Canaima avila Huber, 2020

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 29-31

Canaima avila Huber sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EF382001-C5C1-47E8-9679-E75E4C6F82A5

Figs 52–53 , 81–84 , 93–95 , 1034

Diagnosis

Distinguished from known congeners by armature of male chelicerae ( Fig. 83 ; distinctive pair of distal processes and pair of low frontal humps), by shape of procursus ( Fig. 82 ; distinctive subdistal dorsal widening – arrow in Fig. 82 ), by strongly banded legs ( Figs 52–53 ; femora with 3–4 dark rings), and by external and internal female genitalia ( Figs 84 , 93 ): strong lateral sclerites, small median sclerite; pair of internal anterior pockets/folds; elongate transversal pore plates close together; note that female of C. merida Huber, 2000 is unknown.

Etymology

The species name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.

Type material

VENEZUELA – Miranda • ♂ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 21832), El Ávila National Park , near La Julia, ‘site 2’ (10.5037° N, 66.8107° W), 1060 m a.s.l., dry forest, 22–23 Feb. 2020 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.) .

Other material examined

VENEZUELA – Miranda • 4 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 21833), and 8 ♀♀, 7 juvs in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven20-179), same collection data as for holotype .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 1.25, carapace width 0.60. Distance PME–PME 50 µm; diameter PME 60 µm; distance PME–ALE 30 µm; AME absent. Leg 1: 10.9 (2.8 +0.2+2.8 +4.3+ 0.8), tibia 2: 1.6, tibia 3: 1.1, tibia 4: 1.3; tibia 1 L/d: 56.

COLOR (in ethanol). Prosoma and legs pale ochre-yellow, carapace and clypeus medially darker, legs with indistinct dark rings on femora (three) and tibiae (two); abdomen pale gray, dorsally light brown with large dark marks.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 52 . Ocular area moderately raised. Carapace with distinct thoracic groove. Clypeus unmodified but slightly more protruding than in female. Sternum wider than long (0.44/0.32), with pair of small but distinct anterior processes. Abdomen globular.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 83 , with distinctive pair of distal processes overhanging fangs and pair of low, light frontal humps.

PALPS. As in Figs 81–82 ; coxa with distinct retrolateral-ventral apophysis, trochanter barely modified, femur proximally with light retrolateral process, distally with small ventral process; procursus with distinctive subdistal dorsal widening (arrow in Fig. 82 ); genital bulb with complex distal process.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; with higher than usual density of vertical hairs on tibiae (apparently only dorsally); retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 11%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~13 pseudosegments.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in five males (incl. holotype): 2.7–2.9 (mean 2.8). Female

In general similar to male ( Fig. 53 ) but without humps on sternum, clypeus less protruding, few vertical hairs on leg tibiae, sternum anteriorly laterally light brown, rings on legs more distinct, femora with four rings. Tibia 1 in five females: 1.9–2.2 (mean 2.02). Epigynum ( Fig. 93 ) barely protruding, anterior plate with strong lateral sclerites, medially whitish with small light brown sclerite; large light brown posterior plate. Internal genitalia ( Figs 84 , 94–95 ) with elongate transversal pore plates close together and pair of unsclerotized internal anterior pockets/folds (arrows in Fig. 84 ); large median transparent receptacle.

Distribution

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

Natural history

Most specimens were collected in masses of dead leaves and other debris suspended among lianas and other vegetation ~ 1–2 m above the ground.

Figures

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.

Figs 81–84. Canaima avila Huber sp. nov.; from Miranda, El Ávila National Park (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21833). 81–82. Left male pedipalp, prolateral and retrolateral views (arrow: distinctive dorsal widening of procursus). 83. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 84. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view (arrows: anterior pockets/folds). Scale lines: 0.2 mm.

Figs 93–101. Canaima Huber, 2000, epigyna, ventral views, and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. 93–95. C. avila Huber sp. nov.; from Miranda, El Ávila National Park (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21833). 96–98. C. guaquira Huber sp. nov.; from Yaracuy, Guaquira (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21835). 99–101. C. guaraque Huber sp. nov.; from Mérida, between Tovar and Guaraque (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21838).