Tantra, Labarque & Piacentini & Pons & Hormiga & Arnedo & Ramírez, 2025

Tantra gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

Type species

Tantra bugle gen. et sp. nov. by original designation.

Diagnosis

Males of Tantra gen. nov. resemble those of Andasta , Theridiosoma and Zoma by having the embolic apophysis divided multiple times (more than three times) forming branches prolaterally and retrolaterally to the embolus (e.g., Zhao & Li 2012: fig. 27d), but Tantra can be distinguished by having one retrolateral branch protruding from beneath the conductor ( Figs 34E View Fig , 38E View Fig , 42E View Fig ), whereas males of Andasta lack such branches ( Saaristo 2010: fig. 38 6–7), and Theridiosoma and Zoma have at least one prolateral branch ( Fig. 32D–F View Fig ; Miller et al. 2009: fig. 10f; Zhao & Li 2012: fig. 28d; Ballarin et al. 2021: fig. 5c) protruding from beneath the conductor. Males of Tantra can also be distinguished from those of other genera by a tegular spur folding on itself anteriorly, forming a pocket (i.e., resembling a sclerotized wrench tool head in ventral view) ( Figs 34E View Fig , 38E View Fig , 46E View Fig ; Dupérré & Tapia 2017: fig. 25). Females of Tantra can be distinguished from those of other genera by dorsal sclerotized spurs extending from the lateral margins of the epigynal plate ( Figs 6D–E View Fig , 35D–F View Fig , 39C View Fig ; Dupérré & Tapia 2017: fig. 27), proximal copulatory ducts convoluting multiple times ( Figs 35D–F View Fig , 37D View Fig , 48D View Fig ; Dupérré & Tapia 2017: fig. 27), and distal copulatory ducts coiling dorso-ventrally and inserting ventromedially posteriorly into spermathecae ( Figs 6D View Fig , 35E View Fig ).

Etymology

The generic name is a noun in apposition derived from the word ‘tantra’ which means ‘net, web or weave’ (among other meanings) in Sanskrit, a historical and extinct Indo-Aryan language. Gender is masculine.

Description

Males total length between 1.03–1.43, and females 1.43–2.33. Prosoma light, dark or cephalic area dark and laterals light. Ocular area light or dark. Eyes nearly subequal, AME separated by about ½ a diameter, PME juxtaposed or separated by about ½ a diameter. Sternum smooth and flat, light, dark, or light circled by a dark line. Legs short or long, femora and patella light, olive-green or tan, tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi tan; metatarsi shorter than tibiae (except legs III); tibiae III–IV with three to four rows of trichobothria longer than tibia diameter; leg formula: 1243. Opisthosoma ovoid, light, dark or with several colors, with or without silver patches, forming transversal or longitudinal stripes or other patterns. Spinnerets light, dark or mixed. Palp with setae row on the paracymbial process ( Figs 38D View Fig , 44A–D View Fig , 46A View Fig ; Dupérré & Tapia 2017: fig. 24). Tegulum striated (i.e., with spicules) with tegular spur forming pocket that may be wide and rounded ( Figs 38E View Fig , 40E View Fig , 44E View Fig ; Dupérré & Tapia 2017: fig. 25) or elongated and acute ( Figs 34E View Fig , 36E View Fig , 46E View Fig ) in ventral view. Median apophysis elongated with median groove (i.e., sclerotized darker midline) ( Figs 34E–F View Fig , 38E–F View Fig , 44E–F View Fig ). Conductor protruded ventrally covering embolic division retrolaterally, that can be seen by transparency ( Figs 34D–E View Fig , 42D–E View Fig , 44D–E View Fig ), with heavily sclerotized (i.e., dark) posterior extension, that may have retrolateral heavily sclerotized projection ( Figs 34E View Fig , 36E View Fig , 40E View Fig ; Dupérré & Tapia 2017: fig. 25), and prolateral, acute and posteriorly elongated apophysis that articulates with conductor through membrane, which may (i.e., long; Figs 38E View Fig , 42E View Fig , 44E View Fig ; Dupérré & Tapia 2017: fig. 23) or may not exceed (i.e., short; Fig. 34E View Fig ) conductor extension posteriorly. Embolus as thin lamina ( Figs 38E View Fig , 44E View Fig , 46E View Fig ), multiple divided embolic apophysis forming branches prolaterally and retrolaterally to embolus ( Figs 34C–D View Fig , 38C View Fig , 44C–D View Fig ; ED), with one filiform, sclerotized (i.e., orange) and elongated retrolateral branch protruding from beneath conductor ( Figs 34A, D–E View Fig , 38D–E View Fig , 40D–E View Fig , 42D–E View Fig ; misinterpreted as “embolus” in Dupérré & Tapia 2017: fig. 25). Epigynal plate protruding ventrally forming dome (i.e., curved in posterior view; Figs 35B View Fig , 39B View Fig , 45B View Fig ), with small lateral pits ( Fig. 6D View Fig ), dorsally heavily sclerotized (i.e., reddish-brown) spurs extending from their lateral margins ( Figs 6D–E View Fig , 35D–F View Fig , 39C View Fig , 48D View Fig ; misinterpreted as “copulatory duct” in Dupérré & Tapia 2017: figs 27), and dorsal epigynal plate exposed, membranous, protruding from beneath copulatory opening posteriorly ( Figs 6D–E View Fig , 35B–D View Fig , 39B–D View Fig , 45B–D View Fig , 48C–D View Fig ; Dupérré & Tapia 2017: fig. 26). Convoluted copulatory ducts ( Figs 35D–F View Fig , 37D View Fig , 48D View Fig ; Dupérré & Tapia 2017: fig. 27), distal copulatory ducts coiling dorso-ventrally, inserting ventromedially posteriorly into spermathecae ( Figs 6D View Fig , 35E View Fig ).

Distribution

Costa Rica to Ecuador.

Remarks

Coddington (1986: 63–64) suggested that the epigynal plate of Theridiosoma argenteolunulatum Simon, 1897 , Theridiosoma davisi Archer, 1953 , Theridiosoma nechodomae Petrunkevitch, 1930 , and Theridiosoma savannum Chamberlin & Ivie, 1944 have “lateral sclerotized spurs projecting towards the median”, but he did not provide illustrations of those characters. In addition, the original male and female illustrations are not detailed enough to provide conclusive evidence for the genital characters, and thus we kept the above species as Theridiosoma until more detailed studies are done.

Composition

Eight new species here described, and Tantra kullki ( Dupérré & Tapia, 2017) comb. nov., here transferred from Theridiosoma .

Remarks

The male and female of Theridiosoma kullki , and the male palp of a Theridiosoma sp. from Costa Rica ( Coddington 1986: figs 132–133) agree in every way with the diagnostic characters here proposed for Tantra gen. nov.