Erica eugenia Peckham & Peckham 1892

Erica eugenia Peckham & Peckham 1892 View in CoL

( Figures 1–27 View Figures 1–4 View Figures 5–10 View Figures 11–12 View Figures 13–14 View Figures 15–16 View Figures 17–20 View Figures 21–24 View Figures 25-26 View Figure 27 )

Erica eugenia Peckham & Peckham 1892 View in CoL ; Pickard-Cambridge 1900: 175; Galiano 1965: 310; Galiano 1980: 35. It was not possible to examine syntype material deposited in the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ).

Apatita tristis Mello-Leitão 1933: 83 . Holotype material deposited in the (MNRJ), Brazil was destroyed by the fire in 2018.

Sarinda scutata Mello-Leitão 1947: 30 . Syntype material deposited in the (MNRJ), Brazil, was destroyed by the fire in 2018.

Material examined. 3 ♀, BRAZIL, Goiás, Anápolis, Reserva Ecológica e Científica , Universidade Estadual de Goiás; this locality can be associated with approximate coordinates of [ 16°22'54.5"S 48°56'44.1"W], [ 1102 m], 22 XI 2019, Brazilian Cerrado, collected by hand, E GoogleMaps . Bedoya-Roqueme & R . Filgueiras leg . ( MSB1 View Materials - LECA). 2 ♂, same locality, 11 IX 2019, Brazilian Cerrado, same collectors (A2B1- LECA) .

Diagnosis. As in the differential diagnosis for Erica .

lateral view. 3, Female, dorsal view. 4, Male, dorsal view.

11, Male. 12, Female. Car, carina; D, denticles on serrated inner edge of fang; PMT,

prolateral medial tooth; PT, prolateral tooth; RT, retrolateral tooth.

14, Dorsal view. Go, gonopore; CD, copulatory duct; FD, fertilization duct; Sp, spermatheca.

16, Dorsal view. Go, gonopore; CD, copulatory duct; FD, fertilization duct; Sp, spermatheca.

Description of female, color in alcohol. Body dark-colored, pedipalps and endites reddish-brown ( Figures 5–7 View Figures 5–10 ). Cephalothorax longer than wide, with greater height above the PLE and divided by a large furrow covered with white hairs proximal to the PLE; dark brown ocular quadrangle, delineated by a very faint dark band, scattered iridescent scales ( Figure 5 View Figures 5–10 ); sternum octagonal in shape ( Figure 6 View Figures 5–10 ). Chelicerae are light-yellow, vertical, and small, with four large teeth on the retrolateral margin, three small prolateral teeth, three large teeth on the prolateral margin, and a small inconspicuous prolateral medial tooth, with small, curved fang with small denticles on the inner margin, and a small tubercle on the base ( Figure 12 View Figures 11–12 ). The abdomen is globose, with a faint white transverse band proximal to the anterior margin and a dorsal hump scattered with white hairs, and a longitudinal central olive-green ventral band ( Figures 5, 7 View Figures 5–10 ). The first and second pair of legs are light-yellow with a dark brown dorsal band, the metatarsi dark brown, and the apical region of the segment lighter; the third and fourth pair of legs are dark brown, each segment with a light-yellow apical region, except for the metatarsi and tarsi which are light yellow ( Figures 5, 7 View Figures 5–10 ). Epigynum sclerotized, reddish-brown, circular, with a clear gonopore ( Go, Figures 13–15 View Figures 13–14 View Figures 15–16 ), connected directly with the copulatory ducts ( CD, Figures 14–16 View Figures 13–14 View Figures 15–16 ), which immediately curve, and then continue straight until they fold back on themselves, forming the spermathecae ( Sp, Figures 14–16 View Figures 13–14 View Figures 15–16 ) until reaching the end, culminating in the fertilization duct ( FD, Figures 14–16 View Figures 13–14 View Figures 15–16 ).

Measurements for three females: TL= 4.1–4.3; CL= 1.72–1.75; CW= 0.95–0.98; AL= 2.12–2.15; AERW= 0.88–0.91; PERW= 0.84–0.87; LOQ= 0.76–0.79; PMEP= 0.41–0.43; eyes of the second row separated from the ALE by 0.15–0.17 mm and from the PLE by 0.17–0.19 mm. Spination: Leg I: F= d 0-0-1p*; P= 0; T= v 0-0-2; M=0-2-2. Leg II: F= d 0-0-1p*; P= 0; T= v 0-0-2; M=v0-2-2. Leg III: F= d 0-0-1p*; P= 0; T= v 0-0-2; M=v0-2-2. Leg IV: F= d 0-0-1p*; P= 0; T= v 0-0-2; M=v2-2-2.

Description of male, color in alcohol. Body dark-colored; pedipalps and endites reddish-brown ( Figures 8– 10 View Figures 5–10 ). Cephalothorax longer than wide ( Figures 2–4 View Figures 1–4 ), divided by a large furrow covered with white hairs proximal to the PLE; dark brown ocular quadrangle, delineated by a very faint dark band, with scattered iridescent scales ( Figures 8–10 View Figures 5–10 ); sternum octagonal in shape ( Figure 9 View Figures 5–10 ). Chelicerae light yellow, vertical, and small, dentition as in the female, fang small and curved with small denticles on the inner margin and a small tubercle at the base ( Figure 11 View Figures 11–12 ). Abdomen with scattered white hairs, with a faint white transverse band proximal to the anterior margin, and a longitudinal central olive-green ventral band ( Figure 10 View Figures 5–10 ). The first pairs of legs are light yellow, except the femur, patella, and tibia light brown, with a dark brown band on each side ( Figure 8, 10 View Figures 5–10 ); the second pair of legs is light yellow, with a dark brown dorsal band, metatarsi and tarsi light yellow ( Figure 8, 10 View Figures 5–10 ); third and fourth pair of legs dark brown, each segment with a light-yellow apical region, except for the tarsi which are light yellow ( Figure 8; 10 View Figures 5–10 ). The pedipalp is small and globose, with a simple bulb ( Figures 17–18 View Figures 17–20 ), embolus short and thin, occupying a fossa on the prolateral side of the bulb ( Figures 21–22 View Figures 21–24 ); the sperm duct ( SD) begins in the upper part of the bulb and continues through the retrolateral side and surrounding the bulb ( Figures 19–20 View Figures 17–20 ); the retorlateral tibial apophysis ( RTA) is well developed, visible in a ventral view ( Figures 23–24 View Figures 21–24 ).

Measurements for two males: TL= 3.9–4.0; CL= 1.75-1.86; CW= 0.91–1,01; AL= 1.92–2,02; AERW= 0.93– 1,03; PERW= 0.81–0.91; LOQ= 0.55–0.65; PMEP= 0.35–0.37; eyes of the second row separated from the ALE by 0.16–0.18 mm and from the PLE by 0.17–0.19 mm. Spination: Leg I: F= d 0-1p*-0; P= 0; T= v 2-0- 2; M=0-2-2. Leg II: F= d 0-1p*-0; P= 0; T= v 2-0-2; M=v0-2-2. Leg III: F= d 0-0-1p*; P= 0; T= v 0-0-1r; M=v0-2-2. Leg IV: F= d 0-0-1p*; P= 0; T= v 0-0-1r; M=v2-2-2.

Habitat and distribution. Erica eugenia is a myrmecomorph. In the Brazilian Cerrado it was found in the phytophysiographic province of the Cerrado sensu strictu, near nests of ants of the genus Crematogaster Lund 1831 , in low densities ( Figures 25–26 View Figures 25-26 ). Therefore it can be considered a rare species in the Cerrado, which is consistent with previous records. Despite being a common species in some localities, it is usually a rare species ( Rubio et al. 2018). This is the only species described for the genus Erica , with a known distribution that extends from Argentina to southeastern Brazil, Panama (Bugaba, Champion), and Peru ( Figure 27 View Figure 27 ). The present study extends its known distribution to the central region of the Brazilian Cerrado. Some differences that I have observed suggest, however, that the record of this species from Argentina represents a different, undescribed species (G. D. Rubio, unpublished data).