[Arachnida • 2018] Four New Troglophilic Species of Loxosceles Heinecken & Lowe, 1832 (Araneae, Sicariidae): Contributions to the Knowledge of Recluse Spiders from Brazilian Caves

[upper]  Loxosceles ericsoni  Bertani, von Schimonsky & Gallão, 2018;
[lower]  L. cardosoi Bertani, von Schimonsky & Gallão, 2018

in Bertani, von Schimonsky, Gallão & Bichuette, 2018. 

  DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.806.27404

Abstract
Four new species of recluse spiders from Brazilian caves are described with both males and females. Loxosceles ericsoni Bertani, von Schimonsky & Gallão, sp. n. and L. karstica Bertani, von Schimonsky & Gallão, sp. n. both occur in caves in the Peruaçu region, located in the northern area of the state of Minas Gerais; L. karstica sp. n. is additionally found in the Serra do Ramalho karst area, located in the southwestern region of the state of Bahia. These two species belong to the gaucho group. Loxosceles carinhanha Bertani, von Schimonsky & Gallão, sp. n. and L. cardosoi Bertani, von Schimonsky & Gallão, sp. n. occur exclusively in caves of the Serra do Ramalho karst area and belong to the rufescens/amazonica species group. The discovery of two additional and highly distinct species in the rufescens/amazonica group (L. carinhanha sp. n. and L. cardosoi sp. n.) increases the debate on the origin, evolution, and geographical distribution of this widely distributed group of recluse spiders in the New and Old World. The presence of three species (L. ericsoni sp. n., L. carinhanha sp. n., and L. cardosoi sp. n.) with marked differences in morphological characters in a relatively small area indicates that the region seems to be an important center for Loxosceles diversity, which remains poorly studied.

Keywords: Bahia, brown spider, karst area, Minas Gerais, taxonomy

 Living specimens in their habitats.
55 Loxosceles ericsoni sp. n. female, Bonita Cave, Peruaçu Caves National Park, Januária, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil
56, 57 Loxosceles cardosoi sp. n., Gruna da Altina Cave, Serra do Ramalho karst area, Carinhanha, state of Bahia, Brazil. 56 Female 57 Male.

Photographs by PP Rizzato (55), ME Bichuette (56, 57). 

 Rogério Bertani, Diego M. von Schimonsky, Jonas E. Gallão and Maria E. Bichuette. 2018. Four New Troglophilic Species of Loxosceles Heinecken & Lowe, 1832: Contributions to the Knowledge of Recluse Spiders from Brazilian Caves (Araneae, Sicariidae). ZooKeys. 806: 47-72. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.806.27404