Linothele pukachumpi Dupérré & Tapia, 2015

Drolshagen, Bastian & Bäckstam, Christian M., 2021, A taxonomic review of the mygalomorph spider genus Linothele Karsch, 1879 (Araneae, Dipluridae), Zoosystema 43 (10), pp. 163-196 : 181-182

Linothele pukachumpi Dupérré & Tapia, 2015

Linothele pukachumpi Dupérré & Tapia, 2015: 356 , figs 30-33.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Ecuador • ♀; Cotopaxi Province, Otonga Biological Reserve ; 0°25’21.396”S, 79°30’38.519”W; 2225 m a.s.l.; 04-09.IX.2014; N. Dupérré, E. Tapia and C. Tapia leg.; QCAZ.

Paratype. Ecuador • 1 ♀; same collecting data as for holotype; 26.V.2014; A. Tapia leg.; QCAZ .

TYPE LOCALITY. — Otonga Biological Reserve, Ecuador.

DISTRIBUTION. — Only known from the type locality.

DIAGNOSIS. — “Females are diagnosed by their uniform red-brown colour […]. From L. longicauda , L. aequatorialis and L. cousini by the presence of yellowish setae on the carapace […]. Females can be further diagnosed by their elongated and apically tapering spermathecae, with a few elongated vesicles medially […].” see Dupérré & Tapia (2015: 356-357).

DESCRIPTION (FOLLOWING DUPÉRRÉ & TAPIA 2015)

Male

Unknown.

Female

CL = 11.0. CT = 10. MC = 25-30. Colouration: overall reddish brown, see Dupérré & Tapia (2015: fig. 30); maculae absent. Sternum, labium and maxillae: see Dupérré & Tapia (2015: fig. 31). Leg formula: 4123. Scopula divided. Leg tarsi pseudo-segmented. Spermathecae: “joined at base, elongated and tapering apically, with a few elongated vesicles medially, most on long stalk”, see Dupérré & Tapia (2015: figs 32, 33).

REMARKS

Dupérré & Tapia (2015) diagnosed Linothele pukachumpi as follows: “From L. longicauda , L. aequatorialis and L. cousini by the presence of yellowish setae on the carapace […]. Females can be further diagnosed by their elongated and apically tapering spermathecae, with a few elongated vesicles medially […].” Yellowish/golden setae on carapace, dorsal trochanter, or coxae are known at least from living specimens of L. curvitarsis , L. gaujoni , L. sericata , and L. spinosa sp. n. Furthermore, yellowish/golden setae can be observed in all species, except for the male of L. yanachanka , in the original descriptions by Dupérré & Tapia 2015. The golden shine visible in living specimens fades shortly after preparation in alcohol. The setae become dull and more greyish, likely due to shrinking of the cuticula; see Foelix et al. 2009. While the yellowish setae are an easy way to distinguish alive specimens of L. longicauda and L. pukachumpi , further characteristics to distinguish between preserved specimens of these species might become necessary.

NATURAL HISTORY According to Dupérré & Tapia (2015), specimens “[…] of L. pukachumpi were collected in a primary cloud forest at 2225m, they build webs of 50 × 40 cm on dirt talus along trails, the retreat is located in soil crevices.”