Colonus melanogaster (Mello-Leitão, 1917)

Colonus melanogaster (Mello-Leitão, 1917) View in CoL

(Fig. 8-9; 11, 13)

Thiodina melanogaster Mello-Leitão, 1917: 132 View in CoL , f. 4.

Colonus melanogaster Bustamante, Maddison & Ruiz, 2015: 187 View in CoL . C. melanogaster Pett, Rubio & Stolar, 2021: 926 View in CoL , f. 6D-G.

Material examined

- 1 ♀ ( MZSP 19667 View Materials ), Canguaretama, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, M. Alvarenga, 02/XII/1951 ;

- 1 ♂ ( MCN 22702 ), Porto Nacional, Tocantins, Brazil, J. Dourado, 10-13/XI/1992 ;

- 1 ♀ ( IBSP 26305 View Materials ), São Domingos, Goiás, Brazil, C. Rheims, VIII/2000 ;

- 1 ♀ ( IBSP 4805 View Materials ), Bahia, Brazil, T. Nunes ;

- 1 ♂ ( MZSP 19658 View Materials ), Rio São José , Espírito Santo, Brazil, B. Soares, 13/IX/1942 ;

- 1 ♀ ( IBSP 6792 View Materials ), Paranaíba, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, R. Silva, 1983 ;

- 1 ♂ ( MCN 21015 ) , 1 ♀ ( MCN 21016 ), Pousada Caiman, Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, A. Meyer, 06/V/1991 ;

- 1 ♀ ( IBSP 26439 View Materials ), Usina Hidrelétrica de Rosal , Bom Jesus do Itabapoana, Rio de janeiro, Brazil, I. Knysak, XI/1999 ;

- 1 ♂ ( UFRJ 936 ), Parque Municipal Atalaia, Macaé, Rio de janeiro, Brazil, F. Queiroz, 19/I/2014 ;

- 1 ♂, 3 ♀ ( UFRJ 473 ), Campo dos Afonsos, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, Brazil, R. Baptista, P. Castanheira, N. Mateini, 23/VII/2010 ;

- 1 ♀ (MNRJ, lost in fire), Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, Brazil, R. Baptista, 03/VI/1987 ;

- 1 ♂ (MNRJ, lost in fire), Quinta da Boa Vista , Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, Brazil, R. Baptista, 31/IV/1986 ;

- 1 ♂ ( MZSP 19680 View Materials ), Avaré, São Paulo, Brazil, F. Lane, 14/IX/1974 ;

- 1 ♀ ( MZSP 19683 View Materials ), Caraguatatuba , São Paulo, Brazil, Excursão Dept. Zool., 22/V- 01/06/1962 ;

- 1 ♂ ( MCN 7289 ), Montenegro, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, M. Tavares, 17/XI/1977 ;

- 1 ♀ ( MCN 20103 ), Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, M. Marques, 14/XI/1990 ;

- 1 ♀ ( MCN 20116 ), Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, C. Becker, 14/XI/1990 ;

- 5 ♂, 1 ♀ ( MCTP 5754 View Materials ), Guaíba , Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Lab. Aracnologia, 29/X/1994 ;

- 1 ♂ ( MCTP 4504 View Materials ), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, A. Braul Jr., 27/XI/1993 ;

- 1 ♂ ( MCTP 4504 View Materials ), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, A. Braul Jr., 27/XI/1993 ;

- 1 ♀ ( MCN 11871 ), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, A. Braul Jr., 27/XI/1993 ;

- 1 ♂ ( MCTP 2635 View Materials ), Morro da Fortaleza , Itapuã, Viamão, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, A. Braul Jr., 21-22/XI/1992 ;

- 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( IBSI-Ar 01132 ), INTA Experimental Station (S27.6575°, W55.4374°), Cerro Azul, Misiones, Argentina, 4/IX/2018, coll. C. Stolar, on citronella grasses GoogleMaps ;

- 1 ♂ ( IBSI-Ar 01510 ), Garupá (S27.4520°, W55.8845°), Misiones, Argentina, 9/X/2020, coll. J. Baigorria GoogleMaps ;

- 1 ♂ ( IBSI-Ar 01606 ), Candelaria (S27.4802°, W55.7925°), Misiones, Argentina, 5/II/2021, coll. G. Rubio, J. Baigorria & C. Stolar GoogleMaps ;

- 1 ♀ ( IBSI-Ar 01797 ), same locality, 30/VII/2020, coll. J. Baigorria ;

- 1 ♂ ( IBSI-Ar 00841 ) Chaco National Park (S26.8227°, W59.6201°), Capitán Solari, Chaco, Argentina, 24/X/2016, coll. G.Rubio & E. Meza-Torres GoogleMaps ;

- 1 ♂, 3 ♀ ( IBSI-Ar 01665 ), Chicligasta (S27.3054°, W65.6388°), Tucumán, Argentina, 17/XI/2021, coll. C. Stolar GoogleMaps ;

- 1 ♂ ( IBSI-Ar 01671 ), Lules (S26.9210°, W65.3442°), Tucumán, Argentina, 22/XI/2021, same coll GoogleMaps .;

- 1 ♂ ( IBSI-Ar 00826 ), Córdoba (S31.3695°, W64.2441°), Córdoba, Argentina, 7/III/2014, coll. C.Argañaraz, sample of her doctoral thesis GoogleMaps ;

- 1 ♀ ( LBRE-Ar; temporary preparation GDR.id 147), Villa Rumipal (S32.1814°, W64.4784°), Calamuchita, Córdoba, Argentina, 2005, coll. M. Izquierdo GoogleMaps ;

- 1 ♂ ( IBSP 17242 View Materials ), Cerro Arequita, Lavalleja, Uruguay, A. Brescovit, 05/XII/1997 .

Diagnosis. – Female of C. melanogaster is very similar to those of C. gracilis sp. n. by the structures of the epigyne (compare Fig. 5-6, 8, 11-14 in this paper), but can be distinguished from it by having the border of the CO more sclerotized, each atrium (At) as wide as long, the lateral pouch (LP) directed more sideways, and the second stretch of the CD narrowest (indicated with an asterisk). Additionally, the carapace (C) of C. melanogaster is wider than thatof C. gracilis sp. n. (notable especially in the relationship with its edges and the PLE).See the comparison of figures 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14.

Description of the female (IBSI-Ar 01797)

Total length 7.75; carapace length 3.20; carapace width 2.46; abdomen length 4.53.PME slightly closer toALE than PLE.Leg formula 4312. Carapace light brown with scattered black setae, longer on the sides of the ALE and PME; black blotches around eyes and two triangular dark spots behind and between the PLE. Ocular quadrangle pale yellow, with a slightly darker spot in the center and guanine reticulate. No dark line around margin of carapace.Clypeus and chelicerae light brown, yellowish. Chelicerae with four promarginal teeth and two retromarginal teeth. Endites, labium and sternum pale yellow. Abdomen whitish, pale yellow with guanine reticulate and scattered black setae and various black dots.Venter with some black dots. Legs and palps strong, generally brown and with numerous setae.Epigyne: quite similar to that of C. gracilis sp. n., medium size plate, sclerotized, with two anterior atria (At; wide and shallow concavity), two small lateral coupling pouches (LP) inverted V-shaped. Two conspicuous copulatory openings (CO), each with a sclerotized rim; copulatory ducts (CD) relatively short, with three distinctly directed stretches, connecting to a small somewhat spherical spermatheca (Sp; like a little bag).

Distribution. – Known from Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and the central and northern Argentina.