Birabenella elqui, Grismado, 2010

Grismado, Cristian J., 2010, Description of Birabenella, a New Genus of Goblin Spiders from Argentina and Chile (Araneae: Oonopidae), American Museum Novitates 2010 (3693), pp. 1-24 : 16

Birabenella elqui , new species

Figures 1 , 60–69

TYPE MATERIAL: Female holotype from Chile: Coquimbo Region: Elqui Province: Cuesta Porotitos ; 29°47′ 40.1″S; 71°17′ 31.8″W ( WGS84 ) ; alt. 106 m ( GPS) ; 16.VIII.2009; coll. C. Grismado, A. Ojanguren, J. Pizarro, and F. Alfaro. Coastal shrubby steppe, under stones. Deposited in MHNS ( PBI _ OON 14993) .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: None.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is a noun in apposition derived from the province where this species was collected.

DIAGNOSIS: This species resembles B. pizarroi in lacking spines on the legs and in the texture of the cuticle of the cephalothorax (finely reticulate only at the sides of the carapace, the remaining areas smooth), but can be distinguished by the internal female genitalia with a small and irregularly shaped posterior receptaculum and longer and more sinuous anterior elements (fig. 68).

DESCRIPTION: Female (holotype): Total length 1.80. CEPHALOTHORAX: Carapace pale orange, surface of elevated portion of pars cephalica smooth, sides finely reticulate. Clypeus low, ALE separated from edge of carapace by less than their radius. Eyes: ALE largest; ALE-PLE separated by less than ALE radius. Sternum without radial furrows between coxae I–II, II–III, III–IV, surface smooth, microsculpture absent, lateral margins unmodified. Mouthparts: chelicerae anterior face unmodified, with a basal swelling. Labium subpentagonal. Female palp spines absent, with enlarged setae on tarsus. ABDOMEN: dorsum with soft portions pale light orange. Dorsal scutum absent. LEGS: pale orange. Leg spines absent. Tarsi I to IV superior claws unipectinate, but not examined in detail. Trichobothria not examined. GENITALIA: Shape similar to that of B. pizarroi , but with the anterior elements longer and more sinuous, and with the posterior receptaculum reduced, irregular (fig. 68).

Male: Unknown.

NATURAL HISTORY: As in the sympatric B. homonota .

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Habitats of Birabenella species in Coquimbo, Chile. 1, Cuesta Porotitos, the type locality of B. homonota, n. sp., and B. elqui, n. sp. 2, disturbed grassland Near Quebrada del Quereo, Los Vilos, type locality of B. pizarroi, n. sp.

FIGURES 60–68. Birabenella elqui, n. sp., female holotype (PBI_OON 14993). 60–62, habitus; 63–66, cephalothorax; 67, epigastric area (dissected); 68, internal genitalia, cleared. 60, 63, 68, dorsal; 61, 65, 67, ventral; 62, 64, lateral; 66, anterior. PR = posterior receptaculum.

FIGURE 69. North-central Chile and northwestern Argentina, showing the geographic distribution of Birabenella species: B. argentina (squares); B. homonota and B. elqui (triangle) and B. pizarroi (circle).