Acanthoctenus alux, Arizala & Labarque & Polotow, 2021

Arizala, Stephany, Labarque, Facundo Martín & Polotow, Daniele, 2021, Revision of the Neotropical spider genus Acanthoctenus (Araneae: Ctenidae Acanthocteninae), Zootaxa 4920 (1), pp. 1-55 : 37-39

Acanthoctenus alux sp. nov.

Figs 10A , 35–37

Acanthoctenus spinigerus —F.O Pickard-Cambridge 1902: 356, plate 33, fig. 12 (misidentification).— World Spider Catalog 2020.

Acanthoctenus spiniger — Lehtinen 1967: 208, figs 414, 420 (misidentification).— World Spider Catalog 2020.

Acanthoctenus spinipes —F.O Pickard-Cambridge, 1902: 356, plate 33, fig. 15 (misidentification).— World Spider Catalog 2020.

Type material. Female holotype from Guatemala, 1930, Peckham coll., deposited in MNHN AR222 ; female paratype from Sabanetas, near Barberena [14°17’38.3”N, 90°17’22.1”W], Santa Rosa Department, Guatemala, deposited in MCZ .

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Maya word Alux and means “sprite” or “spirit” in the Mayan mythological tradition, generally associated with natural features such as forests.

Diagnosis. Females of Acanthoctenus alux ( Figs 35 , 36D , 37 ) resemble those of A. virginea stat. res., comb. nov. ( Figs 32 C–D, 33C–D) by the median sector subpentagonal, and the lateral sectors’ anterior border straight, forming a 60° angle with the median sector’s longitudinal axis. It can be distinguished by the atrium subtriangular, and the copulatory ducts relatively smaller. A. virginea stat. res., comb. nov. presents a suboval, slightly sclerotized atrium, and relatively longer copulatory ducts.

Description. Male. Unknown.

Female (holotype MNHN AR222). Total length 10.94. Carapace 4.26 long, 4.33 wide. Clypeus 0.20 high. Eye diameters: AME 0.28, ALE 0.18, PME 0.37, PLE 0.39 Leg measurements: I: missing; II: femur 5.06/ patella 2.41/ tibia 5.68/ metatarsus 3.78/ tarsus 1.36/ total 18.29; III: 4.10/ 1.80/4.12/ 3.40/ 1.51/ 14.93; IV: 5.78/ 2.12/ 5.74/ 7.41/ 2.23/ 23.28. Leg spination: I absent, tibia II v-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2, p-1-1-0-1-1, r-1-0-1-1-1, III and IV v-2-2-2, p-1-1, r-1-1; metatarsus II v-2-2-2-2-2, p-1-1, r-1 III v-2-2-2, p-1-1-1, r 1-1-1, IV v-1-1-1-1-1, p-1-1-1, r-1-1-1. Epigynum ( Figs 35 A–B, 36D, 37A–B): median sector subpentagonal, short, wide anteriorly extending into the atrium, projected posteriorly; anterior border of the lateral sectors straight; atrium subtriangular; copulatory ducts S-shaped, small; spermathecae head quote-shaped, with apical glandular openings, spermathecae base curled; fertilization ducts tubular, slanting outwards.

Variation. Two females: total body length 10.94–14.24, carapace length 4.26–6.18.

Distribution. Guatemala ( Fig. 10A ).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Distribution map of Acanthoctenus species. A, south of North America and Central America; B. north of South America.

FIGURE 32. Acanthoctenus virginea (Kraus, 1955) stat. res., comb. nov., copulatory organs. A–B, male palp (holotype, SMF 8676); A, ventral; B, retrolateral. C–D, female genitalia (paratype, SMF 8674); C, epigynum, ventral; D, internal genitalia, dorsal.

FIGURE 35. Acanthoctenus alux sp. nov., female holotype (MNHN AR222). A, epigynum, ventral; B, internal genitalia, dorsal.

FIGURE 36. Acanthoctenus alux sp. nov., female holotype (MNHN AR222). A–B, habitus (A, dorsal; B, ventral C, frontal); D, epigynum, ventral.

FIGURE 37. Acanthoctenus alux sp. nov., female holotype (MNHN AR222).A, epigynum, ventral; B, internal genitalia, dorsal (asterisk to gland openings).