Corresponding author: Antonio Domingos Brescovit (
Academic editor: Martina Pavlek
Four new species of the spider genus
Brescovit AD, Zampaulo RdeA, Pedroso LM, Cizauskas I (2021) Four new species of the genus
The known diversity of the spider family
Among the diversity in caves of the state of Minas Gerais,
When reviewing specimens of
The four species described in this work are associated with caves inserted in the iron formations of two important regions of the state of Minas Gerais, the Quadrilátero Ferrífero and Serra do Espinhaço. Both regions comprise a large mosaic of phytophysiognomies shaped by the conjunction of topography, lithology, climate, and altitude (
Serra do Espinhaço comprises a chain of mountains about a thousand kilometers in length that extends from the north of the state of Bahia to the south center of the state of Minas Gerais, close to the Quadrilátero Ferrífero (Fig.
In turn, the Quadrilátero Ferrífero has an area of approximately 7,200km2 and is considered one of the most important mineral provinces in Brazil, mainly due to its gold and iron deposits. At the same time, the region is one of the most floristically diverse areas in South America with high rates of endemism (
The specimens were deposited in the Brazilian collections of the
Morphological terms follow
Brazil, Minas Gerais: 1♂ (
Noun in apposition is a tribute to the fictional character of the Brazilian “Turma da Mônica” comic books by Maurício de Sousa. Dorinha, created in 2004, is a visually impaired character, in this case blind. She was inspired by Dorina Nowill, who passed away in 2010 and who chaired the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind, known today as the World Union of the Blind.
Males (n=10): total length 0.8–1.1; carapace 0.4–0.51; femur I 3.2–3.5. Females (n=10): total length 1.0–1.4; carapace 0.45–0.56; femur I 3.1–3.4.
Known only from 19 caves on several mountains (Serra da Moeda, Serra do Gandarela, Escarpa Oriental do Caraça, Serra do Tamanduá) in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil (Fig.
Brazil, Minas Gerais, Santa Bárbara, Serra do Gandarela: 1♂ (
Noun in apposition is a tribute to the fictional character of the Brazilian “Turma de Mônica” comic books by Maurício de Sousa, based on his daughter Magali. She is 7 years old and her main characteristic is her voracious appetite. She eats everything, at high speed, and feels hungry all the time, but despite this, friends see her as skinny, without ever putting on weight.
No variation was found between the specimens.
Known only from four ferruginous caves in the municipalities of Caeté and Santa Bárbara, in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil (Fig.
Brazil, Minas Gerais: 2♀ (
Noun in apposition is a tribute to the fictional character of the Brazilian “Turma da Mônica” comic books by Maurício de Sousa. She is one of the main characters, along with her friend Cebolinha. She is a girl of strong genius, who has no patience for the nicknames she receives from other children because of her physical appearance and usually responds to such actions with her extreme brute strength, far superior to that of a girl her age.
Males (n = 3): total length 0.7–0.8; carapace 0.4–0.55; femur I 0.46–0.48. Females (n=10): total length 0.9–0.11; carapace 0.35–0.5; femur I 0.56–0.59.
Known only from six iron caves located in the municipalities of Barão de Cocais and Mariana, in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil (Fig.
Brazil, Minas Gerais, Morro do Pilar, Lapa do Grotão: 1♀ (
Noun in apposition is a tribute to the fictional character of the Brazilian “Turma da Mônica” comic books by Maurício de Sousa. She is a country girl, who is always wearing a red dress and a pair of pigtails in her hair. She never walks barefoot and she often speaks wrongly like a hick from the interior of Brazil.
Males (n=4): total length 1.2–1.4; carapace 0.5–0.6; femur I 1.7–2. Females (n=10): total length 1.3–1.6; carapace 0.5–0.7; femur I 1.5–1.8.
Known from the Lapa do Grotão cave system and SPT_0316 cave located in Southern Serra do Espinhaço, municipality of Morro do Pilar, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil (Fig.
Distribution map of the four new species of
The discovery of a new anophthalmic species of
At first sight, the condition of the total absence of eyes and depigmentation of
All species described in this work have morphological characteristics related to the subterranean habitat (
The distribution of
Lapa do Grotão cave, type locality of
Although caves in iron formations are not large and extensive, they have been shown to be remarkably important in terms of animal life adapted to the subterranean environment (
We would like to thank to Beatriz Mauricio, microscope technician from Centro de Microscopia Eletrônica at the Instituto Butantan, for the