NEW RECORD OF PLESIOPELMA ASPIDOSPERMA AND DISTRIBUTION EXTENSION OF CYRIOCOSMUS VERSICOLOR (ARANEAE: THERAPHOSIDAE) FROM ARGENTINA

ALLEGUE, MAITE; NICOLETTA, MICAELA; PANCHUK, JUSTINA; SCHWERDT, LEONELA; FERRETTI, NELSON

Munis Entomology & Zoology

Munis Research Group

Lugar: Ankara; Año: 2023 vol. 18

1306-3022

Theraphosidae is a family of spiders with the highest richness among Mygalomorphae, with 1031 species described (World Spider Catalog, 2022). The subfamily Theraphosinae is endemic from the New World and comprises one of the largest species known in the world. Currently, in Argentina two subfamilies are recognized, Ischnocolinae and Theraphosinae. Theraphosinae is represented by 11 genera and 48 species and Ischnocolinae is represented by two species of the genus Catumiri (World Spider Catalog, 2022).The genus Cyriocosmus Simon (1903) includes one of the smallest Theraphosinae species known with 23 species recorded in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela (World Spider Catalog, 2022). Cyriocosmus versicolor (Simon, 1897) is registered for Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay (Schmidt, 2003; World Spider Catalog, 2022). In Argentina, this species is distributed in the provinces of Salta and Santiago del Estero (Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1973). Males of C. versicolor can be distinguished by the presence of a paraembolic apophysis on the palpal bulb and females have a sinuous or spiral spermatheca neck with a convex base (Pérez-Miles, 1998; Fukushima et al., 2005).The genus Plesiopelma Pocock (1901) comprises medium-sized tarantulas with 11 species recorded in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela (World Spider Catalog, 2022). In Argentina, three species are cited: Plesiopelma aspidosperma Ferretti & Barneche 2013 from Salta province; P. longisternale (Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1942), the species with wider geographical distribution, that comprise Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Córdoba, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones and Santiago del Estero provinces (Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1942; Gerschman & Schiapelli, 1954; Gerschman & Schiapelli, 1973; Schmidt, 2003; Ferretti & Barneche, 2013) and P. paganoi Ferretti & Barneche (2013) from Salta province. Males of Plesiopelma are characterized by a retrolateral basal nodule on the metatarsus I and palpal bulb with prolateral superior and inferior keels well developed and parallel to each other. In addition, females are recognized by a spiral-shaped spermatheca with the presence of granules (Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1942; Pérez-Miles et al., 1996; Ferretti & Barneche, 2013).In a recent survey carried out at northeastern Santiago del Estero province, Argentina, we discovered adult males of Plesiopelma aspidosperma and Cyriocosmus versicolor. Thus, in the present work, we present a new record of P. aspidosperma and distribution extension of C. versicolor with comments on their natural history. Also, this work shows the first published color photograph of an adult specimen of C. versicolor based on a reliable taxonomic identification other than found from web sources (e.g. INaturalist).