Taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of ghost spiders of the genus Tafana Simon, 1903 (Araneae: Dionycha, Anyphaenidae), with the descriptions of twelve new species

The diversity of the genus Tafana Simon, 1903 is poorly known in the Neotropical regions. In this work we provide a taxonomic review of the genus as well as a phylogenetic analysis. The ingroup of the analysis is composed of sixteen species of Tafana and the outgroup is composed of five representatives of Anyphaenidae. The sister-group recovered for Tafana is the clade Aysha + Xiruana, being supported by the embolic process on the male bulb. Two species groups within Tafana are herein proposed, the silhavyi group and the riveti group, based on two exclusive synapomorphies in the male bulb. We redescribe Tafana quelchi and present a description of the previously unknown female of Tafana silhavyi, both from Venezuela. In addition, we describe the first adult specimens of Tafana straminea. Twelve new species, along with several previously described species, are described, illustrated and mapped: T. riveti, T. straminea, T. quelchi, T. kunturmarqa sp. nov., T. humahuaca sp. nov., T. pastaza sp. nov., T. nevada sp. nov., T. huatanay sp. nov. and T. ruizi sp. nov. from the riveti species group; T. maracay sp. nov., T. arawak sp. nov., T. chimire sp. nov. and T. pitieri sp. nov. from the silhavyi species group; T. oliviae sp. nov. from Argentina and T. orinoco sp. nov. from Venezuela, neither of which belongs to any species group. We also discuss the genital morphology of the species groups based on the results of the phylogenetic analysis. Furthermore, distribution maps for all species, including new records for T. riveti, T. straminea and T. quelchi, are presented.

An update of morphological and distributional data of the genus Patrera Simon (Araneae: Anyphaenidae: Anyphaeninae) with the description of twenty-five new species from Colombia

The knowledge on the diversity of the genus Patrera Simon in Colombia is widely expanded. P. auricoma (L. Koch, 1866) and P. armata (Chickering, 1940) are redescribed and their females are described for the first time and recorded from Cundinamarca and Meta departments, respectively. Aysha strandi (Caporiacco, 1947) is synonymized with P. armata. Three species groups in the genus Patrera are proposed to include the bulk of its species (fulvastra, florezi, and philipi). These groups are diagnosed based on sexual characters. Twenty-five new species are herein described, illustrated and mapped: P. anchicaya n. sp. (♂♀); P. barbacoas n. sp. (♂); P. borjai n. sp. (♂♀); P. danielae n. sp. (♂♀); P. dimar n. sp. (♂♀); P. perafani n. sp. (♂♀); P. platnicki n. sp. (♂); P. quillacinga n. sp. (♂♀), and P. ramirezi n. sp. (♂♀) into the fulvastra species group. P. bonaldoi n. sp. (♂♀); P. boteroi n. sp. (♂); P. carvalhoi n. sp. (♂♀); P. florezi n. sp. (♂♀); P. perijaensis n. sp. (♀); P. quimbaya n. sp. (♂♀); P. sampedroi n. sp. (♂); P. yukpa n. sp. (♂♀), and P. wiwa n. sp. (♂♀) in florezi species group. P. sutu n. sp. (♂); P. chucurui n. sp. (♂♀); P. dawkinsi n. sp. (♂); P. dentata n. sp. (♂); P. dracula n. sp. (♂); P. kuryi n. sp. (♂♀), and P. longitibialis n. sp. (♂) in philipi species group. We also briefly discuss some aspects of the species groups’ genital morphology, based on a comparison with the type, P. fulvastra Simon. Additionally, distribution maps for all Colombian species including new records for P. armata (Chickering, 1940), P. auricoma (L. Koch, 1866) and P. suni Dupérré & Tapia, 2016 from Cundinamarca, Meta and Nariño departments are also herein included.

The spider genus Patrera Simon (Araneae: Dionycha, Anyphaeninae) in the Atlantic Forest biome, with the description of one new species from Brazil

The species of Patrera Simon, 1903 from Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome are revised. With more than 2715 specimens examined, nine species were found and, of these, only one new species is described, Patrera teresopolis n. sp. from state of Rio de Janeiro. The other valid names were described by a single author: Patrera procera (Keyserling, 1891), P. longipes (Keyserling, 1891), P. virgata (Keyserling, 1891), P. cita (Keyserling, 1891), P. tensa (Keyserling, 1891), n. comb., P. opertanea (Keyserling, 1891), n. comb., P. concolor (Keyserling, 1891), n. comb. and P. recentissima (Keyserling, 1891), n. comb. (Later four here transferred from Teudis O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896) and P. pellucida (Keyserling, 1891), n. comb. (here transferred from Sillus F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900). The males of Patrera opertanea, P. pellucida and P. recentissima are described for the first time. The species Teudis itatiayae Mello-Leitão, 1915 and Sillus delicatus Mello-Leitão, 1922 are synonymized with P. longipes; Osoriella pallidoemanu Mello-Leitão, 1926 is synonymized with P. concolor. All species are described, illustrated and mapped. The known distribution of Patrera procera and P. longipes is expanded to Argentina and that of Patrera procera to Paraguay.

Two new species of the ghost spider genus Macrophyes O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1893 from Colombia and description of the first male of Mesilla Simon, 1903 (Araneae: Anyphaenidae: Anyphaeninae)

Two new species of the elongated-body ghost spider genus Macrophyes O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1893 from Colombia are herein described and illustrated: Macrophyes sanzi n. sp. known by both sexes from Chocó department and Macrophyes ceratii n. sp. by females from Santander department. Additionally, the male of Mesilla vittiventris Simon, 1903 is described for the first time based on specimens from Nariño and Cauca departments, Colombia. A distribution map for the species herein reported is included.

Three new species of Thaloe Brescovit (Araneae: Anyphaenidae: Anyphaeninae), with descriptions of the first known females of the genus

Three new species of the genus Thaloe are described from Antillean region: Thaloe maricao n. sp., from Maricao, Puerto Rico and Virgin Island, Thaloe leboulet n. sp., from Le Boulet and Mariani, Haiti and Thaloe ebano n. sp., from the Dominican Republic. Females of species of this genus are described for the first time.

Macrophyes pacoti n. sp. (Araneae: Anyphaenidae) from Brazilian Atlantic Forest, with notes on an araneopathogenic fungus

The spider genus Macrophyes O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1893 includes five species from the Neotropical region (World Spider Catalog 2019). Two species were described from Central America, M. attenuata, the type species, by Pickard-Cambridge (1893), known until now only by the male, and M. elongata by Chickering (1937) know by both sexes. Three other species were described from South America, M. silvae Brescovit, 1992 and M. manati Brescovit, 1993 from Peru, and M. jundiai Brescovit, 1993 from Brazil (Brescovit 1992, 1993). Brescovit (1997) diagnosed this genus from other Anyphaeninae by the cylindrical abdomen, retrolateral margin of the chelicera with prominent distal tooth, close to the claw and by the tibia of the male palp almost twice longer than the cymbium. The females could be confused with Mesilla Simon by the long and cylindrical abdomen, but are distinguished by the epigynum with narrow, sinuous lateral borders and, internally, by the long copulatory ducts (see Brescovit, 1997: figs 146, 150-151).