Taxonomic revision of the crab spider genus Epicadus Simon, 1895 (Arachnida: Araneae: Thomisidae) with notes on related genera of Stephanopinae Simon, 1895
Author
Silva-Moreira, Thiago Da
Author
Machado, Miguel
text
Zootaxa
2016
4147
3
281
310
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4147.3.4
ac3c5d5f-6ec9-4364-b9e3-c234b73386a8
1175-5326
263154
BD34D436-7AB1-49F5-AD35-76D91AF3AEEB
Epicadus rubripes
Mello-Leitão, 1924
Figs 1
D–F, 7–10, 15G–I, 16E–F, 19
Epicadus rubripes
Mello-Leitão, 1924
: 280
.
Mello-Leitão 1929
: 96
, fig 45;
Roewer 1954
: 755
;
Brignoli 1983
: 604
,
World Spider Catalog 2016
.
Epicadus pallidus
Mello-Leitão, 1929
: 97
.
New synonymy.
Etymology.
“
Rubripes
” is the combination of the Latin words
ruber
“reddish” and
pedis
“foot”.
Rubripes
is an adjective.
Type
material:
Holotype
of
Epicadus rubripes
(designated by
Mello-Leitão 1924
): female,
BRAZIL
,
Rio de Janeiro
:
Niterói
, [-22.8844; -43.0944],
C.F. de Mello-Leitão
leg. (
MNRJ
911
; examined).
Holotype
of
Epicadus palidus
holotype
(designated by
Mello-Leitão, 1929
): juvenile female,
BRAZIL
,
São Paulo
, [-23.5333; -46.6166], E. Borgmeier leg. (
MNHN
12646; examined).
FIGURE 7.
Epicadus rubripes
Mello-Leitão, 1924
. Female (IBSP 5279). A–C habitus (A dorsal, B lateral, C ventral);. D cephalic region, frontal view; E leg I, dorsal view. Scale bars: 2 mm (A–C, E), 1 mm (D).
Note.
The
type
specimen of
E. rubripes
was found dry and in poor preservation conditions (see
Silva-Moreira 2010
for details), perhaps due to its previous preservation as a pinned specimen. Upon study of the
type
of
E. pallidus
, which is a juvenile specimen, we concluded that
E. pallidus
is a junior subjective synonym of
E. rubripes
because both have the large, round-ended vertically oriented posterior median projection.
Other
material examined.
BRAZIL
:
Bahia
:
1 female
,
Ilhéus
, [-14.8167, -39.0333],
May
leg. (
MLP
17893)
; 1 female, Camacan, Fazenda Matiapã, [-15.4; -39.5], J.S. Santos leg.,
14 October 1980
(MCN 10683); 1 female, Itamaraju, Fazenda Nossa Senhora das Neves, [-17.0666, -39.5333], J.S. Santos leg.,
9 October 1978
(MCN 10691).
Minas Gerais
:
1 female
,
Barbacena
, [-21.2258, -43.7902],
J.M. Xavier
leg.,
December 1964
, (
IBSP
5279
)
; 1 female, Catas Altas, Serra do Caraça), [-20.1363, -43.5105], K. Lenko, R.G. Kloss & U.R. Martins leg.,
23 October 1961
(MZSP 6713).
Mato
Grosso do Sul
:
1 male
,
Brasilândia
,
Usina Hidrelétrica Sérgio Motta
, [- 21.3125, -52.0369] (
IBSP
35338
)
;
Rio de Janeiro
:
1 female
,
Rio de Janeiro
,
Parque Nacional da Tijuca
), [-22.95, - 43.2833],
Mendes
leg.,
31 December 1944
(
MZSP
03545
)
;
1 female
,
Casemiro de Abreu
,
Barra de São João
,
Morro de São João
, [-22.5374, -42.0310],
Expedição Arachnée
,
21–24 March 2003
(
MNRJ
11494
)
; 1 male, Cachoeiras de Macacu, Estaçao Ecologica de Guapiaçu, [-22.4497, -42.7666], E. Arcoverd leg,
August 1985
, (MNRJ 10369); 1 juvenile, Bom Jesus do Itabapoana, [-21.1333, -41.6833], R.L.C. Baptista leg.,
4 April 1985
(MNRJ 11572).
São Paulo
:
1 female
,
Jundiaí
,
Serra do Japi
), [-22.2808, -47.5483],
E.N. Ramires
leg.,
18 June 1990
(
IBSP
06244
)
; 1 female, E.N. Ramires leg.,
24 May 1990
(IBSP 6250); 1 female, A.J. Santos leg.,
21 November 2001
(IBSP 35117); 1 male, Botucatu, Fazenda Lageado), [-22.8582, -48.4347], E.H. Wienskoski leg. (MNRJ 12697); 1 female, Cotia [-23.6041, -46.9194], A.M. Corvicho leg,
18 November 1977
(IBSP 198560).
Paraná
:
1 female
,
Ponta Grossa
,
Parque Estadual de Vila Velha
, [-25.2166, -50.0333],
L. Mestre
leg.,
October 1995
(
IBSP
11793
)
; 1 male, Foz do Iguaçu, Refúgio Biológico da Bela Vista, [-25.55, -54.5833], A.B. Bonaldo leg.,
17 March
.1997 (MCN 20936).
Rio
Grande do Sul
:
1 female
,
Montenegro
,
Pesqueiro
, [-29.7, -51.4666],
A.A. Lise
leg.,
18 May 1977
(
MCN
5322
)
; 1 female, M.L. Tavares leg.,
1 April 1977
(MCN 6360); 1 male (MCN 6364); 1 female, M.H. Galileo leg.,
6 October 1993
(MCN 06732); 1 male, H. Bischoff leg,
1 September 1977
(MCN 08179); 1 male, Viamão, Parque Saint-Hilaire, [-30.0867, -51.0922] (MCN 8090); 1 female, A.A. Lise leg.,
7 May 1976
(MCN 8094); 1 male, Viamão, Tarumã), [-30.0833, -51.0285], E.H. Buckup leg.,
17 November 1976
(MCN 8095); 1 male, Viamão, Fepagro), [-30.0362, -51.0216], A.D. Brescovit,,
18 October 1985
(MCN 14455); 1 female, Viamão, [-30.1340, -51.0157], P.P. Junior leg.,
20 December 2000
(MCTP 21868); 1 male, M.C. de Paula leg.,
7 October 1991
(MCTP 2855); 2 females, Campo Bom, [-29.6833, -51.05], C.J. Becker leg.,
16 November 1979
(MCN 8962); 1 male, C.J. Becker leg.,
12 October 1980
(MCN 09371); 1 male, General Câmara, [-29.9, - 51.7666], E.H. Buckup leg.,
19 October 1982
(MCN 10898); 1 male, Porto Alegre, Morro Santana), [-30.0333, - 51.2], A.A. Lise leg.,
3 September 1983
(MCN 11756); 1 female, A.A. Lise leg.,
15 December 1989
(MCN 19221); 1 female, São Leopoldo, C.J. Becker leg.,
17 June 1983
(MCN 11778); 1 female, Porto Alegre, [-30.0363, -51.2160], A.D. Brescovit leg.,
9 December 1983
(MCN 11879);
2 males
,
Rio Grande
,
Estação Ecológica do Taim
, [-32.4912, -52.5842],
H.A. Gastal
leg.,
28 November 1985
(
MCN
13946)
; 2 males, A.A. Lise leg.,
17 December 1985
(MCN 14172); 1 male, E.H. Buckup leg.,
10 March 1986
(MCN 14661); 1 male, A.A. Lise leg.,
4 March 1986
(MCN 15745); 1 male, M. Rosenau leg.,
4 December 1986
(MCN 16125); 1 male, M. Rosenau leg.,
2 December 1986
(MCN 16350); 1 male, Novo Hamburgo, [-29.6833, -51.1333], C.J. Becker leg,
17 June 1983
(MCN 15172); 1 female, Canoas, [-29.9333; -51.1833], M.A.L. Marques leg.,
14 November 1990
(MCN 20082);
1 male
,
Gravataí
,
Morro do Itacolomi
, [-29.8557, -50.9777],
A.A. Lise
leg.,
17 June 1975
(
MCTP
02589
)
; 1 male and 1 subadult female, Santa Maria, [-29.6833, -53.8], L. Indrusiak leg.,
30 September 1992
(MCTP 10255); 1 female, Novo Cabrais, Parque Witeck, [-29.7830, -52.9716],.R Buss leg.,
21 January 2008
(MCTP 33693).
FIGURE 8.
Epicadus rubripes
Mello-Leitão, 1924
. Female (IBSP 05279). A–E epigynum/vulva (A, E ventral, B anteriorarrows point to FDs, C–D dorsal—arrow in C shows the pathway from CO to FD). Scale bars: 0.1 mm (A, B, D), 0.25 mm (C); 0.15 mm (D).
Diagnosis.
The females of
E. rubripes
can be distinguished from its congeners by having a large, round-ended and vertically oriented posterior median projection vertically on the opithosoma (
Figs 7
B, C). Male pedipalp: RTA short and wide at its basis, with both margins slightly folded (
Figs 10
A, 10C, D; 15F,
15I
). Tegulum discoid with tegular furrow at nine o’clock.
Description. Female (MCN 8962):
Total length 10.90; prosoma width 4.50; opisthosoma width 4.50; prosoma height without MS 1.90; opisthosoma height without projections 2.80. Leg measurements: femur I 4.67; patella I 2.20; tibia I 2.83; metatarsus I 1.87. tarsus I 1.37; femur II 4.53; patella II 2.20; tibia II 2.70; metatarsus II 1.87; tarsus II 1.50; femur III 2.33; patella III 1.13; tibia III 1.53; metatarsus III 1.13; tarsus III 0.70; femur IV 3.00; patella IV 1.20; tibia IV 1.67; metatarsus IV 1.33; tarsus IV 0.80. Leg spination: tibia
I 2-2
(variation: 1(left side)- 1(right side)-1(left side)-2); metatarsus
I 2
-0-2-2ap; tibia II 0-2-2 (variation: 1(left side)-1(right side)-1(left side)- 2); metatarsus
II 2-2
-2ap. (ventral); 0-1-1ap (retrolateral). Epigynum and genital features as in
Fig. 8
.
FIGURE 9.
Epicadus rubripes
Mello-Leitão, 1924
. Male (MCTP 10255). A–C habitus (A dorsal, B lateral, C ventral); D cephalic region, frontal view; E opisthosoma, caudal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A–C, E), 0.4 mm (D).
FIGURE 10.
Epicadus rubripes
Mello-Leitão, 1924
. A–E Male pedipalp (MCTP 10255) (A dorsal, B and E ventral, C and D retrolateral). Arrows in D and E indicate flow direction of the sperm during copulation. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.
Male (MCTP 10255):
Total length 2.76; prosoma width 1.29; opisthosoma width 1.53; prosoma height 0.55; opisthosoma height without projections 1.36. Leg measurements: femur I 1.13; patella I 0.45; tibia I 0.72; metatarsus I 0.45; tarsus I 0.45; femur II 1.13; patella II 0.47; tibia II 0.71; metatarsus II 0.45; tarsus II 0.41; femur III 0.64; patella III 0.27; tibia III 0.40; metatarsus III 0.33; tarsus III 0.25; femur IV 0.75; patella IV 0.26; tibia IV 0.43; metatarsus IV 0.36; tarsus IV 0.22. Leg spination: tibia
I 2-2
; metatarsus
I 2-2
-2; tibia
II 1
; metatarsus
II 2-2
- 2. Male palp as in
Fig. 10
.
Distribution.
BRAZIL
:
Bahia
,
Minas Gerais
,
Mato Grosso do Sul
,
Paraná
,
Rio de Janeiro
,
Rio Grande do Sul
,
São Paulo
(
Fig. 19
).
N.B.
In the original description
Mello-Leitão (1929: 97)
indicates “Sao Paulo” as the type locality of
E. pallidus
. However, in the same work in the section titled "
Conspectus Thomisidarum”
(p. 253) he mentions this species as being from “Amazonas.” After checking the original type labels, where it is written "S.Paulo Borgmeier" we conclude that the correct type locality is São Paulo, and that the Amazonas information is probably a
lapsus
.
Natural history.
A photograph shows a female of
E. rubripes
on a rolled leaf in a bed of silk (
Fig. 16
F), suggesting an egg-sac guarding behavior. Other live images from
Rio de Janeiro
,
Brazil
(P.N. Tijuca) show a female of
E. rubripes
on a spadix of a plant (apparently a
Zantedeschia
sp., commonly known as “calla lily”, a common
Asteraceae
widely used as ornamental plant) preying on a hymenopteran (
Fig. 16
E). Its color as well as its large robust median abdominal projection seems to mimic the spadix of
Zantedeschia
, and may work as part of a sit-and-wait strategy to capture floral visitors.