Paroecobius rico, Magalhães & Santos, 2018

Magalhães, Mayara D. F. & Santos, Adalberto J., 2018, The spider family Oecobiidae in Madagascar, including four new species and a new record, Zootaxa 4527 (1), pp. 37-48 : 42

Paroecobius rico sp. nov.

( Figs 3 A–B, 6)

Etymology. The specific name refers to the character Rico, from the American 3D, computer-animated comedy film “Penguins of Madagascar ”.

Type material. Female holotype (CASENT 9014210) from Madagascar: Toliara, Forêt de Mahavelo, Isantoria River (24°45’S 46°9’E), 28 January–1 February 2002, B.L. Fisher et al. leg. (BLF5239).

Diagnosis. The females of Paroecobius rico differ from all the species of the genus by the epigynum more sclerotized and by the elongated copulatory openings and hood ( Fig. 3 A–B).

Description. Male. Unknown.

Female (holotype). Carapace pale yellow, darker on the margins and suffused in dark gray. Anterior median eyes the largest, dark, surrounded by a black ring, remaining eyes translucent. Clypeal projection evenly rounded, with dark gray spots. Chelicerae, labium, endites, and sternum homogeneously pale yellow. Pedipalp and legs pale yellow. Opisthosoma dorsally and ventrally pale yellow, dorsum with anterior black spots and dark gray, longitudinal and transverse stripes. Spinnerets pale yellow, darker apically. Spermathecae presents an internal glandular chamber. The epigynum is covered with copulatory plugs, which obscures the boundary of the copulatory openings ( Fig. 3A ). Copulatory ducts are connected at the base of the spermathecae ( Fig. 3B ). The fertilization ducts seem to be connected inside of a little pocket in the spermatheca ( Fig. 3B ). Total length 1.47. Carapace 0.48 long, 0.53 wide. Tibia I length 0.28, II 0.28, III 0.25, IV 0.28. Opisthosoma 0.99 long, 0.76 wide.

Natural history. There is no information on the habitat or habits of this species. However, the copulatory openings of the female holotype are filled with a hard substance, which is consistent with a copulatory plug deposited by the male after copulation (see Uhl et al. 2010).

Distribution. Madagascar, province of Toliara ( Fig. 6 ).

Additional material examined. None, known only from the type material.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Paroecobius spp. A–B, Paroecobius rico sp. nov., female epigynum (CASENT 9014210). A, ventral view. B, dorsal, cleared. The dashed line on the right of the spermatheca represents a reconstruction of this structure, which has been damaged during the manipulation. C–D, Paroecobius private sp. nov., female epigynum (CASENT 9013402). C, ventral view. D, dorsal, cleared. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: CD, copulatory duct; CO, copulatory openings; FD, fertilization ducts; Gl, internal glandular chamber; H, hood; UE, uterus externus. Arrows: copulatory openings.

FIGURE 6. Geographic distribution records of Oecobius Lucas, 1846 in Madagascar (red) and Paroecobius Lamoral, 1981 (yellow) in the Afrotropical region. Red circle: Oecobius marathaus Tikader, 1962; red squares: Oecobius kowalskii sp. nov.; yellow square: Paroecobius private sp. nov.; yellow triangle: Paroecobius rico sp. nov.; yellow circles: Paroecobius skipper sp. nov.; yellow diamond: Paroecobius wilmotae Lamoral, 1981; yellow cross: Paroecobius nicolaii Wunderlich, 1995. Geographic coordinates for continental African Paroecobius were obtained from Wunderlich (1995) and from Google Earth, for P. nicolaii and P. wilmotae respectively.