Physocyclus pocamadre, Nolasco & Valdez-Mondragón, 2022

Nolasco, Garduño & Valdez-Mondragón, Alejandro, 2022, Four new species of the spider genus Physocyclus Simon, 1893 (Araneae: Pholcidae) from Mexico, with updated taxonomic identification keys, European Journal of Taxonomy 813, pp. 173-206 : 201-204

Physocyclus pocamadre sp. nov. Valdez-Mondragón & Nolasco

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C1CAEA70-9477-4C27-BB99-41ED86B39D3B

Figs 64–69

Differential diagnosis

Females of Physocyclus pocamadre sp. nov. resemble those of P. xerophilus by shape and size of VAE. In P. pocamadre sp. nov. (1) VAE slightly elongated, in parallel position ( Fig. 67–68 ); (2) epigynum longer than wide ( Fig. 67 ); (3) lateral constrictions of epigynum absent; (4) PP elongated, thin, without bag-shaped structures below ( Fig. 69 ).

Etymology

The species name is a noun in apposition, from the Mexican slang words “poca madre”, which mean something cool or something nice.

Material examined

Holotype MEXICO • ♀; Baja California Sur, Municipality of La Paz, cave close to the beach “El Tecolote ”, highway La Paz – El Tecolote; 24.3330°N, − 110.3127°W; 4 m a.s.l.; 7 Aug. 2019; A. Valdez, P. Solís, A. Cabrera and D. Montiel leg.; daytime collection; CNAN-T01479 .

Paratypes MEXICO • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; CNAN-T01480 . • 1 ♀; Baja California, Municipality of Ensenada, beach “Punta San Francisquito ”, San Francisquito Bay ; 28.4089° N, 112.8581°W; 4 m a.s.l.; 23 Jul. 2019; A. Valdez, P. Solís, A. Cabrera and D. Montiel leg.; nighttime collection; CNAN-T01481 .

Description

Female (holotype, CNAN-T01479)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 3.2. Carapace 1.4 long, 1.5 wide. Clypeus 0.3. Diameter AME 0.07, ALE 0.11, PME 0.11, PLE 0.12. Distance ALE-PME 0.05, PME-PME 0.13. Leg lengths: I (total 18.2): femur 5.4/patella 0.6/tibia 5.8/metatarsus 5.2/tarsus 1.2; tibia II: 4.3; tibia III: 3.3; tibia IV: 4.4; tibia I L/d: 41.1.

PROSOMA. Carapace beige color, with a Y-shaped pale brown pattern around fovea and posterior part of ocular region ( Figs 64–65 ). Carapace with a dorsal protuberance in posterior part (red arrow on Fig. 64 ). Fovea longitudinal. Clypeus without marks, entirely pale beige. Chelicerae with light brown coloration, without stridulatory files ( Fig. 65 ). Sternum pale brown. Labium and endites dark brown, both wider than long ( Fig. 66 ).

LEGS. All segments with beige coloration. Tibiae and femora with light gray rings distally. Trochanters light beige, with a notch distally ( Figs 64–66 ).

OPISTHOSOMA. Longer than wide, with a dorsal patch located in anterior part (blue arrow on Fig. 64 ). This structure might be functional, together with dorsal protuberance of carapace ( Fig. 64 ).

EPIGYNUM. Longer than wide, with VAE small, semi-conical, pointing forward ( Figs 67–68 ). VAE darker than rest of epigynum ( Fig. 67 ). PP thin and markedly long ( Fig. 69 ). Sclerotized arc of uterus thin ( Fig. 69 ).

Male

Unknown.

Variation

Females

Females paratypes smaller than female holotype. One of them has a pale beige coloration and the pattern of the body has a light gray coloration, whereas the other female has a similar color as the female holotype. (N =2): female 1: tibia I: 5.3; tibia II: 3.9; tibia III: 2.9; tibia IV: 3.9. Female 2: tibia I: missing; tibia II: 3.6; tibia III: 2.7; tibia IV: 3.8. The ring coloration of tibiae and femora are light beige, barely visible. The pattern on carapace is slightly dark. (N =1): tibia I: 7.8; tibia II: 5.6; tibia III: 3.8; tibia IV: 5.4.

Natural history

The specimens were collected on their sheet webs among and under large boulders on the ground at both localities, close to the beaches “El Tecolote” and “Punta San Francisquito” ( Figs 76–77 ). The vegetation type of both localities is dry xerophilous scrub, with cacti and scrubby vegetation ( Figs 76–77 ). The specimens collected close to the beach “El Tecolote” were collected on their sheet webs among and under large boulders on the ground, and on walls of the cave, which is a concavity on a big wall.

Distribution

Mexico: Baja California and Baja California Sur ( Fig. 78 ).

Figures

Figs 64–69. Physocyclus pocamadre sp. nov. Female (holotype). 64–66. Habitus in dorsal, lateral and ventral views, respectively (red and blue arrows indicate the dorsal protuberance on carapace and dorsal patch on opisthosoma). 67–69. Epigynum in ventral, lateral and dorsal views, respectively. Scale bars: 64–66 = 1 mm; 67–69 = 0.5 mm.

Figs 74–77. Habitat and microhabitat of Physocyclys lyncis sp. nov. (74–75) and Physocyclus pocamadre sp. nov. (76–77). 74. Pine-oak forest, predominant vegetation in the Ejido La Primavera, Ecotourist Park, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. 75. “Cueva del Lince” (type locality), inside of the Ejido la Primavera, Ecotourist Park, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. 76. Habitat close to the beach “El Tecolote”, La Paz, Baja California Sur. 77. Xerophytic scrub, close to the beach “Punta San Francisquito” (type locality), Baja California.

Fig. 78. Known records of Physocyclus mariachi sp. nov., P. sikuapu sp. nov., P. lyncis sp. nov., and P. pocamadre sp. nov. from Western Mexico. Abbreviations: BC = Baja California; BCS = Baja California Sur; COL = Colima; DGO = Durango; GRO = Guerrero; JAL = Jalisco; MICH = Michoacan; NAY = Nayarit; SIN = Sinaloa; SON = Sonora.