Acanthoscurria armasi, Sherwood & Gabriel & Peñaherrera-R & García, 2025

Sherwood, Danniella, Gabriel, Ray, Peñaherrera-R, Pedro & García, Giraldo Alayón, 2025, A new species of Acanthoscurria Ausserer, 1871: proposal of the theraphosoides species-group and first published record of the genus from Colombia (Araneae: Theraphosidae), Zootaxa 5563 (1), pp. 237-254 : 240-246

Acanthoscurria armasi sp. nov.

( Figs 1–2 , 5A–B )

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( AMNH _ IZC00357351 ), Río Suarez , Colombia, 800–1000 m, 11–17 August 1946, en la selva.

Diagnosis. Acanthoscurria armasi sp. nov. ( Figs 1–2 , 5A – B ) is closely related to other species of the theraphosoides species-group ( A. insubtilis , Figs 3 , 5C–D , and A. theraphosoides , Figs 4 , 5E–F ). Males of A. armasi sp. nov. differ from A. theraphosoides by having a developed PS ( Fig. 1B , vs. Fig. 4B ), developed basal (disjunct) section of the first PAIK with more curvature ( Figs 1A–D vs. Figs 4A–D ), second PAIK ventrally positioned ( Figs 1A–D vs. Figs 4A–D ), first PAIK without weakly developed KA ( Fig. 1E vs. Fig. 4E ), and well-developed, straight, PA ( Figs 1A–B vs. Figs 4A–B ) (weakly developed PS, weakly developed basal (disjunct) section of the first PAIK, first PAIK with weakly developed KA and less curved, second PAIK prolaterally positioned, and developed, slightly upwardly-curved, PA in A. theraphosoides ). Acanthopalpus armasi sp. nov. can be distinguished from A. insubtilis by the absence of a PI ( Figs 1A–C vs. Figs 3A–C ), presence of a second PAIK ( Figs 1A–D vs. Figs 3A–D ), and SGA with oblique denticulate keels ( Figs 1A–E , 4A–B vs. Figs 3A–E , 5C–D ) (PI present, second PAIK absent, and SGA with longitudinal denticulate keels in A. insubtilis ); A. insubtilis further differs from both A. armasi sp. nov. and A. theraphosoides by the weakly-developed PA ( Figs 3A–B, D vs. Figs 1A–B, D and Figs 4A–B, D ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym in honour of our esteemed friend and colleague Luis F. de Armas (Fundación Ariguanabo, and Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, Cuba) in recognition of more than half a century of consistent research in arachnology, and to commemorate his 80 th birthday.

Description of holotype male. Total length including chelicerae: 38.3. Carapace: length 17.3, width 15.6 ( Fig. 2A ). Caput: slightly raised. Ocular tubercle: raised, length 1.7, width 2.7. Eyes: AME> ALE, ALE> PLE, PLE> PME, anterior eye row procurved, posterior row slightly recurved ( Fig. 2B ). Clypeus: narrow; clypeal fringe: long. Fovea: deep, transverse. Chelicera: length 5.9, width 3.3. Abdomen: length 15.1, width 9.6. Maxilla with 80–90 cuspules covering approximately 49% of the proximal edge; prolateral heel accentuated. Labium: length 1.6, width 2.0, with 70–80 cuspules most separated by 0.5–1.0 times the width of a single cuspule ( Fig. 2C ). Labiosternal mounds: separate. Sternum: length 7.2, width 4.6, with three pairs of sigilla. Tarsi I–IV fully scopulate. Metatarsal scopulae: I 78%; II 78%; III 45%; IV 27%. Lengths of legs and palpal segments: see table 1, legs 4,1,2,3. Spination: femur II d 0–0–1, III d 0–1–0, IV d 0–0–1, tibia II v 1–0–2, III v 0–0–2, IV d 2–0–2, v 2–2–4, metatarsus I v 0–0–1 (apical), II v 0–0–3 (apical), III d 2–2–2, v 1–0–3 (apical), IV d 2–0–2–, v 3–4–6 (3 apical). Tibia I with single branched apophysis ( Figs 1F–H ). Femur III: slightly incrassate. Palpal tibia: strongly incrassate, with elongate and forward-pointing digitiform retrolateral apophysis present ( Figs 1I–J ). Metatarsus I: slightly curved [inwards]. Posterior lateral spinnerets with three segments, basal 2.2, median 1.4, digitiform apical 2.4. Posterior median spinnerets with one segment. Palpal bulb with digitiform and well-developed TA; medially enlarged embolus, apically tapering; PS developed and restricted to basal section of embolus; first PAIK keel developed and disjunct with developed basal section; second PAIK keel weakly developed and ventrally positioned; A keel weakly developed; PA well-developed; SGA composed by five oblique denticulate keels; PI, RS, and RI keels absent ( Figs 1A–E ). Urticating setae: Type I present dorsally. Stridulation organ with stridulatory setae present on retrolateral and prolateral faces of the trochanter and coxae of the palp and leg I. Colour: alcohol preserved brown ( Fig. 2D ).

Distribution ( Figs 9–10 ). Acanthoscurria armasi sp. nov. is only know from its type locality (see Remarks), lower basin area of the Hoya del Río Suarez, northwestern region of the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia, in the Magdalena biogeographical province of Colombia (Santander department).

Remarks. According to the specimen label, the only geographical information on this specimen is that it was collected, in 1946, somewhere along a forest near the Río Suarez at an altitude of approximately 800–1000 m. This would at first glance represent somewhat a wide locality as this river extends throughout the Santander and Boyacá departments. However, the altitudinal range indicate with certainty that it was collected in the Santander department as this contains the only section of the Suarez River basin within this altitudinal range. In this respect we consider the following coordinates, 6.3623844 -73.3434797, as a midpoint where this species could be found within a radius of approximately 3 km from the river and an extension of 4 km to the north and south following the river, covering the provided altitudinal range.

(2000).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Acanthoscurria armasi sp. nov. holotype male (AMNH_IZC00357351). A–E palpal bulb (left-hand side), F–H tibial apophysis (left-hand side), I–J palpal tibia (left-hand side). A. Prolateral view. B. Retrolateral view. C. Dorsal view. D. Ventral view. E. Apical view (green highlight = SGA keels; yellow highlight = second PAIK). F. Prolateral view. G. Dorsal view. H. Apical view. I. Dorsal view. J. Retrolateral view. Scale bars = 1mm.

FIGURE 2. Acanthoscurria armasi sp. nov. holotype male (AMNH_IZC00357351). A cephalothorax, dorsal view, B ocular tubercle, dorsal view, C labium, ventral view, D habitus in dorsal view, with data labels and scale bar.

FIGURE 3. Acanthoscurria insubtilis Simon, 1892 holotype male (MNHN AR 4784). A–E palpal bulb (left-hand side), F–H tibial apophysis (left-hand side), I–J palpal tibia (left-hand side). A. Prolateral view. B. Retrolateral view. C. Dorsal view. D. Ventral view. E. Apical view (green highlight = SGA keels). F. Prolateral view. G. Dorsal view. H. Apical view. I. Dorsal view. J. Retrolateral view. Scale bars = 1mm.

FIGURE 4. Acanthoscurria theraphosoides (Doleschall in Ausserer, 1871) holotype male of Acanthoscurria ferina Simon, 1892 (MNHN AR 1056). A–E palpal bulb (left-hand side), F–H tibial apophysis (left-hand side), I–J palpal tibia (left-hand side). A. Prolateral view. B. Retrolateral view. C. Dorsal view. D. Ventral view. E. Apical view (green highlight = SGA keels; yellow highlight = second PAIK). F. Prolateral view. G. Dorsal view. H. Apical view. I. Dorsal view. J. Retrolateral view. Scale bars = 1mm.

FIGURE 5. Close-up views of the SGA in known taxa of the theraphosoides species-group. A–B Acanthoscurria armasi sp. nov. holotype male (AMNH_IZC00357351), C–D Acanthoscurria insubtilis Simon, 1892 holotype male (MNHN AR 4784), E– F Acanthoscurria farina Simon, 1892 [= Acanthoscurria theraphosoides Doleschall in Ausserer, 1871] holotype male (MNHN AR 1056). A, C, E apical view; B, D, F ventral view. Scale bars = 0.1mm.

FIGURE 9. Distribution of the theraphosoides species-group. Legend: green = A. armasi sp. nov., red = A. insubtilis, blue = A. theraphosoides.

FIGURE 10. Distribution of the theraphosoides species-group overlain with biogeographical rationalisation of Morrone et al. (2022). Legend: green = Acanthoscurria armasi sp. nov., red = A. insubtilis, blue = A. theraphosoides.