Description of Almafuerte, a new genus of ground spiders from South America (Araneae, Gnaphosidae)

Abstract

A new genus of gnaphosid spiders, Almafuerte, gen. nov., is described for seven species from Southern South America. The new genus is diagnosed by a conspicuous retrolateral tegular projection on the male palp, and by having three teeth on the cheliceral retromargin. It comprises six species from Argentina, A. peripampasica sp. nov. (type species), from Central Argentina, also present in Uruguay, A. kuru sp. nov., from Santiago del Estero, A. vigorosa sp. nov., from Corrientes, A. goloboffi sp. nov., from Salta and Jujuy, A. remota sp. nov., from Santiago del Estero and Mendoza, and A. giaii (Gerschman & Schiapelli) comb. nov., here transferred from Echemus, from Santa Fe (the female is here described by the first time); and one species from Bolivia, A. facon sp. nov., from Cochabamba. Hypotheses of relationships of the new taxa are briefly discussed, in the context of the previously proposed groupings: the subfamilies Echeminae and Drassodinae (sensu Platnick 1990) and the “Echemus group” (sensu Murphy 2007).