A new genus of neotropical spiders of the family Sparassidae Bertkau (Arachnida, Araneae)

• Grant number: 15/08020-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2015
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Cristina Anne Rheims
• Grantee: Elaine Cristina Pinto
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

As all other Sparassidae, spiders of the genus Polybetes Simon are wandering, laterigrade, have a bi or trilobate membrane at the dorsal distal end of leg metatarsi, two tarsal claws and scopulate tarsi and metatarsi. They also exhibit the anterior eye row slightly recurved and only two promarginal teeth on the chelicerae. The genus currently includes thirteen species distributed throughout South America. Preliminary comparisons between the original description of the species, illustrations from literature and the examination of material deposited in the collection of the Butantan Institute show that not all species currently included in Polybetes are congeneric with the type species, Polybetes martius (Nicolet) and that Polybetes proximus Mello-Leitão should be transferred to a new genus. Thus, the aim of this project is to revise the type-specimens of the species of Polybetes, confirm the position of P. proximos and describe a new genus to include this species. In addition, any new species, found amongst the material available for study, will be described. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PINTO, ELAINE CRISTINA; RHEIMS, CRISTINA ANNE. A new genus of Neotropical spiders of the family Sparassidae (Arachnida: Araneae). Zoologia, v. 33, n. 6, 2016. (15/08020-6, 15/18982-0)