Speocera bioforestae, Dupérré, Nadine, 2015

Dupérré, Nadine, 2015, Descriptions of twelve new species of ochyroceratids (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae) from mainland Ecuador, Zootaxa 3956 (4), pp. 451-475 : 455-456

Speocera bioforestae new species

Figs 1–5, map 1.

Type material. Male holotype from Ecuador, Pichincha Province, La Unión del Toachi, Centro de Educación Ambiental Otongachi (00.321205°S 78.95163°W), 780m, 26 October 2012, sifting litter, N. Dupérré, E. Tapia ( QCAZ). EXAMINED. Female paratype same data. EXAMINED.

Other material examined. ECUADOR: Pichincha: La Unión del Toachi, Centro de Educación Ambiental Otongachi, 26 October 2012, 3♂ 6♀, sifting litter, N. Dupérré and E. Tapia ( AMNH); 4♂ 9♀ ( MECN); 5♂ 8♀ (DTC).

Etymology. The specific epithet is in honor of the Italian green association «Bioforest» for their contribution in the creation and conservation of Otongachi Biological station where the type specimens were collected.

Diagnosis. Males and females can be distinguished from S. violacea by their yellowish coloration ( Fig. 1), purplish in the later ( Fig. 6 ). Males can be distinguished from all other species by the basally enlarged palpal tibia ( Fig. 3 arrow); from S. amazonica , S. onorei by presence of two triangular associated sclerites ( Fig. 3 ). Females can be distinguished from S. eleonorae , S. irritans , S. jacquemarti by the short afferent spermathecae not extending to side of abdomen ( Fig. 5 ), from S. amazonica , S. decui , S. jucunda , S. molesta , S. onorei by the curved spermathecae with funnel-shaped openings ( Fig. 5 ).

Description. Male: Total length: 0.7; carapace length: 0.4; carapace width: 0.3.

PROSOMA: Carapace pyriform, narrowing gradually anteriorly; shiny, light yellow, sometimes suffused with dark gray along margin and with three dark lateral marks (as in female Fig. 1); pars cephalica flat; fovea not visible. Sternum light yellow, as long as wide; with long setae. Endites light yellow with serrula; labium light yellow; notch. Clypeus nearly vertical; short (1x PME). Chelicerae light yellow; promargin with a series of six teeth reaching the lamina; retromargin without denticles. EYES: Six contiguous eyes surrounded by black pigmentation; PME oval; ALE rounded; PLE rounded ( Fig. 1). OPISTHOSOMA: Oval; uniformly off-white to light gray ( Fig. 1) with whitish setae; tracheal spiracle half way between epigastric furrow and spinnerets. LEGS: Light yellow; leg formula 4123; legs total length: I: 1.1; II: 1.1; III 0.9; IV: 1.3. GENITALIA: Palpal femur long; palpal tibia with three dorsal trichobothria, rounded basally ( Figs 2, 3 ). Cymbium conical, without prolateral extension ( Fig. 3 ). Bulb almost spherical ( Figs 2, 3 ). Embolus wide, dark and excavated basally with two triangular associated sclerites ( Fig. 3 ); sperm duct very large initially reducing to about five times its size ( Figs 2, 3 ).

Female: Total length: 0.7; carapace length: 0.45; carapace width: 0.4. PROSOMA: Carapace pyriform, narrowing gradually anteriorly; shiny, light yellow, sometimes suffused with dark gray along margin and with three dark lateral marks ( Fig. 1). Sternum, chelicerae, endites and labium: as in male. EYES: As in male. OPISTHOSOMA: Globular to oval; uniformly off-white to light gray with whitish setae ( Fig. 1); tracheal spiracle half way between epigastric furrow and spinnerets. LEGS: As in male. GENITALIA: Internal genitalia with afferent spermathecae short, straight, not extending pass the side of the abdomen ( Fig. 5 ); spermathecae with large funnel-shaped openings, elongated and curved ( Fig. 5 ).

Distribution. Ecuador: Pichincha Province.

Natural history. Collected in wet pre-montane forest at an altitudinal range of 780–1800m.

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 8. Speocera violacea sp. n. Male 6 – 8. 6. Habitus, dorsal view. 7. Palp, retrolateral view. 8. Palp, prolateral view.

FIGURES 2 – 5. Speocera bioforestae sp. n. Male. 2 – 4. Female. 5. 2. Palp, retrolateral view. 3. Palp, prolateral view (arrow point to tibial enlargement). 4. Chelicerae, posterior view. 5. Internal genitalia, ventral view.