Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Articles
Published: 2011-08-03
Page range: 39–56
Abstract views: 35
PDF downloaded: 1

Two new species and taxonomic notes on the Neotropical spiny orb-weaving spi-ders Micrathena and Chaetacis (Araneae: Araneidae), with remarks on the development of Micrathena excavata IVAN L. F. MAGALHÃES & ADALBERTO J. SANTOS (Brazil)

Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
Araneae taxonomy Brazil ontogenetic series sexual dimorphism abdominal spines

Abstract

In this paper, M. yanomami n. sp., from Brazilian Amazonia, Chaetacis bandeirante n. sp., from Central Brazil, and the males of M. gaujoni Simon, 1897 and M. ruschii (Mello-Leitão, 1945) n. comb. , respectively from Ecuador and Brazil, are described and illustrated for the first time. An ontogenetic series of the last development stages of both sexes of Micrathena excavata (C. L. Koch, 1836) is illustrated and briefly described. Adult females are larger and have longer legs and larger abdomens than adult males. Probably females undergo at least one additional moult before adulthood, compared to males. Micrathena ornata Mello-Leitão, 1932 is considered a junior synonym of M. plana (C. L. Koch, 1836), and M. mastonota Mello-Leitão 1940 is synonymized with M. horrida (Taczanowski, 1873). Acrosoma ruschii Mello-Leitão, 1945 is revalidated, transferred to Micrathena and considered a senior synonym of M. cicuta Gonzaga & Santos, 2004. Chaetacis necopinata (Chickering, 1960) is recorded for Brazil for the first time. Chaetacis incisa (Walckenaer, 1841) is considered a nomen dubium.

References

  1. Álvarez–Padilla, F., & Hormiga, G. (2008) A protocol for digesting internal soft tissues and mounting spiders for scanning electron microscopy. Journal of Arachnology, 35, 538–542.

    Bartos, M. (1997) Development of male pedipalps prior to the final moulting in Pholcus phalangioides (Fuesslin) (Araneae, Pholcidae). In: Zabka M. (Ed.), Proceedings of the 16th European Colloquium of Arachnology. Wyzsza Szkola Rolnicko-Pedagogiczna, Siedlce, pp. 27–35.

    Bonaldo, A.B. (1990) Descrição do macho de Micrathena kirbyi (Perty, 1833) (Araneae, Araneidae). Iheríngia (Série Zoologia), 70, 89–91.

    Bukowski, T.C. & Christenson, T.E. (1997a) Determinants of sperm release and storage in a spiny orbweaving spider. Animal Behaviour, 53, 381–395.

    Bukowski, T.C. & Christenson, T.E. (1997b) Natural history and copulatory behavior of the spiny orbweaving spider Micrathena gracilis (Araneae, Araneidae). Journal of Arachnology, 25(3), 307–320.

    Chickering, A.M. (1960) Six new species of Micrathena (Araneae, Argiopidae) from South America with notes on known species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 135, 65–89.

    Elgar, M.A., Ghaffar, N. & Read, A.F. (1990) Sexual dimorphism in leg length among orb-weaving spiders: a possible role for sexual cannibalism. Journal of Zoology, 222, 455–470.

    Esperk, T., Tammaru, T., Nylin, S. & Teder, T. (2007) Achieving high sexual size dimorphism in insects: females add instars. Ecological Entomology, 32, 243–256.

    Foelix, R.F. (2011) Biology of Spiders, 3rd Edition. Oxford University Press, New York. 419 pp.

    Gonzaga, M.O. & Santos, A.J. (2004) A new species and a new synonymy in the spiny orb-weaver spider genus Micrathena (Araneae, Araneidae). Journal of Arachnology, 32, 332–335.

    Hammer, Ø., Harper, D.A.T. & Ryan, P.D. (2001) PAST: Paleontological Statistics Software Package for Education and Data Analysis. Palaeontologia Electronica, 4(1), 1–9.

    Head, G. (1995) Selection on size and fecundity and variation in the degree of sexual size dimorphism among spider species. Evolution, 49, 776–782.

    Higgins, L. (2002) Female gigantism in a New Guinea population of the spider Nephila maculata. Oikos, 99, 377–385.

    Hormiga, G., Scharff, N. & Coddington, J.A. (2000) The phylogenetic basis of sexual size dimorphism in orb-weaving spiders (Araneae, Orbiculariae). Systematic Biology, 49, 435–462.

    Koch, C.L. (1836). Die Arachniden. Nürnberg, Dritter Band, 104 pp.

    Lång, G.H.P. (2001) Sexual size dimorphism and juvenile growth rate in Linyphia triangularis (Linyphiidae, Araneae). Journal of Arachnology, 29, 64–71.

    Legrand, R.S. & Morse, D.H. (2000) Factors driving extreme sexual size dimorphism of a sit-and-wait predator under low density. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 71, 643–664.

    Levi, H.W. (1985) The spiny orb-weaver genera Micrathena and Chaetacis (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University 150, 429–618.

    Levy, G. (1970) The life cycle of Thomisus onustus (Thomisidae: Araneae) and outlines for the classification of the life histories of spiders. Journal of Zoology, 160(4), 523–536.

    Lise, A. A. (1995) Description of the male of Micrathena peregrinatorum (Holmberg, 1883) (Araneae, Araneidae). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, 39, 221–223.

    Mello-Leitão, C.F. (1932) Notas sobre as Micratheneas do Brasil. Annaes da Academia Brasileira de Sciencias, 4, 73–97.

    Mello-Leitão, C.F. (1940) Aranhas do Espírito Santo coligidas por Mario Rosa, em 1936 e 1937. Archivos de Zoologia do Estado de São Paulo, 2, 199–214.

    Mello-Leitão, C.F. (1945) Três novas espécies de Gasteracanthinae e notas sôbre a subfamília. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, 17, 261–267.

    Moreira, T.S., Baptista, R.L.C., Kury, A.B., Giupponi, A.P.L., Buckup, E.H. & Brescovit, A.D. (2010) Annotated check list of Arachnida type specimens deposited in the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro. II – Araneae. Zootaxa, 2588, 1–91.

    Nogueira, A.A. & Brescovit, A.D. (In press) On the male of the orb-weaving spider Micrathena cyanospina (Lucas, 1835)(Araneae: Araneidae). Zootaxa.

    Platnick, N.I. (2011) The World Spider Catalog, version 11.5. The American Museum of Natural History, New York. Available from http://research.amnh.org/iz/spiders/catalog/INTRO1.html. DOI: 10.5531/db.iz.0001 (accessed 22 January 2011).

    Prenter, J., Montgomery, W.I. & Elwood, R.W. (1995) Multivariate morphometrics and sexual dimorphism in the orb-web spider Metellina segmentata (Clerck, 1757) (Araneae, Metidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 55, 345–354.

    Prenter, J., Elwood, R.W., & Montgomery, W.I. (1999) Sexual size dimorphism and reproductive investment by female spiders: a comparative analysis. Evolution, 53, 1987–1994.

    Scharff, N. (1991) On the synonymy of Thaumastobella mourei Mello-Leitão and Ildibaha albomaculata Keyserling (Araneae, Araneidae). Journal of Arachnology, 19, 155–156.

    Scharff, N. & Coddington, J.A. (1997) A phylogenetic analysis of the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae (Arachnida, Araneae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 120, 355–434.

    Simon, E. (1897) Études arachnologiques. 27e Mémoire. XLII. Descriptions d'espèces nouvelles de l'ordre des Araneae. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, 65, 465–510.

    Taczanowski, L. (1873) Les aranéides de la Guyane française. Horae Societatis Entomologicae Rossicae, 9, 113–150, 261–286.

    Uetz, G.W. & Hartsock, S. (1987) Prey selection in an orb-weaving spider: Micrathena gracilis (Araneae: Araneidae). Psyche, 94, 103–116.

    Vanderhoff, E.N., Byers, C.J. & Hanna, C.J. (2008) Do the color and pattern of Micrathena gracilis (Araneae: Araneidae) attract prey? Examination of the prey attraction hypothesis and crypsis. Journal of Insect Behavior, 21, 469–475.

    Vollrath, F. & Parker, G.A. (1997) Reply - Giant female or dwarf male spiders? Nature, 385, 688.

    Walckenaer, C.A. (1841) Histoire naturelle des insectes: Aptères, vol. 2. Paris, Fonderie de Fain, 549 pp.