A new species of Vitalius (Araneae: Theraphosidae) from the Brazilian Cerrado
Abstract
A new theraphosid species, Vitalius ornatissimus sp. nov., is described based on one male and one female from Brazil. The new species is distributed in the Brazilian states of Tocantins, Goiás, Distrito Federal, and the western state of Bahia, living in areas of the Cerrado biome. It is closely related to and resembles Vitalius chromatus (Schmidt, 2004) in appearance, with a general black coloration and whitish rings or stripes on the legs and palp in both sexes. With V. chromatus, it shares the presence of a row of spines on the distal-retrolateral edge of palpal tibia of male, but differs by the tibial apophysis and metatarsus I shape. Vitalius ornatissimus sp. nov. is the first species of Vitalius Lucas, Silva Jr & Bertani recorded exclusively in central Cerrado.
