Abstract
ABSTRACT We describe a new species of tarantula from the highlands of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Males of the new species can be distinguished from congeners by having palpal bulb keels weakly developed, and metatarsus I strongly curved, touching apex of retrolateral spur when folded. Females can be distinguished by the color pattern, carapace and legs black with conspicuous white rings on distal femora, patellae, tibiae, and metatarsi. The male of Pterinopelma felipeleitei sp. nov. was previously misidentified and described under the name Pterinopelma sazimai Bertani, Nagahama & Fukushima, 2011. The true male of P. sazimai is herein described from a specimen collected near the type locality. Similar to the conspecific female, this male has characteristic blue iridescent setae covering the carapace, chelicerae, legs, and palps. The new species is sympatric with P. sazimai . Both species inhabit a habitat locally known as 'campos rupestres'.
Highlights
Pterinopelma Pocock, 1901 comprises two valid species of tarantulas, P. sazimai Bertani, Nagahama & Fukushima, 2011, and the type species P. vitiosum (Keyserling, 1891)
Pterinopelma vitiosum is found in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, whereas P. sazimai is distributed in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia (Bertani et al 2011)
It became clear that there are two sympatric theraphosine species of similar size in the highlands of the Espinhaço Mountain range, one of which was undescribed. This new species, belonging to Pterinopelma, is described, and the true male of P. sazimai is described for the first time
Summary
The general format of the description follows Bertani (2001) and Raven (2005), with some modifications. Females of this species can be distinguished by having the following combination of traits: short spermathecae, separated by a short, heavily sclerotized area; absence of stridulatory setae on prolateral face of coxa I; absence of long setae on the carapace; presence of urticating setae of type III on abdomen dorsum; and a sternum that is longer than wide Both males and females have carapace, chelicerae, and legs covered with blue iridescent setae Females can be distinguished by having : short spermathecae separated by short, heavily sclerotized area (Fig. 10); absence of stridulatory setae on prolateral face of coxa I; absence of long setae on the carapace (Fig. 8); absence of urticating setae of type III on abdomen dorsum; sternum as long as wide (Fig. 9); and carapace and legs black with conspicuous white rings on distal femora, patellae, tibiae, and metatarsi (Fig. 20). The female holotype and the paratype (MNRJ 6875) from Serro were collected at night on rocks, while the paratype (MNRJ 6874) from Morro do Pilar was found in the source of a temporary stream, on a bromeliad, preying on a cricket
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