Phonotimpus ahuacatlan, Platnick & Chamé-Vázquez & Ibarra-Núñez, 2022

Platnick, Norman I., Chamé-Vázquez, David & Ibarra-Núñez, Guillermo, 2022, The guardstone spiders of the genus Phonotimpus Gertsch & Davis (Araneae: Phrurolithidae) from northeastern Mexico, Zootaxa 5219 (1), pp. 1-48 : 39

Phonotimpus ahuacatlan sp. nov.

Figures 267–273 , 315–322

Type material. Male holotype and female allotype from leaf litter taken on surface above Sótano del Rancho de la Barranca, 5 km NNE Ahuacatlán, San Luis Potosí, Mexico (Nov. 27, 1972; J. Reddell), deposited in AMNH .

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Males can be recognized by the sinuous retrolateral tibial apophysis, bent ventrally; dorsal apophysis slender, slightly longer than retrolateral apophysis; embolar base expanded prolaterally; tegular apophysis spineshaped apically ( Figs 268–270 ); female epigynum with a distinctive tongue-shaped anterior median ridge leading to the copulatory opening; bursae about four times as long as the rounded primary spermathecae ( Figs 271–273 ).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 1.80. Carapace yellow, sides with broad marginal band of dark maculations, pars cephalica with four longitudinal bands of dark maculations, pars thoracica steeply sloping, pars cephalica gently rounded; sternum, mouthparts yellow, each cheliceral paturon with one erect bristle near base; abdomen narrow, dorsum pale yellow, with U-shaped dark band on sides and across posterior end, area within that band with median dark marking over cardiac area, followed by two shorter dark marks, area immediately above spinnerets with additional dark stripe connecting laterally to U-shaped mark, shiny, almost rectangular scutum covering most of abdomen width anteriorly, extending to rear of cardiac area, venter pale yellow, unmarked ( Figs 315–318 ); legs yellow, femora with proximal, distal dark rings, patellae, tibiae with distal dark rings. Leg spination: femora: I p0-0-2; II d1-0-0, p0-0-1; III–IV d1-0-0; tibiae: I v6-4-4; II v4-4-4; metatarsi: I v4-2-2; II v3-2-2.

Palpal femur distally incrassate, with retrolateral excavation extending over distal two-thirds of femur length, patch of spinules on distal, prolateral half; dorsal tibial apophysis long, with small, retrolateral middle bump, sharply narrowed at about one-third its length, leaned to prolateral side ( Figs 267, 269–270 ); retrolateral apophysis originating at base of tibia, with base extending far to side of segment, distal portion sinuous, bent ventrally ( Figs 268–269 ); cymbial groove deep, situated prolaterally, corresponding with dorsal tibial apophysis ( Figs 267, 270 ); tegulum bulbous, proximally expanded; embolar base expanded prolaterally, moderately sclerotized; embolus long, with wide base, arched, acuminate, extended along the distal alveolus edge; embolar basal process and conductor long, both translucent; tegular distal apophysis spine-shaped pointing distally ( Fig. 268 ).

Female (allotype): Total length 2.27. As in male, except each cheliceral paturon with two strong, erect bristles, abdominal dorsum with scutum small, triangular, covering cardiac area only ( Figs 319–322 ). Leg spination as in male except tibia I v4-4-4.

Epigynum long, copulatory opening at the bottom of an anterior, wide U-shaped ridge occupying about half of epigynum, leading into a rounded copulatory duct chamber; long, tube-shaped bursae pointing anteriorly, arising at posterolateral corners of copulatory duct chamber; small, rounded primary spermathecae, each smaller than the copulatory duct chamber, contiguous, touching the posterior of epigynal margin ( Figs 271–273 ).

Distribution. Known only from the Municipio de Xilitla in southeastern San Luis Potosí ( Fig. 339 ).

Figures

FIGURE 339. Northeast Mexico, showing distribution of the Phonotimpus species described in this work.

FIGURES 263–273. 263–266. Phonotimpus schulzefenai (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936), male. 267–273. P. ahuacatlan sp. nov., male (267–270) and female (271–273). 263, 267. Left palp, prolateral view. 264, 268. Same, ventral view. 265, 269. Same, retrolateral view. 266, 270. Same, dorsal view. 271. Epigynum, ventral view. 272. Cleared epigynum, ventral view. 273. Same, dorsal view.

FIGURES 307–326. 307–310. Phonotimpus xilitla sp. nov., female. 311–314. P. schulzefenai (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936), male. 315–322. P. ahuacatlan sp. nov., male (315–318) and female (319–322). 323–326. P. puente sp. nov., female. 307, 311, 315, 319, 323. Carapace, dorsal view. 309, 313, 317, 321, 325. Same, ventral view. 308, 312, 316, 320, 324. Abdomen, dorsal view. 310, 314, 318, 322, 326. Same, ventral view.