Janus lucasii Taczanowski, 1871 (by original designation)

This genus can be distinguished from the other four genera of Simonellini (Cylistella Simon, 1901, Erica Peckham & Peckham, 1892, Fluda Peckham & Peckham, 1892 and Synemosyna) by the presence of two translucent white patches between the cephalic and thoracic areas (Figs 4 and 10B) and the presence of large, lung-shaped spermathecae (Fig. 6B, G). Additional characters to separate Sympolymnia gen. nov. from Erica, Fluda or Synemosyna are shown in Table 1.

This new genus comprises the species Sympolymnia edwardsi (Cutler, 1985), comb. nov., S. lauretta (Peckham & Peckham, 1892), comb. nov., S. lucasi (Taczanowski, 1871), comb. nov., S. cutleri sp. nov. and S. shinahota sp. nov.

The specific epithet, Sympolymnia, is a combination of “sym”, meaning “with” in Greek and “Polymnia”, one of the nine Muses of Greek mythology, daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne and the protector of the divine hymns and mimic arts. The gender of the name is feminine.

Cylistella has a rounded, beetle-like habitus without constrictions and is the morphologically most distinct group within this tribe. Sympolymnia gen. nov. is possibly most related to Synemosyna (Table 1). This relationship is indicated by the presence of a constriction between the cephalic and thoracic parts and a single female genital opening. Additionally, in Synemosyna aurantiaca and Synemosyna formica, the embolus of the male palp is elongated and winds around the retro-dorsal surface of the dorsum of the cymbium, similar to species of Sympolymnia gen. nov. However, all species of Sympolymnia gen. nov. are distinguished from Synemosyna by consistent differences in genitalic and somatic characters (Table 1), requiring an adequate generic treatment (see also Ruiz and Bustamante 2016; Kanesharatnam and Benjamin 2018; Rubio et al. 2020 for other, recent generic taxonomy in Salticidae).

Holotype ♀ in PAS; Janus lucasii Taczanowski, 1871 (examined) (Fig. 6).

Thoracic part narrower than cephalic part in dorsal view, distinctly concave posteriorly in lateral view (Fig. 6A); abdomen at most with slight dorsal constriction; bulb of male palp about 65% of cymbium length, tibial apophysis in retro-lateral view with relatively broad base (see Galiano 1966 for line drawings), apex with spine-like process; epigyne opening small (width: ~ 0.07 mm), transversely elliptical.

The species was reported from Brazil (Galiano 1967) (the type location “Wassa” reported by Taczanowski [1871] refers to the river or the area of Uaçá, which was formerly situated in French Guiana, now Brazil), French Guiana (Vedel et al. 2013), Colombia (Cutler and Müller 1991) and Peru (Cutler 1985). Synemosyna lucasi appears to be associated with semi-deciduous or deciduous forests (Guajira-Barranquilla Xeric shrub, Sinú Valley dry forest) and moist Amazon forests (Tocantins Pindaré moist forests, Marajó várzea and Ucayali moist forests). Cutler and Edwards (2002) recorded S. cf. lucasi from Trinidad Island (Lesser Antilles). The taxonomic status of these specimens remains to be determined. Sympolymnia lucasi was not observed in the present study area and there is no confirmed record of this species for Bolivia.

The type of S. lauretta and its synonyms were destroyed in a recent fire (WSC 2020; A. Kury, unpublished).

Abdomen not constricted; bulb about 75% of cymbium length, tibial apophysis in retro-lateral view with broad base, obtusely angulated in the middle, apex triangular, evenly tapering; opening of epigyne very large (width: ~ 0.21 mm), longitudinal-elliptical (see Galiano 1966 for line drawings).

Smaller juveniles (BL ≤ 3.1 mm) of S. lauretta had a shiny black body with pointed abdominal apex (Fig. 8I). Larger juveniles (BL 3.2–3.9 mm) had a bright and pointed abdomen, but a black, matt carapace. The body of the adults (BL ≥ 3.9 mm) was completely matt, and the abdomen apically more rounded (Figs 3B, 8K).

Figure 3. 

Dorsal habitus of A. Synemosyna myrmeciaeformis (Taczanowski, 1871), adult female; B. Sympolymnia lauretta (Peckham & Peckham, 1892), adult female; C. S. shinahota sp. nov. (IBSI-Ara 0726), female holotype. Scale bars: 1 cm.

Sympolymnia lauretta was reported from Brazil (Peckham and Peckham 1892; Galiano 1966; Podgaiski et al. 2007; Rodrigues et al. 2016), Argentina (Galiano 1966) and Peru (Cutler 1985). This species is predominately found in seasonal forests south of 15°S. According to the biogeographic regionalisation by Olson et al. (2011), the records of this species refer to Araucaria moist forest, Cerrado, Alto Parana Atlantic forest and Serra do Mar coastal forests. In the present study, S. lauretta was observed in Tucuman (Tarija Department: Arambulo) and Chiquitano forests (Santa Cruz Department: Bermejo, Santa Rosa de la Mina, Santiago de Chiquitos). The records of the present study are the first for Bolivia. In almost all primary forest locations, S. lauretta was obtained from isolated smaller trees and larger bushes overgrown with climbing plants (Fig. 2C, D), which are typically found in early successional forest and along forest edges. Sympolymnia lauretta was not collected in closed, moist forests in the study area. Cutler and Edwards (2002) recorded S. cf. lauretta from Trinidad Island (Lesser Antilles). The taxonomic status of this population remains to be determined.

Bolivia • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Santa Cruz Department, Bermejo; 18.1361°S, 63.6191°W; 8 Aug 2017; R. Perger leg.; CBF • 1 ♂, 3 ♀, 1 juv.; Santa Rosa de la Mina; 16.5391°S, 62.4622°W; 9–13 Sep 2016; R. Perger leg.; CBF • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 juv.; Santiago de Chiquitos; 18.3225°S, 59.5763°W; 27–28 Dec 2017; R. Perger leg.; CBF. Brazil • 2 ♂, 2; Santa Catarina State, Governador Celso Ramos; 27.314°S, 48.570°W; 2 Nov 2016; J.E. Baigorria leg.; IBSI-Ara 0909. Argentina • 1 ♀; Misiones province, General Manuel Belgrano, Reserva Karadya; 25.859°S, 53.960°W; 21 Mar 2016; J.E. Baigorria leg.; IBSI-Ara 0610 • 1 ♀; Iguazú, Puerto Iguazú; 25.592°S, 54.569°W; 14 Sep 2016, leg. J.E. Baigorria; IBSI-Ara 0788 • 1 ♀; Leandro N. Alem, EEA INTA Cerro Azul; 27.654°S, 55.435°W; 20 Oct 2017; G.D. Rubio leg.; IBSI-Ara 0985 • 2 ♂; same location and collector as for preceding; 22 Jan 2018; IBSI-Ara 0998 • 1 ♂; same location and collector as for preceding; 21 Nov 2017; IBSI-Ara 1013 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; IBSI-Ara 1036 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; IBSI-Ara 1041.

Holotype ♀; Bolivia: Santa Cruz Department, Buena Vista, Cafetal; 17.4658°S, 63.6969°W; 342 m a.s.l.; beating tray sampling; 21 Jan 2016; R. Perger leg.; IBSI-Ara 0726. Paratypes 1 ♂; Brazil: Amazonas State, Manaus, Taruma Mirím; 26 Feb 1988; SMNK-ARA 00364 • 2 ♀; Bolivia: Cochabamba Department, Villa Tunari; 16.9844°S, 65.4094°W; 335 m a.s.l.; beating tray sampling; 6 Dec 2017; R. Perger leg.; IBSI-Ara 1033 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; CBF.

Sympolymnia shinahota sp. nov. is distinguished from congeners by a distinct dorsal constriction in the basal half of the abdomen (Figs 3C, 4B, 8A–C); male palp (Fig. 9C–F) with small cymbium, bulb about 80% of cymbium length, tibial apophysis in retro-lateral view narrow, apex evenly tapering (Fig. 9C, D); copulatory opening in female very small and quadrangular (width: ~ 0.05 mm) (Fig. 5C).

Figure 4. 

Lateral habitus of A. Sympolymnia lauretta (Peckham & Peckham, 1892), adult female; B. S. shinahota sp. nov. (IBSI-Ara 0726), female holotype. Scale bars: 1 cm. Arrows indicate the two light patches between the cephalic and thoracic areas (these patches are translucent white in live specimens).

The male palp of S. shinahota sp. nov. (Fig. 9C–F) resembles that of S. lucasi. However, the latter is distinguished by a male palp tibial apophysis with a spine-like apex (evenly tapering in S. shinahota sp. nov.), the thoracic part narrower than the cephalic region in dorsal view and distinctly concave posteriorly in lateral view and the epigyne opening transversely elliptical. In the other two species with known males, the tibial apophysis of the male palp is either broader (S. lauretta) or narrower (S. edwardsi) than in S. shinahota sp. nov. In all four congeners, the abdomen is not or only indistinctly constricted anteriorly.

Female holotype (Figs 3C, 4B, 5A–D). Total length: 4.25 mm. Carapace length: 2.27 mm; width: 0.90 mm. Integument slightly shiny, orange yellowish with dark bands around eyes of last three rows, dorsum with sparse, simple, moderately long, whitish-yellow setae, denser and longer on anterior half of cephalic area and posterior half of abdomen; without pubescence. Carapace slender and elongated, cephalic portion a little longer than wide (width: 0.85 mm), as wide as widest thoracic part, smooth, marked constriction (width 0.52 mm) between cephalic and thoracic part, two translucent white areas at each side of constriction, separated by narrow black area (imitating part of femora I), constriction followed by globular, somewhat wrinkled knob, which is terminated behind by short pedicle which is more slender than the anterior constriction, evenly tapering when seen in lateral view and concave in dorsal view. Eyes arranged in four rows, quadrangle formed by the second and fourth rows of eyes wider than long, anterior eyes large, in contact, occupying entire front of vertical inclination of face; second pair placed on back behind eyes of first pair, but a little further from each other than distance between external borders of first ones, directed sideways; posterior eyes larger, separated by the same distance as those of second row, eyes of the third pair halfway between second and fourth. Chelicerae light brown, with three teeth on promargin and two on retromargin. Anterior half of sternum yellow and posterior half light brown. Abdomen length: 1.80 mm; width: 1.10 mm, of same length as carapace, broader, commencing by short pedicle that appears to constitute prolongation of that of thoracic part, dorsally completely covered by scutum, integument smooth, constriction in anterior portion. Slender and comparably long legs, in order 4, 3, 1, 2, third and fourth pair stouter, light brown. Epigyne (Fig. 5A–C): epigynal plate forming part of the epigastric sclerite, copulatory opening in very small and quadrangular (width: ~ 0.05 mm), copulatory ducts long, starting in a chamber, forming a spiral with one loop and entering the spermathecae posteriorly; spermatheca lung-shaped; copulatory ducts anterior to spermathecae.

Figure 5. 

Genitalia and chelicerae of Sympolymnia spp.: S. shinahota sp. nov., female holotype (IBSI-Ara 0726): A. Epigyne in ventral view, cleared (blue line course of copulatory ducts); B. Spermathecae, dorsal view; C. Epigyne, ventral view; D. Chelicera in anterior view. Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov., female holotype (IBSI-Ara 1072): E. Chelicera in anterior view; F. Epigyne in ventral view, cleared (blue line course of copulatory ducts); G. Spermathecae, dorsal view.

Male paratype (Fig. 9). Total length: 3.81 mm. Carapace length: 1.94 mm; width: 0.74 mm. Cephalic portion a little longer than wide (width: 0.71 mm), thoracic constriction 0.50 mm wide. General form of carapace, chelicerae and sternum as female, colouration dark brown. Abdomen length: 1.70 mm; width: 0.83 mm, covered dorsally and completely by a scutum, with a conspicuous constriction in the anterior portion; colouration dark brown. Palp (Fig. 9C–F): small cymbium, bulb about 80% of cymbium length, irregularly shaped spherical, embolus long, arising at the basal side of the bulb, without complete circular revolution and is accommodated on a slight retro-lateral concavity of cymbium, lacking pars pendula, tibial apophysis tooth-like, narrow, moderately tapering, tip directed forward.

Juvenile females had a shiny, dark brown-blackish body surface with dark orange to light brown cephalic part and a pointed abdomen (Fig. 8A). The constriction in the proximal half of the abdomen was marked by a relatively broad, light transverse band. Adult females had a matt, blackish body surface with a dark orange or completely black cephalic part, the bright band in the abdominal constriction indistinct or absent (Fig. 8B, C). The holotype (BL 4.25 mm), collected in Cafetal, Buena Vista (Santa Cruz Department), had a matt, orange yellowish body except for some darker patches around the second and third eyes and the abdominal apex (Figs 3C, 4B). The abdominal constriction becomes less pronounced with increasing body length.

The specific epithet, shinahota, refers to a place with many ants or an ant nest in the Yuracaré language (Querejazu 2005), spoken by the Yuracaré people living along the Chapare River in the Amazon Basin of Bolivia.

Figure 6. 

Holotype of Sympolymnia lucasi (Taczanowski, 1871): A. Habitus dorsal and lateral views; B. Spermatheca and copulatory duct; C. Data label.

Sympolymnia shinahota sp. nov. is known from Brazil, Amazonas State, Manaus and from the Bolivian Departments of Cochabamba (Villa Tunari) and Santa Cruz (Buena Vista). The collection locations of this species were situated in moist Amazonas forest regions, including Uatuma-Trombetas moist forest (Amazonas State, Manaus) and pre-Andean Southwest Amazon rainforest (Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept. and Buena Vista, Santa Cruz Dept.). However, in all areas that were surveyed in the present study, S. shinahota sp. nov. was exclusively collected in early successional forests in large tree-fall gaps or secondary forest from isolated, small trees that were densely overgrown with climbing plants, several metres away from the edge of primary forest.

Figure 7. 

Ecoregion distribution:« Sympolymnia lucasi (Taczanowski, 1871); ¾ S. cutleri sp. nov.; · S. shinahota sp. nov.; l S. lauretta (Peckham & Peckham, 1892).

Photographs of two individuals (Maddison 2018) suggest that this species also occurs in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador (Yasuni National Park). Light variants were also reported in S. lauretta and S. lucasi (Galiano 1967). However, these reports refer to specimens that were stored in alcohol or formaldehyde for a longer time and may have faded due to the preservative (Galiano 1967). This study reports for the first time an in situ observation of an orange variant of Sympolymnia.

Holotype ♀; Bolivia: La Paz Department, Nor Yungas Province, Villa Teresa; 16.2019°S, 67.8294°W; 1340 m a.s.l.; beating tray sampling; 17 Jan 2018; R. Perger leg.; IBSI-Ara 1072. Paratypes 2 ♀; same data as for preceding; IBSI-Ara 1024 • 3 ♀, 1 juv.; same data as for preceding; CBF • 1 ♀; La Paz Department, Nor-Yungas province, Coroico; Aug 1993; Metzner leg.; SMNK: 1358.

Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov. and S. lauretta are indistinguishable in their somatic characters. Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov. can be separated from all congeners by an epigyne with small, semi-circular opening (Figs 5F, G, 10D, E) (opening of epigyne very large and longitudinal-elliptical in S. lauretta).

Female holotype. Total length: 4.20 mm. Carapace length: 2.10 mm; width: 0.81 mm. Integument slightly shiny, dark brown, blackish, dorsum with sparse, simple, moderately long, whitish setae, denser and longer on anterior half of cephalic area and posterior half of abdomen. Carapace slender and elongated, cephalic portion as long as wide (width: 0.81 mm), as wide as widest thoracic part, smooth, marked constriction (width 0.62 mm) between cephalic and thoracic part, two translucent areas at each side of constriction, separated by narrow dark area (imitating part of femora II), constriction followed by globular, somewhat wrinkled knob, which is terminated behind by short pedicle which is more slender than the anterior constriction, evenly tapering when seen in lateral view and concave in dorsal view. Eyes arranged in four rows, quadrangle formed by the second and fourth rows of eyes wider than long, anterior eyes large, in contact, occupying entire front of vertical inclination of face; second pair placed on back behind eyes of first pair, but a little further from each other than distance between external borders of first ones, directed sideways; posterior eyes larger, separated by same distance as those of second row, eyes of the third pair halfway between second and fourth. Chelicerae light brown, with five teeth on promargin and three on retromargin. Anterior half of sternum pale yellow and posterior part dark brown, blackish. Abdomen length: 2.00 mm; width: 1.10 mm, of same length as carapace, broader, commencing by a short pedicle that appears to constitute a prolongation of that of thoracic part, covered dorsally and completely by a scutum, without constriction, smooth. Slender and comparably long legs, in the order 4, 3, 1, 2, first pair pale (leg I with dark longitudinal bands on anterior and posterior sides), third and fourth pair stouter, dark brown. Epigyne (Fig. 5F, G): epigynal plate forming part of the epigastric sclerite, with a small semi-circular opening, wider than long (width: ~ 0.17 mm); copulatory ducts starting in a small chamber (hard to see), forming a spiral and entering the spermathecae posteriorly; spermatheca lung-shaped; copulatory duct anterior to spermatheca, between them. Male unknown.

One immature (shiny surface, pointed abdomen) and five female adults (matt surface, rounded abdomen) (Fig. 8L) were collected, showing the same ontogenetic shift in integument shine and abdomen shape as observed in the other congeners.

Figure 8. 

Live habitus of Sympolymnia spp. and potential ant models. Please note the ontogenetic shift of shine and abdomen shape in the spiders. Sympolymnia shinahota sp. nov.: A. Juvenile female, Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept. (please note the shiny, pointed abdomen); B, C. Adult females, same location; D. Holotype female, Buena Vista, Santa Cruz Dept.; E. Pseudomyrmex ethicus, Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept.; F. Crematogaster sp., Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept.; G. Camponotus sanctaefidei, La Guardia, Santa Cruz Dept.; H. C. latangulus, Buena Vista, Santa Cruz Dept.; Sympolymnia lauretta: I. Juvenile, Bermejo, Santa Cruz Dept. (please note the shiny and pointed abdomen); J. Sub-adult male, Santiago de Chiquitos, Santa Cruz Dept.; K. Adult female, Santa Rosa de la Mina, Santa Cruz Dept.; L. Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov.: adult female, Chairo, La Paz Dept.

The specific epithet, cutleri, is a patronym in honour of Bruce E. Cutler in recognition of his contributions to the taxonomy of Simonellini.

Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov. is exclusively known from the type location in Bolivian Yungas forest.

Figure 9. 

Sympolymnia shinahota sp. nov., paratype male (SMNK-ARA: 00364): A. Dorsal view; B. Lateral view; palp; C. Retrolateral; D. Retroventral; E. Ventral; F. Prolateral (photographs by Hubert Höfer, SMNK, Germany).

Figure 10. 

Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov., paratype female (SMNK-ARA: 1358): A, B. Carapace; C. Abdomen lateral; D. Epigyne; E. Spermatheca and copulatory duct (photographs by Hubert Höfer, SMNK, Germany).