Edwardsya Ruiz & Bustamante, 2016, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Ruiz, Gustavo R. S.
name: Bustamante, Abel A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Salticidae
Edwardsya

description: Edwardsya gen. nov.
Type species: Attus simoni Taczanowski, 1871.
Etymology. The generic name is in honor of the American salticidologist G.B. Edwards, to celebrate his recent contribution to the understanding of systematics of freyines. Female in gender, ending in -ya taken from Freya C.L. Koch, type genus of the subtribe.
Relationships. This lineage seems to be related to the also Amazonian ground dwellers Kalcerrytus Galiano and Onofre Ruiz & Brescovit by the general appearance (dark body with light chevrons on abdomen, Figs 5, 8), the apophysis on the venter of the male palpal femur (FDA in Figs 10, 46) and the stout RTA (Figs 11–14, 46–47). Edilemma Ruiz & Brescovit also has a developed FDA, although its color pattern resembles more that of Freya C.L. Koch sensu stricto. Similarities in general appearance and external reproductive structures with Capidava Simon, another Amazonian ground dwelling freyine, could also be due to phylogenetic relationship, although this is less likely.
Diagnosis. Among freyines, males of Edwardsya are similar to Kalcerrytus, Onofre and Edilemma for having a developed femoral distal apophysis in the palp (FDA in Figs 10, 46), but can be recognized by the developed, triangular terminal apophysis (TmA in Figs 10–12, 44–45), absent in the other three. Females of Kalcerrytus (e.g., see Ruiz & Brescovit 2003: fig. 4; Bustamante & Ruiz 2016: fig. 9) and Onofre (see Ruiz & Brescovit 2007: fig. 5) have accessory pockets laterally on the epigynal plate, but these structures are not present in Edwardsya (Figs 9, 43). Females of Edilemma have advanced ventral coupling pockets on the epigyne (see Ruiz & Brescovit 2006: fig. 5), while Edwardsya have dorsal coupling pockets (Figs 16, 49).
Description. Moderately small to medium-sized (males 5.68–5.91, females 6.14–6.22), ground dwelling jumping spiders from the Amazon. Carapace dark brown with a pair of lateral stripes of white scales, more conspicuous in males (Figs 1–5, 37–39), and sparse white (Fig. 33) and dark (Fig. 32) scales; males with reddish scales on head (Figs 1–4, 31), bright when alive. Chelicera similar in both sexes, with two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth (Fig. 35). Male endite with strong disto-ectal corrugated apophysis (Figs 25–30). Labium rounded and sternum oval. Male palpal femur with a distal proventral apophysis and dorsal tuft of long, white scales (Figs 4, 36); short tibia with a strong, curved RTA (Figs 11–14, 21–22, 46–47) and poorly developed PTA (Fig. 21); shoe-shaped cymbium, well developed functional tegulum, embolar base with a prolateral process (Figs 10–11, 44–45), and terminal apophysis long and triangular, folded to receive the embolus (Figs 10, 23–24, 45); functionally it appears to be a secondary conductor. Leg formula 3412 or 4312 in both sexes. Leg I dark brown, II– IV yellow or light brown. Abdomen about the same length of carapace, dark brown, with anterior transverse light stripe and dorsal chevrons (Figs 5, 8), reddish in live males (Figs 1–4); anterodorsal scutum in males (Figs 5, 39); males with epiandrous fusules (Fig. 34). Epigyne with a pair of round copulatory openings placed anteriorly and a dorsal coupling pocket (Figs 9, 15–16, 43, 48–49).
Notes. After observing under SEM that there were no openings on the apophysis of the male endite (Figs 25– 30), we concluded this could not have a glandular function. However, its connection to reproduction is likely, since it is developed only in adult males. Despite being developed in many other freyines and other spiders, we still do not understand its role, either during copulation or male-male competition. Given its position near the base of the male palp and consequent proximity to the body of the female during copulation, we could imagine that it could help anchoring/stabilizing the male onto the female body, but if that were true, we would expect a smooth, possibly hooked structure, like the RTA. However, its tip is rounded and bears many small granulations, which could lead us to predict a more stimulating role during copulation, when the male would use it to rub specific portions of the female abdomen.
Composition: Two species: E. simoni (Taczanowski, 1871) comb. nov. and Edwardsya igapo sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Ruiz, Gustavo R. S. & Bustamante, Abel A., 2016, Edwardsya, a new genus of jumping spiders from South America (Araneae: Salticidae: Freyina), pp. 117-129 in Zootaxa 4184 (1) on pages 118-120, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4184.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/164519