Morphology of putative chemosensory setae in males of the spider genus Ariadna Audouin (Araneae, Synspermiata, Segestriidae)

Author(s)

Giroti, Andre Marsola ^{[1, 2]} ; Brescovit, Antonio Domingos ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biociencias, Dept Zool, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Inst Butantan, Lab Especial Colecoes Zool, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ZOOMORPHOLOGY; v. 138, n. 2, p. 249-263, JUN 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Chemoreception in spiders plays an important role in prey detection, conspecific recognition and recognizing chemical cues in the environment. Sexually dimorphic structures often suggest a role in mating and there are not many papers describing sexual dimorphism in chemosensory setae in spiders. In this study, we present the first detailed morphological description of scopulate putative chemosensory setae in the palpal tarsi (cymbium) and in the distal segments of the legs of adult males of seven species of the spider genus Ariadna (Segestriidae) {[}A. araucana Grismado, A. boliviana Simon, A. corticola Lawrence, A. maxima (Nicolet), Ariadna sp. 1 (AUS), Ariadna sp. 2 (AFR-CONT), Ariadna sp. 3 (AFR-MAD)]. Our results show three different grouping configurations of five morphologically different types of scopulate setae (types a-e). This is the first detailed description of this type of setae on legs of a Synspermiata spider contributing to the knowledge of the morphology of different types of sensilla in this group of spiders. Our findings show that the scopulated setae of Ariadna do not seem to be homologous to the pseudoscopula of Mesothelae and Mygalomorphae. We also discuss how our findings relate to previous hypotheses of female sex pheromone detection and support during copulation. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/50689-0 - Systematic of the neotropical haplogynae spiders (Arachnida, Araneae)
• Grantee: Antonio Domingos Brescovit
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/20008-6 - Cladistic analysis of Segestriidae genera (Araneae; Dysderoidea)
• Grantee: André Marsola Giroti
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate