A new species of Trachelopachys Simon, 1897 (Araneae: Trachelidae) from Amazonia.

The genus Trachelopachys Simon, 1897 was erected to accommodate Trachelas sericeus Simon, 1886, a species known from southern South America. Platnick (1975) presented a taxonomic review of the genus and Platnick Rocha (1995) added a new species and transferred two additional species to the genus, raising the known species diversity of Trachelopachys to 15 species. The genus is distributed in South America, their members are small and colorful, and are distinguished from other trachelines by their darkened carapace, the S-shaped tegular sperm duct and the retrolaterally directed embolus of the male palp (Platnick 1975: fig 12), and the presence of a basal spermathecal lobe in females (Platnick 1975: fig 15). Here we describe the 16th species of the genus, Trachelopachys camarapi sp. nov. (Fig. 1), known from both sexes and recorded in a natural savanna (Fig. 2) at Portel municipality, state of Pará, Brazil.

Three new species of Camillina Berland, 1919 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) from Brazil.

The genus Camillina Berland, 1919 includes 75 valid species which are mainly distributed in South America. However, in Brazil, the knowledge regarding Camillina remains limited and a few contributions to the taxonomy of the genus have been made in the last two decades. Camillina belongs to Zelotinae, a group of gnaphosid spiders which diagnostic character is a preening comb on metatarsi III and IV, and the genus can be recognized by the presence of a prolaterally situated, bifid terminal apophysis and medially situated, recessed embolar base on the male palp and a median epigynal plate. Here, we describe the males and females of three new species: C. suya sp. nov. and C. kuarup sp. nov., both from Fazenda Tanguro, Querência, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil and C. bonaldoi sp. nov. from Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades, Piracuruca, state of Piauí, Brazil.

Identification of priority areas for landscape connectivity maintenance in the Xingu Area of Endemism in Brazilian Amazonia

Forest fragmentation has been intense in the eastern Amazon region, which has negatively affected wildlife populations. The speed of deforestation in this region underscores the urgent need to understand the effects of such changes on populations of endemic species, and to implement measures for ecosystem conservation. We analyzed the extent to which fragmented forests are still connected in the Xingu Area of Endemism, in the eastern Brazilian Amazon, and assigned conservation priority to fragments most important for connectivity maintenance. We structurally classified the Xingu landscape using the Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis and ranked each fragment according to its importance using an Index of Connectivity. Our data revealed important differences in conservation potential across the region. Although most of the study area already receives some degree of protection, future conservation actions should prioritize the connection of habitat fragments to maximize dispersal potential and minimize genetic isolation of biodiversity components. We produced a map of prioritary areas for connectivity maximization. These areas include fragments with large core areas and high-quality fragments that provide connection among habitats which, together, should maintain crucial corridors for gene flow in a biologically-rich region of the Amazon. (AU)

Five new species and novel descriptions of opposed sexes of four species of the spider genus Attacobius (Araneae: Corinnidae).

Five new Brazilian species of the spider genus Attacobius Mello-Leitão, 1925 are described: A. demiguise n. sp. (based on male and female) and A. carimbo n. sp. (male), both from State of Pará; A. thalitae n. sp. (male) from the State of Minas Gerais; A. lauricae n. sp. (male) from State of Tocantins; and A. tremembe n. sp. (female) from State of Piauí. The males of A. luederwaldti (Mello-Leitão, 1923) and A. verhaaghi Bonaldo Brescovit, 1998, and the females of A. uiriri Bonaldo Brescovit, 2005 and A. blakei Bonaldo Brescovit, 2005, are described for the first time. Additionally, new records of A. attarum (Roewer, 1935), A. carranca Bonaldo Brescovit, 2005, A. kitae Bonaldo Brescovit, 2005 and A. tucurui Bonaldo Brescovit, 2005 are given.

Revisiting the spider genus Eutichurus Simon, 1897 (Araneae, Eutichuridae): new species and complementary descriptions.

Six new species of the genus Eutichurus Simon, 1897 are described: E. murgai new species (based on male and female) and E. paredesi new species (male) from Peru; E. cumbia new species (female) and E. tequendama new species (male) from Colombia; E. yungas new species (male and female) from Bolivia, and E. nancyae new species (male and female) from Brazil. The males of E. marquesae Bonaldo, 1994, E. madre Bonaldo, 1994 and E. zarate Bonaldo, 1994 are described for the first time. Eutichurus brescoviti Bonaldo, 1994, described on males, is synonymized with E. tropicus (L. Koch, 1866), previously known only from females. New records for E. ibiuna Bonaldo, 1994, E. ravidus Simon, 1897, E. putus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898, E. silvae Bonaldo, 1994, E. lizeri Mello-Leitão, 1938, E. saylapampa Bonaldo, 1994, E. tropicus and E. manu Bonaldo, 1994 are presented. A key to all species of Eutichurus is provided, variation in the epigynal morphology of E. ibiuna is recorded and the fine morphology of E. marquesae is documented.

Taxonomic review of the New World spider genus Elaver O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 (Araneae, Clubionidae).

Elaver O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 is characterized and redescribed, including 49 species occurring from the United States to Argentina. Thirty seven previously known species are redescribed: Elaver achuca (Roddy, 1966) revalidated, E. balboae (Chickering, 1937), E. barroana (Chickering, 1937), E. calcarata (Kraus, 1955), E. carlota (Bryant, 1940), E. chisosa (Roddy, 1966), E. crinophora (Franganillo, 1934), E. crocota (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896), E. albicans (Franganillo, 1930) name restored, E. depuncta O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898, E. elaver (Bryant, 1940), E. excepta (L. Koch, 1866), E. grandivulva (Mello-Leitão, 1930), E. hortoni (Chickering, 1937), E. implicata (Gertsch, 1941), E. juana (Bryant, 1940), E. kohlsi (Gertsch & Jellison, 1939), E. linguata (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900), E. madera (Roddy, 1966), E. mirabilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896) new. comb., E. mulaiki (Gertsch, 1935), E. multinotata (Chickering, 1937), E. orvillei (Chickering, 1937), E. placida O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898, E. portoricensis (Petrunkevitch, 1930), E. quadrata (Kraus, 1955), E. richardi (Gertsch, 1941), E. sericea O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898, E. sigillata (Petrunkevitch, 1925), E. simplex (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896), E. texana (Gertsch, 1933), E. tigrina O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 name restored, E. tricuspis (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900), E. tristani (Banks, 1909), E. tumivulva (Banks, 1909), E. valvula (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900) and E. wheeleri (Roewer, 1933). Ten new species are described: E. candelaria n. sp. and E. helenae n. sp. from Mexico; E. arawakan n. sp. from Haiti; E. lizae n. sp. from Costa Rica; E. darwichi n. sp. from Ecuador; E. juruti n. sp., E. tourinhoae n. sp. and E. vieirae n. sp. from Brazil; E. shinguito n. sp. from Peru and E. beni n. sp. from Bolivia. The female of E. hortoni is described for the first time. Lectotypes are designated for E. sigillata and its actual female is described for the first time. Four new synonyms are proposed: E. languida (Gertsch, 1941) is synonimized with E. multinotata; E. dorothea (Gertsch, 1935) with E. wheeleri; E. exempta (Gertsch & Davis, 1940) with E. placida and E. vulnerata (Kraus, 1955) with E. calcarata. The drawings in the original descriptions of E. kawitpaaia (Barrion & Litsinger, 1995) and E. turongdaliriana (Barrion & Litsinger, 1995) are sufficiently informative to exclude these species from Elaver but not to accurately establish its generic affiliation. Thus, until the types become available for examination, these species must remain as Clubionidae incertae sedis. Heterochemmis (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900) is synonymized with Elaver and Heterochemmis mutatus Gertsch & Davis,1940 is recognized as a junior synonym of Elaver mirabilis n. comb., the type species of Heterochemmis. New records are presented for E. valvula, E. balboae, E. brevipes (Keyserling, 1891), E. grandivulva and E. lutescens (Schmidt, 1971). Two species described by Franganillo, E. tenera (Franganillo, 1935) and E. tenuis (Franganillo, 1935), are considered species inquirendae.