Meriola decepta Banks

Meriola decepta Banks

Figs 25–27, 90

Meriola decepta Banks, 1895: 81 (nine female syntypes from Sea Cliff, Long Island, Nassau County, New York, in MCZ, examined by Platnick & Shadab, 1974); Gertsch & Davis, 1940: 11; Muma, 1943: 121, pl. XV, fig. 5.

Trachelas deceptus Simon, 1897: 180; Roewer, 1955: 589; Bonnet, 1959: 4667.

Trachelas parvulus Banks, 1898: 225, pl. 13, fig. 28 (female holotype from Mexico, no specific locality, in CAS, destroyed); Roewer, 1955: 588. Bonnet, 1959: 4670.

Meriola inornata Banks, 1901: 574, fig. 6 (female holotype from Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, in MCZ, examined by Platnick & Shadab, 1974).

Trachelas inornatus Petrunkevitch, 1911: 523; Roewer, 1955: 589; Bonnet, 1959: 4668.

Meriola decepta floridana Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935: 40, pl. 13, fig. 107 (male holotype from Dunedin, Pinellas County, Florida, in the University of Utah, lost); Chamberlin & Ivie, 1944: 185.

Trachelas deceptus floridanus Roewer, 1955: 589.

Trachelas decepta Platnick & Shadab, 1974: 29, figs 39, 103–106; Dondale & Redner, 1982: 127, figs 234–236; Breene et al., 1993: 85, fig. 96A–B.

Meriola decepta Platnick & Ewing, 1995: 8.

Diagnosis. Males (Figs 26–27) resemble those of M. arcifera and M. peras sp. nov. by the elongate abdomen and the oval shape of the bulb. They differ from both by the small, rounded RTA. Meriola decepta males also differ from both species by lacking dark rings on the legs. Females (Fig. 25) resemble those of M. peras sp. nov. by the absence of an epigynal hood, with a wide median field, and by having large, almost contiguous S2, but differ by the shorter, not arc-shaped epigynal lateral ridges.

Description. See Dondale & Redner (1982) for male and female descriptions.

Natural history and habitat. Several specimens were found in leaf litter in gardens and houses.

Distribution. Known from Canada, U.S.A., Mexico, Guatemala, Peru and Brazil.

New records. CANADA: Labrador: N 52.939001°, W 66.914216°, 2 females (NMHN 01561). U.S.A.: Texas: Edinburg, N 26.301737°, W 98.163343°, 4.XII.1934, S. Mulaik, 1 female, 1 male (NMHN 01561). Travis Co.: U. T. Brackenridge Fieldlab, N 30.284310°, W 97.778248°, 23.VI.1972, B. Vogel, 1 female (NMHN 01561). Florida: Polk Co.: Lake Alfred, N 28.091963°, W 81.723411°, 27.V.1970, M. Muma & H. Greene, 1 female, 1 male (MCN 22460). Arizona: Yuma, in garden, N 32.692651°, W 114.627692°, 30.VI.1957, V. Roth, 5 females, 4 males (CAS, CASENT 9059149). California: Indio, N 33.720577°, W 116.215561°, 17.XII.1932, F. Stickney, 4 females (NMHN 01566). Same locality, 9.XI.1933, on decaying date palm tissue, F. Stickney, 1 female (NMHN 01566). Same locality, 24.V.1934, in rotting dates on ground, F. Stickney, 1 female (NMHN 01566). Orange Co.: Anaheim, N 33.835293°, W 117.914504°, 21.IX.2001, J. Bradley, 1 male (CAS, CASENT 9059145). Riverside, N 33.953349°, W 117.396156°, 16.IV.1975, collector unknown, 1 female (NMHN 01561). Same locality, 28.V.1975, collector unknown, 1 male (NMHN 01561). Same locality, 27.V.1976, citrus litter, collector unknown, 3 females, 2 males (NMHN 01561). Los Angeles Co.: Covina home backyard, N 34.090009°, W 117.890340°, 21.V.1961, P. Craig, 1 male (CAS, CASENT 9059482). Charles Co.: Blossom Point, N 38.416667°, W 77.100000°, 18.X.1995, W. Steiner & W. Reynolds, 1 male (NMHN 01566). Missouri: Johnson Co.: Warrensburg, in house, N 38.762789°, W 93.736050°, VI.1962, W. Peck, 1 female (CAS, CASENT 9059213). Indiana: N 40.267194°, W 86.134902°, Marx collection, 2 females (NMHN 01561). Massachusetts: Nantucket Co.: Polpis, N 41.298687°, W 70.013189°, 19.IX.1976, cranberry bog, J. Coddington, 1 male (NMHN 01561). Barnstable Co.: Falmouth, N 41.553225°, W 70.608577°, 31.XII.1990, litter near pond, R. Edwards, 6 females (NMHN 01561). Barnstable Co.: Hatchville, Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area, N 41.616282°, W 70.547317°, 15.VI.1988, R. Edwards, 1 female (NMHN 01561). Barnstable Co.: Quisset, N 41.661619°, W 70.325443°, 4.V.1989, salt pond, detritus, R. Edwards, 6 females (NMHN 01561). PERÚ: Ica: Pisco, N 13.979386°, W 76.178374°, VIII.2008, A. Aparicio, 2 females (MACN-Ar 30560). BRAZIL: Sergipe: Campus Universitário São Cristovão, S 10.925252°, W 37.098997°, 18.IX.1982, H. Araujo, 1 male (MCN 21071). Paraná: Maringá: Iguatemi, S 23.371159°, W 52.065115°, 27.VII.1980, A. Geahl, 1 female (MCN 12262). Rio Grande do Sul: Canela, S 29.356493°, W 50.812426°, 20.III.1976, A. Lise, 1 male (MCN 3980). Montenegro: Centro Experimental da Ulbra (CEULBRA), S 29.795556°, W 51.387500°, 31.VIII.2008, A. Brendel, 1 female (MCN 44904). Triunfo, S 29.935623°, W 51.712418°, 12.IV.1981, M. Galileo, 1 male (MCN 9702).