Masteria manauara sp. nov., the first masteriine species from Brazil (Araneae: Dipluridae: Masteriinae)

Bertani, RogérioRibeiro Cruz, WanessaErmelinda do Espírito Santo Oliveira, Maria

A new species of Masteria L. Koch, 1873 from Manaus, Brazil, Masteria manauara sp. nov., is herein described. The specimens were collected by hand or using litter bags in the leaf litter around Attalea attaleoides (Barb. Rodr.) palm trees. The new species resembles Masteria colombiensis Raven, 1981 by lacking paraembolic apophysis on male copulatory organs and having spiniform apophysis on the ventral metatarsus I. It differs in the tibial spur, made of two subdistal, spiniform and converging spurs. Females are unique in having two spermathecae with slender helicoidal stalks. Males and females have only six eyes, and are tiny, even when compared with other Masteria species.

1. Amazon
2. Mygalomorphae
3. Attalea attaleoides
4. taxonomy
5. leaf litter