Alpaida imperatrix Baptista & Castanheira & Prado 2018, new species
Creators: name: Baptista, Renner Luiz Cerqueira
name: Castanheira, Pedro De Souza
name: Prado, André Wanderley Do
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Araneidae
Alpaida
Alpaida imperatrix

description: Alpaida imperatrix new species
(Figs. 1–2, Map 1)
Alpaida tijuca Levi, 1988: 438, fig. 340–341 (only male paratype, misidentified)
Type-material. Holotype ♂. BRAZIL, Rio de Janeiro: Macaé: Terminal Cabiúnas (Mata da Odebei), 28.IX.2012, looking down, G. Miranda coll. (MNRJ 7466). Paratypes: BRAZIL, Rio de Janeiro: Macaé: Terminal Cabiúnas (Mata da Odebei), 15.III.2011, looking down, R. Baptista coll., 1 ♀ (UFRJ 1418); 13.VIII.2013, looking down, G. Miranda coll., 1 ♀, 2 immatures (UFRJ 1417); 13.VIII.2013, litter sieving, G. Miranda coll., 1 ♀ (UFRJ 1419); 21.XI.2013, cryptic, D. R. Pedroso coll., 1 ♂, 1 immature (UFRJ 1420); idem Terminal Cabiúnas (Mata da Fazenda), 15.III.2011, looking down, R. Baptista coll., 1 ♀, 1 immature (MNRJ 7467); Rio de Janeiro: Tijuca, Mário Eugenio coll., 1 ♂ (paratype A. tijuca, MNRJ 58146, examined, misidentified); idem, Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca, Pau-da-Fome, 27.V.1995, R. Baptista & A. Kury coll., 1 ♂, 3 immatures (MNRJ 7441).
Additional material examined. None.
Etymology. The specific epithet “ imperatrix ” is a Latin word meaning “empress”, used in apposition. It is a reference to the Leopoldina Railway, a railroad that connects the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Macaé and is named after Maria Leopoldina of Austria (1797–1826), empress of Brazil, who married Pedro I (1798–1834), first Brazilian emperor, and gave birth to Pedro II (1825–1891), the last Brazilian emperor.
Diagnosis. A. imperatrix new species shares with Alpaida itauba Levi, 1988, Alpaida tijuca Levi, 1988 and A. imperialis new species a palp with a roundish terminal apophysis, bearing a long and visibly projected distal lobe, and a flattened, digitiform basal prong (Fig. 3C, Levi 1988, fig. 391, 347, sub A. caxias, fig. 11C). Except A. tijuca, they also share a small epigynum with short and rounded scape (Fig. 4C, Levi 1988, fig. 386–387), and a pointed abdomen (Fig. 4A, Levi 1988, fig. 388–389). A. imperatrix new species is most similar to A. imperialis new species, as both have an epigynum with median notch almost touching the lips and a very small scape (or median lobe) with its tip much lighter than the lips (Fig. 2C, 4C). Their palps also bear a huge and flattened terminal apophysis, with an elongated distal lobe placed at its apical rim and a transverse and elongated basal prong (Fig. 1C, 3C). Both species have also a very similar colour pattern, but A. imperatrix new species has an irregular brown patch on the middle of the sternum. The epigynum of A. imperatrix new species has a larger, roundish notch, resembling an inverted water drop, and lips evenly curved and not excavated near the scape or projecting over the posterior plate (Fig. 2C–D). The palp of A. imperatrix is diagnosed by its terminal apophysis a little longer than wide, with a median tooth and a smaller and almost straight distal lobe (Fig. 1D), a much shorter and less conspicuous tegular lobe, the downward slanted embolus and median apophysis shorter and wider (Fig. 1C). As in A. itauba (Levi 1988, fig. 391), there is a median tooth on the terminal apophysis (Fig. 1C).
Remarks. The male of A. imperatrix new species was first described as paratype of Alpaida tijuca by Levi, 1988 (Figs. 340–341). However, taking in account our new data, it is clear that Levi mismatched the couple of A. tijuca, as the male paratype (MNRJ 58146, examined) does not belong to the same species as the female holotype. The actual male of A. tijuca is the male described as Alpaida caxias Levi, 1988 (fig. 346–347). Comments on pairing and synonymy are explained below, under Alpaida tijuca in the Synonymic and Distribution Notes section.
Description. Male (holotype). Carapace yellow with median black patch tapering from eyes towards fovea, usually with a thinner light brown stripe from fovea towards the posterior rim of carapace, sternum light yellow with an irregular brown spot at the middle. Eyes placed inside anterior black patch (Fig. 1A). Chelicerae with yellow paturon, covered with many irregular black spots, and reddish brown fangs, labium and endites black (Figs.
1A–B). Legs pale beige with black patches on ventral and lateral sides of basal articles, darker on trochanter and proximal portion of femur on legs II to IV, and lighter on median and distal portions of femur in all legs (Figs. 1A– B). Abdomen cylindrical, pale beige, with two black patches on sides of cardiac area, and one not continuous big black patch on median/posterior portions (Fig. 1A). Venter pale beige only ringed in black, with just two stripes above spinnerets (Fig. 1B). Lateral part of abdomen with one continuous black patch on ventral edge (Fig. 1B). Palp with roundish terminal apophysis, slightly longer than wide, hollow, very sclerotized, bearing a median tooth and a smaller and almost straight undivided distal lobe (Figs. 1C–D); embolus elongated, very slanted and bladeshaped (Fig. 1C); median apophysis crescent-shaped, around twice longer than wide and projected inward; and tegular lobe small and slightly elevated (Figs. 1C–D). Paracymbium short, hooked (Figs. 1D–E). Total length: 3.52. Carapace: 1.75 long, 1.48 wide. Leg I: femur 1.74, patella 0.63, tibia 1.32, metatarsus 1.09 and tarsus 0.66. Patella + tibia II 1.43; III 1.33; IV 1.85.
Female (Paratype UFRJ 1417). Carapace and endites light yellow, bearing a wide median brown stripe from eyes to fovea, with abundant black pigment, blackish sides and a lighter median patch (Fig. 2A). Carapace slightly tapering towards its anterior elevated part, but not as narrow as in male (Fig. 2A). Eyes, sternum and legs as in male (Fig. 2A–B). Chelicerae with brown paturon and reddish brown fangs (Fig. 2B). Abdomen conical (Fig. 2A), dorsum beige, with a pair of dark patches at each side of white cardiac area, a pair of black patches on middle third and a big black area on posterior third (Fig. 2A). Lateral part of abdomen covered by a black stripe (Fig. 2B). Venter beige, with a rectangular black patch just above spinnerets and a pair of black patches on opposite sides of epigynal area (Fig. 2B). Spinnerets and anal tubercle light brown. Epigynum oval, much wider than long, with large and protruding rounded lips, a short and small rounded scape, much lighter than surrounding areas (Fig. 2C– D), and a large and roundish notch, resembling an inverted water drop (Fig. 2C). Posterior plate much wider than high and slightly laterally depressed, covered by lips only at its edges (Fig. 2D). Total length: 4.58. Carapace: 2.00 long, 1.48 wide. Leg I: femur 1,53, patella 0.67, tibia 1.27, metatarsus 1.18 and tarsus 0.67. Patella + tibia II 1.63; III 1.26; IV 1.93.
Variation. Males (n = 4): total length, 3.52–4.04; females (n = 4): total length, 4.52–4.80. Male palps and its structures can slightly vary in size and proportion according to the body size.
Natural History. Alpaida imperatrix new species was usually collected from small vertical orb-webs (around 10 cm wide) hanging between rotten logs and the ground. At night, the spiders remained in the hub, but they retreated to crevices at daytime. Most specimens were collected by “sieving” litter, searching “cryptic” habitats and using “looking down” sampling techniques.
Distribution. Only know from Macaé and Rio de Janeiro cities, at Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil (Map 1).
description: Published as part of Baptista, Renner Luiz Cerqueira, Castanheira, Pedro De Souza & Prado, André Wanderley Do, 2018, Notes on the orb-weaving spider genus Alpaida (Araneae, Araneidae) with description of four new species from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, pp. 321-345 in Zootaxa 4407 (3) on pages 323-326, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4407.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/1216546