Mecolaesthus mucuy Huber, 2000

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 79-82

Mecolaesthus mucuy Huber, 2000

Figs 216–217 , 238–244 , 251–253, 256 , 1042

Mecolaesthus mucuy Huber, 2000: 258 , figs 1024–1033 (♂).

Diagnosis (amendments; see Huber 2000)

Females are easily distinguished from most known congeners by strongly protruding epigynum only medially sclerotized, laterally whitish ( Figs 251, 256 ). Note, however, that the female of M. azulita Huber, 2000 is unknown.

New records

VENEZUELA – Mérida • 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 21884–85), and 2 ♀♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven18- 223), Mucuy , along Laguna El Suero trail (between 8.629° N, 71.039° W and 8.623° N, 71.034° W), 2500–2690 m a.s.l., 24 Nov. 2018 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.) • 1 ♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven18- 232), Monte Zerpa , forest above La Hechicera (8.634° N, 71.163° W – 8.639° N, 71.167° W), 2050– 2180 m a.s.l., 26 Nov. 2018 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M., N.A. Sánchez G.) .

Redescription of male (amendments; see Huber 2000)

Habitus as in Fig. 216 . Eye measurements (male from Mucuy): distance PME–PME 120 µm; diameter PME 130 µm; distance PME–ALE 120 µm; distance AME–AME 15 µm; diameter AME 30 µm. Carapace mostly pale ochre-gray, anteriorly brown, ocular area and clypeus also brown; sternum brown; abdomen pale bluish gray, with dark bluish marks dorsally and laterally, lung plates brown, large dark gray mark at gonopore area and dark bluish median mark behind gonopore. Thoracic furrow shallow but distinct; carapace slightly inflated posteriorly. Prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1. Procursus and genital bulb as in Figs 238–243 . Tibia 1 in nine males (including the five males measured in Huber 2000): 4.7–5.6 (mean 5.3).

Description of female

Females in general similar to males ( Fig. 217 ). Epigynum ( Figs 251, 256 ) strongly protruding, laterally whitish, medially brown band widening anteriorly. Internal genitalia ( Figs 244 , 252–253 ) with distinctive anterior arc, oval receptacle between arc and ventral external body wall; pore plates converging and contiguous anteriorly. Tibia 1 in five females: 3.9–4.3 (mean 4.1).

Distribution

Known from two neighboring localities in the Venezuelan state Mérida (Fig. 1042), between about 2050 and 2690 m a.s.l.

Natural history

This species occurs in close proximity to several very similar and putatively closely related species, i.e., M. tabay , M. peckorum , and M. cornutus . In the field there were sometimes no obvious microhabitat differences among these species (e.g., in Monte Zerpa): all seemed to live in very similar sheltered spaces close to the ground. In Mucuy, different species of Mecolaesthus seemed to prefer slightly different microhabitats and/or different altitudes (see under M. cornutus above).

Figures

Figs 212–219. Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893; live specimens. 212–214. M. cornutus Huber, 2000; male from Mérida, Mucuy, female with egg sac from Mérida, Escaguey. 215. M. cordiformis (González- Sponga, 2009); male from Mérida, forest near La Carbonera. 216–217. M. mucuy Huber, 2000; male and female from Mérida, Mucuy. 218–219. M. tabay Huber, 2000; male and female from Mérida, El Valle.

Figs 238–244. Mecolaesthus mucuy Huber, 2000; from Mérida, Mucuy (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21884– 85). 238–240. Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 241–243. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 244. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

Figs 245–256. Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893; epigyna, ventral and lateral views and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. 245–247, 254. M. cornutus Huber, 2000; from Mérida, El Valle (ZFMK Ar 21872). 248–250, 255. M. peckorum Huber, 2000; from Mérida, Monte Zerpa (ZFMK Ar 21879). 251–253, 256. M. mucuy Huber, 2000; from Mérida, Mucuy (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21885).