Chrysometa nubigena, Nogueira, André A., Pena-Barbosa, João P. P., Venticinque, Eduardo M. & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2011

Nogueira, André A., Pena-Barbosa, João P. P., Venticinque, Eduardo M. & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2011, The spider genus Chrysometa (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) from the Pico da Neblina and Serra do Tapirapecó mountains (Amazonas, Brazil): new species, new records, diversity and distribution along two altitudinal gradients, Zootaxa 2772, pp. 33-51 : 36

Chrysometa nubigena new species

Figures 2A–E

Type material. Holotype: Male from Pico da Neblina (2,000 m), São Gabriel da Cachoeira, (00°46'N 66º00'W), Amazonas, Brazil, X.2007, A.A. Nogueira et al. coll. (INPA-AR 6144).

Paratypes: six males and seven females from the same locality and date (INPA-AR 6145 (1 male), 6146 (1 male) 6147 (1 female), 6148 (1 female), 6149 (1 female); IBSP 160448 (1 male), 160451 (1 female), 160453 (1 male), 160474 (1 female); MPEG 15666 (1 female), 15667 (1 female), 15668 (1 male), 15672 (1 male )).

Additional Material examined: Brazil: Amazonas: São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Pico da Neblina, (0°46'N 66º00'W), 31 males and 53 females, X.2007, A.A. Nogueira et al., coll. (INPA-AR 6191-6220; IBSP 160449, 160450, 160452, 160454, 160455; MPEG 15669-15671, 15673).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a Latin word that means “born on the clouds”, since this species was only collected at high altitudes at the Pico da Neblina, a place constantly covered by mist, a characteristic which gave the mountain its name (“peak of the mist”).

Diagnosis. Males of C. nubigena differ from all other species of the genus by the long cymbial apophysis with a small hump near the tip; paracymbium with thin lower prong in ventral view ( Fig. 2A ); cymbial membranous projection posteriorly curved rounded tip in ventral view ( Figs. 2A ), being subtriangular in retrolateral view ( Fig. 2B ).

Females of C. nubigena differ from all other species by the posteriorly pointed “V”-shaped projection of the median lobe over the lateral plates, and the oval-shaped copulatory openings, on ventral view ( Fig. 2C ). On posterior view, epiginal lateral plates with anteriorly projected rounded tip; median plate right behind the lateral plates, creating two arches ( Fig. 2D ).

Description. Male (holotype). Carapace yellow; Sternum, chelicerae, labium and endites brown. Legs yellow. Dorsum of the abdomen grey, with some transversal black lines. Sides with some white to silver spots. Venter black, with two white spots. Spinnerets black. Total length 2.6; Carapace 1.2 long, 1.1 wide. Leg I length: femur 2.4; patella+tibia 2.8; metatarsus 2.1; tarsus 0.9. Patella+tibia II 1.5; III 0.8; IV 1. 0. Palp: Paracymbium “M”- shaped, with upper prong more enlarged and shorter than lower prong, on ventral view ( Fig. 2A ); and 'metine' embolic apophysis curved on apical region ( Fig. 2A ).

Female (paratype, INPA-AR 6147). Colour as in male. Total length 3.4; carapace 1.3 long, 1.1 wide. Leg I length: femur 1.3; patella+tibia 1.9; metatarsus 1.8; tarsus 0.7. Patella+tibia II 1.4; III 0.6; IV 1. 1. Epigynum: Spermatechae apical, with copulatory ducts right below ( Fig. 2E ).

Distribution. Only known from the type locality.

Figures

FIGURES 2 A – E. Chrysometa nubigena n. sp. A. Male palp, ventral view. B. Same, retrolateral view. C. Epigynum, ventral view. D. Same, posterior view. E. Same, dorsal view. Scale bars: AB, 0. 3 mm; CDE, 0. 1 mm.