The superficial ant: a revision of the Neotropical ant-mimicking spider genus Myrmecium Latreille, 1824 (Araneae, Corinnidae, Castianeirinae)

Abstract

The ant-mimiking spider genus Myrmecium Latreille, 1824 is revised, including 38 species, all herein diagnosed, described and illustrated. The following synonymies are proposed: Myrmecium aurantiacum Mello-Leitão, 1941 syn. nov. with M. camponotoides Mello-Leitão, 1932; M. gounellei Simon, 1896 syn. nov. and M. obscurum Keyserling, 1891 syn. nov. with M. latreillei Lucas, 1857; M. itatiaiae Mello-Leitão, 1932 syn. nov. and M. vertebratum Walckenaer, 1837 syn. nov. with M. rufum Latreille, 1824. Myrmecium bonaerense Holmberg, 1881 is considered as species inquirenda. Males of M. dacetoniforme, Mello-Leitão, 1932, M. fuscum Dahl, 1907, M. latreillei Lucas, 1857, M. trifasciatum Caporiacco, 1947 and adults of M. viehmeyeri Dahl, 1907 and M. reticulatum Dahl, 1907 are described for the first time. Myrmecium bifasciatum Taczanowski, 1874, M. monacanthum Simon, 1897 and M. rufum Latreille, 1824 are also redescribed and illustrated. The following 28 new species are described, diagnosed and illustrated: M. amphora sp. nov. (female from Chichiriviche, Venezuela); M. bolivari sp. nov. (male and female from Caracas and Sucre, Venezuela and Colombia); M. carajas sp. nov. (male from Pará, Brazil); M. carvalhoi sp. nov. (female from Piauí, Tocantins and Goiás, Brazil); M. catuxy sp. nov. (female from Amazonas, Brazil and Puerto Lopez, Colombia); M. chikish sp. nov. (female from Huánuco, Peru); M. cizauskasi sp. nov. (male and female from Amazonas, Brazil); M. oliveirai sp. nov. (male from Amazonas, Brazil); M. deladanta sp. nov. (male from Sucúmbios, Ecuador); M. diasi sp. nov. (male and female from Amazonas, Brazil); M. erici sp. nov. (female from British Guiana); M. ferro sp. nov. (female from Paraiba, Brazil); M. indicatti sp. nov. (male and female from Pará, Brazil); M. nogueirai sp. nov. (female from Amazonas, Brazil and Madre de Dios, Peru); M. lomanhungae sp. nov. (male and female from Amazonas and Pará, Brazil); M. machetero sp. nov. (female from Beni, Bolivia); M. malleum sp. nov. (male and female from Aragua and Lara, Venezuela and Caldas, Colombia); M. oompaloompa sp. nov. (male and female from Bahia, Brazil and Kurupukari, Guyana); M. otti sp. nov. (male and female from Pará, Amazonas and Mato Grosso, Brazil and Madre de Dios in Peru); M. pakpaka sp. nov. (male and female from Huánuco, Peru); M. raveni sp. nov. (male and female from Amazonas and Pará, Brazil); M. ricettii sp. nov. (male and female from the states of Pará, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Goiás and Mato Grosso, Brazil and Puerto Lopez, Colombia); M. luepa sp. nov. (male from Bolívar, Venezuela); M. souzai sp. nov. (male from Amazonas, Brazil); M. tanguro sp. nov. (male and female from Rondonia, Mato Grosso, Brazil); M. tikuna sp. nov. (male from Amazonas, Brazil); M. urucu sp. nov. (female from Amazonas, Brazil); M. yamamotoi sp. nov. (male and female from Amapá, Amazonas and Pará, Brazil and Marowijne, Suriname).