A new species of Fernandezina ( Araneae , Palpimanidae ) from southern Brazil

A new species of Fernandezina Birabén, 1951, F. nica sp. nov. is described from Rio Grande do Sul state, in southern Brazil. Fernandezina pulchra Birabén, 1951, is registered for Brazil and a new geographic record in Brazil is presented for F. pelta Platnick, 1975.

The genus Fernandezina Birabén, 1951 comprises 10 species, all from South America (Platnick, 2014).Larger revisions of the genus were presented by Platnick (1975) and Platnick et al. (1999).As proposed by Platnick (1975) the genus can be recognized by the unexpanded femur of males and females and by the posteriorly extended abdominal dorsal scutum of males.
The most recent work on this genus was presented by Piacentini et al. (2013) who described the female of F. pulchra Birabén, 1951 and provided copious illustrations for both sexes of the species.Based on the evidence provided by the above cited authors, mainly regarding the dorsal abdominal chevron pattern and the illustrations of the male palp of F. pulchra, it was possible to recognize that specimens from south Brazil (which were long regarded as possibly belonging to F. pulchra) actually belong to an undescribed species.
In this work is described a new species of Fernadezina from Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, collected in araucaria forests in São Francisco de Paula municipality.The first records of F. pulchra for Brazil and new distribution data of F. pelta Platnick, 1975 in this country are presented.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The specimens examined are deposited in the arachnological collection of the Museu de Ciências Naturais, Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul (MCN; R. Ott) and Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (MCTP; A. A. Lise), both in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.The description format follows Platnick et al. (1999).The female genitalia were dissected and digested using KOH 10% and then submerged in clove oil for observation under transmited light microscopy.
Incident light images were taken through a stereomicroscope with attached camera and processed with Helicon Focus multi-range program.Transmitted light images of female genitalia were taken with a compound microscope using a digital camera and also processed with Helicon Focus.Drawings were made using printed images as models and compound microscope and stereomicroscope as three dimensional shape confirmation tools.Latitude and longitude data of the municipalities were taken from Google Earth.Measurements are in millimeters.
Fernandezina Birabén, 1951Fernadezina BiraBén, 1951:545;Platnick, 1975:26;2014;Platnick et al., 1999:7;Piacentini et al., 2013:497.Type-species: Fernadezina pulchra by original designation (BiraBén, 1951:546).Grismado & Ramirez, 1999 in the shape of the male palpal bulb; the new species can be distinguished from the above cited species by the absence of any color pattern on the dorsum of the abdomen (Fig. 1); the males of F. nica sp.nov.are also distingished from those of F. pulchra by the larger bulb and proportionally smaller embolus and from F. pelta and F. maldonado by the longer distance between the basal edge and the base of the embolus (Figs 4-8), see also Platnick et al. (1999:10).Females are close to F. dasilvai Platnick, Grismado & Ramirez, 1999 in the shape of the genitalia (Figs 11-14; see also Platnick et al., 1999:11, figs. 26-28 for F. dasilvai) but differ from this species by the absence on claw tufts in legs II-IV; they can be also recognized by the absence of any color pattern on the dorsum of the abdomen (Fig. 9).
Female (paratype MCN ARA 49747).Total length 3.29.Carapace 1.57 long, 1.14 wide.Femur I 1.48 long, 0.36 high.Posterior median eyes as in male (Fig. 9).Chelicerae as in male.Sclerotized parts color as in male; abdominal scutum restricted to anterior portion of abdomen around pedicel; abdominal pattern as in male (Figs 9, 10).Epigastric furrow area with two slender, sclerotized lateral patches behind epigastric furrow .Female internal genitalia with paired, relatively large, globose median receptacula (somewhat squared in porsterior view), dorsally directed; basal stalks of median receptaculum membranous, ending at cuticular screrotized v-shaped structures ; posterior lobes originating at basal portion of median receptacula; distal portion bearing pore plate ; uterus externus inconspicuous, apparently inside small cavity delimited ventrally by posterior border of scutum, dorsally by arched, semidomed sclerotized cover that is anteriorly and laterally fused to abdominal scutum .
Variation: males, total lenght 2.50-2.85,carapace length 1.26-1.39;females, total lenght 3.24-3.77,carapace length 1.49-1.62.Distribution.Known only from the type locality.Natural History.Collected at the ground of secondary and well preserved Araucaria forests areas on CPCN Pró-Mata in 850-950 m altitude.None of the specimens listed above were collected at Pinus silviculture areas present on the same site and also sampled along 20 months with the same intensity as primary and secondary areas.
Distribution.States of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.