Ixchela HUBER, 2000

Valdez-Mondragón, Alejandro & Francke, Oscar F., 2015, Phylogeny of the spider genus Ixchela Huber, 2000 (Araneae: Pholcidae) based on morphological and molecular evidence (CO 1 and 16 S), with a hypothesized diversification in the Pleistocene, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 175 (1), pp. 20-58 : 25

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1111/zoj.12265

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3D3A671C-356C-FFD9-1B57-EF710460F8E4

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Ixchela HUBER, 2000
status

 

Ixchela HUBER, 2000 View in CoL View at ENA

Type species: Ixchela furcula (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902) by original designation ( Huber, 2000). Type locality: 1 female holotype from Tecpam in the Región de Los Altos (Tecpam, Departamento Chimaltenango), Guatemala, around 2300 m, Godman & Salvin Cols., in BMNH (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902; Huber, 1998a) (not examined).

Diagnosis: Species of this genus can be distinguished from members of other pholcid genera by the frontal apophysis on chelicerae on males ( FAC) ( Figs 26 View Figures 26–33 , 40 View Figures 34–44 , 51 View Figures 45–55 ); the prolateroventral apophysis of the palp bulb of the male ( PAB) ( Figs 1 View Figures 1–9 , 39 View Figures 34–44 , 50 View Figures 45–55 ); the apical–dorsal spine-shaped projection on the embolus ( Figs 2 View Figures 1–9 , 38 View Figures 34–44 , 49 View Figures 45–55 ); the apical–ventral projection on the embolus ( Figs 2 View Figures 1–9 , 38 View Figures 34–44 , 49 View Figures 45–55 ); the curved spine distally on procursus ( Figs 38 View Figures 34–44 , 49 View Figures 45–55 , 60 View Figures 56–67 ); the ventral protuberance with long setae on the procursus ( VPP) ( Figs 15 View Figures 10–17 , 38 View Figures 34–44 , 49 View Figures 45–55 ); the procursus conical, straight and long, wide basally ( Figs 60 View Figures 56–67 , 72 View Figures 68–78 ); and the small, sub-distal, sclerotized spine on the embolus ( Figs 9 View Figures 1–9 , 39 View Figures 34–44 , 50 View Figures 45–55 ).

Description: The description made by Valdez-Mondragón (2013) is currently still valid, although new morphological information has been found using scanning electron microscopy ( SEM). Embolus conical ( Fig. 1 View Figures 1–9 ), with elongate, sigmoid apical ventral projection ( Figs 2, 4, 6 View Figures 1–9 ), and apical dorsal projection spine-shaped ( Fig. 2 View Figures 1–9 ). Sperm operculum with a small spine (arrow, Fig. 3 View Figures 1–9 ). Embolus with small, spine-shaped projections prolaterally (e.g. I. azteca , arrow Figs 4, 5 View Figures 1–9 ; and I. mendozai , arrow Figs 7–9 View Figures 1–9 ). Embolus with subdistal, sclerotized spine (arrow, Fig. 9 View Figures 1–9 ). Female palp with long and wide seta next to the tarsal organ (arrow, Fig. 13 View Figures 10–17 ). Bulb rounded and wide ( Fig. 1 View Figures 1–9 ). Tarsal organs exposed on palps (arrows, Figs 16, 17 View Figures 10–17 ) and legs (arrow, Figs 24, 25 View Figures 18–25 ). Trichobothria present on palp tibia of males and females ( Figs 10–12 View Figures 10–17 ). Lyriform organs present on leg patellae (arrow, Figs 18, 19 View Figures 18–25 ). Legs with 6–9 longitudinal rows of erect setae, spread around circumference of segments ( Figs 20, 21 View Figures 18–25 ), without spines or curved setae. Tarsus IV with comb-setae ( Figs 22, 23 View Figures 18–25 ). Male chelicerae with SAC well developed in some species (e.g. I. azteca , I. mendozai ) ( Figs 26, 27 View Figures 26–33 ), vestigial in others (e.g. I. simoni , I. tzotzil ) ( Valdez-Mondragón, 2013; figs 74, 162); or absent (e.g. I. furcula , I. huberi ) ( Valdez-Mondragón, 2013; figs 34, 100). Endites with serrated margin (arrow, Figs 29, 30 View Figures 26–33 ). Anterior lateral spinnerets with one small spigot and one wide spigot (arrows, Fig. 32 View Figures 26–33 ). Posterior median spinnerets with two acciniform gland spigots (arrows, Fig. 33 View Figures 26–33 ).

Distribution and natural history: New data on the natural history were obtained and are explained, although the general distribution and natural history of the genus given by Valdez-Mondragón (2013) is still the same. The genus Ixchela Huber, 2000 is widely distributed from north-eastern Mexico to Nicaragua [specimens not examined, but Huber (2000) examined one male of an undescribed species from Nicaragua, Matagalpa, Fuente Pura, deposited in Museo Entomológico Nicaraguense] ( Valdez-Mondragón, 2013). The genus has a natural distribution in temperate climate zones, particularly pine, oak or mixed pine–oak forest (1000–2950 m elevation) ( Valdez-Mondragón, 2013; figs 13–15, 17, 18); however, some species were collected in tropical rain forest, such as Ixchela santibanezi Valdez-Mondragón, 2013 at 1190 m ( Valdez-Mondragón, 2013; fig. 16), or in a thorny scrub forest at 1900–2180 m, such as Ixchela juarezi Valdez-Mondragón, 2013 . Most species have been collected among fallen logs, boulders on the ground, under dried leaves of agave plants and frequently on walls along road-cuts, specifically in dark, moist areas covered with roots and leaf-litter ( Valdez-Mondragón, 2013; figs 15, 17, 18), or inside caves ( Valdez-Mondragón, 2013; figs 1–3, 5, 9). However, here three synanthropic records for the genus are reported for the first time: two records of Ixchela azteca and one record of Ixchela mendozai found inside buildings.

Composition: The genus Ixchela is composed of 20 species: Ixchela simoni (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898) , Ixchela furcula (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902) , Ixchela abernathyi ( Gertsch, 1971) , Ixchela pecki ( Gertsch, 1971) , Ixchela placida ( Gertsch, 1971) , Ixchela franckei Valdez-Mondragón, 2013 , Ixchela grix Valdez-Mondragón, 2013 , Ixchela huasteca Valdez-Mondragón, 2013 , Ixchela huberi Valdez-Mondragón, 2013 , Ixchela juarezi Valdez-Mondragón, 2013 , Ixchela mixe Valdez-Mondragón, 2013 , Ixchela santibanezi Valdez-Mondragón, 2013 , Ixchela taxco Valdez- Mondragón, 2013, Ixchela tzotzil Valdez-Mondragón, 2013 , Ixchela viquezi Valdez-Mondragón, 2013 , Ixchela azteca sp. nov., Ixchela jalisco sp. nov., Ixchela mendozai sp. nov., Ixchela purepecha sp. nov. and Ixchela tlayuda sp. nov.

The identification key of species of Ixchela Huber, 2000 is updated from Valdez-Mondragón (2013 – hereafter VM, 2013), using the same abbreviations.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Pholcidae

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