Myrmecotypus jasmineae, Leister, Matthew & Miller, Kelly, 2014

Leister, Matthew & Miller, Kelly, 2014, A new species of ant mimicking spider, Myrmecotypus jasmineae (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae), from Nicaragua, Zootaxa 3838 (4), pp. 495-500 : 496-498

Myrmecotypus jasmineae sp. n.

Figs 1A–G , 2A–F

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( MSBA 30574) and 1 ♂ paratype ( MSBA 30575) from Nicaragua: Granada Dpto: Las Plazuelas (11.77082°N – 85.96146°W), 62m, 17 May 2012 (leg. K. B. Miller, M. P. Leister and R. Mallis).

Other material examined. 1 immature ♀ ( MSBA 30576) from Nicaragua: Granada Dpto: Las Plazuelas (11.77082°N – 85.96146°W), 62m, 17 May 2012 (leg. K. B. Miller, M. P. Leister and R. Mallis).

Etymology. The name is a noun of the genitive case. The species name is for the daughter of Matthew Leister, Jasmine E. Leister. She has taught Matthew Leister to stay young at heart and to always follow his dreams.

Diagnosis. Males of Myrmecotypus jasmineae can be distinguished from those of other species by the following combination of characters: (1) coxae coloration (coxae II and III translucent white, coxae I and IV black), (2) the presence of a terminal denticle on the promargin of the chelicerae, (3) the ventral spination of 3–2 on tibia I, and (4) the male embolus with a distinctly twisted tip ( Fig. 1B, E, G ; 2D–F).

Description. Male (Holotype): Body length 3.75. Carapace length 1.95; width 1.10; carapace index 56. Cephalic width 0.75; cephalic index 68. Sternum length 0.90; width 0.60; sternum index 0.67. Abdomen length 1.70; width 1.20; abdominal index 71. Dorsal sclerite length 1.65; width 1.20. Epigastric sclerite length 0.50; width 0.75. Ventral sclerite length 0.70; width 0.50. Inframammilliary sclerite length 0.25; width 0.30. Eyes: AME 0.125; ALE 0.050; PME 0.075; PLE 0.075; AME–AME 0.075; AME–ALE 0.025; ALE–PLE 0.075; PME–PME 0.175; PME–PLE 0.075. Carapace black, granulose, elongate, oval slightly constricted at cephalic region, anterior margin truncate, sparse white setae throughout; eight eyes formed in two rows; PER very slightly recurved, posterior eyes sub-equal, small; AER slightly recurved, AME largest, nearly three times diameter of ALE, ALE small; PER wider than AER; thoracic groove absent, slight depression seen (Fig, 1A; 2A).

Abdomen with dorsum black, round, longer than wide, widened posteriorly; dorsal sclerite nearly complete, black, granulose, covered in sparse white setae intermixed with faint feathery setae; anterior pair of abdominal setae long, thin, posterior pair of abdominal setae long, slightly thicker than anterior pair ( Fig. 1A, C ; 2A); venter brown-black, covered in white setae, faint white feathery setae seen on lateral sides below epigastric sclerite; epigastric sclerite round, brownblack; ventral sclerite rectangular, longer than wide brown-black; inframamillary sclerite round, brown-black ending posteriorly with small tubercle bearing a row of short stout black setae ( Fig. 1B ; 2D).

Sternum brown-black, longer than wide, shield-shaped, covered in sparse long white setae, contiguous with intercoxal sclerites and precoxal triangles; labium brown-black, square, rounded anteriorly; endites brown-black, rectangular, longer than wide ( Fig. 1B ; 2D); chelicerae black, two retromarginal teeth and two promarginal teeth more proximally placed, distal promarginal tooth largest, prominent denticle just beyond distal tooth on promarginal side ( Fig. 1B ).

Coxa I black, coxae II, III translucent white with slightly darkened laterally, coxa IV black with faint lightening ventrally on distal margin ( Fig 1A–C ; 2A, D); trochanters following pattern of coxae; trochanter IV very slightly notched; proximal margin of femur I black, remainder white with two black ventro-lateral longitudinal lines, dorsal surface yellow with medial black line tapering distally, patella, tibia, and metatarsus I yellow with black pro- and retrolateral lines, tarsus I yellow; femur II white ventrally, black on prolateral surface, retrolateral surface proximally brown-black fading to white distally, black line on distal half of dorsal surface, patella, tibia, and metatarsus II yellow with black pro- and retrolateral lines, tarsi II yellow; femur III black, patella III brown black, dorsally lightened, tibia III black fading distally on dorsal surface to yellow-brown, metatarsus III ventrally black fading to yellow-brown distally, dorsally yellow-brown fading to yellow, pro- and retrolaterally brown black, tarsi III white; femur IV black, patella IV brown black, dorsally lightened, tibia IV black, metatarsus IV black fading distally to yellow-brown, tarsi IV yellowbrown ( Figs 2A, D ); tibia I ventral spination 3–2 with long, thin spines.

Pedipalp with very small pointed RTA at distal end of tibia, continuing proximally as thin sclerotized ridge; genital bulb globose, extending into thick neck, ending in distinctive, twisted embolus ( Figs 1D–G ).

Leg formula: assumed, IV, I, II, III, (leg II incomplete).

Variation. Male paratype: Body length 3.85. Carapace length 1.95; width 1.10; carapace index 56. Cephalic width 0.85; cephalic index 77. Sternum length 0.85; width 0.55; sternum index 65. Abdomen length 1.75; width 1.15; abdominal index 66. Dorsal sclerite length 1.60; width 1.15. Epigastric sclerite length 0.55; width 0.80. Ventral sclerite length 0.75; width 0.50. Inframamillary sclerite length 0.20; width 0.35. Coloration: red-orange carapace, chelicerae and legs ( Figs 2B, E ). Leg formula: IV, I, II, III.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Remarks. A penultimate female specimen examined. Body length 4.20. Carapace length 2.05; carapace width 0.95; carapace index 46. Cephalic width 0.80; cephalic index 84. Sternum length 0.90; sternum width 0.60; sternum index 67. Abdomen length 2.00; abdomen width 1.25; abdominal index 63. Similar to male holotype in coloration ( Figs 2C, F ), spination, eye arrangement, cheliceral teeth. Dorsal, epigastric, ventral and inframamillary sclerites not evident; epigynum with some sclerotization of spermathecae evident, indicating a penultimate specimen.

Figures

FIGURES 1 A – G. Myrmecotypus jasmineae sp. n. A – C. Habitus male; A. Dorsal view; B. Ventral view; C. Lateral view; D – G. Left male pedipalp; D. Prolateral view; E. Ventral view; F. Retrolateral view; G. Male embolus. AAS—anterior abdominal seta, DS—dorsal sclerite, Em—embolus, ES—epigastric sclerite, ImS—inframamillary sclerite, PAS—posterior abdominal seta, RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis, VS—ventral sclerite. (Original illustrations by Matthew Leister).

FIGURES 2 A – F. Myrmecotypus jasmineae sp. n. A, D. Holotype male, B, E. Paratype male, C, F. Female, juvenile; A – C. Dorsal view; D – F. Ventral view.