Nesticus salta, Torres & Pardo & González-Reyes & Rodriguez-Artigas & Corronca, 2016

Torres, Víctor Manuel, Pardo, Paolo Luciano, González-Reyes, Andrea Ximena, Rodriguez-Artigas, Sandra Mónica & Corronca, José Antonio, 2016, Contributions on the spider families Nesticidae and Pholcidae (Araneae) from Argentina, Turkish Journal of Zoology 40 (1), pp. 6-13 : 7-8

Nesticus salta sp. nov.

Figures 1–6

Type material. Male holotype ( FML 02173 ), Castellanos , Provincial Route 28, 2 km W of north of Salta city (24°43ʹ2.4ʺS, 65°26ʹ2.4ʺW, 1286 m a.s.l.), Capital Department, Salta Province, Argentina, 03.XI.2006, IEBI Team Cols .

Etymology. The noun in apposition was taken from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Males of Nesticus salta sp. nov. can be recognized by: the shape of the two-branched paracymbium showing a translucent membrane between them, the ventral process of the paracymbium is slender and hook-shaped, while the dorsal one is larger, with a keel and blunt ending ( Figures 1 and 2 ); the great conductor with an slender base arising from the center of the bulb ( Figure 1 ) continuing in a very deep concave medial and distal portion ending in a three-lobulated border ( Figures 1 and 3 ) (prolateral lobe subrectangular, the middle one small with a sharp small tip, and retrolateral rounded); and the presence of a quadrangular suprategular process ( Figure 2 ). Males of N. salta sp. nov. resemble those of N. ivone Faliero and Santos, 2011 and N. brignolii by the presence of a tegulum wider than the cymbium, but differ from them by the shape of the suprategular process and the conductor. Furthermore, the absence of a median process in the paracymbium and hook-shaped paracymbium processes distinguish the males of N. salta sp. nov. from those of the former and latter species, respectively.

Male holotype. Description. Carapace yellow-brown, with margins slightly darkened and inconspicuous fovea ( Figure 4 ). Chelicerae, endites, and labium yellowish; sternum yellowish slightly dotted by dark points, margins darker; black circle around eyes ( Figures 4 and 5 ); legs yellowish. Opisthosoma rounded, dorsal color pattern with light brown spots as in Figure 4 . All tegument with microsetae. Measurements. Total length 1.3. Carapace 0.75 long, 0.65 wide, 0.18 high. Clypeus 0.15 high. Chelicerae 0.20 long, 0.15 wide. Endites 0.18 long, 0.18 wide. Labium 0.13 long, 0.15 wide. Sternum 0.50 long, 0.45 wide. Eyes diameter and interdistances: AME 0.04, ALE 0.08, PME 0.08, PLE 0.08, AME–AME, AME–ALE, and PME–PLE 0.01, PME–PME 0.05. MOQ 0.13 long, on both, dorsal and frontal view, 0.15 anterior wide and 0.10 posterior wide. Opisthosoma 0.55 long, 0.45 wide, 0.56 high. Legs: I. femur 0.80, patella 0.30, tibia 0.78, metatarsus 0.63, tarsus 0.45, total 2.96; II. 0.56, 0.30, 0.56, 0.46, 0.38, 2.26; III. 0.48, 0.43, 0.40, 0.35, 0.35, 2.01; IV. 0.43, 0.33, 0.80, 0.56, 0.45, 2.57. Palpus. 0.35, 0.10, 0.13, 0.30, 0.88. Note: first right leg missing.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Figure 6 ).

Figures

Figure 6.Geographic distribution of Nesticus salta sp. nov., Guaranita dobby sp. nov., and G. yaculica Huber, 2000.

Figures 1‒5. Nesticus salta sp. nov.: male holotype: 1. left palpus, ventral view; 2. retrolateral view; 3. prolateral view; 4. prosoma, frontal view; 5. habitus, dorsal view.Scale bars: 1‒3 = 0.10 mm; 4‒5 = 0.20 mm. Abbreviations. (C) Conductor, (CB) Conductor basal portion, (CD) Conductor distal portion, (DP) Paracymbium dorsal process, (E) Embolus, (P) Paracymbium, (SPT) Suprategulum, (STP) Suprategular process, (T) Tegulum, (VP) Paracymbium ventral process.