Coryssocnemis guacharo Huber, 2020

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 51-53

Coryssocnemis guacharo Huber sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:24083CA9-C261-462C-B28C-E36647EC95B4

Figs 155–164 , 166–168 , 1037

Diagnosis

Distinguished from known congeners by armature of male chelicerae ( Fig. 163 ; pair of simple frontal processes); by shape of procursus ( Figs 157–159 ; slender distal sclerite slightly spiraling); by shapes of distal bulbal processes ( Figs 160–162 ; small ventral apophysis and larger dorsal transparent flap); by epigynum ( Fig. 166 ; semicircular plate with pair of shallow depressions), and by internal female genitalia ( Figs 164 , 168 ; large contiguous pore plates; large median anterior receptacle).

Etymology

The species name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.

Type material

VENEZUELA – Monagas • ♂ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 21852), near Cueva del Guácharo (10.167° N, 63.550° W), ~ 1050–1100 m a.s.l., 1 Dec. 2002 (B.A. Huber) .

Other material examined

VENEZUELA – Monagas • 6 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 21853), and 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, 3 juvs in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven02/100-26), same collection data as for holotype • 1 ♂, ZFMK (Ar 21854), along trail

from Cueva del Guácharo to Salto la Paila (10.175° N, 63.558° W), ~ 1100 m a.s.l., 30 Nov. 2002 (B.A. Huber).

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 3.7, carapace width 1.5. Distance PME–PME 140 µm; diameter PME 140 µm; distance PME–ALE 120 µm; diameter AME 30 µm; distance AME–AME 20 µm. Leg 1: 50.1 (12.4 +0.7+11.7 + 21.7 +3.6), tibia 2: 7.9, tibia 3: 6.3, tibia 4: 7.3; femur 2 slightly wider than other femora (300 µm vs 280 µm); tibia 1 L/d: 81.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace ochre-gray with dark median line; ocular area slightly darkened; sternum yellowish; legs ochre to light brown, tips of femora and tibiae lighter, without dark rings; abdomen pale gray, dorsally and laterally with dark bluish marks, ventrally with light brown mark in gonopore area and dark blue median band behind gonopore.

BODY. Habitus very similar to C. simla Huber, 2000 (cf. Huber 2000: fig. 980). Ocular area moderately raised. Carapace with distinct thoracic groove, not inflated. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (1.15/0.75). Abdomen slightly elongated, pointed at spinnerets.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 163 , with pair of simple small frontal apophyses and additional pair of tiny apophyses directly behind main apophyses ( not visible in frontal view).

PALPS. As in Figs 155–156 ; coxa with retrolateral apophysis, trochanter with small ventral process, femur proximally with retrolateral-ventral process, distally with ventral apophysis slightly directed towards distal; procursus ( Figs 157–159 ) at basis with bifid dorsal process, distally with (1) long heavily sclerotized slender process slightly spiraling, membranous and transparent on prolateral side, (2) two roundish processes on prolateral side, and (3) two transparent fringed processes; genital bulb process complex ( Figs 160–162 ), distally with dark apophysis with small teeth on ventral side and large transparent flap.

LEGS. With single row of short spines on femur 1(~50) and femur 2 (~32); without curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 2%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all leg tibiae; tarsus 1 with ~60 pseudosegments, mostly fairly distinct.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in five males (incl. holotype): 11.3–12.0 (mean 11.7); number of spines variable (e.g., male with tibia 1 length 11.6: 40 spines on femur 1).

Female

In general similar to male but without spines on legs. Tibia 1 in six females: 8.1–9.2 (mean 8.7). Epigynum ( Fig. 166 ) semicircular brown plate with pair of shallow dark depressions, dark median receptacle visible in uncleared specimens. Internal genitalia ( Figs 164 , 167–168 ) with large contiguous pore plates and large median anterior receptacle.

Distribution

Known from two neighboring sites in the Venezuelan state Monagas (Fig. 1037).

Natural history

The spiders were very abundant in a secondary forest with coffee near Cueva del Guácharo.

Figures

Figs 155–156. Coryssocnemis guacharo Huber sp. nov.; from Monagas, near Cueva del Guácharo (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21853); left male pedipalp, prolateral and retrolateral views. Scale line: 0.5 mm.

Figs 157–164. Coryssocnemis guacharo Huber sp. nov.; from Monagas, near Cueva del Guácharo (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21853). 157–159. Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views (arrow: ventral femur apophysis). 160–162. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 163. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 164. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

Figs 166–171. Coryssocnemis Simon, 1893; epigyna, ventral views, and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. 166–168. C. guacharo Huber sp. nov.; from Monagas, near Cueva del Guácharo (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21853). 169–171. C. monagas Huber, 2000; from Sucre, “Playa Puipui y Playa Medina” (ZFMK Ar 21855).