Unveiling some unknown jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from Argentina: descriptions of seven new species
Author
Rubio, Gonzalo D.
Author
Baigorria, Julián E. M.
Author
Stolar, Cristian E.
text
Peckhamia
2023
2023-03-10
294
1
1
22
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.10832977
1944-8120
10832977
C053813B-520D-4279-A5D9-4D32D51DA346
Akela scaloneta
Rubio, Baigorria & Stolar
,
sp. nov.
LSID
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:
A7899B30-7FFB-4EAE-92F6-2E59301EC0C2
Figures 62-72
Type material.
Male
holotype
(IBSI-Ar 1838) from
Argentina
,
Misiones
,
Candelaria
,
Urutaú Natural Reserve
(
S27.4802°
,
W55.7925°
),
5 February 2021
, G
.
Rubio, J
.
Baigorria
& C
. Stolar coll
.
Paratypes
:
1 male
,
1 female
(IBSI-Ar 1579), same data as holotype
.
Etymology.
The specific name is a noun (nickname) in apposition that refers to the Argentina’s national team of soccer, a sort of symbolic van with the coach Lionel Scaloni at the wheel.
Diagnosis.
Males of
A. scaloneta
sp. nov.
differ from those of other
Akela
species
by having an embolus thin and long, and one tooth on the promargin of the chelicerae (
Figures 64-65
; compare with illustrations in
Metzner, 2023
). Females resemble those of
A. charlottae
Peckham & Peckham,
1896
in having two coupling pockets, but differ from this and any other
Akela
by having longer copulatory ducts making a complete turn (
Figures 71-72
; compare with illustrations in
Metzner, 2023
).
Description.
Male (
holotype
). Carapace length 1.27, width 0.94; abdomen length 1.25. Carapace (
Figures 62- 64
) intense orange color, cephalic region black, except among PLEs which is orange (dorsal view), covered with small translucent white hairs, thoracic slope covered with few black separate setae. Clypeus low, black. Anterior face of chelicerae dark brown, blackish, the rest brown; outer edge of the paturon with a keel; one promarginal tooth and one retromarginal tooth. Legs without rings, yellow colored, palps darker, something orange. Palp small, bulb elongated; embolus thin and long, arising and fixed prolaterally to tegulum, embolus tip on apex retrolaterally; RTA small, with the tip curved pointing ventrally; bulb protruding basally from the cymbium. Abdomen dorsum pale yellow, homogeneous, covered evenly with many grey scattered setae; venter and spinnerets pale yellow (
Figures 62-63
).
Female (
paratype
). Carapace length 1.37, width 1.04; abdomen length 2.00. Carapace (
Figures 67-69
) light brown, yellowish orange, cephalic region black-greyish, except among PLEs which is light brown, hairiness as in the male. Clypeus low, light brown-yellow. Chelicerae light brown; two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth. Palps and legs light brown, yellowish-orange colored, without rings. Abdomen dorsum as in male, darker posteriorly (completely darker when in life), venter and spinnerets pale yellow (
Figure 68
). Epigyne with a small plate, slightly sclerotized, two coupling pockets (CP) and two spermathecae barely visible (
Figure 70
), copulatory duct making a complete turn (e.g. left CD clockwise when viewed ventrally) and dorsally connected to each spermatheca (
Figures 71-72
).
Natural history.
Akela scaloneta
sp. nov.
was found at Urutaú Natural Reserve, within the ecoregion known as Southern Cone Mesopotamian Savanna. All individuals were collected at dry restored grassland at former grazing plots, dominated by tall grass species like
Sorghastrum
and
Paspalum
, mixed with medium sized bushes like
Baccharis dracunculifolia
. Cattle and fire were absent from the area for at least 5 years before the sampling. The spiders were collected at the lower section of grass species, always near the ground.
Distribution.
Only known from northeast of
Argentina
, in the south of
Misiones
.
Other material examined.
2 males
,
2 females
(IBSI-Ar 1612) from
Argentina
,
Misiones
,
Candelaria
,
Urutaú Natural Reserve
(
S27.4802°
,
W55.7925°
),
5 February 2021
, G
.
Rubio, J
.
Baigorria
& C
. Stolar coll.