Phonotimpus valles, 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 : 32-34

Phonotimpus valles sp. nov.

Figures 203–205 , 287–290

Type material. Female holotype from state highway marker 85, 51.5 mi W Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí, Mexico (Oct. 17, 1972; V. Roth, B. Firstman), deposited in AMNH .

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

Diagnosis. Females can be easily recognized by the greatly elevated bulge on the anterior half of epigynum, copulatory ducts extending laterally from the paramedian exposed copulatory openings and lateral, tubular primary spermathecae ( Figs 203–205 ).

Description. Male: Unknown.

Female (holotype): Total length 2.42. Carapace pale yellow, with dark lateral margins, dusky markings covering entire surface except for unmarked submarginal U-shaped band and unmarked spot just anterior to fovea, pars thoracica steeply sloping, pars cephalica sloping evenly from elevated thoracic groove to clypeus; sternum, mouthparts pale yellow, unmarked, each cheliceral paturon with two strong, erect bristles near base; abdomen ovoid, narrowed anteriorly, posteriorly, dorsum, sides light gray with scattered white spots arranged in procurved rows, large posterior white spot separated from spinnerets by gray band, strong, shiny scutum pentagonal, occupying about three-fourths of abdominal width at its widest point, extending to almost half of abdomen length, venter white, without markings ( Figs 287–290 ); legs yellow, without dark markings. Leg spination: femora: I p0-0-2; II–IV d1-0-0; tibiae: I v4-4-4; II v4-4-2; metatarsi I, II v2-2-3.

Epigynum large with anterior half occupied by greatly elevated, sclerotized bulge, posterior half concave with two circular, exposed, paramedian copulatory openings just posterior to bulge; copulatory ducts short, laterally directed; bursae large, semicircular, almost contiguous, occupying most of anterior half of epigynum; long, tubular, lateral primary spermathecae extending posteriorly, almost touching posterior epigynal margin ( Figs 203–205 ).

Distribution. Known only from the Municipio de Ciudad Valles in eastern San Luis Potosí ( Fig. 339 ).

Figures

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

FIGURES 199–205. 199–202. Phonotimpus vacas sp. nov., male. 203–205. P. valles sp. nov., female. 199. Left palp, prolateral view. 200. Same, ventral view. 201. Same, retrolateral view. 202. Same, dorsal view. 203. Epigynum, ventral view. 204. Cleared epigynum, ventral view. 205. Same, dorsal view.

FIGURES 287–305. 287–290. Phonotimpus valles sp. nov., female. 291–298. P. gertschi sp. nov., male (291–294) and female (295–298). 299–306. P. pozas sp. nov., male (299–302) and female (303–306). 287, 291, 295, 299, 303. Carapace, dorsal view. 289, 293, 297, 301, 305. Same, ventral view. 288, 292, 296, 300, 304. Abdomen, dorsal view. 290, 294, 298, 302, 306. Same, ventral view.