Phonotimpus escondida, 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 : 27-28

Phonotimpus escondida sp. nov.

Figures 183–185 , 222–225

Type material. Female holotype from the Cueva del Soyate Viejo [23.9882118°N, 99.7008982°W], elev. 2700 m, 1 km NW La Escondida, Nuevo León, Mexico (Oct. 11, 1987; P. Sprouse), deposited in AMNH. According to Sprouse (1991), who first reported on this specimen (as Phonotimpus sp. , presumably identified by W. Gertsch), this is a limestone cave situated at the base of Cerro el Viejo, in the highest parts of the Purificación Karst Area , within the Municipio de General Zaragoza of Nuevo León, and consisting of a single chamber measuring 10x 25 m.

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

Diagnosis. Females can be recognized by having an epigynum with a pair of large, contiguous, oval atria, separated by a septum, an epigynal hood produced posteriorly at midline, copulatory openings on the anteromedian edges of atria, copulatory ducts shorter than the kidney-shaped bursae, which are contiguous anteriorly; chili-shaped primary spermathecae longer than bursae and posterolateral to copulatory ducts ( Figs 183–185 ).

Description. Male: Unknown.

Female (holotype): Total length 2.22. Carapace yellow, with undarkened lateral margins, dusky markings only vaguely detectable as U-shaped wide band situated about halfway between lateral margins and unmarked median area, pars thoracica steeply sloping, pars cephalica flat; sternum, mouthparts yellow, unmarked, each cheliceral paturon with two erect bristles near base; abdomen dorsum, sides light orange, without distinct dark markings, limits of dorsal scutum indistinct but apparently covering most of abdominal width anteriorly, extending over entire cardiac area, venter white without markings ( Figs 222–225 ); legs yellow, without dark markings. Leg spination: femora: I d1-0-0, p0-0-2; II–IV d1-0-0; tibiae: I v4-4-4; II v4-4-2; metatarsi I, II v3-2-2.

Epigynum wide, with a pair of large, contiguous, oval atria separated by a septum which is wider posteriorly, with sinuous anterior hood produced posteriorly at midline; copulatory openings closely spaced, situated near anteromedian of atrial edges; copulatory ducts shorter than spermathecae, divergent; bursae anterior, large, kidneyshaped, contiguous anteriorly; chili-shaped primary spermathecae posterolateral to copulatory ducts, longer than bursae, posterior portion of primary spermathecae paralleling posterior epigynal margin, secondary spermathecae very small, fingerlike ( Figs 183–185 ).

Distribution. Known only from the Cueva del Soyate Viejo in the Municipio de General Zaragoza in central Nuevo León ( Fig. 339 ).

Figures

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

FIGURES 177–185. 177–179. Phonotimpus cuauhtemoc sp. nov., female. 180–182. P. elviejo sp. nov., female. 183–185. P. escondida sp. nov., female. 177, 180, 183. Epigynum, ventral view. 178, 181, 184. Cleared epigynum, ventral view. 179, 182, 185. Same, dorsal view.

FIGURES 206–225. 206–213. Phonotimpus cielo sp. nov., male (206–209) and female (210–213). 214–217. P. cuauhtemoc sp. nov., female. 218–221. P. elviejo sp. nov., female. 222–225. P. escondida sp. nov., female. 206, 210, 214, 218, 222. Carapace, dorsal view. 208, 212, 216, 220, 224. Same, ventral view. 207, 211, 215, 219, 223. Abdomen, dorsal view. 209, 213, 217, 221, 225. Same, ventral view.