Sicarius diadorim Magalhães, Brescovit & Santos, 2013, new species
Creators: name: Magalhães, Ivan L. F.
name: Brescovit, Antonio D.
name: Santos, Adalberto J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Sicariidae
Sicarius
Sicarius diadorim

description: Sicarius diadorim new species
Figs 37–38; 47; 88–103; 128–129; 138–139; 146–147; 160–162; 166
Type material. Male holotype from Parque Nacional Cavernas do Peruaçu, Itacarambi, Minas Gerais, Brazil (15°1'41.1''S 44°15'12.2''W, 762m), 4–7/VIII/2011, I.L.F. Magalhães et al. coll., deposited in UFMG 10789. Paratypes: same collecting data, 13 (IBSP 162806); same locality, 5–7/V/2012, G.F.B. Pereira et al. coll., 13 (UFMG 11602), 13 (UFMG 11603), 1Ƥ (UFMG 11604), 1Ƥ (UFMG 11605), 1Ƥ (IBSP 162805).
Remarks. The holotype and the paratype IBSP 162806 were collected as juveniles and reared in laboratory until adulthood.
Etymology. Diadorim is one of the two main characters of the novel Grande Sertão: Veredas, by João Guimarães Rosa, a Brazilian writer born in Minas Gerais. The story is about a group of outlaws (known in Brazil as jagunços) that wander throughout the countryside of Minas Gerais and Bahia, in regions largely coincident with the distribution of S. diadorim n. sp.
Diagnosis. Males of S. diadorim n. sp. are similar to those of S. cariri n. sp. in the embolus, which forms an almost right angle in relation to the rest of the bulb and has a curvature in apical view, with its concavity facing retrolaterally, but differ in the long, slender and slightly sinuous embolus (Figs 88–91, 129). Females are most similar to those of S. cariri n. sp., but differ by having more branches (16 or more in S. diadorim n. sp., usually less than 12 in S. cariri n. sp.). S. diadorim n. sp. females differ from the other species by the spermathecae branches, which are parallel to the main body axis and longer in the median region, becoming progressively shorter towards the laterals (Figs 92–101, 138, 146). Individuals of both sexes have relatively short femora in relation to carapace length (mean±SD of femur II/carapace length: males 1.43±0.05, females 1.12±0.05; see Variation) (Fig. 47). Subadult females, like adults, have spermathecae branches that decrease in size from the middle to the laterals (Figs 102–103).
Description. Male (UFMG 10789, holotype). Coloration and general appearance as described for the genus. Total length 10.38. Carapace: length 4.91, anterior width 2.06, thoracic region width 5.18. Clypeus height 0.71. Eyes diameters and interdistances: ALE 0.23, PLE 0.2, PME 0.23, ALE–PLE 0.15, PME–ALE 0.53. Sternum: length 2.19, width 2.55. Leg I: femur 6.27, patella 2.12, tibia 6.55, metatarsus 5.25, tarsus 2.25. II: femur 6.92, tibia 6.55. III: femur 6.48, tibia 5.93.IV: femur 6.17, patella 2.08, tibia 5.66, metatarsus 4.98, tarsus 2.39. Opisthosoma: length 5.33, width 5.52. Six picks in the palpal femur. Palp as in Figs 88–91, 128–129.
Female (DZUB 5000, Cocos, Bahia). Coloration and general appearance as described for the genus. Total length 14.39. Carapace: length 6.2, anterior width 3, thoracic region width 6.48. Clypeus height 1.12. Eyes diameters and interdistances: ALE 0.28, PLE 0.25, PME 0.25, ALE–PLE 0.25, PME–ALE 0.76. Sternum: length 2.39, width 3.27. Leg I: femur 6.56, patella 2.58, tibia 6.68, metatarsus 5.32, tarsus 2.66. II: femur 7.43, tibia 7.08. III: femur 6.61, tibia 6.14. IV: femur 6.55, patella 2.27, tibia 6.13, metatarsus 4.65, tarsus 2.24. Opisthosoma: length 7.51, width 8.64. Five picks in the palpal femur. Spermathecae as in Figs 92–103, 138–139, 146–147.
Variation. Carapace length: males 4.6–6.2 (n=14), females 5–6.74 (n=16). Femur II: males 6.9–8.46 (n=14), females 5.8–7.43 (n=16). Picks in the palpal femur: 5–7. Spermathecae branches: 14–18. Genitalic morphology is variable in both sexes (Figs 88–101). Some females, like those from Espinosa and Itaobim, Minas Gerais, have a pair of ventral digitiform branches in the spermathecae similar to those of S. ornatus n. sp. (Fig. 146).
Distribution. Brazil, in southwestern Bahia and northern Minas Gerais (Fig. 166).
Natural history. This species has been collected under rocks and logs from Caatinga (Figs 160–162) and Caatinga-Cerrado ecotone areas (Fig. 148). A juvenile has been observed preying on a hemipteran. Eggsacs have been found attached to fallen logs. An eggsac opened in the field contained eleven juveniles. We visited the type locality three times. In August (end of the dry season), only three juveniles and two eggsacs with spiderlings were found. In October (beginning of the rainy season), nine juveniles and three empty eggsacs were found. In May (end of the rainy season), two males and three females were found. Medium-sized juveniles collected in August took 7–8 months (and two molts) to mature. This suggests that this species may be annual or, more likely, that adults retreat themselves in the dry season.
Other material examined. Bahia: Cocos, Fazenda Trijunção (14°49'15''S 45°58'23''W, 559m), 20/IV/2008, P.C. Mott a coll., 13 3Ƥ (DZUB 5000), VIII/2000, R.A. Brandão coll., 2Ƥ (IBSP 42147); Guanambi, Aeroporto [14°12’S 42°44’W, 539m], 21/I/2009, F.U. Yamamoto & R.P. Indicatti coll., 1Ƥ 1 juvenile (IBSP 124092), Ceraíma, 15 Km SE Guanambi (14°17'2.4''S 42°41'16.3''W, 577m), 25/I/2007, C. Mattoni et al. coll., 1Ƥ (AMNH), 1Ƥ (AMNH), Ceraíma, 8 Km NE Guanambi, Fazenda do Fabiano (14°10'17.6''S 42°43'56.4''W, 539m), 25/I/2007, C. Mattoni et al. coll., 1Ƥ (AMNH); Jaborandi, Fazenda Jatobá [13°55'54''S 46°0'12''W], 1/VIII/2012, O. Pires Jr. coll., 13 1 juvenile (DZUB 6230); Palmas de Monte Alto, Serra do Monte Alto [14°16’S 43°10’W], 2009, A. Pimentel & I. Soares coll., 23 (IBSP 161076), 13 (IBSP 161077), 23 (IBSP 161078), 13 (IBSP 161079), 13 (IBSP 161080); São Félix do Coribe [13°24’S 44°11’W], 1/V/2011, S.S. Salgado & A.O. Rodrigues coll., 13 1Ƥ (DZUB 6229). Minas Gerais: Espinosa, Caatinga arbórea (14°56'47.9''S 42°50'5.9''W, 623m), 10/I/2012, I.L.F. Magalhães et al. coll., 1Ƥ (IBSP 162290), 1Ƥ (IBSP 162291), 1Ƥ (IBSP 162292), 1 juvenile (IBSP 162294), 1Ƥ (UFMG 11028); Itaobim, Caatinga em encosta de morro (16°31'58.6''S 41°30'37.5''W, 464m), 25/XI/2011, I.L.F. Magalhães et al. coll., 1Ƥ (UFMG 10156), Caatinga próxima a lajedo de arenito (16°35'43.9''S 41°34'45.3''W, 301m), 26/XI/2011, I.L.F. Magalhães et al. coll., 13 (UFMG 10157).
description: Published as part of Magalhães, Ivan L. F., Brescovit, Antonio D. & Santos, Adalberto J., 2013, The six-eyed sand spiders of the genus Sicarius (Araneae: Haplogynae: Sicariidae) from the Brazilian Caatinga, pp. 101-135 in Zootaxa 3599 (2) on pages 126-129, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.248572