The South American wolf spider genus Birabenia Mello-Leitão, 1941 (Araneae: Lycosidae: Lycosinae) Author Piacentini, Luis N. Author Laborda, Alvaro text Zootaxa 2013 3716 1 39 52 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.3716.1.3 97330f7c-a532-4397-9f3c-5bbb4d1538da 1175-5326 284917 ACC79DA0-EA3E-4113-979D-D1D23F8C848E Birabenia Mello-Leitão

Birabenia Mello-Leitão 1941: 137 (Type species Birabenia	birabenae Mello-Leitão, 1941 , by original designation).	Roewer
1960: 1005.
Melloicosa Roewer 1960: 1005 . Type species: Gnatholycosa	vittata Mello-Leitão, 1945 . New synonymy.
Hogna: Simon 1885: 9 : Capocasale 1990: 137.

Diagnosis. The representatives of Birabenia can be distinguished from other genera of Lycosinae by the relatively short legs ( Fig. 1 d) and the deep anterior epigynal pockets. ( Fig. 5 b) These characters are also present in Trochosa C. L. Koch, 1847 from which it can be differentiated by having more than seven macrosetae at the tip of cymbium ( Fig. 3 f), a shorter furrow ( Fig. 3 b) on the prolateral side of the tegulum on the male bulb, the presence of only one pair of short apicoventral spines on female tibia I, or none and four cheliceral teeth on the female retromargin ( Fig. 4 e). Both males and females lack the typical dark stripes on the anterior part of the median light band of the carapace, characteristic of Trochosa (Dondale & Redner 1990) . Remarks. We propose diagnostic characters to distinguish B. birabenae from Trochosa ruricola (De Geer) , the type species of genus. Description. Medium sized wolf spiders (males 4.92–8.91, females 7.05–12.64), carapace brown with a light median band and paler marginal bands, radial pattern indistinct. Sternum uniformly coloured, pale. Chelicerae with four retromarginal teeth, except in males of B. vittata , which have three teeth ( Fig. 4 e). Abdomen brownish yellow with two dark olive gray lateral bands; venter brownish yellow with two middle dark lines ( Fig. 1 ). Leg formula 4123. Femur I with one prolateral apical spine, and three pairs of ventral spines in males and none in females. Scopulae on legs I and II from ventral distal half of metatarsi ( Figs 4 c, 9c), on legs III and IV present ventrally in two lines on prolateral and retrolateral side of the tarsi, and spinules on ventral side ( Fig. 4 d). FIGURE 1. Birabenia birabenae Mello-Leitão , habitus. a–c female (MACN-Ar 28971); d – f male (MACN-Ar 27521); a, d dorsal; b , e lateral; c , f ventral. Scale bars, a–c 2.00 mm, d–f 5.00 mm. FIGURE 2. Birabenia birabenae Mello-Leitão , male genitalia (MACN-Ar 27521), a–e bulb, a prolateral; b ventral; c retrolateral; d dorsal; e apical; f pedipalp, general view. Scale bars, a–e 0.20 mm, f 0.50 mm. Abbreviations: C conductor, E embolus, MA median apophysis, PA palea, ST sub tegulum, T tegulum, TA terminal apophysis. Palp with tibia longer than wide ( Fig. 2 f), with a file on distal tibia ( Fig. 3 e), facing a crest (scraper) on the proximal tarsus ( Fig. 3 g). Cymbium with distal macrosetae ( Fig. 3 f); tegulum large occupying most of ventral side of bulb ( Fig. 2 b); median apophysis transversal, triangular in shape, with a distal ventral process ( Figs 2 b–e, 3b–d); embolus C-shaped arising on prolateral margin of palea, moderately long, slender, concealed, in part, by median apophysis; terminal apophysis slightly curved apicad ( Figs 2 a–b, 3b); subterminal apophysis parallel to the embolus ( Fig. 8 e). Epigyne with inverted T-shaped median septum set in shallow atrium with two anterior pockets ( Figs 4 a, 5a); copulatory openings located on or at lateral margins of median septum ( Fig. 4 b). Spermathecae with short stalk ( Figs 4 b, 5b). Composition . Two species B. birabenae and B. vittata . Distribution . North-western and central Argentina (Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, La Rioja, Mendoza, San Luis, Córdoba, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Buenos Aires Provinces) and southern Uruguay (Canelones, Maldonado and Rocha Departments) ( Fig. 11 ).