Epicadus trituberculatus

Epicadus trituberculatus (Taczanowski, 1872)

Figs 12A–D, 13A–D, 16F

Thomisus trituberculatus TaczanoWski, 1872: 92, pl. 4, fig. 7.

Tobias trituberculatus (TaczanoWski). Simon 1895: 1047, fig. 1029.

Tobias paraguayensis Mello-Leitão, 1929: 91, figs 191–195 (syntypes from “Paraguay”, deposited in MNHN 8790, examined).

Epicadus planus Mello-Leitão, 1932: 73 (holotype female from Ilhéus [14°48.985'S, 39°1.996'W, Bahia, Brazil], deposited in MNRJ 14205, examined). Silva-Moreira & Machado 2016: 297, figs 11, 12, 13, 14.

Epicadus nigronotatus Mello-Leitão, 1940: 213 (holotype female from Goitacazes [19°23'48.00"S, 40° 3'42.00"W, Linhares, Brazil], deposited in MNRJ 58252, examined).

Epicadus trituberculatus (TaczanoWski). Machado et al. 2017: 448, figs 2A, S3A, S4B, S8E, S9A, D.

Type material: Syntypes (quantity not specified): Iles du Salut, [5°17.000'N, 52°35.000'W, Saint Laurent du Maroni and Uassa, French Guiana], deposited in MZPW, presumably lost.

Note. Type material of E. trituberculatus could not be traced despite the extensive search in European and South American arachnological and entomological collections. However, E. trituberculatus could be recognized through the examination of specimens deposited in MNHN and determined by Mello-Leitão (1929). The specimens in these vials match perfectly with the original description of the species, and besides that, E. trituberculatus presents a remarkable set of features, especially the median posterior opisthosomal projection ending in three equal-sized small tips (which give name to the species), that helps to identify it unequivocally. Moreover, we propose synonymy of E. planus based on the vouchers deposited in MNHN that were examined and redescribed by Mello-Leitão (1929). The description of the general body coloration, and the shape and disposition of the opisthosomal projections of these specimens perfectly match the description made by Taczanowski (1872). The trifid median posterior opisthosomal projection (the main diagnosis of E. trituberculatus) is clearly recognizable. The only species that presents striking similarities with E. tritubeculatus is E. camelinus, but the large brown stains on prosoma and anterior legs of this species are constant, diagnostic and useful characters to distinguish it from E. trituberculatus, besides the genital structures.

Other material examined. BRAZIL: Amapá: 1 male, Ilha de Maracá, 3°25'00"N, 61°40'00"W, 1–14 February 1992, A.A. Lise (MCTP 1943). Roraima: 1 female, Alto Alegre (Aldeia Hali Kato), 3°12'10"N, 63°23'30"W, 13 March–14 April 2009, C. Kirsh (ISBP 149628). Pará: 1 female, Santarém (Boca do Cuminaímiri), 2°27'07"S, 54°41'33"W, 25 October 1969, leg. EPA (MZSP 11605). Amazonas: 1 male, Manaus, 3°07'08"S, 60°01'17"W, 8 January 1992, A.A. Lise (MCTP 2001). Rondônia: 1 female, Porto Velho, 8°48'10"S, 63°55'05"W, 27 August 2010, R. Lemos (MZSP 34731). Mato Grosso: 8 males, 4 females, [labelled as “ Mato Grosso ”] (MNHN 10358); 1 male, Canarana / Querência (Fazenda Tanguro), 12°49'55''S, 52°20'21"W, 27 May 2006, D.F. Candiani (MPEG 22621); 1 male, 8 June 2006 (MPEG 22623); 1 male, 11 June 2006 (MPEG 22625); 1 male, 15 June 2006, N.F. Lo-Man-Hung (MPEG 22627); 1 female, 16 June 2006 (MPEG 22662); 4 males, Chapada dos Guimarães, 15°21'29"S, 55°53'52"W, 15–26 July 1992, A.A. Lise & A. Braul (MCTP 2192); 1 male, Poconé (Porto Cercado), 16°15'59"S, 56°37'35"W, 1 March 1992, A. Braul (MCTP 2482). Mato Grosso do Sul: 1 male, Brasilândia, Usina Hidrelétrica Engenheiro Sérgio Mota, 23°28'03"S, 46°41'58"W, 2000, leg. Equipe IBSP (IBSP 30355) 1 male (IBSP 35634). Bahia: 1 male, Ilhéus, 14°49'12"S, 39°19'58"W, 12 April 1998, A.D. Brescovit et al. (IBSP 19058). Goiás: 1 male, Goiânia, 16°41'12"S, 49°15'53"W, 18 June 1942, F. Jaime (MZSP 386). Espírito Santo: 1 male, São Mateus, Reserva Floresta da Cia. Vale do Rio Doce, 19°09'05"S, 40°04'14"W, 19–25 July 1997, A.D. Brescovit et al. (IBSP 12893); 1 male, same locality and collector, 5–12 January 1998 (IBSP 24328); 1 male, same locality, 7–14 February 2000, G. Schwartz (IBSP 37035); 1 male, Linhares, Rio São José, 19°18'54"S, 40°07'04"W, 22 September 1942, Svans (MZSP 7654); 1 male, 21 September 1942 (MZSP 8594). Minas Gerais: 1 female, Marliéria, Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, 19°42'58"S, 42°44'01"W, 11–25 July 2011, G.H.F. Azevedo (UFMG 10873). São Paulo: 2 males, Presidente Epitácio, Usina Hidrelétrica Engenheiro Sérgio Mota, 21°45'53"S, 52°06'19"W, 16 January–13 February 1999, leg. Equipe IBSP (IBSP 23240); 1 male (IBSP 23327); 1 male, Piracicaba, Campus ESALQ, 22°43'47"S, 47°39'29"W, 19 August 1946, A. Correa (IBSP 138001). Paraná: 1 female, Jundiaí do Sul, 23°28'13"S, 50°13'27"W, 23 November 1987, A.D. Brescovit (MCTP 38706); 2 males, Foz do Iguaçu, Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, 25°27'37"S, 53°49'04"W, 29 March 1993, A.D. Brescovit (MCTP 4322). Santa Catarina: 1 male, Mondaí, 27°06'14"S, 53°26'40"W, 8 August 1998, P.P. Marques (MCTP 10313). Rio Grande do Sul: 1 female, São Borja, Reserva Biológica de São Donato, 29°02'47"S, 56°05'01"W, 31 January 2012, M. Machado (MCTP 34653); 1 male, Pirapó, 28°02'39"S, 55°12'02"W, 24 April 1994, Projeto Garabi (MCTP 55).

PERU: 1 female, El río Tambo, 10°57'47"S, 73°57'16"W, February 1928, H. Bassler (AMNH). ARGENTINA: Missiones: 1 female, Parque Nacional Iguazú, 25°35'50''S, 54°34'41"W, November 1989, M. Ramírez (MACN 18683); 1 male, (MACN 18953); 1 female, 11–16 December 1999 (MACN 18687); 1 female, San Javier, 27°52'19"S, 55°08'20"W, 21–30 June 1989, Projeto Garabi (MCTP 567); 1 male, 22–30 October 1988 (MCTP 1661); 1 male, Santa Maria, 27°54'00"S, 55°23'00"W, November 1954, R.D. Schiapelli (MACN 18959).

Diagnosis. Females of E. trituberculatus have a distinct morphology, being similar only to those of E. camelinus in the truncated shape of the median posterior opisthosomal projection (Fig. 12A). However, they can be distinguished by the simple coloration pattern, whereas E. camelinus females have large brown stains on the prosoma, anterior femora and tibiae. Unlike E. camelinus, the females of E. trituberculatus bear three equal-sized tips at the end of the median posterior opisthosomal projection, their copulatory openings are entirely covered by the posterior folds of the epigynal plate and their secondary spermathecae are enlarged (Figs 12C, D). In dorsal view (Fig. 13A), males of E. trituberculatus are almost indiscernible from those of E. dimidiaster sp. nov. and E. taczanowskii, but they can be distinguished by the slightly higher clypeus (Fig. 13B) and especially by their tegulum with TF and embolus emerging from eight o’clock position (Figs 13C, D)

Description. See description of Epicadus planus (junior synonym) in Silva-Moreira & Machado (2016).

Distribution. ARGENTINA: Misiones; BRAZIL: Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Amazonas, Pará, Amapá (Fig. 17B).

Variation. Females of E. trituberculatus may present the yellowish coloration in vivo, but specimens may as well be totally whitish or show a whitish opisthosoma with prosoma and legs in magenta (Fig. 16F; see Silva- Moreira and Machado 2016: figs 1G, H, I).