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Mecynogea infelix (Soares & Camargo, 1948) revalidated Figs 1–8 Wixia infelix Soares & Camargo, 1948: 378, fig. 35 (female holotype from left side of Rio das Mortes, Xavantina, Mato Grosso, Brazil, [18°14'58"S, 43°36'1"W], 6.II.1947, H. Sick leg., deposited in MZSP 1300, examined). Brignoli 1983: 281. Mecynogea infelix — Levi 1993: 56 Mecynogea bigibba Simon, 1903 — Levi 1997: 222 –224 (Syn). Mecynogea chavona Levi, 1997: 230, figs 65–66, map 2D (Male holotype from Finca Chenevo, 20 km N Río Muco, 20 km S El Porvenir, ca. 170 m, Depto. Meta, Colombia, [4°25'18.97"S, 72°0'53.93"W], 1979, W. Eberhard leg., deposited in MCZ 20767, examined by photograph). New synonymy. Mecynogea bigibba Simon, 1903 — Levi 1997: 222 –224, figs 10–14 (in part, some females). Mecynogea lemniscata (Walckenaer, 1849) — Levi 1997: 227 figs 46–48 (misidentified in part, only some females). Diagnosis. Males and females of M. infelix can be distinguished from other species of the genus by the lack of a median black line and lateral black bands on the carapace (Fig. 1A, B). Males of M. infelx resemble the males of M. lemniscata and M. sucre Levi 1997, by the proximal branch of the terminal apophysis covering the tip of the distal branch of the terminal apophysis in mesal view (Fig. 1C, Levi, 1997: fig. 38). It can be separated from the males of M. lemniscata and M. sucre by the rounded tip of the proximal branch of the terminal apophysis (Figs 1C, 2A), which is truncated in M. lemniscata (Fig. 14C), and acuminate in M. sucre (Levi, 1997: fig. 38). M. infelix also can be differentiated by the less developed tegular keel (Figs 1C, 2A, 3A), which is well developed in M. lemniscata (Fig. 14C, D). It can also be diagnosed by the wide proximal branch of the terminal apophysis (Levi, 1997). Females are most similar to M. lemniscata based on the shape of the epigynum, which have a deep cavity created by the epigynum hood in both species. M. infelix can be distinguished by the presence of a strong, sclerotized median septum on the posterior cavity of the epigynum (Fig. 7C; see also Levi 1997: figs 11, 47), which is membranous in M. lemniscata. It can also be distinguished from M. leminiscata and other species of the genus by the presence of a fracture line on the epigynum hood (Figs 4A–C, 5A, B, 6B, D, E, 7A–D). Description. Male. Colour and measurements described by Levi (1997: 230), under Mecynogea chavona. Male palp (based on specimen from Santana do Riacho, Minas Gerais, Brazil, UFMG 1739): terminal apophysis with a very developed and sclerotised proximal branch, which covers the apex of the distal branch in mesal view (Figs 1C, 2A). Proximal branch with a longitudinal depression holding the embolus, which is long and very thin (Figs 2C, 3A–B). Conductor well developed, strongly sclerotized and fused to ventral margin of tegulum (Figs 1D, 2A–B, 3A). Internal branch of terminal apophysis elongated, gently sinuous and acuminated apically, hidden by the terminal apophysis branches (Fig. 3A, B). Radix translucent and very poorly sclerotized (Figs 1C, 2A, B). Paracymbium small, apically rounded (Fig. 3A). Female from Serra da Calçada, Minas Gerais, Brazil (IBSP 63237). Carapace orange without black bands (Fig. 1A). Chelicerae proximally orange, gradually darker distally. Endites and labium dark brown proximally and white distally. Sternum orange with dark lateral blots. Palp light orange. Legs orange, first and second femur with a dorsal, longitudinal black line (Fig 1A). All femora orange, darker ventrally. Coxae orange, with black markings on the second, third and fourth. Opisthosoma with a pair of anterior humps and an elaborated colour pattern, which shows a pair of black anterior markings; a longitudinal, median black mark with a transverse black bar, and two posterior black blots in a longitudinal red band with a trident shape pattern (Fig. 1A). The dorsolateral and lateral sides show a reticulated black background with white sinuous stripes. Venter bearing black stripes, with a pair of longitudinal white bands and four white markings around the spinnerets. Total length 9.60; carapace 3.80 long, 2.90 wide in the thoracic area, 1.30 wide after the posterior median eyes. Femur I length 5.0, patella 1.50, tibia 3.70, metatarsus 4.70, tarsus 1.50. Patella II 1.50, III 1.00, IV 1.40. Tibia II 3.10, III 1.5, IV 2.90. Epigynum projected ventrally, atrium with large, slit-shaped posterior openings. The posterior margin of the hood is folded, entering the atrium, forming an inner fold (Figs 4B, D–E, 5B–D, 8A–C) creating the cavity of the inner fold visible in the ventral view (Fig. 7C). Epigynum shows a sclerotized median septum that originates on median plate. Copulatory openings situated at the sides of median septum (Fig. 7C). Spermathecae divided in two receptacles (Fig. 8A, B), one small proximal and another larger and sock-shaped (Fig. 8C). Copulatory ducts emerge medially between larger spermathecae receptacles, folded, passing dorsally to the large receptacles (Fig. 8A, B). Both spermathecae receptacles show several small and large pores (Fig. 8D). Fertilization ducts connected proximally to spermathecae, near proximal receptacle (Fig. 8C). Variation. Three of the seven females from Serra do Cipó have an entire epigynum with a rounded hood, which hides the atrium with the copulatory openings. The remaining females, from Brasilândia de Minas, Serra da Moeda and four specimens from Serra do Cipó lack the apex of the epigynum. The total length of females varies from 7.20 to 10.13 (n, 4). Remarks. M. infelix was described based on a single female from Mato Grosso, central-western Brazil (Soares & Camargo 1948), and was considered by Levi (1997) as a junior synonym of M. bigibba based on the examination of the both species’ type material. In this same study, he described M. chavona based on a single male from Meta, Colombia. We have found on the UFMG collection a sample of seven males and seven females collected together (UFMG 1739). The males match perfectly the diagnosis of M. chavona. However, the females show a very weird genital pattern. Three of them have an epigynum similar to those of M. lemniscata (Levi, 1997: figs 46–48) and of the holotype of M. infelix (Levi, 1997: figs 13–14), which have a deep cavity created by the epigynum hood. However, they differ from M. lemniscata by having a sclerotized medium septum on the epigynum, and by lacking the median black line and the black bands on the carapace edges. The holotype of M. infelix shares the same features with those three specimens. The remaining four females apparently have their epigynum damaged, missing the apex, making them very similar to some females illustrated by Levi (1997: figs 10–12) as M. bigibba. Those specimens considered by Levi as a variation of M. bigibba matched better the holotype of M. infelix than the holotype of M. bigibba by having a posterior atrium in the epigynum rather than the small posterior bulge seen in M. bigibba, leading us to reconsider the synonymy between M. bigibba and M. infelix. Additionally, because we have found seven males that match the description made by Levi (1997), which are identical to the holotype of M. chavona, and were collected together with seven females that match the M. infelix holotype, we concluded that M. chavona should be considered a junior synonym of M. infelix. Natural History. Several female specimens examined for this study have mutilated epigyna, in which the apex has apparently been removed (Figs 5A–C, 7A–D). The break in the epigynum coincides with an apparent fracture line (Fig. 4A–C). The mutilation of female epigynum during or after copulation has been reported for other araneid genera, and has been seen as a male strategy to prevent subsequent female mating events with other males (Mouginot et al. 2015, Nakata 2016). We think this explanation could possibly apply to M. infelix. We also noted cell clumps in the epigynum surface of different specimens, particularly on the fracture line (Figs 6C, F–H, 7E–F). These cells resisted the enzymatic cleaning treatment, indicating a chitin cell wall. The cells in our images are similar to the conidia of Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus (Wakefield 2006: fig 3a–d). It is unclear at this point whether these apparent fungal cells have any importance for the female epigynum mutilation, or if they simply spread on the fracture line. Regarding the male copulatory apparatus, the shape and position of the proximal branch of the terminal apophysis suggest it could act as a functional conductor during copulation. Additionally, the remarkable size and sclerotization, as well as the folded shape of this sclerite (Fig. 2C) could indicate it is somehow related to female epigynum mutilation. Distribution. This species is distributed mostly in the Neotropical savannas, including the Colombian llanos, which represent the northernmost record of the species. In Brazil, it can be found in the Distrito Federal, Minas Gerais, and Mato Grosso (Fig. 16). Additional material examined. BRAZIL: Distrito Federal: Brasília, São Francisco, Lago Paranoá [15°50'41.16"S, 47°50'17.75"W], 1038 m, I.1978, 1 ♀, (MZSP 70592); Minas Gerais: Brasilândia de Minas, Fazenda Brejão [17°1'9.72"S, 46°54'59.81"W], 4.IV.2004, R.A.F. Redondo & F.A. Perini leg., 5♂ 1♀ (UFMG 1536); Diamantina [18°14'58"S, 43°36'1"W], 1236 m, 2♀ 1 juv. (MNRJ 2331); Moeda, Serra da Moeda [20°20'1.16"S, 44°3'18.82"W], 809 m, 1♀, 20.V.2006, E.S.S. Álvares leg. (IBSP 63237); Santana do Riacho, Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó [19°20'57"S, 43°37'10.16"W], 822 m, I.2004, E.S.S. Álvares leg., 5♂ 2♀ (UFMG 1739); 1♀ (UFMG 19542); 1♀ (UFMG 19543); 1♂ (UFMG 19890); 1♀ (UFMG 19891); 1♀, (UFMG 19892); 1♂ (UFMG 19893), ditto, Portaria Palácio (19°15'0"S, 43°31'0"W), 1200 m, 10.XII.2001, E.S.S. Álvares & E.O. Machado leg., 1♂ (UFMG 1364)., Published as part of Martins, Pedro H. & Santos, Adalberto J., 2018, Morphology and taxonomy of the orb-weaving spider genus Mecynogea, and a peculiar species of Argiope (Araneae, Araneidae), pp. 423-451 in Zootaxa 4415 (3) on pages 424-432, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4415.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/1242066, {"references":["Soares, B. A. M. & Camargo, H. F. A. (1948) Aranhas coligidas pela Fundacao Brasil-Central (Arachnida-Araneae). Boletim do Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, 10, 355 - 409.","Brignoli, P. M. (1983) A catalogue of the Araneae described between 1940 and 1981. Manchester University Press, Manchester, 755 pp.","Levi, H. W. (1993) The Neotropical orb-weaving spiders of the genera Wixia, Pozonia, and Ocrepeira (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 153, 47 - 141.","Simon, E. (1903) Descriptions d'arachnides nouveaux. Annales de la Societe Entomologique de Belgique, 47, 21 - 39. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. part. 25299","Levi, H. W. (1997) The American orb weavers of the genera Mecynogea, Manogea, Kapogea and Cyrtophora (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 155, 215 - 255.","Mouginot, P., Prugel, J., Thom, U., Steinhoff, P. O. M., Kupryjanowicz, J. & Uhl, G. (2015) Securing Paternity by Mutilating Female Genitalia in Spiders. Current Biology, 25, 1 - 5. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / j. cub. 2015.09.074","Nakata, K. (2016) Female genital mutilation and monandry in an orb-web spider. Biology Letters, 12, 1 - 4. https: // doi. org / 10.1098 / rsbl. 2015.0912","Wakefield, M. E. (2006) Factors affecting storage insect susceptibility to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. In: Lorini, I., Bacaltchuk, B., Beckel, H., Deckers, D., Sundfeld, E., dos Santos, J. P., Biagi, J. D., Celaro, J. C., Faroni, L. R. D'A., Bortolini, L. D. O. F., Sartori, M. R., Elias, M. C., Guedes, R. N. C., Fonseca, R. G. & Scussel, V. M. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 9 th International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection, 15 to 18 October 2006, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Brazilian Post-harvest Association (ABRAPOS), Passo Fundo, pp. 855 - 862."]}

Mecynogea erythromela (Holmberg, 1876) Zilla erytromela Holmberg, 1876: 80 (Female holotype from Las Conchas, Argentina [Partido de Tigre, Prov. Buenos Aires, (34°25’S, 58°34’W) (Paynter 1995: 405)], Lost). Mecynogea erytromela— Mello-Leitão 1933: 33; World Spider Catalog 2017 (complete taxonomic citation history). Distribution. This species is distributed from the Chilean coast, passing through the Andes and reaching central Brazil, in the savanna biomes in between these regions. We report new records in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, and Tocantins (Fig. 16). Material examined. ARGENTINA: Salta: Salta [24°46'57.23"S, 65°25'11.57"W], 1193 m, M. Birabén leg., 1♂ 1♀ (MNRJ 1999); BRAZIL: Mato Grosso: Chapada dos Guimarães, Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Guimarães [15°17'25.17"S, 55°52'12.13"W], 614 m, 18.II.2000, E.S.S. Álvares leg., 1♀ (UFMG 802); Cuiabá, Chapada dos Guimarães [15°35'46"S, 56°5'48"W], 165 m, 8.VIII.2002, E. Wienskoski leg., 2♀ (MZSP 61 718); Mato Grosso do Sul: Bela Vista, Fazenda Alvorada [22°6'28.69"S, 56°31'35.55"W], 182 m, 19.VII.1998, 1♂ (IBSP 26749); Brasilândia, Usina Hidrelétrica Sérgio Motta [21°16'22.68"S, 51°55'52.5"W], 265 m, 12.VII.2000, Equipe IBSP leg., 1♂ (IBSP 31041); 2♀ (IBSP 31040); Corumbá, Passo do Lontra [19°34'60"S, 57°0'0"W], 91 m, 2001–2002, J. Raizer leg., 1♂ (IBSP 94148); Três Lagoas [20°45'4"S, 51°40'42"W], 329 m, 2001, L.F. Moura leg., 1♀ (IBSP 36199); São Paulo: São José do Rio Preto, Sitio Santo Antônio [20°48'44.42"S, 49°22'33.54"W], 1199 m, 1.I.2003, E. Wienskoski leg., 2♀ (MZSP 62919); Primavera, Usina Hidrelétrica Sérgio Motta [22°30'45.56"S, 52°52'8.18"W], 330 m, 22.II.2001, D.F. Candiani & R.P. Indicatti leg., 3♀ (IBSP 37652); Tocantins: Miracema do Tocantins [9°33'59.74"S, 48°23'36.19"W], 280 m, 17–25.IV.2005, I. Knisak & R. Martins leg., 1♀ (IBSP 93825); CHILE: Región VII de Maule: Talca [35°25'30.3"S, 71°39'14.08"W], 105 m, 2♀ (MNRJ 2333)., Published as part of Martins, Pedro H. & Santos, Adalberto J., 2018, Morphology and taxonomy of the orb-weaving spider genus Mecynogea, and a peculiar species of Argiope (Araneae, Araneidae), pp. 423-451 in Zootaxa 4415 (3) on page 439, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4415.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/1242066, {"references":["Holmberg, E. L. (1876) Aracnidos argentinos. Anales de Agricultura de la Republica Argentina, 4, 1 - 30.","Paynter, R. A. (1995) Ornithological Gazetteer of Argentina. 2 nd Edition. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, 1043 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 14627","Mello-Leitao, C. F. (1933) Catalogo das aranhas argentinas. Archivos da Escola Superior de Agricultura e Medicina Veterinaria, Rio de Janeiro, 10, 3 - 63.","World Spider Catalog (2017) World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Version 18.5. Available from: http: // wsc. nmbe. ch (accessed 26 December 2017)"]}

Mecynogea lemniscata (Walckenaer, 1841) Linyphia lemniscata Walckenaer, 1841: 263 (Name for illustration of J. Abbot (1792) The Drawings of the Insects of Georgia, fig. 25. Originally deposited in The Natural History Museum, London, with photocopy in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, not examined). Mecynogea lemniscata— Levi 1980: 13, figs 1–15; World Spider Catalog 2017 (complete taxonomic citation history). Distribution. This species has the widest distribution in the genus, with records from southeastern USA to northern Argentina, although with a disjunction created by the absence of records in the Amazonia. We report this species for the first time in Bolivia, and add new records from the Brazilian states of Distrito Federal, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí and São Paulo (Fig. 19). Material examined. BOLÍVIA: San Ignacio: [16°22'39.19"S, 60°57'56.02"W], 315 m, 9.III.1961, L. Hammersch leg., 1♀ (IBSP 3355); BRAZIL: Distrito Federal: Brasília, Fazenda Água Limpa, [15°56'60"S, 47°54'0"W], 1100 m, 22.XII.1990, C. Dall'Aglio leg., 1♂ 1juv. (IBSP 15880); Minas Gerais: Belo Horizonte, Estação Ecológica da UFMG (19°52'34.2"S, 43°58'22.2"W), 827 m, 14.XI.2015, P.H. Martins et al. leg., 1♀ (UFMG 19486); ditto [19°52'38"S, 43°58'16"W], 845 m, IX.2000, E.S.S. Álvares leg., 1♂ (UFMG 4752); I.2001, E.S.S. Álvares leg. 1♀ (UFMG 5976); 1♀ (UFMG 5977), III–VII.2000, E. S.S. Álvares leg., 2♀ (IBSP 63867); Belo Horizonte, Parque Municipal das Mangabeiras [19°57'14.86"S, 43°54'19.15"W], 1188 m, 20–22.I.2009, H.H. Santos et al. leg., 3♀ (UFMG 7973); Brumadinho, Parque Estadual da Serra do Rola Moça [20°5'17"S, 44°12'29"W], 757 m, 16.XII.2010, H. Thomassen leg., 1♀ (UFMG 6385); Itaobim (16°34'7.5"S, 41°28'51.1"W), 327 m, 27.XI.2011, I.L.F. Magalhães et al. leg., 12♂ 2 juv. (UFMG 10128); Jaboticatubas, Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó [19°20'53"S, 43°37'7"W], 818 m, I.2003, Equipe Laboratório de Aracnologia leg., 1♀ (UFMG 13827); Prudente de Morais, Fazenda do Sapé, rodovia MG-424 [19°28'6.18"S, 44°14'29.78"W], 850 m, 2.XI.2000, E.S.S. Álvares leg., 1♂ (UFMG 427); Paraná: Jaguariaíva, Parque Estadual do Cerrado [24°10'4.79"S, 49°40'50.34"W], 848 m, XII.1999 – I.2000, C. Becker & M. Braga leg., 1♀ (IBSP 26476); Pernambuco: Parnamirim [8°5'29.99"S, 39°34'44.43"W], 396 m, 23.III.2012, A. Costa leg., 1♀ (UFPB-AR 911); Serra Talhada, Fazenda Buenos Aires [7°58'45"S, 38°23'2.3"W], 459 m, III– IV.2010, M. Carvalho leg., 1♀ (UFMG 19544), Serra Talhada, Fazenda Saco, Mata da Pimenteira (7°53'0"S, 38°18'0"W), 548 m, 11. II.2010, M.C. Carvalho & A. Brito leg., 3♂ (UFMG 14172); São Paulo: Embú das Artes [23°38'56"S, 46°51'8"W], 782 m, II.1994, 1 ♀ (IBSP 5638); Primavera, Usina Hidrelétrica Sérgio Motta [22°30'45.56"S, 52°52'8.18"W], 330 m, I–II.2000, Equipe IBSP leg., 2♀ (IBSP 29797); Rifaina [20°4'50.63"S, 47°25'46.39"W], 609 m, 4.X.2004, M.M. Santom leg., 1♂ (IBSP 66361); São José do Rio Preto [20°48'42.34"S, 49°22'34.42"W], 485 m, 2002, 1♀ (IBSP 57889)., Published as part of Martins, Pedro H. & Santos, Adalberto J., 2018, Morphology and taxonomy of the orb-weaving spider genus Mecynogea, and a peculiar species of Argiope (Araneae, Araneidae), pp. 423-451 in Zootaxa 4415 (3) on page 440, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4415.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/1242066, {"references":["Walckenaer, C. A. (1841) Histoire naturelle des Insects. Apteres. Vol. 2. Librairie encyclopedique de Roret, Paris, 549 pp.","Levi, H. W. (1980) The orb-weaver genus Mecynogea, the subfamily Metinae and the genera Pachygnatha, Glenognatha and Azilia of the subfamily Tetragnathinae north of Mexico (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 149, 1 - 74.","World Spider Catalog (2017) World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Version 18.5. Available from: http: // wsc. nmbe. ch (accessed 26 December 2017)","Silva-Moreira, T., Baptista, R. L. C., Kury, A. B., Giupponi, A. P. L., Buckup, E. H. & Brescovit, A. D. (2010) Annotated check list of Arachnida type specimens deposited in the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro. II-Araneae. Zootaxa, 2588, 1 - 91."]}

Argiope carvalhoi (Mello-Leitão 1944) revalidated, new combination Figs 16, 20, 21 Mecynogea carvalhoi Mello-Leitão, 1944: 8 (Female holotype from Barra do Tapirapés, Santa Terezinha, Mato Grosso, Brazil, A.L. de Carvalho leg., MNRJ 1538, examined). World Spider Catalog 2017 (nomen dubium) Manogea porracea (C.L. Koch, 1838) —synonymized by Levi 1997: 234. Silva-Moreira et al. 2010:18. Diagnosis. The epigynum of Argiope carvalhoi resembles that of A. florida Chamberlin & Ivie, 1944 and A. blanda O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 in the shape of the median septum and the rim (Levi 1968: fig. 100) and in the large septal lip (Levi 1968: fig. 143) respectively. It can be distinguished from these species and the remaining species of the genus, except from the Australasian A. probata Rainbow, 1916 and A. protensa L. Koch 1872, by the long and narrow abdomen, without lateral lobes (Fig. 20B). Argiope carvalhoi can be distinguished from A. protensa by the shape of the epigynum, which is very elongated and have the copulatory openings facing dorsally in the latter species (Levi 1983: figs 98–101). The epigynum of A. carvalhoi also differs from that of A. probata (Levi 1983: figs 107–108) in the larger septal lip (Fig. 21A) and narrower median plate in posterior view (Fig. 21B). Description. Male unknown. Female. Holotype from Barra do Tapirapés, Santa Terezinha, Mato Grosso, Brazil (MNRJ 1538). Carapace pale yellow in the cephalic region and light brown in the thoracic region (Fig. 20A). Chelicerae pale yellow with numerous short, proximal-median macrosetae. Endites and labium pale yellow. Sternum pale yellow with three lateral depressions that coincide with brown markings. There are small tubercles between each depression, the anterior larger than the others, and an unpaired tubercle in the posterior portion. Palp pale yellow with numerous spiniform macrosetae. Legs with a pale-yellow background covered by numerous dark brown spots, more densely distributed on the first femur. All coxae pale yellow, the first with small ventral macrosetae. First trochanter with numerous short, prolateral macrosetae. Opisthosoma with two anteriorly directed humps, and a pair of dorsal lines extending from the anterior humps to the posterior apex, and a smaller band extending from the middle to posterior apex (Fig. 20A). Venter light brown, with a pair of white bands extending from the epigastric groove to the spinnerets (Fig. 20B). Total length 9.00; carapace 2.50 long, 2.20 wide in the thoracic area, 1.20 wide after the posterior median eyes. Femur I length 4.20, patella 1.20, tibia 3.30, metatarsus 4.20, tarsus 1.40 (right leg). Patella II 1.00, III 0.70, IV 1.10. Tibia II 3.10, III 1.50, IV 2.70. Epigynum in ventral view with a procurved rim connected to a straight and slender median septum, making an Y-shaped structure (Fig. 21A). Septal lips well developed and projects laterally (Figs 21A–B, E). Copulatory openings visible laterally (Fig. 21E). Posterior margin of septum rounded in lateral view (Fig. 21C–D). In posterior view, median septum connected to rim and septal lip emerging from copulatory openings (Fig. 21B, E). Remarks. The holotype of Mecynogea carvalhoi was not available at the time H.W. Levi was preparing his revision on Mecynogea (Levi 1997). Thus, based on the original description of the species (Mello-Leitão 1944), he proposed it as a tentative synonym of Manogea porracea, a nomenclatural act not accepted subsequently (World Spider Catalog 2017). The holotype has a male embolus attached to each copulatory opening (Fig. 21 A, B, D, F), indicating that the male embolus can serve as a mating plug, as observed in other species of the genus (Uhl et al. 2010 and references therein). These detached emboli are the only parts of the male known at the moment, and both show a long pendant, a fork-like apophysis present in the embolus of several species of the genus (Jäger 2012). Distribution. Known only from the type locality, in northern Brazil (Fig. 16), Published as part of Martins, Pedro H. & Santos, Adalberto J., 2018, Morphology and taxonomy of the orb-weaving spider genus Mecynogea, and a peculiar species of Argiope (Araneae, Araneidae), pp. 423-451 in Zootaxa 4415 (3) on pages 443-448, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4415.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/1242066, {"references":["Mello-Leitao, C. F. (1944) Algumas aranhas da regiao amazonica. Boletim do Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro, New Series, Zoology, 25, 1 - 12.","World Spider Catalog (2017) World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Version 18.5. Available from: http: // wsc. nmbe. ch (accessed 26 December 2017)","Koch, C. L. (1838) Die Arachniden. Vierter Band & Funfter Band. In der C. H. Zeh'schen Buchhandlung, Nurnberg, 36 pp. & 124 pp. [pp. 109 - 144 & pp. 1 - 124]","Levi, H. W. (1997) The American orb weavers of the genera Mecynogea, Manogea, Kapogea and Cyrtophora (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 155, 215 - 255.","Silva-Moreira, T., Baptista, R. L. C., Kury, A. B., Giupponi, A. P. L., Buckup, E. H. & Brescovit, A. D. (2010) Annotated check list of Arachnida type specimens deposited in the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro. II-Araneae. Zootaxa, 2588, 1 - 91.","Chamberlin, R. V. & Ivie, W. (1944) Spiders of the Georgia region of North America. Bulletin of the University of Utah, 35 (9), 1 - 267.","Pickard-Cambridge, O. (1898) Arachnida. Araneida. Biologia Centrali-Americana, Zoology, 1, 233 - 288.","Levi, H. W. (1968) The spider genera Gea and Argiope in America (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 136, 319 - 352.","Rainbow, W. J. (1916) Arachnida from northern Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum, 11, 33 - 64 + 79 - 119. https: // doi. org / 10.3853 / j. 0067 - 1975.11.1916.912","Koch, L. (1872) Die Arachniden Australiens. Vol. 1. Verlag von Bauer & Raspe, Nurnberg, 264 pp. [pp. 105 - 368]","Levi, H. W. (1983) The orb-weaver genera Argiope, Gea, and Neogea from the western Pacific region (Araneae: Araneidae, Argiopinae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 150, 247 - 338.","Uhl, G., Nessler, S. H. & Schneider, J. M. (2010) Securing paternity in spiders? A review on occurrence and effects of mating plugs and male genital mutilation. Genetica, 138 (1), 75 - 104. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / s 10709 - 009 - 9388 - 5","Jager, P. (2012) A review on the spider genus Argiope Audouin 1826 with special emphasis on broken emboli in female epigynes (Araneae: Araneidae: Argiopinae). Beitrage zur Araneologie, 7, 272 - 331."]}

Mecynogea bigibba Simon, 1903 Mecynogea bigibba Simon, 1903: 25 (Female holotype from province of Goyaz [currently encompassing the Brazilian states of Goi��s, Tocantins and parts of Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul], Brazil, in MNHN 21560, examined by photograph). Roewer 1942: 747; Bonnet 1957: 2745; World Spider Catalog 2017 (complete taxonomic citation history). Remarks. Mecynogea bigibba was described by Simon (1903) based on a specimen labelled just as ���prov. Goyaz���. Although Levi (1997) interpreted the type locality as Goi��nia (the capital of the Brazilian state of Goi��s), this old locality name corresponds to the Brazilian states of Goi��s, Tocantins and parts of the states of Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul. Distribution. This species is known mostly from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, in southern and southeastern Brazil, with only two doubtful records. The first refers to the holotype, a very old specimen with poor locality information. As mentioned above, it could have come from any of four Brazilian states, encompassing areas of humid forest and savannas (the Brazilian Cerrado). Regarding the other doubtful record (Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Levi 1997), we could not examine the specimen, but we suspect it could actually represent M. infelix, which was considered a junior synonym of M. bigibba by Levi (1997). The new records presented herein connect previous records in southern and southeastern Brazil and expands the species northern distribution range by about 1560 km (Fig. 18). Material examined. BRAZIL: Cear��: Quixad��, Serra do Estev��o, estrada para Dom Maur��cio (4��55'32.6"S, 39��8'31.6"W), 482 m, 18.IV.2014, M.B. Silva & N. Saraiva leg., 1♀ (UFMG 17348); Quixad��, Serra do Urucu, Santu��rio Nossa Senhora (5��2'6"S, 39��0'38.2"W), 344 m, 19.IV.2014, M.B. Silva & N. Saraiva leg., 1♀ (UFMG 17349); Esp��rito Santo: Vit��ria, Morro Moscoso [20��19'0"S, 40��21'0"W], 129 m, X.1981, A. Serruti leg., 1♀ (MNRJ 2332); Minas Gerais: Belo Horizonte, Esta����o Ecol��gica da UFMG [19��52'38"S, 43��58'16"W], 845 m, IX.2000, E.S.S. ��lvares leg., 2♀ (UFMG 19485); Marli��ria, Parque Estadual do Rio Doce [19��42'58.62"S, 42��44'1.69"W], 597 m, 15.II.2003, T. Rodrigues leg., 1♀ (UFMG 1637); Rio de Janeiro: Arraial do Cabo, Ilha de Cabo Frio [22��57'58"S, 42��1'40"W], 2.III.2001, E. Wienskoski leg., 2♂ 1♀ (MZSP 61719); Rio Grande do Sul: Derrubadas, Parque Estadual do Turvo, [27��13'13.56"S, 53��57'9.04"W], 312 m, 11���18.I.2002, Equipe Biota leg., 1♀ (IBSP 96716); Porto Alegre, Lomba do Pinheiro [30��7'0.87"S, 51��6'7.11"W], 106 m, 3.I.2005, A.D. Brescovit leg., 1♂ (IBSP 48389); S��o Leopoldo [29��45'21.65"S 51�� 8'57.79"W], 28.XI.1965, C. Valle leg., 2♂ 1♂ 4 juv. (MZSP 4897); Santa Catarina: Itapo��, Reserva Particular do Patrim��nio Natural Volta Velha (26��5'21.6"S, 48��38'24.2"W), 17.XII.2011, I.L.F. Magalh��es et al. leg., 1♂ (UFMG 10824); S��o Bento do Sul, Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas Ambientais Rugendas (26��19'24.9"S, 49��18'26.4"W), 617 m, 13���20.XII.2011, I.L.F. Magalh��es et al. leg., 1♂ 1♀ (UFMG 11748), Seara, Distrito de Nova Teut��nia (27��7'49"S, 52��21'9"W), 687 m, 4.II.2008, M.O. Gonzaga & A.J. Santos leg., 1♀ (UFMG 5543); S��o Paulo: Botucatu, Fazenda Lageado, UNESP [22��50'20"S, 48��26'29"W], 712 m, 1.I.2003, E. Wienskoski leg., 1♀ (MZSP 62599); Botucatu, Vitoriana, Fazenda Goldfarm [22��44'14"S, 48��18'24"W], 566 m, 4.VIII.1987, I. Rinaldi leg., 1♀ (MZSP 61212); Cotia, Caucaia do Alto, Reserva do Morro Grande [23��43'53.63"S, 46��57'52.72"W], 971 m, 24.I.2000, A.M.F. Pacheco leg., 1♂ (IBSP 36369); 1♀ (IBSP 57052); 1♀ (IBSP 57053); 1♂ (IBSP 57054); 1♀ (IBSP 57055); 1♀ (IBSP 57056); 1♀ (IBSP 57057); 17.XII.2001, M. Silveira leg., 1♀ (IBSP 57058); 1♀ (IBSP 57059); Itapecerica da Serra [23��43'1"S, 46��50'57"W], 907 m, 19.XII.1980, D. Louren��o leg., 1♂ (IBSP 19857); Jundia��, Parque Estadual da Serra do Japi [23��17'0"S, 46��59'0"W], 822 m, J. Sobjack leg., 1♂ (UFMG 19488); Nazar�� Paulista [23��10'31.36"S, 46��22'54"W], 797 m, 30.I.2007, C.G. Peixoto leg., 1♀ (IBSP 72046); Ribeir��o Grande, Parque Estadual de Intervales [24��18'31.59"S, 48��16'24.92"W], 599 m, 7.I.2002, M.O. Gonzaga leg., 2♂ 1 juv. (IBSP 58803); 2002���2003, M.O. Gonzaga leg., 1♂ (IBSP 71732); S��o Caetano do Sul, Espa��o Verde Chico Mendes [23��37'54.54"S, 46��34'18.93"W], 756 m, 2004, A. Macedo leg., 2♀ (IBSP 75127); S��o Paulo [23��32'51"S, 46��38'10"W], 732 m, 10.I.1985, Equipe IBSP leg., 1♂ (IBSP 4524); S��o Paulo, Campus USP, Reserva Florestal Cuaso [23��33'41.04"S, 46��43'50.84"W], 742 m, 1.II.2001, J. Imp��rio leg., 1♀ (IBSP 32898); S��o Paulo, Campus IBSP [23��33'58.8"S, 46��43'7.06"W], 751 m, XII.1994, A.D. Brescovit leg., 1♂ (IBSP 6123); S��o Paulo, Jardim Zool��gico [23��39'7.2"S, 46��37'13.96"W], 804 m, I.1990, R. Bertani leg., 1♀ (IBSP 4277)., Published as part of Martins, Pedro H. & Santos, Adalberto J., 2018, Morphology and taxonomy of the orb-weaving spider genus Mecynogea, and a peculiar species of Argiope (Araneae, Araneidae), pp. 423-451 in Zootaxa 4415 (3) on page 438, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4415.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/1242066, {"references":["Simon, E. (1903) Descriptions d'arachnides nouveaux. Annales de la Societe Entomologique de Belgique, 47, 21 - 39. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. part. 25299","Roewer, C. F. (1942) Katalog der Araneae von 1758 bis 1940. Bremen, 1, 1 - 1040.","Bonnet, P. (1957) Bibliographia araneorum. 2 (3). Analyse metodique de toute la literature araneologique jusqu'en, Toulouse, 1100 pp. [pp. 1927 - 3026]","World Spider Catalog (2017) World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Version 18.5. Available from: http: // wsc. nmbe. ch (accessed 26 December 2017)","Levi, H. W. (1997) The American orb weavers of the genera Mecynogea, Manogea, Kapogea and Cyrtophora (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 155, 215 - 255."]}

Mecynogea buique Levi, 1997 Figs 9–11 Mecynogea buique Levi, 1997: 229 –230, figs 55–58, map 2A (Female holotype from between Catimbau and Buique, Pernambuco, Brazil [8°36'44.56"S, 37°12'12.3"W], 20.VIII.1982, P.F. Lins Duarte leg., in MCN 25574, examined by photograph). Diagnosis. The male of Mecynogea buique can be distinguished from the other species of the genus, except M. ocosingo Levi, 1997, by the proximal rounded branch of the terminal apophysis, with acuminated ventral projection (Figs 10A, 11A). It differs from M. ocosingo in the shape of the internal branch of the terminal apophysis, which is scythe-shaped in M. buique (Fig. 10A). Females of M. buique resemble females of M. ocosingo, M. martiana (Archer, 1958), M. apatzingan Levi, 1997 and M. bigibba Simon, 1903, in the absence of a posterior cavity on the epigynum. It can be separated from those species by the squared epigynum apex (Figs 12C, 13B), which is trapezoidal in M. ocosingo (Levi 1997: figs 59–60) and triangular in M. martiana and M. apatzingan (Levi 1997: figs 67, 73), and curved in M. bigibba (Levi 1997: figs 4, 7). Description. Male from Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil (UFMG 15787). Carapace orange with a narrow median line and two wider, marginal black bands (Fig. 9B). Chelicerae dark orange, endites and labium dark brown proximally and white distally. Palp and legs light orange, except for first femur, which is dark orange. All femora darker on ventral side. Sternum and coxae yellow, fourth coxae with a median, darker area. Dorsum of the opisthosoma with a pale-yellow background colour, with two white bands on the edges and two posterior black marks. Venter pale yellow with black stripes. Total length 4.31, carapace 1.92 long, 0.76 wide in the thoracic area, 1.57 wide after the posterior median eyes. Femur I length 3.4, patella 0.91, tibia 2.72, metatarsus 3.35, tarsus 1.12. Patella II 0.81, III 0.51, IV 0.81. Tibia II 2.38, III 1.1, IV 1.88. Male palp with a large terminal apophysis externally divided in two branches, the proximal one rounded and ventrally acuminated and the distal one bulbous-shaped (Figs 9C–D, 10A–B, 11A). Internal branch of terminal apophysis curved, arising from the same chamber (Figs 10A–B, 11A). Embolus originating from terminal apophysis base (Fig. 9D), hidden behind terminal apophysis proximal branch, visible only in expanded palp (Fig. 9C–D). Conductor is fused to tegulum, appearing as a small tegular projection (Figs 10A–B, 11A). Radix membranous, with a basal sclerotized lobe (Fig. 11A). Paracymbium simple, curved and apically rounded (Fig. 11B–C). Female. Colour and measurements as in Levi (1997: 229). Epigynum (specimen from Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil, UFMG 15730) lacks the atrium and hood seen on other species of the genus. Instead it has a wrinkled median plate in posterior view (Fig. 12C). This median plate is connected directly to the apex of the epigynum (Fig. 13B). Copulatory openings located on epigynum apex (Fig. 13A). Copulatory ducts pass inside epigynum apex and through inner fold (Figs 12D, 13C–D). Spermathecae have two receptacles almost equal in size, both with several small and large pores (Figs 12D, 13D). Fertilization ducts sclerotized and posteriorly connected to spermatheca base (Figs 12B, 13D). Variation. The embolus of the right palp of a male from Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil (UFMG 15787) is visible, appearing at the tip of the distal projection of the terminal apophysis. A male from the same locality (UFMG 15790) has four pairs of dark marks on the sternum, and another male from the same sample has only one pair of these marks on the anterior edge of the sternum. The total length of males varies from 3.75 to 4.92 (n,4). Remarks. The male-female match proposed here is based on a sample of four males and six females collected near the type-locality in Fazenda Buenos Aires, Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil (UFMG 15730, 15787–15790, 19545, 19546). It is rare to find large samples of Mecynogea specimens, particularly with males and females collected together, as the genus is usually represented in collections by a few specimens per sample. We interpret a sample with many males and females collected together as a reliable indication of co-specificity. Distribution. This species is known mostly from Brazilian dry physiognomies and savannas in the states of Minas Gerais, Paraíba, Pernambuco and Bahia (Fig. 17). The only habitat exception is from a southernmost record in the central-southeastern state of Minas Gerais, which is a semideciduous humid forest (UFMG 5449). The northernmost record is located in the south of the state of Paraiba. Additional material examined. BRAZIL: Bahia: Itapetinga, Parque Municipal da Matinha [15°15'6.48"S, 40°14'56.22"W], 286 m, III–IV.2003, J.P.S. Alves leg., 1♀ (IBSP 66 476); Minas Gerais: Belo Horizonte, Estação Ecológica da UFMG [19°52'38"S, 43°58'16"W], 845 m, III.2000, E.S.S. Álvares et al. leg., 1♀ (UFMG 5449); Itacarambi, Distrito de Fabião II (15°10'19"S, 44°10'49"W), 541 m, 5–7.V.2012, G.F.B.P. Ferreira et al. leg., 1♀ (UFMG 19487); Itaobim (16°31'58.6"S, 41°30'37.5"W), 464 m, 25.XI.2011, I.L.F. Magalhães et al. leg., 1♂ (UFMG 10095); Santana do Riacho, Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó [19°20'57"S, 43°37'10.16"W], 822 m, 16.XI.2007, A.J. Santos leg., 1♂ (UFMG 5423); Paraíba: São José dos Cordeiros, RPPN Fazenda Almas [7°28'17.14"S, 36°53'44.43"W], 649 m, 16–24.V.2016, P.S. Souza leg., 1♀ 2juv. (UFPB-AR 909); Pernambuco: Buíque, Parque Nacional do Catimbau [8°36'0"S, 37°9'0"W], 821 m, 2–4.VI.2007, M.C. Carvalho leg. 1♀ (UFMG 4850), Parnamirim [8°5'29.99"S, 39°34'44.33"W], 396 m, 23.III.2012, A. Costa leg., 1♂ 1♀ (UFPB-AR 97); Serra Talhada, Fazenda Buenos Aires [7°58'45"S, 38°23'2.3"W], 459 m, III– IV.2010, M. Carvalho leg., 2♀ (UFMG 15730); 1♂ (UFMG 15787); 1♀ (UFMG 15788); 1♀ (UFMG 15789); 3♂ (UFMG 15790); 1♀ (UFMG 19545); 1♀ (UFMG19546); Serra Talhada, Fazenda Saco, Mata da Pimenteira (7°53'0"S, 38°18'0"W), 563 m, 12. II.2010, M.C. Carvalho & A. Brito leg., 2♂ (UFMG 14173). Discussion – male palp sclerites in Cyrtophorinae The first attempt to propose palp sclerite homology in Cyrtophorinae was made by Exline (1949), who described a highly sclerotized process fused to the tegulum of M. lemniscata as homologous to the araneid median apophysis. She also identified a finger-shaped, poorly sclerotized conductor in the same species. The latter sclerite is particularly difficult to see in the unexpanded palp, because it is covered by the terminal portion of the bulb above and by the tegulum below (Exline 1949: fig. 10). Levi (1980) disagreed with Exline’s (1949) homology hypothesis, though acknowledging how challenging could it be to homologize Mecynogea palp sclerites with those of other araneids. He proposed that the structure referred by Exline as a homolog of the median apophysis should be considered as a conductor. Additionally, he stated that M. lemniscata lacks a median apophysis, a feature shared with species of Cyrtophora Simon, 1864. However, although he illustrated an expanded male palp, he did not present an alternative homology proposition for the sclerite considered as a conductor by Exline (1949). The interpretation of the male palp sclerites in the subfamily became a bit more complicated after Levi’s (1997) revision of the Neotropical Cyrtophorinae genera. In that study, Levi stated that the median apophysis was lost in the species of Mecynogea whose females have a hood-like epigynum, implicitly assuming that it should be present in other species of the genus. The presence of a sclerite homologous to the araneid median apophysis in Cyrtophorinae seemed to be debatable for him since, although he repeatedly refers to a median apophysis along the text, he indicated the structure with a question mark (“M?”) in the homology scheme of an expanded male palp of Mecynogea bigibba (Levi 1997: figs 23–25). In our initial analyses of the male palp of Mecyngea infelix we have found a sclerite that could be homologous to the supposed median apophysis indicated in Levi (1997). However, examining expanded palps using SEM we noticed that the sclerite originates from the terminal portion of the bulb. This position would discard the possibility of homologizing that sclerite with the araneid median apophysis, which is usually attached to the tegulum, near the base of the radix (see illustrations and discussion in Coddington 1990). Instead, this structure seems to be a branch of the terminal apophysis. Since it originates internally compared to other (proximal and distal) terminal apophysis branches, we decide to call it internal branch of the terminal apophysis (Fig. 14A–B). We find that this structure in all species of the genus, appearing in two different forms: exposed externally as in M. buique, M. ocosingo, M. martiana, and M. apatzingan, or hidden by the proximal and distal branches of terminal apophysis in M. infelix, M. lemniscata, M. bigibba, M. erythromela (Holmberg, 1876) and M. sucre Levi, 1997. The presence of a hidden internal branch of the terminal apophysis in the latter species, which females present a hood-shaped epigynum, explains Levi’s statement about the absence of a “median apophysis” in some species of Mecynogea. The only exception is M. bigibba, a species that have the internal branch of the terminal apophysis hidden by the external branches and do not have a hood-like epigynum. To verify the taxonomic distribution of this feature, we analysed exemplars of all the Neotropical genera of Cyrtophorinae: Cyrtophora, Manogea Levi, 1997 and Kapogea Levi, 1997 (Fig. 15A–F). We discovered that the structure named by Levi (1997) as a “median apophysis” in those genera is in fact homologous to the internal branch of the terminal apophysis we have found in Mecynogea. Additionally, we have found that the other two terminal apophysis branches are also present in those genera (Fig. 15A–F). It thus seems clear to us that Cyrtophorinae genera lack the median apophysis, which is a potential synapomorphy of the subfamily. Additionally, we noted that the conductor is highly sclerotized and fused to the tegulum in all genera of the subfamily (Figs 14A–D, 15A–F), another putative synapomorphy of the Cyrtophorinae., Published as part of Martins, Pedro H. & Santos, Adalberto J., 2018, Morphology and taxonomy of the orb-weaving spider genus Mecynogea, and a peculiar species of Argiope (Araneae, Araneidae), pp. 423-451 in Zootaxa 4415 (3) on pages 433-436, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4415.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/1242066, {"references":["Levi, H. W. (1997) The American orb weavers of the genera Mecynogea, Manogea, Kapogea and Cyrtophora (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 155, 215 - 255.","Archer, A. F. (1958) Studies in the orbweaving spiders (Argiopidae). 4. American Museum Novitates, 1922, 1 - 21.","Simon, E. (1903) Descriptions d'arachnides nouveaux. Annales de la Societe Entomologique de Belgique, 47, 21 - 39. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. part. 25299","Silva-Moreira, T., Baptista, R. L. C., Kury, A. B., Giupponi, A. P. L., Buckup, E. H. & Brescovit, A. D. (2010) Annotated check list of Arachnida type specimens deposited in the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro. II-Araneae. Zootaxa, 2588, 1 - 91.","Exline, H. (1949) Morphology, habits, and systematic position of Allepeira lemniscata (Walckenaer) (Araneida: Argiopidae, Allepeirinae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 41, 309 - 325. https: // doi. org / 10.1093 / aesa / 41.3.309","Levi, H. W. (1980) The orb-weaver genus Mecynogea, the subfamily Metinae and the genera Pachygnatha, Glenognatha and Azilia of the subfamily Tetragnathinae north of Mexico (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 149, 1 - 74.","Coddington, J. A. (1990) Ontogeny and homology in the male palpus of orb-weaving spiders and their relatives, with comments on phylogeny (Araneoclada: Araneoidea, Deinopoidea). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 496, 1 - 52. https: // doi. org / 10.5479 / si. 00810282.496","Holmberg, E. L. (1876) Aracnidos argentinos. Anales de Agricultura de la Republica Argentina, 4, 1 - 30."]}