Three new species of the genus Plato from caves in the states of Pará and Minas Gerais, Brazil, are described. P.
novalima
sp. n., from Minas Gerais, is the first record of the genus in the southeastern region of Brazil. P.
ferriferus
sp. n. and P.
striatus
sp. n., from Carajás, Pará, north of Brazil, are also described. The former is an extremely abundant species, whereas the latter has only one known male specimen. Cuacuba
gen. n. is proposed and represented by two new species, C.
mariana
sp. n. (type species) and C.
morrodopilar
sp. n., both from the state of Minas Gerais. Morphology of genitalia in Cuacuba
gen. n. is similar to other Theridiosomatidae genera and is herein discussed. None of the proposed species presents troglomorphic adaptations. They are widespread, abundant inside caves in different and large karst areas, and each genus prefers different lithologies.
The first two anophthalmic species of spiders of the genus Ochyrocera Simon, 1892, are described for caves located in the iron formation of Floresta Nacional (FLONA) de Carajás in southeastern Pará State, Brazil. The caves are located in the municipalities of Parauapebas and Canaã dos Carajás, in the eastern portion of the Amazon Forest domain. Ochyrocera ritxocosp. nov. and O. ritxoosp. nov. are described based on males and females. The species have similar body characteristics with the total absence of eyes and complete depigmentation, characteristics that indicate possible evolution in subterranean environments , and thus are classified as troglobites. Each species is associated with a single geomorphological unit (mountain range), with Ochyrocera ritxocosp. nov. being restricted to caves of Serra Norte (North Mountain) and O. ritxoosp. nov. to caves of Serra Sul (South Mountain). Both species were collected in aphotic zones of the caves. Small and tangled webs of O. ritxocosp. nov. were observed under blocks of stone in the soil or in cracks of the walls.
Three new species of the genus Misionella are described from Brazil: Misionella
carajas
sp. n. and Misionella
aikewara
sp. n. from caves in the states of Pará and Tocantins and Misionella
pallida
sp. n. from natural and synanthropic dry areas in the states of Piauí, Maranhão, Rio Grande do Norte and Bahia. These species seem to belong to a distinct group within the genus; the males have an elongate palpal tibia and bulb, a pair of characteristic and hirsute macrosetae in the second metatarsus and the females have internal genitalia with only one pair of spermathecae, with relatively short ducts, lacking the auxiliary receptacles. Their phylogenetic placement and geographic distribution are briefly discussed.
Seven new species of the spider genus Ochyrocera from cave areas in Floresta Nacional de Carajás (state of Pará, northern Brazil) are described: Ochyrocera
varys
sp. n., Ochyrocera
atlachnacha
sp. n., Ochyrocera
laracna
sp. n., Ochyrocera
aragogue
sp. n., Ochyrocera
misspider
sp. n., Ochyrocera
charlotte
sp. n., and Ochyrocera
ungoliant
sp. n. Two groups of the species are discussed, the quinquivittata group that include specimens with an apparently bifid retrolateral apophysis in the cymbium of the male palp and the arietina group, here proposed, that include those specimens with an entire cymbium, with no retrolateral apophysis, in the male palp. Although these species were abundant inside caves, the examined specimens do not have troglomorphic characteristics and can be classified as edaphic troglophile species, capable of completing its life cycle in soil, shallow subterranean habitats, or caves.
Seven new species of the spider genus Matta are described from caves in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil: M. zuiuda sp. n., Matta pititinha sp. n., Matta humhum sp. n., Matta cambito sp. n., Matta humrrum sp. n., Matta nuusga sp. n., and Matta teteia sp. n. Among these seven species, six have morphological features consistent with specialization to the subterranean environment and we hypothesize that they are troglobites. One species, Matta zuiuda sp. n., shares morphology similar to M. hambletoni Crosby and M. angelomachadoi Brescovit which are known from surface populations in the State of Minas Gerais.
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