, 7.59, 10.5, 10.91, 7.85, 52.24. III: 13.58, 7.09, 9.64, 12.20, 7.83, 50.34. IV:18.48, 8.69, 15.32, 19.79, 8.87, 71.15. Palp: 10.18, 5.98, 8.27, -, 4.46, 28.89. Midwidths: femora I–IV = 3.43, 3.58, 4.50, 3.99, palp = 2.86; patellae I–IV = 3.69, 3.70, 3.66, 4.30, palp = 3.05; tibiae I–IV = 3.06, 2.91, 3.32, 4.67, palp = 3.66; metatarsi I–IV = 2.02, 1.91, 1.88, 2.58; tarsi I–IV = 1.97, 1.86, 1.86, 1.90, palp = 2.80. Abdomen 19.49 long, 15.16 wide. Spinnerets: PMS, 2.20 long, 0.75 wide, 0.82 apart; PLS, 2.54 basal, 2.03 middle, 2.97 distal; midwidths 1.45, 1.41, 1.01, respectively.   
Carapace: length to width ratio 1.06; cephalic area moderately raised; thoracic striae deep. Fovea: deep, straight, 1.99 wide. Carapace covered with short and slender setae, bordered with longer ones projecting outwards.  
Eyes and eye tubercle: tubercle 0.85 high, 1.99 long, 2.69 wide. Clypeus 0.46 wide. Anterior row procurved, posterior slightly recurved. Sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.44, ALE 0.46, PME 0.30, PLE 0.44, AME–AME 0.35, AME–ALE 0.25, AME–PME 0.31, ALE–ALE 1.59, ALE–PME 0.53, PME–PME 1.12, PME–PLE 0.08, PLE–PLE 1.69, ALE–PLE 00.24, AME–PLE 0.39. Eye group 2.24 wide, 1.12 long.  
 Maxillae: length 6.09, width 3.01. Cuspules: ca. 161 spread over ventral inner heel. Lyra absent. Labium: 2.87 long, 3.65 wide, with ca. 62 cuspules spaced by ca. one diameter from each other on the anterior central third. Labio-sternal groove shallow, flat, with two large sigilla.   
Chelicerae: basal segment with 12 teeth on promargin and denticles on basal area.  
Sternum: length 7.67, width 7.81. Posterior angle rounded, not separating coxae IV. Sigilla: first pair not evident; second and third oval; the second and third one width from margin.  
Legs. Clavate trichobothria: on distal 2/3 of tarsi I–IV. Stridulatory apparatus: probably plumose setae (Galleti-Lima and Guadanucci 2019) on femur I and IV (not examined under scanning electron microscope (SEM)). Scopula: retrolateral femur IV scopulate. Tarsi I–IV fully scopulate. Metatarsi I fully scopulate; II 60% distal; III 30% distal, IV lacking scopula. Spination: palp: patella p1; tibia v0–5–1, p5–1–6(3ap), r1–1–1; leg I: patella 0; tibia v1–2– 1ap, p1–1–0, metatarsus v0–0–3ap, p0–1–0; leg II: tibia v1–2–4(3ap), p1–1–1; metatarsus v0–3–3ap, p0–2–1, r0–1–1; leg III: tibia v2–4–2ap, p1–1–1, r1–1–1; metatarsus v5–3–8 (4ap), p1–1–1, r0–1–1; leg IV: tibia v0–4–2ap, r0–2–1; metatarsus v36(4ap), p0–1–1, r0–1–1. Spiniform setae on prolateral coxae IV. Spiniform setae between the retrolateral faces of coxae IV. Claws: ITC absent from all legs; STC with a single row of very small teeth.  
Urticating setae: types I and III, distributed as in Bertani and Guadanucci (2013, fig. 7).  
Palp (Figure 1 (c–d)): palpal bulb pyriform, long embolus, slightly flattened laterally at distal region, apex short and slender. Prolateral keels present. PS forming the embolus edge distally. A present, developed. R present, developed. SA represented by a DR.  
Tibial apophysis (Figure 1 (e)): two straight branches, originating at the same base, with the retrolateral branch becoming thinner in the middle region. Metatarsus I straight, when flexed touches the retrolateral branch laterally.  
Colour (Figure 3 (b)): carapace and chelicerae predominantly black. Carapace bordered with scattered light brown setae, chelicerae with some long light brown setae. Legs black with two yellow lines on the patella. Coxae of legs ventrally and sternum dark brown, covered with short light brown setae. Labium and maxillae reddish brown. Abdomen covered with black setae and scattered long and slightly light brown guard setae.  
 Description. Female paratype (MCTP43985). Carapace 20.76 long, 18.74 wide, chelicerae 10.59. Legs (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus, total): I: 14.09, 8.25, 9.87, 8.82, 6.16, 47.19. II: 12.22, 7.62, 8.55, 7.98, 5.98, 42.35. III: 11.75, 7.70, 7.51, 8.89, 5.90, 41.75. IV: 16.85, 9.57, 13.91, 14.69, 6.58, 61.60. Palp: 10.85, 6.69, 7.52, -, 7.26, 32.32. Midwidths: femora I–IV = 3.30, 3.35, 4.34, 3.89, palp = 2.54; patellae I–IV = 3.83, 3.81, 4.18, 4.99, palp = 3.31; tibiae I–IV = 3.43, 3.32, 3.91, 6.68, palp = 2.27; metatarsi I–IV = 2.62, 2.48, 2.71, 4.64; tarsi I–IV = 1.96, 1.70, 1.94, 2.12, palp = 2.32. Abdomen 27.53 long, 22.95 wide. Spinnerets: PMS, 1.85 long, 1.10 wide, 0.95 apart; PLS, 3.94 basal, 3.10 middle, 3.75 distal; midwidths 1.87, 1.97, 1.69, respectively.   
Carapace: length to width ratio 1.11; cephalic area moderately raised; thoracic striae deep. Fovea: deep, straight, 4.93 wide. Carapace covered with short and slender setae, bordered with longer ones projecting outwards.  
Eyes and eye tubercle: tubercle 0.99 high, 2.24 long, 3.48 wide. Clypeus 0.34 wide. Anterior row procurved, posterior slightly recurved. Sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.52, ALE 0.50, PME 0.17, PLE 0.51, AME–AME 0.52, AME–ALE 0.26, AME–PME 0.24, ALE–ALE 1.78, ALE–PME 0.51, PME–PME 1.40, PME–PLE 0.05, PLE–PLE 1.176, ALE–PLE 0.27, AME–PLE 0.38. Eye group 2.36 wide, 1.14 long.  
 Maxillae: length 6.98, width 4.43. Cuspules: ca. 183 spread over the ventral inner heel. Lyra absent. Labium 2.43 long, 4.05 wide, with 85 cuspules spaced by ca. one diameter from each other on the anterior central third. Labio-sternal groove shallow, flat, with two large sigilla.   
Chelicerae: basal segment with 13 teeth on promargin and denticles on basal area.  
Sternum: length 8.83, width 8.60. Posterior angle rounded, not separating coxae IV. Sigilla: first pair rounded; second and third oval; the first one diameter away from margin, the second and third one width.  
Legs. Clavate trichobothria: on distal 2/3 of tarsi I–IV. Stridulatory apparatus: probably plumose setae (Galleti-Lima and Guadanucci 2019) on femur I and IV (not examined under SEM). Scopula. Retrolateral femur IV scopulate. Tarsi I–IV fully scopulate. Metatarsi I fully scopulate; II 70%, III 30%, IV only few and sparse at the apical end. Spination: palp: tibia v0– 0–3ap, p0–0–1; leg I: tibia v0–0–1ap, metatarsus v0–0–1ap; leg II: tibia v0–0–1ap; metatarsus v1–0–3ap; leg III: tibia v0.1.3ap, p0–1–1, metatarsus v2–2–4ap, p1–1–1, r0–1–1; leg IV: tibia v0–1–2ap, metatarsus v31(5ap), p0-1-1. Spiniform setae on prolateral coxae II–IV and retrolateral coxae II–III. A large group of spiniform setae also between the retrolateral faces of coxae IV. Claws: ITC absent from all legs; STC with a single row of very small teeth.  
Urticating setae: types I and III, distributed as in Bertani and Guadanucci (2013, fig. 7).  
Genitalia (Figure 2 (d)): two short spermathecae separated by a weakly sclerotised short area, spermathecal stalk narrower than elongated spermathecal bulb.  
Colour (Figure 3 (a)): in general as in male, but with more conspicuous lines on legs, not just on patella but also on tibia and metatarsi.  
  Distribution (Figure 8).  Southern Brazil and Northeastern Argentina, in grasslands patches inside Atlantic Forest domain (Figure 7 (a)).   
 Other paratypes – measurements. Male (MCTP43983). Carapace 16.97 long, 16.26 wide. Legs (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus, total): I: 15.01, 7.69, 10.53, 10.39, 6.65, 50.27. II:13.78, 7.26, 9.65, 9.97, 6.84, 47.5. III: 12.30, 7.05, 8.96, 11.09, 6.74, 46.14. IV: 16.42, 8.28, 13.98, 17.66, 8.20, 64.54. Palp: 9.69, 5.6, 7.58, -, 3.66, 26.53. Midwidths: femora I–IV = 3.22, 3.24, 4.01, 3.37, palp = 2.46; patellae I–IV = 3.42, 3.48, 3.52, 3.79, palp = 2.98; tibiae I–IV = 2.83, 2.55, 2.96, 4.07, palp = 3.33; metatarsi I–IV = 1.96, 1.86, 2.01, 2.46; tarsi I–IV = 1.82, 1.78, 1.76, 1.90, palp = 2.63. Abdomen 18.96 long, 14.58 wide. Sternum 6.92 long, 6.55 wide. Male (MCTP43984). Carapace 18.01 long, 17.30 wide. Legs (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus, total): I: 14.72, 7.09, 10.78, 10.13, 6.58, 49.30. II: 13.79, 6.90, 10.12, 10.13, 6.92, 47.86. III: 14.26, 8.00, 9.90, 11.62, 7.6, 51.38. IV: 18.81, 8.86, 14.92, 19.14, 9.10, 70.83. Palp: 10.48, 5.91, 8.74, -, 4.36, 29.49. Midwidths: femora I–IV = 3.04, 3.19, 4.76, 4.04, palp = 2.72; patellae I–IV = 3.48, 3.36, 4.09, 4.44, palp = 3.32; tibiae I–IV = 2.67, 2.57, 3.33, 4.69, palp = 3.88; metatarsi I–IV = 1.74, 1.79, 2.36, 3.05; tarsi I–IV = 1.63, 1.76, 1.93, 2.04, palp = 2.75. Abdomen 20.02 long, 14.39 wide. Sternum 7.49 long, 6.94 wide.
description: Published as part of Malta Borges, Leandro, Paladini, Andressa & Bertani, Rogério, 2021, Two new species of Eupalaestrus Pocock, 1901 (Araneae: Theraphosidae) from Southern Brazil and Northeastern Argentina, pp. 889-908 in Journal of Natural History 55 (13 - 14) on pages 892-897, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2021.1925767, http://zenodo.org/record/5464769