Phonotimpus elviejo, 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 : 26

Phonotimpus elviejo sp. nov.

Figures 180–182 , 218–221

Type material. Female holotype from the Cueva de El Viejo [23.9757700°N, 99.6983200°W], 1 km SW La Escondida, 7.5 km E Zaragoza, Nuevo León, Mexico (July 19, 1984; T. Sprouse), deposited in AMNH. According to Sprouse (1991), this cave is situated at an elevation of 2550 m, extends for a length of 162 m, and reaches a depth of 64 m; the list of arthropods collected on the 1984 expedition, during which the cave was mapped, does not mention this specimen .

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

Diagnosis. Female can be recognized by having an epigynum with a pair of large, almost contiguous, circular atria, close to posterior epigynal margin, copulatory openings on the posteromedian edge of atria, copulatory ducts slightly shorter than chili-shaped primary spermathecae, which touch the posterior epigynal margin; bursae large, almost contiguous posteriorly, about as long as primary spermathecae ( Figs 180–182 ).

Description. Male: Unknown.

Female (holotype): Total length 2.79. Carapace brown, 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 light brown, unmarked, each cheliceral paturon with two erect bristles near base; abdomen with dorsum dark gray, posterior half with four white chevrons, most anterior much larger than others, plus wide, recurved white spot immediately above spinnerets, scutum light brown, shiny, occupying most of abdominal width anteriorly, almost as much posteriorly, extending over entire cardiac area, sides gray, with longitudinal rows of tiny white spots, venter light gray, with two longitudinal, sinuous, faded purple bands ( Figs 218–221 ); legs light brown, without dark markings. Leg spination: femora: I d1-0-0, p0- 0-2; II d1-0-0; tibiae: I v4-4-4; II v4-4-2; metatarsi I, II v3-2-2.

Epigynum large, with posterior pair of large, almost contiguous, circular atria, separated by a longitudinal median septum, close to posterior epigynal margin; copulatory openings located at posteromedian edge of atria; copulatory ducts slightly shorter than primary spermathecae; bursae anterior, large, about one and a half as long as wide, almost contiguous posteriorly; chili-shaped primary spermathecae lateral to copulatory ducts, touching posterior edge of epigynum, about as long as bursae ( Figs 180–182 ).

Distribution. Known only from the Cueva de El 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.