ZOOLOGIA 30 (1): 101–106, February, 2013 http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1984-46702013000100013 A new species of Melloina (Araneae: Paratropididae) from Venezuela Rogério Bertani Laboratório Especial de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan. Avenida Vital Brazil 1500, 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] ABSTRACT. A new species of Melloina Brignoli, 1985, Melloina santuario sp. nov., is described from a cave in Venezuela. This is the third species described in this rarely sampled genus, and the first species known from both male and female. The male of M. santuario sp. nov. is distinguished by a longer embolus and fewer number of spines on the anterior tarsi. Females and immatures are distinguished by having fewer numbers of labial cuspules. The description of a new species from male and female samples increases our knowledge about Melloina. This added knowledge is important to the under- standing of mygalomorph relationships, mainly in the Theraphosoidina, as Melloina is a basal genus within the Paratropididae. KEY WORDS. Cave; Glabropelma; Mygalomorphae; Neotropical; Spider taxonomy. Melloina Brignoli, 1985 includes two rare species. The type A new species of Melloina is described herein. It is the first species, Melloina gracilis (Schenkel, 1953), was described as species from this genus based on male and female specimens. Melloa gracilis Schenkel, 1953, based on a single male from Venezuela. It was only after 46 years that additional specimens MATERIAL AND METHODS were discovered, and a second species, Melloina rickwesti Raven, 1999, was described from a female and an immature from The general description format follows RAVEN (1999, Panama. Meanwhile, the generic name had been changed from 2005), with modifications. A Nikon SMZ1500 dissecting mi- Melloa, preoccupied by a harvestman species, to Melloina croscope was used for illustrations (with a camera lucida attach- Brignoli, 1985. The other name proposed to replace Melloa, ment). Figures were digitized and covered using a Wacom Grablopelma Raven, 1985, was published concomitantly, but Bamboo tablet. All measurements are in millimeters. Leg and appeared shortly after BRIGNOLI’s (1985) paper. palp measurements were taken from the dorsal aspect of the Besides being rare in collections, Melloina is of critical left side (unless appendages were lost or obviously regenerated). importance for the knowledge of mygalomorph relationships, Measurements were taken from the drawings made with the mainly of the Theraphosoidina clade, which contains the fami- dissecting microscope and converted. Abbreviations: (ALE) lies Theraphosidae, Barychelidae and Paratropididae (RAVEN anterior lateral eyes, (AME) anterior median eyes, (ITC) infe- 1985). RAVEN (1985, 1999) extensively discussed the taxonomic rior tarsal claw, (PLE) posterior lateral eyes, (PLS) posterior lat- position of Melloina, included originally in Theraphosidae eral spinnerets, (PME) posterior median eyes, (PMS) posterior (SCHENKEL 1953), and transferred by RAVEN (1985) to the median spinnerets, (STC) superior tarsal claws. Paratropididae. RAVEN (1985) showed that Melloina is a basal Specimens are deposited in the Museo del Instituto de taxon in Paratropididae, presenting the plesiomorphic states Zoología Agrícola, Maracay, Venezuela (MIZA) and Museu of highly modified characters of Paratropis Simon, 1899 and Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, related genera. Moreover, as Paratropididae is the proposed sis- Brazil (MNRJ). ter group of Theraphosidae (RAVEN 1985, GOLOBOFF 1993, 1995), its most basal taxon, i.e. Melloina, retains some of the most TAXONOMY plesiomorphic character states of Theraphosidae, the most speciose mygalomorph family. However, results of recent analy- Melloina Brignoli, 1985 ses using molecular information (HEDIN & BOND 2006, BOND et al. 2012) conflict with the studies using morphological infor- Melloa Schenkel, 1953: 4, f. 4a-c, type species Melloa gracilis mation, suggesting that Paratropididae is not closely related Schenkel, 1953 by original designation; Brignoli, 1983: 138; with Theraphosidae or Barychelidae. Therefore, any informa- Raven, 1985: 122, 155. tion on Melloina is important for the understanding of the Melloina Brignoli, 1985: 380. Replacement name for Melloa evolution of Mygalomorphae, the Theraphosoidina, and, par- Schenkel, 1953, preoccupied by Melloa Roewer, 1930 (Opi- ticularly, of Theraphosidae. liones); Goloboff, 1993: 1-32; Raven, 1999: 819; Platnick, 2012. © 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Zoologia | www.sbzoologia.org.br | All rights reserved. 102 R. Bertani Glabropelma Raven, 1985: 70, 122, 156 f. 16-17. Superfluous re- 0.07, AME-PLE 0.3. Ratio of eye group width to length 2.24. placement name for Melloa Roewer, 1930; objective synonym Maxillae (Fig. 2): length to width: 1.42. Trapezoidal with coni- of Melloina; Platnick, 1989: 112; Goloboff, 1995: 1-189. cal inner edge poorly defined. Cuspules: 71 spaced, largely Diagnosis. See RAVEN (1999). spread over ventral inner heel. Lyra absent. Labium: length Species included: Melloina gracilis (Schenkel, 1953), 0.75, width 1.13, with 80 cuspules spaced by one diameter from Melloina rickwesti Raven, 1999, Melloina santuario sp. nov. (Figs each other on the anterior half center. Labio-sternal groove 1-18, Tables I-IV). shallow, flat, without evident sigilla. Chelicerae (Figs 1-2): Long bristles on dorsal and anterior area, laterally with short sparse Identification key to Melloina species bristles. Rastellum absent, basal segments with 16 and 17 teeth Males on promargin, on the left and right chelicera, respectively; and a series of tiny denticles basally. Fang long. Sternum (Fig. 2): Male of M. rickwesti is unknown. length 2.73, width 2.73. Posterior angle rounded, not separat- 1. Male palpal bulb embolus short, less than two times the ing coxae IV. Thick and longer setae near margin, fine hairs tegulum length (RAVEN 1999: fig. 2D); tarsi I-II with two inside. Sigilla: first pair not seen, second and third hardly vis- rows of 9-12 spines .................................... Melloina gracilis ible, one diameter from margin. Booklungs apertures (Fig. 5): 1’. Male palpal bulb embolus long, more than three times the oval and sclerotized. tegulum length (Figs 9-11); tarsi I-II with two rows of 4-5 Legs: formula: IV I II III. Only bristles and spines evi- spines (Fig. 7) ........................... Melloina santuario sp. nov. dent, cuticle not encrusted with soil. Clavate trichobothria: on Females central 2/4 of tarsi I-IV. Scopula: tarsi I-II with a few sparse Female of M. gracilis is unknown. hairs interspaced with macrosetae (Fig. 7); III-IV ascopulate (Fig. 1. Labium with ca. 90 cuspules .................... Melloina rickwesti 8). Preening combs absent. Femur III very incrassate. Tarsi III, IV ventrally cracked at midpoint (Fig. 8). Spines: leg I, fe p1, 1’. Labium with 46-77 cuspules (Fig. 15, Table III).................. d3, pa v1, ti p2, r3, v7, me p1, v15, ta v4+4 in two straight .................................................. Melloina santuario sp. nov. rows; leg II, fe d6, pa v1, ti p3, v9, me p2, v11, ta v5+5 in two Melloina santuario sp. nov. straight rows; leg III, fe d7, pa v1, ti p2, r2, v7, me p3, r2, v11, ta v7+6 in two straight rows; leg IV, fe d8, pa v1, ti p3, r3, v7, Figs 1-18 me p2, r2, v10, ta v8+9 in two straight rows; palp fe p1, pa 0, ti Melloina sp.: West et al., 2008. p3, v6, ta 6 on larger lobe, 2 on smaller. Claws (Figs 7-8): ITC Diagnosis. Males of M. santuario sp. nov. can be distin- absent from all legs; STC with 4 small teeth on medial keel of guished from M. gracilis by the longer embolus (Figs 9-11) and leg I, 5 on II, 3 on III and IV. Teeth larger on anterior legs. Claw tarsi I-II with two rows of 4-5 spines (Fig. 7). Females can be tufts weak but distinct on legs I, II; a few setae on legs III, IV. distinguished from M. rickwesti by the fewer number of cuspules Palp (Figs 9-11): bulb pyriform; embolus very long, ta- on the labium (less than 80) (Fig. 15, Table III). pering, filiform at apex; cymbium of two dissimilar lobes. Tibia Type material. Male holotype (MIZA 520): VENEZUELA, Lara: with shallow distoventral groove. Spur (Figs 12-13) with two near Barbacoas (El Santuario cave, 9°50’S, 70°03’W), 19.IV.2000, branches originating from common base, retrolateral longest, O. Villarreal leg. Paratypes: 1 female and 1 immature (MNRJ and with slight distal curvature; prolateral straight. Prolateral 12965) and 3 immatures (MIZA 521-523), same data and col- with ovoid spine longer than its length; retrolateral with two lector as holotype. spines, both digitiform, more than half of branch length. Meta- Description. Male holotype (Figs 1-13): Carapace 6.30 tarsus I straight, when folded passes by retrolateral spur branch long, 5.24 wide, chelicerae 2.65. Leg lengths and midwidths in laterally. Body covering: strongly pilose hairs and guard hairs Table I. Abdomen 7.37 long, 3.66 wide. Spinnerets (Figs 1 and (COOKE et al. 1972) completely lacking over entire body. 5-6): PMS, 0.31 long, 0.13 wide, 0.01 apart; PLS, 0.72 basal, Color in alcohol: carapace and legs red brown. Abdomen 1.04 middle, 0.82 distal; midwidths 0.49, 0.49, and 0.40, re- dorsally gray with 3 faint pallid lenticular areas anteriorly, fol- spectively. Carapace (Figs 1 and 3): length to width 1.20; caput lowed by three pairs of small spots; pallid ventrally. slightly raised, thoracic striae inconspicuous. Fovea: shallow, Female paratype (Figs 14-17): Carapace 6.12 long, 4.57 straight, 1.33 wide. Carapace: mostly glabrous with a few short wide, chelicerae 3.11. Leg lengths and midwidths in Table II. thornlike bristles; rounded by longer stouter bristles in one row. Abdomen 9.50 long, 4.97 wide. Spinnerets: PMS, 0.45 long, Eyes and eye tubercle (Fig. 4): tubercle 0.24 high, length 0.83, 0.17 wide, 0.17 apart; PLS, 0.8 basal, 0.71 middle, 0.96 distal; width 1.22.