A new troglomorphic species of Harmonicon (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Dipluridae) from Pará, Brazil, with notes on the genus.
A new species of Harmonicon F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896 (Araneae, Dipluridae) is described, from a medium-sized lateritic cave in Parauapebas, Pará, Brazil. The male holotype and only specimen known of H. cerberus sp. n. was found near the entrance of Pequiá cave. This taxon is the fourth species described and the southernmost record for the genus. The new species displays some troglomorphic characteristics, such as reduction and merging of the posterior median and both pairs of lateral eyes and pale yellow to light brown coloration. Both characters are diagnostic when compared to the normal separated eyes and reddish to dark brown of other Harmonicon species. Other diagnostic characteristics are isolated, long, rigid setae distal to the lyra and the shape of the copulatory bulb. This is the second troglomorphic mygalomorph species from Brazil and the first from the Amazonian region.
Laboratório de Aracnologia, Departamento de Invertebrados, Museu Nacional / Universidade do Brasil (UFRJ). Quinta da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão, 20.940-040, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Denis Rafael
DR
Pedroso
Laboratório de Diversidade de Aracnídeos, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade do Brasil (UFRJ).
Renner Luiz Cerqueira
RL
Baptista
Amazonia; Diplurinae; Neotropics; biodiversity; cave; taxonomy