Ochyrocera marialuisae, Valdez-Mondragón & Chamé-Vázquez, 2023

Valdez-Mondragón, Alejandro & Chamé-Vázquez, David, 2023, A new species of the spider genus Ochyrocera Simon (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae) from Mexico, with biogeographical comments and an updated identification key for Mexican species, Zootaxa 5374 (4), pp. 552-562 : 554-557

Ochyrocera marialuisae sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F998C1DE-522B-4398-8097-CCACC38D3740

Figures 1–20

Type material. MEXICO: Oaxaca: 1 ♁ holotype ( CARCIB-Ar-042 ) from Cueva del Diablo “Desapareciendo”, Ejido Acatlán, road to Mata Larga , Municipality Acatlán de Pérez Figueroa (18.5766°, -96.6033°, 166 m a.s.l.), 21- March-2018, A. Valdez, M. Cortez, A. Juárez, J. Valerdi, A. Cabrera Cols., daytime collection .

Paratypes: 1 ♀ ( CARCIB-Ar-307 ) ; 3 ♁ subadult, 10 ♀, 1 immature [not sexed] ( CARCIB-Ar-308 ), same data as holotype .

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym in honor the renowned arachnologist Dra. María Luisa Jiménez in recognition of her valuable contributions to the knowledge of Mexican spiders.

Diagnosis. Ochyrocera marialuisae sp. nov. resembles O. simoni and O. chiapas by relatively long palpal femora in the male, cymbial apophysis, and embolus. However, O. marialuisae sp. nov. has cymbial apophysis base broad, its median part is not thickened, and the distal third is slender and bent ( Figs 7–9, 11 ); whereas in O. simoni the cymbial apophysis is conical and widened in middle part (O.P. Cambridge 1894, fig: 13d) and in O. chiapas the cymbial apophysis is conical and curved distally ( Valdez-Mondragón 2009, figs: 13, 14). In the new species basal third of embolus is attenuated and has a small, subdorsal sclerotized region, and embolus tip is pointed and straight ( Figs 7–12 ); whereas in O. simoni the embolus is curved, arc-shaped, with pointed tip (O.P. Cambridge 1894, fig: 13d). In O. chiapas the embolus is curved, D-shaped, the tip is pointed and twisted ( Valdez-Mondragón 2009, figs: 13–16). Females of O. marialuisae sp. nov. resemble O. jarocha by the rectangular epigastric plate. However, O. marialuisae sp. nov., has a small, crescent-shaped post-epigastric plate, and a pair of thin, long spermathecae and pore plates oval and widely separated to each other ( Figs 13–15 ); whereas in O. jarocha the epigastric plate is oval, with wide and oval spermathecae and pore plates small, oval, close to each other ( Valdez-Mondragón 2017, fig: 12). Additionally, males and females have a different body coloration than O. chiapas , O. simoni , and O. jarocha , particularly in the carapace and sternum. The new species has dark blue coloration on carapace, which has four lines from fovea to each side ( Figs 1–6 ), whereas in O. chiapas the carapace is dark blue with darker regions around the fovea and on the lateral margins, and the sternum is dark blue, with a white central spot (see description of the species in Valdez-Mondragón (2009)). In O. jarocha the carapace has three longitudinal violet lines, one around the fovea and one on each side, whereas the sternum has a dark violet V-shaped pattern ( Valdez-Mondragón 2017, figs: 1, 3, 7, 9). In the case of O. simoni , the carapace has a dark blue pattern to the margin (O.P Cambridge 1894, fig: 13), however, the sternum coloration is not described.

Description. Male (holotype): Measurements: Total length (prosoma+opisthosoma) 1.76. Carapace 0.69 long, 0.60 wide. Clypeus length 0.14. Diameter of ALE 0.07, PME 0.05, PLE 0.04. Sternum 0.38 long, 0.46 wide. Leg lengths: I- femur 3.35/ patella 0.22/ tibia 3.70/ metatarsus 5.6/ tarsus?/ total?; II- 2.55/ 0.22/ 2.60/ 1.63/ 0.96/ 7.96; III- 1.81/ 0.20/ 1.74/ 1.18/ 0.60/ 5.53; IV- missing. Leg formula: unknown.

Prosoma: Carapace blue, with four lines from fovea to each side. Irregular and darker blue region around fovea, with a thin line extending to ocular region and another line extending to posterior region of carapace, bell-shaped ( Fig. 1 ). Ocular region paler blue, without lines. Clypeus protruding anteriorly ( Figs 3 , 16 ), bluish, sloping but distinctly stepped as seen laterally. Six eyes in three groups, slightly elevated with black rings around them ( Fig. 1 ). Sternum shield-shaped, dark blue, wider than long ( Fig. 2 ). Labium triangular, longer than wide, blue, becoming paler distally, not fused to the sternum, notched distally. Endites convergent, longer than wide, pale blue basally, dark blue distally ( Fig. 2 ).

Chelicerae: Greenish, conspicuous, and protruding condyles ( Fig. 19 , white arrow), fangs orange, with three subequal teeth next to the lamina ( Fig. 19 ). Venom gland elongated, half the paturon length ( Fig. 18 , black arrow).

Legs: Coxae pale blue, becoming darker toward distal part, trochanters gray, femora violet, becoming blue and gray distally. Patellae grey basally, blue distally. Tibiae violet becoming gray in distal half. Metatarsi and tarsi grey, becoming paler distally in tarsi. Femora, metatarsi, and tarsi with several pseudosegmentations and numerous long oblique setae.

Opisthosoma: Oval, longer than wide and high, pale blue dorsally, darker blue ventrally ( Fig. 2 ). Ventral plate of gonopore blue. Colulus large and conical. Tracheal spiracle close to spinnerets.ALS conical and the longest, blue, becoming paler distally; PMS cylindrical, dark blue, being the smallest; PLS cylindrical and stout dark blue.

Palps: Femora gray, patellae pale blue, tibiae and cymbium gray, blue dorsally. Femora and tibiae sub cylindrical, the latter thicker and shorter than femora ( Figs 7–8 ). Cymbial apophysis relatively long with apical cuspule; base broad and conical, distal third hooked-shaped, with long, prolateral translucid setae ( Figs 7–9 ). Bulbs ovoid, with long and curved embolus ( Figs 7–12 ); basal third of embolus is attenuated and has a small, subdorsal sclerotized region (black arrow in Figs 8, 12 ), whereas following two thirds about the same width ( Figs 10, 12 ), except the embolus tip, which is pointed and straight ( Fig. 10 ).

Female (Paratype): Measurements: Total length 1.71. Carapace 0.68 long, 0.57 wide. Clypeus length 0.15. Diameter of ALE 0.06, PME 0.05, PLE 0.06. Sternum 0.40 long, 0.44 wide. Leg lengths: I- femur 2.28/ patella 0.21/ tibia 2.57/ metatarsus?/ tarsus?/ total?; II- 1.71/ 0.20/ 1.84/ 1.07/ 0.66/ 5.48; III- 1.28/ 0.20/ 1.34/ 0.75/ 0.65/ 4.22; IV- 1.75/ 0.17/ 1.84/ 1.15/ 0.84/ 5.75. Leg formula: 1?-4-2-3.

Habitus as in Figs 4–6 . Book-lung modified into bundles of tracheae (tracheae spiracle, see black arrows in Figs 13, 14 ). Chelicerae with six teeth next to the lamina, five are subequal, one is larger than others ( Fig. 20 ). Clypeus sloping but not stepped as the male ( Figs 6 , 17 ).

Genitalia: Large, transversal, rectangular epigastric plate slightly sclerotized, extending to the sides of opisthosoma, more sclerotized on the sides ( Figs 5, 6 , 13 ); followed by small, crescent shaped post-epigastric plate; both plates slightly protruding ventrally ( Figs 6 , 13 ). Vulva: very long, thin, curved spermathecae, about the same thickness throughout its length ( Figs 14, 15 ); small, elongated pore plate (with approximately 16–18 glandular ducts), located next to spermathecae base; short medial columnar uterus externus and narrow neck ( Fig. 15 ).

Variation. Coloration of male holotype and female paratypes similar; however, some females have fuchsia legs while others have pale blue legs. Also, the opisthosoma varies from light blue to dark blue. Females (N = 6): tibia I: 2.25–2.42 (x = 2.34).

Natural history. The specimens were hand collected in a karstic cave in a disturbed tropical dry forest at 166 m elevation under rotten trunks and hollow trunks on the ground. The specimens were collected near each other in small and flimsy sheet webs. Some females were collected carrying their egg sacs with the chelicerae.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 21 ).

Figures

FIGURE 21. Map showing the known distribution of Ochyrocera species in Mexico.

FIGURES 1–6. Ochyrocera marialuisae sp. nov. Male (holotype): 1–3, Habitus, dorsal, ventral, and lateral views, respectively. Female (paratype): 4–6, Habitus, dorsal, ventral, and lateral views, respectively. Scale bars: 1–6: 0.50 mm.

FIGURES 7–12. Ochyrocera marialuisae sp. nov. Left male palp (holotype):7–8, Prolateral and retrolateral views, respectively. Cleared palp: 9, prolateral view. 10, Detail of tibia, cymbium, and copulatory bulb (showing detail of the embolus tip). 11–12, Retrolateral views. Black arrows in Figs 8, 12 indicate a small and sclerotized basal patch of the embolus. Scale bars: 7–8, 9, 11: 0.25 mm; 10, 12: 0.10 mm.

FIGURES 13–20. Ochyrocera marialuisae sp. nov. Female genitalia (paratype): 13, Ventral view (black arrow indicate spiracles of the tracheae derived from book-lung). 14, Cleaned, dorsal view (black arrow indicate tracheae spiracles). 15, Same, detail of vulva. 16, Male habitus, frontal view. 17, Female habitus, frontal view. 18. Left male chelicerae, frontal view (black arrow indicates venom gland). 19, Same, detail of chelicerae (white arrow indicates condyle). 20, Female chelicerae, frontal view. Scale bars: 13–14, 16–17: 0.25 mm; 15: 0.10 mm.