Hidden in the plains: Two new extra‐andean species of Euathlus (Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae) from Argentina with comments on their sexual behaviour

Abstract

Two new species of Euathlus (Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-BotanischenGesellschaft in Wien, 1875, 25, 125) from Argentina are described. Euathlus ameghinoi sp. n. and Euathlus ventus sp. n. are the first records for the Patagonian Steppe. Here we used mitochondrial DNA (cox1) to perform the first molecular phylogeny of some representatives of the genus. Inaddition, we present the first description of the sexual behaviour of the genus. Both molecular and cladistic morphological analysis showed the genus Euathlus as monophyletic, and new species were recovered as sister groups. New species show new morphological variations of typical characters for the genus (e.g. tibial apophyses and palpal organs).