Sparianthina deltshevi, Jaeger & Rheims & Labarque, 2009

Jaeger, Peter, Rheims, Cristina & Labarque, Facundo, 2009, On the huntsman spider genera Sparianthina Banks, 1929 and Anaptomecus Simon, 1903 from South and Central America (Araneae, Sparassidae), ZooKeys 16 (16), pp. 115-147 : 132-133

Sparianthina deltshevi sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2F3915EA-4B34-4A26-BBDF-AC30A4B2D89D

Figs 68-70 , 78

Types. ♁ holotype from Venezuela, Merida, ULA Biological Reserve , 20 km SE Azulita [08°17’N, 72°05’W], 28.VI.–3.VIII.1989, S. and J. Peck ( AMNH). Paratypes: 2 ♁♁, same data as for holotype ( AMNH; IBSP 99859 ) .

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Christo Deltshev on occasion of his 70 th birthday for his various contributions to the field of arachnology especially of the Balkan Peninsula; name in genitive case.

Diagnosis. The males of Sparianthina deltshevi sp. n. are distinguished from those of the remaining species of the genus by the RTA with a slightly cylindrical dorsal branch and a smaller and distally bent ventral branch ( Figs 69-70 ). It resembles Sparianthina adisi sp. n. by the presence of a long and slender projection at the retrolateral base of the embolus but is distinguished from this species by exhibiting a much thicker projection.

Description. Male (AMNH, holotype). Total length 8.0. Prosoma: 3.4 long, 3.1 wide. Opisthosoma: 4.4 long, 2.4 wide. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.18, ALE 0.26, PME 0.22, PLE 0.28, AME–AME 0.12, AME–ALE 0.04, PME–PME 0.24, PME–PLE 0.24, AME–PME 0.28, ALE–PLE 0.24. Legs: I: femur 4.7, patella 1.7, tibia 5.0, metatarsus 4.4, tarsus 1.7, total 17.5; II: 5.2, 1.7, 5.3, 4.8, 1.8, 18.8; III: 4.3, 1.5, 4.0, 3.8, 1.4, 15.0; IV: 4.8, 1.4, 4.6, 4.9, 1.7, 17.4. Spination femur I–III: p1-1-1; d0-1-1; r1-1-1; femur IV: p1-1-1; d0-1-1; r0-0-1; tibia I: v2-2-2-2-0; tibia II: d0-0-1; v2-2-2-2-0; tibia III: p1-0-1; d0-0-1; r1-0-1; v2-2-0; tibia IV: p1-0-1; d1-0-1; r1-0-1; v2-2-0; metatarsus I–II: v2-2-0; metatarsus III: p1-1-0; r1-1-0; v2-2-0; metatarsus IV: p1-1-2; r1-1-2; v2-2-0.

Palp as in diagnosis. Embolus and conductor arising from tegulum at a 9-o’clockposition. Sperm duct running marginally with a small bend retrolaterally ( Fig. 69 ).

Colouration. Prosoma brownish-orange, slightly darker along fovea and thoracic striae. Clypeus slightly lighter than prosoma. Chelicerae orange. Legs and pedipalps orange with light brown markings at spine bases. Labium and gnathocoxae orange, distally lighter. Sternum pale yellow with orange margins. Opisthosoma brownish-grey ( Fig. 78 ).

Female unknown.

Variation. Males (n=3): Total length 7.5-8.2; prosoma 3.4-3.7; femur I 4.7-5.5.

Distribution. North-western Venezuela, state of Merida.

Figures

Figures 68-70. Sparianthina deltshevi sp. n. from Venezuela (♁ holotype). 68-70 Left ♁ palp (68 prolateral 69 ventral 70 retrolateral).

Figures 74-79. Sparianthina spp., habitus, dorsal. 74-75 S. selenopoides (74 ♁ 75 ♀) 76 S. milleri comb. n., ♁ 77 S. adisi sp. n., ♁ 78 S. deltshevi sp. n., ♁ 79 S. saaristoi sp. n., ♁.