Phonotimpus cielo, 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 : 24-25

Phonotimpus cielo sp. nov.

Figures 170–176 , 206–213

Type material. Male holotype and female allotype from a Winkler sample of sifted cloud forest leaf litter taken at El Cielo, 2.5 km SSE Alta Cima, 23.03787°N, 99.18941°W, elev. 870 m, Tamaulipas, Mexico (Aug. 24, 2009; M. Branstetter), deposited in MCZ (95633).

Other material examined. MEXICO: Tamaulipas: El Cielo, near Alta Cima , 23.06518°N, 99.20433°W, elev. 980 m, Aug. 21, 2009, Winkler trap, sifted leaf litter, riparian wet forest, M. Branstetter, 3♂, 1♀ ( MCZ 93908) , L. Sáenz , 3♀ ( MCZ 95638) . El Cielo , 1.8 km W Alta Cima, 23.06110°N, 99.21564°W, elev. 1340 m, Aug. 23, 2009, Winkler trap, sifted leaf litter, mesophyll forest, M. Branstetter, 1♀ ( MCZ 93767) . El Cielo, Joya de Manantiales , 23.00835°N, 99.28511°W, elev. 1430 m, Aug. 22, 2009, Winkler trap, sifted leaf litter, mesophyll forest, M. Branstetter, 1♂ ( MCZ 95332) . El Cielo , 1.3 km NW Joya de Manantiales, 23.0233°N, 99.28830°W, elev. 1620 m, Aug. 22, 2009, sifted leaf litter, mesophyll forest, M. Branstetter, 5♂ ( MCZ 95549) . El Cielo , 1.2 km N La Gloria, 23.05717°N, 99.25206°W, elev. 1780 m, Aug. 23, 2009, Winkler trap, sifted leaf litter, mesophyll forest, M. Branstetter, 2♂ ( MCZ 94169) . El Cielo , 1.8 km NW La Gloria, 23.05871°N, 99.26343°W, elev. 2030 m, Aug. 23, 2009, Winkler trap, sifted leaf litter, mesophyll forest, M. Branstetter, 2♂ ( MCZ 94279) . Near Gómez Farías , elev. 1000 m, Aug. 7, 1983, cloud forest litter, S., J. Peck, 1♀ ( AMNH) . Julilo , 23.14122°N, 99.21315°W, elev. 1450 m, July 19, 2006, liquidambar/oak forest litter, R. Anderson, L. Benavides, 1♂, 2♀ (ex MCZ 140486 ) . Rancho del Cielo , 5 mi NW Gómez Farías, July 1–4, 1969, human dung trap, S., J. Peck, 1♂ ( AMNH) .

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

Diagnosis. Males of this distinctive species can easily be recognized by the massive, rectangular retrolateral tibial apophysis, which bears a subtriangular ventral projection just below its tip, dorsal apophysis sinuous and wide embolar base ( Figs 171–173 ); females have an epigynum with a pair of wide, deep, circular atria, copulatory openings located on the anteromedian edge of atria, short copulatory ducts, bursae longer than the chili-shaped primary spermathecae, which touch the posterior epigynal margin, secondary spermathecae small, thin, one-coiled ( Figs 174–176 ).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 1.86. Carapace yellow, with dark lateral margins, submarginal unmarked areas extending completely around carapace except for ocular area, followed medially by two longitudinal bands of dark maculations, central portion unmarked, pars thoracica steeply sloping, pars cephalica gently sloping to ocular area; sternum, mouthparts yellow, each cheliceral paturon proximally darkened, with one strong, erect bristle near base; abdomen narrow, dorsum, sides dark gray, dorsum with four threadlike white chevrons on posterior half, scutum covering almost entire dorsum, sides with longitudinal rows of white spots, venter white, with U-shaped band of light gray maculations ( Figs 206–209 ); legs yellow, femora II–IV with proximal, distal dark rings, patellae III, IV, tibiae II–IV with distal dark rings. 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.

Palpal femur with shallow retrolateral excavation extending over distal two-thirds of femur length, patch of spinules on distal, prolateral half; dorsal tibial apophysis long, acuminate, extending to about one-third of cymbial length, sinuate ( Figs 172–173 ); retrolateral apophysis shorter but massive, rectangular in retrolateral view, with subtriangular, blunt, ventral projection near tip ( Fig. 172 ); distal border of palpal tibia deeply notched prolaterally ( Figs 170–171 ); tegulum greatly expanded proximally, retrolaterally; embolar base wide, about two-fifths of bulb width; embolus tubular, long, narrow, extending obliquely beyond alveolus; embolar basal process very narrow; conductor slender basally, widened distally; apical tegular apophysis absent ( Figs 170–172 ).

Female (allotype): Total length 2.42. As in male, except each cheliceral paturon with two strong, erect bristles near base, abdomen wider, dorsum with additional, most posterior white chevron much larger than others, scutum strong, covering most of anterior half of dorsum ( Figs 210–213 ); all patellae distally dusky, metatarsi II–IV with proximal, distal dark rings. Leg spination as in male.

Epigynum large, posterior half with two wide, circular atria (often occluded with dark secretions), moderately deep, with small atrial hoods, separated by a subtriangular septum; copulatory openings small, situated at anteromedian atrial edges; copulatory ducts short; bursae elongated, about twice as long as wide, subtriangular, almost contiguous posteriorly; chili-shaped primary spermathecae situated laterally, curving around atria, touching posterior epigynal margin, shorter than bursae; secondary spermathecae small, thin, one-coiled ( Figs 174–176 ).

Distribution. Known only from the Municipio de Gómez Farías in southern Tamaulipas, where it is sometimes sympatric with P. cima sp. nov., P. farias sp. nov. and P. frio sp. nov. ( Fig. 339 ).

Figures

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

FIGURES 170–176. Phonotimpus cielo sp. nov., male (170–173) and female (174–176). 170. Left palp, prolateral view. 171. Same, ventral view. 172. Same, retrolateral view. 173. Same, dorsal view. 174. Epigynum, ventral view. 175. Cleared epigynum, ventral view. 176. 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.