Diamonds in the rough: Ibotyporanga (Araneae, Pholcidae) spiders in semi-arid Neotropical environments Author Huber, Bernhard A. 33607F65-19BF-4DC9-94FD-4BB88CED455F Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, LIB, Bonn, Germany. b.huber@leibniz-lib.de Author Meng, Guanliang 7E8C41F8-77BB-468F-BE9A-D3F1DFCA1E4E Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, LIB, Bonn, Germany. G.Meng@leibniz-lib.de Author Král, Jiří E836F3B5-D704-4EEC-966A-0C4F1FAD324B Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. spider@natur.cuni.cz Author Ávila Herrera, Ivalú M. E3687584-7F64-450D-9492-BE0DD4864AD6 Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. avilai@natur.cuni.cz Author Carvalho, Leonardo S. 28AA7D67-3C9D-495E-8C17-33D35F1A0FAC Campus Amílcar Ferreira Sobral, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Floriano, Piauí, Brazil. carvalho@ufpi.edu.br text European Journal of Taxonomy 2024 2024-10-18 963 1 169 https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/download/2687/12427 journal article 10.5852/ejt.2024.963.2687 2118-9773 13963130 BA331360-A678-4233-A7CC-7308EF8B6D7E Ibotyporanga diroa Huber & Brescovit, 2003 Figs 23G , 55E–F , 69–72 Ibotyporanga diroa Huber & Brescovit, 2003: 17 , figs 8–9, 14–17 ( ♂ ). Diagnosis Males are easily distinguished from most known congeners (except I. naideae and I. kanoe sp. nov. ) by long and slender procursus without dorsal branch ( Fig. 70A–C ); from I. naideae and I. kanoe by very short cheliceral apophysis ( Fig. 71A–B ), by absence of prolateral process proximally on procursus (cf. Figs 62B , 66B ), by distinct prolateral sclerite on bulbous part of genital bulb ( Fig. 70D ), and by conical process ventrally on palpal tibia (arrow in Fig. 69C ; present but more distal in I. kanoe ). Females are distinguished from known congeners by medial position of epigynal pocket ( Fig. 72A ), by strong elements in internal genitalia diverging posteriorly ( Fig. 72D ), and by almost rectangular sclerotized pore plates ( Fig. 72D ); from syntopic I. emekori also by absence of median sclerite in internal genitalia. Type material Holotype BRAZIL – Bahia • ♂ ; Jussara , Toca da Esperança ; 11.033° S , 42.071° W (see Remark below); 23 July 2000 ; A.D. Brescovit leg.; IBSP 28759 ; presumably lost – see section ‘On lost types’ above. New material examined BRAZIL – Bahia • 2 ♀♀ ; W of Queimada Nova ; 11.0343° S , 42.0682° W ; 580 m a.s.l. ; 25 Nov. 2022 ; B.A. Huber and A.S. Michelotto leg.; CHNUFPI 5900 • 1 ♂ ; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 9031 [deposited in ZFMK Ar 24359] • 1 ♂ , 2 ♀♀ , in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 5901 [deposited in ZFMK Br22-227; one female abdomen transferred to ZFMK Ar 24359] • 1 ♂ ; near Toca da Esperança ; 11.0314° S , 42.0672° W ; 570 m a.s.l. ; 26 Aug. 2016 ; L.S. Carvalho and B.T. Faleiro leg.; CHNUFPI 3784 • 4 ♀♀ ; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 3759 , 3770, 3772, 3790 • 1 ♂ , 1 ♀ ; near Mundinho , near Toca do Índio ; 11.0195° S , 42.1564° W ; 550 m a.s.l. ; 24 Nov. 2022 ; B.A. Huber and A.S. Michelotto leg.; CHNUFPI 5902 [deposited in ZFMK Ar 24360] • 4 ♀♀ , in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; CHNUFPI 5903 [deposited in ZFMK Br22-225] . Remark The coordinates of the type locality given in Huber & Brescovit (2003) are wrong. The exact coordinates of the type locality are not known to us, but the type locality is presumably within a few 100 meters from the localities listed above as “W of Queimada Nova” and “near Toca da Esperança”. Redescription of male MEASUREMENTS (ZFMK Ar 24360). Total body length 2.0, carapace width 0.90. Distance PME–PME 80 µm; diameter PME 80 µm; distance PME–ALE 30 µm; distance AME–AME 25 µm; diameter AME 60 µm. Leg 1: 5.37 (1.40 +0.33 + 1.37 +1.77 +0.50), tibia 2: 1.07, tibia 3: 0.97, tibia 4: 1.38; tibia 1 L/d: 12; diameters of leg femora 0.19–0.20, of leg tibiae 0.11. Tibia 1 in two other newly examined males: 1.33, 1.40; in holotype : 1.44. Fig. 69. Ibotyporanga diroa Huber & Brescovit, 2003 , male from Brazil, Bahia, W of Queimada Nova, ZFMK Ar 24359. Left palp, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views (arrow: conical process on tibia). Scale line: 0.3 mm. COLOUR (in ethanol). Prosoma and legs mostly ochre-yellow, carapace medially and ocular area slightly darker, legs with darker rings on femora (subdistally) and tibiae (proximally and subdistally); abdomen pale gray with many darker internal marks dorsally and laterally; ventrally with indistinct light ochre plates in front of gonopore and in front of spinnerets. BODY . Habitus as in Fig. 55E . Ocular area slightly raised. Carapace with distinct but shallow thoracic groove. Clypeus with sclerotized rim with median notch. Sternum wider than long (0.58/0.50), with pair of low and indistinct anterior processes near coxae 1. Abdomen globular. CHELICERAE . As in Fig. 71A–B ; width 0.33; with short median frontal apophysis; stridulatory files very fine and poorly visible in dissecting microscope. Fig. 70. Ibotyporanga diroa Huber & Brescovit, 2003 , male from Brazil, Bahia, W of Queimada Nova, ZFMK Ar 24359. A–C . Left tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. D–F . Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. Abbreviation: ps= prolateral sclerite. Scale lines: 0.3 mm. PALPS . As in Fig. 69 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with short ventral protrusion; femur very slender, proximally with distinct retrolateral process directed toward distal, with prolateral stridulatory pick, distally widened but unmodified; femur-patella joints not shifted toward one side; patella dorsally ~1.7 × as long as medially wide; tibia with two trichobothria in relatively proximal position, with conical process ventrally; tibia-tarsus joints slightly shifted toward retrolateral side; tarsus with indistinct dorsal protrusion; procursus ( Fig. 70A–C ) very long and slender, with light prolateral band, with tiny subdistal side branch (160 µm from tip); genital bulb ( Fig. 70D–F ) with distinct prolateral sclerite on bulbous part, embolus with simple distal elements. LEGS . Without spines but with longer hairs ventrally on femora; without curved hairs; with several rows of short vertical hairs on tibia 1; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 58%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~3–4 pseudosegments, distally fairly distinct. Description of female In general, similar to male ( Fig. 55F ) but slightly darker; clypeus and sternum unmodified; tibia 1 with few short vertical hairs; tibia 1 length in ten females: 1.40–1.63 (mean 1.49). Epigynum ( Fig. 72A–B ) anterior plate trapezoidal to oval, posterior margin almost straight, anteriorly with whitish median area, with wide and shallow pocket medially on epigynal plate, at posterior end of whitish area; posterior plate relatively small. Internal genitalia ( Figs 71C , 72C–D ) with pair of roughly rectangular, sclerotized pore plates connected to large posterior membranous structures diverging posteriorly; large expandable anterior sac with pair of small lateral pockets (arrows in Fig. 72D ). Distribution Known from several localities in the Serra do Calcário in Brazil , Bahia ( Fig. 60B ). Natural history The newly collected spiders from W of Queimada Nova and from near Toca do Índio were found under rocks in thorny woodland ( Fig. 23G ). At both localities, the microhabitat was shared with Ibotyporanga emekori . Three egg sacs were round but slightly flattened, had diameters of 1.8–2.1, and egg diameters of 0.60–0.62; the total number of eggs was estimated to be ~15–30.