Meriola quilicura Platnick & Ewing
Creators: name: González, María E.
name: Grismado, Cristian J.
name: Ramírez, Martín J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Trachelidae
Meriola
Meriola quilicura

description: Meriola quilicura Platnick & Ewing
Figs 67–69, 93
Meriola quilicura Platnick & Ewing, 1995: 29, figs 69–71 (male holotype from Quilicura, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile, in AMNH, examined).
Diagnosis. Males (Figs 68–69) can be distinguished by the distally expanded palpal tibia, the short RTA, and the short, prolaterally directed embolus. Females (Fig. 67) can by distinguished by the curved lateral ridges and small, oval, medially situated CDR (Fig. 69b).
Note. The female newly described here was not collected together with the known males of M. quilicura; it is tentatively associated to the male by the leg spination pattern. The male has thick, elongate scopular setae, although not as long as those in the female (Figs 69a, c).
Description. Female (MACN-Ar 36314): Carapace length 1.47, width 1.18, narrowed in eye region. Carapace with few setae and low tubercles. Palpal tarsus length 0.33. Sternum length 0.91, width 0.77. Length of tibia/metatarsus: I, 1.10/0.83; II, 0.87/0.70; III, 0.67/0.63; IV, 1.17/1.17. Spines: Leg I, femur p 1ap. II, femur d 1ba, p 1-0-1. III, femur d 1ba; tibia p 1ap, v 1p-0-1p; metatarsus p 0-1-0, v lp-lp-0, r 0-1-0. IV, femur d 1 ba; tibia v 1p-1p-0, r 1ap; metatarsus p 0-1-1, v 1p-1p-0, r 1ba. Leg cuspules absent. Tibia and metatarsus of legs I and II with dense rows of long setae, probably modified scopular setae (Fig. 69a), metatarsi of legs III and IV with distinct preening comb. Opisthosoma length 2.40. Color in ethanol: Prosoma brownish, with dark reticulations and dark border. Chelicerae dark brown. Legs pale orange, with vague traces of dark markings. Sternum brownish, with dark reticulations. Opisthosoma grayish-brown dorsally, with reticulations and posterior chevrons. Venter grayish, with reticulations and longitudinal dark stripes. Epigyne (Fig. 67h): median field wide, curved lateral ridges, hood absent. Copulatory openings in posterior position; copulatory ducts short, connecting longitudinally with small and oval CDR, S2 large and weakly sclerotized, S1 small (Fig. 69b).
Male described by Platnick & Ewing (1995).
Natural history and habitat. Unknown.
Distribution: Known from central Chile in Regions Coquimbo, Valparaiso and Metropolitana, and Río Negro province in Argentina (Fig. 93).
New records: CHILE: Región IV de Coquimbo: Provincia de Elqui: Totoralillo Norte, S 29.559194°, W 71.316056°, 12.VII.2009, under stones, M. Izquierdo, A. Ojanguren, J. Pizarro & F. Alfaro, 1 female, temporary preparations MGM-00466, MGM-00467 (MACN-Ar 36314). ARGENTINA: Río Negro: Bariloche: Cerro Challhuaco, S 41.2152°, W 71.30527°, elev. 1006 m, III.2006, pitfall traps, V. Werenkraut, 1 male, temporary preparations MGM-00220–00221 (MACN-Ar 20430).
description: Published as part of González, María E., Grismado, Cristian J. & Ramírez, Martín J., 2021, A Taxonomic Revision Of The Spider Genus Meriola Banks (Araneae: Trachelidae), pp. 1-113 in Zootaxa 4936 (1) on pages 84-87, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4936.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4559165