Grismadox nazgul, Silva-Junior & Pett & Bonaldo, 2025

Grismadox nazgul sp. nov.

Figs 1A, B View FIGURE 1 , 4C View FIGURE 4 , 9A–J View FIGURE 9

Type material. BRAZIL: ♂ holotype, Santa Catarina: Guatambu [ 27°06'24.7"S 52°46'57.2"W], 4.IX.2009, R. C. Francisco leg. (MCTP-26038) GoogleMaps .

Paratypes: same data as holotype, 2♀, 12.XII.2013, R. C. Francisco leg. (MCTP-37874); 1♂, 4.IX.2009, R. C. Francisco leg. (MCTP-26040); Rio Grande do Sul: Itaara [29°33'47.0", 53°44'45.0"W], 1♀, XI.2006, A. Lise et al. leg. (MCTP-20687) GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The specific name refers to Nazgûl, the Witch-king of Angmar, fictional creature in J.R.R. Tolkien’s book, “The Lord of The Rings”, in reference to its predominantly dark coloration. Noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Males of G. nazgul sp. nov. resemble those of G. karugua , G. mazaxoides , G. armatus comb. nov., and G. mboitui by coxae II and III translucent white, and those of G. annatar sp. nov. by the absence of a dorsal depression distinguishing the cephalic and thoracic regions of the carapace and the dark body, but can be differentiated from all these species by tibia I ventral spination 2-2 ( vs. 3- 3 in G. karugua and 3- 2 in G. namba sp. nov., G. mazaxoides , and G. mboitui ), embolus wider and robust ( vs. narrow in G. karugua , G. annatar sp. nov., G. mazaxoides , and G. mboitui ) ( Figs 4C View FIGURE 4 , 9G–H View FIGURE 9 ). Females resemble those of G. mboitui by the large CO (equal to the diameter of the ST II), but differs by the CO oriented ventrally ( vs. laterally in G. mboitui ), CD the same size as ST II ( vs. smaller than ST II in G. mboitui ) ( Figs 8I, J View FIGURE 8 , 12H, I View FIGURE 12 ; Pett 2021: figs 12, 13).

Description. Male (MCTP-26038). Total length 5.59. Carapace 2.71 long, 1.00 wide. Sternum 1.30 long, 0.68 wide.Abdomen 2.77 long, 1.48 wide. Eye diameters:AME 0.10, ALE 0.08, PME 0.09, PLE 0.09. Eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.10, AME-ALE 0.04, ALE-PLE 0.17, PME-PME 0.16, PME-PLE 0.10, AME-PME 0.14. Carapace dark brown, covered by feathery hairs, heavily distributed in ocular area. Endites and labium dark brown, interior margins of both yellowish. Chelicerae brown, two promarginal teeth of different sizes, and two equal retromarginal teeth. Sternum dark brown, shield-shaped and covered in sparse feathery hairs ( Fig. 9A–C View FIGURE 9 ). Abdomen with dorsal scute dark brown, covered in feathery hairs, ventral scute dark brown, rectangular-shaped and tracheal scute dark brown ( Fig. 9C View FIGURE 9 ), slightly constricted. Coxae II to III yellowish, remaining black ( Fig. 9E View FIGURE 9 ). Trochanters following color of coxae, femora I and II black and yellowish distally, patellae, tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi yellowish. Legs III and IV with femora dark brown, patellae yellowish with distal area black, tibia III yellowish with black pro- and retrolateral margins, tibia IV brownish-black with distal area yellowish, metatarsi and tarsi III yellowish and metatarsi IV brownish black with distal area yellowish and tarsi IV yellowish. Leg measurements: I 1.35 / 1.24 / 0.46 / 1.00 / 0.93; II 1.33 / 1.10 / 0.47 / 1.01 / 0.56; III 1.33 / 1.00 / 0.39 / 1.20 / 0.66; IV 1.84 / 1.66 / 0.59 / 1.96 / 0.86. Spination: I femur do 1-1-0, pl 0-0-0-1; tibia ve 2-2; metatarsus ve 2-2; II femur do 1-1-0, pl 0-0-1; tibia ve 0- 0-1r; metatarsus ve 2-2; III femur do 0-1-1; pl 0-1-1, rl 0-1-1; tibia do 0-0-1, pl 0-1-1, rl 0-1-1, ve 0-0-1; metatarsus pl 1-1-0-1, rl 1-1-0-1, ve 2-2-2-1; IV femur do 1-0-1-1, pl 0-0-0-1, rl 0-0-0-1; tibia do 0-0-1, pl 1-0-1, rl 1-0-1, ve p 1-0-1; metatarsus pl 1-1-0-1, rl 1-1-0-1, ve 2-2. RTA with both vRTA and dRTA, both triangular in shape, tip of dRTA distally orientated ( Figs 9G, H View FIGURE 9 ).

Female (MCTP-20687). Same as in male except the following: total length 7.14. Carapace 2.94 long, 1.79 wide. Sternum 1.30 long, 0.95 wide. Abdomen 4.06 long, 2.52 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.11, ALE 0.07, PME 0.09, PLE 0.09. Eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.11, AME-ALE 0.06, ALE-PLE 0.17, PME-PME 0.18, PME-PLE 0.14, AME-PME 0.17. Abdomen with dorsal scute reduced to anterior portion ( Fig. 8D, E View FIGURE 8 ). Leg measurements: I 1.73 / 1.43 / 0.48 / 1.17 / 0.95; II 1.61 / 1.25 / 0.57 / 1.18 / 0.81; III 1.54 / 1.62 / 0.55 / 1.10 / 0.72; IV 2.05 / 2.00 / 0.72 / 2.12 / 0.93. Spination: I femur do 1-1-0, pl 0-0-0-1; tibia ve 2-2; metatarsus ve 2-2; II femur do 1-1-0, pl 0-0-1; tibia ve 0-0-1r; metatarsus ve 2-2; III femur do 0-1-1; pl 0-1-1, rl 0-1-1; tibia do 0-0-1, pl 0-1-1, rl 0-1-1, ve 0-0-1; metatarsus pl 1-1-0-1, rl 1-1-0-1, ve 2-2-2-1; IV femur do 1-0-1-1, pl 0-0-0-1, rl 0-0-0-1; tibia do 0-0-1, pl 1-0-1, rl 1-0-1, ve p 1-0-1; metatarsus pl 1-1-0-1, rl 1-1-0-1, ve 2-2. Epigynum heavily sclerotized, with thin groove above CO, ST II oblong, larger than ST I, CD moderately large and sclerotised ( Fig. 9I, J View FIGURE 9 ).

Material examined. BRAZIL: Santa Catarina: Guatambu [ 27°06'24.7"S, 52°46'57.2"W], 1♂, 4.IX.2009, R. C. Francisco leg. (MCTP-26037) GoogleMaps ; Rio Grande do Sul: Rio dos Índios [ 27°15'18.0"S, 52°52'35.0"W], 1♂, 23.IX.2008, R. C. Francisco leg. (MCTP-26030) GoogleMaps .

Variation. Length: ( 3 ♀) total 8.05–7.14, carapace 3.22–2.94, femur I 1.98–1.06; ( 2 ♂) total 5.64–5.59, carapace 3.35–2.71, femur I 1.35–1.28.

Distribution. South Brazil ( Fig. 15 View FIGURES 15 ).