Canaima perlonga Huber, 2020

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 20-21

Canaima perlonga Huber sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4CD21277-92EC-47AC-95AC-03FC3D2462A3

Figs 58–61 , 72–74 , 1034

Diagnosis

Distinguished from congeners by armature of male chelicerae ( Fig. 60 ; pair of short frontal apophyses, similar to C. merida Huber, 2000 ), by shape of procursus ( Fig. 59 ; distinctive bifid tip), and by internal female genitalia ( Figs 61 , 74 ): pore plates close together; with large and complex anterior median receptacle; tongue-shaped posterior membranous process (arrow in Fig. 61 ; similar to C. loca Huber sp. nov.); note that female of C. merida is unknown.

Etymology

The species name (Latin: laborious, painful, cumbersome) refers to the difficulty we had finding this tiny spider; adjective.

Type material

VENEZUELA – Lara • ♂ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 21825), Yacambú National Park, along Sendero Ecológico (9.710° N, 69.578–69.582° W), ~ 1550 m a.s.l., 15–16 Dec. 2002 (B.A. Huber, A. Pérez González) .

Other material examined

VENEZUELA – Lara • 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 21826), same collection data as for holotype .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 1.35, carapace width 0.65. Distance PME–PME 45 µm; diameter PME 60 µm; distance PME–ALE 45 µm; AME absent. Leg 1: 6.80 (1.65+0.20 + 1.75 +2.40 +0.80), tibia 2: 1.00, tibia 3: 0.80, tibia 4: 1.15; tibia 1 L/d: 35.

COLOR (in ethanol). Prosoma and legs ochre-yellow, carapace with thin median dark line; legs without dark rings; abdomen pale greenish gray, dorsally and laterally densely covered with dark bluish marks. BODY. Habitus similar to C. loca Huber sp. nov. (cf. Fig. 50 ). Ocular area slightly raised. Carapace with distinct thoracic groove. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (0.45/0.35), with pair of anterior humps. Abdomen oval.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 60 , with very short entapophyses and pair of simple frontal apophyses.

PALPS. As in Figs 58–59 ; coxa with distinct retrolateral apophysis, trochanter with small ventral process, femur proximally with retrolateral-ventral process, distally with retrolateral ventral apophysis (arrow in Fig. 59 ) and smaller prolateral ventral hump; tibia very short, dorsally rounded, not angular; procursus distally bifid; genital bulb with large process distally provided with weakly sclerotized pointed elements.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; with higher than usual density of vertical hairs on tibiae; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 23%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~12 pseudosegments, distally fairly distinct.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in two other males: 1.85, 2.00.

Female

In general similar to male but without humps on sternum, with usual low number of vertical hairs on tibiae. Tibia 1 in two females: 1.40, 1.45. Epigynum ( Fig. 72 ) light brown anterior plate apparently divided into anterior and posterior parts, with short tongue-shaped posterior process (arrow in Fig. 61 ; internal?), large posterior plate light brown. Internal genitalia ( Figs 61 , 74 ) with pore plates close together; with large and complex anterior median receptacle.

Distribution

Known from type locality only, in Venezuela , Lara (Fig. 1034).

Natural history

The spiders were found under decaying logs and dead leaves on the ground.

Figures

Figs 58–61. Canaima perlonga Huber sp. nov.; from Lara, Yacambú National Park (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21826). 58–59. Left male pedipalp, prolateral and retrolateral views (arrow: ventral femur apophysis). 60. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 61. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view (arrow: tongueshaped posterior process). Abbreviations: p=procursus; r= receptacle. Scale lines: 0.2 mm.

Figs 72–80. Canaima Huber, 2000, epigyna, ventral views and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. 72–74. C. perlonga Huber sp. nov.; from Lara, Yacambú National Park (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21826). 75–77. C. loca Huber sp. nov.; from Trujillo, Laguna Negra (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21828). 78–80. C. zerpa Huber sp. nov.; from Mérida, Monte Zerpa (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21830).

Figs 50–57. Canaima Huber, 2000, live specimens. 50–51. C. loca Huber sp. nov., male and female with egg sac from Trujillo, Laguna Negra. 52–53. C. avila Huber sp. nov., male and female with egg sac from Miranda, El Ávila National Park. 54–55. C. guaquira Huber sp. nov., male and female with egg sac from Yaracuy, Guaquira. 56–57. C. guaraque Huber sp. nov.; males from Mérida, between Tovar and Guaraque.