Ixchela abernathyi (Gertsch, 1971)

Valdez-Mondragón, Alejandro, 2013, Taxonomic revision of the spider genus Ixchela Huber, 2000 (Araneae: Pholcidae), with description of ten new species from Mexico and Central America, Zootaxa 3608 (5), pp. 285-327 : 292-295

Ixchela abernathyi (Gertsch, 1971)

Figures 19–30

Coryssocnemis abernathyi Gertsch, 1971: 56 , figs 19–22 (description 3, Ƥ). Coryssocnemis abernathyi Gertsch 1973: 147 (redescription 3).

Ixchela abernathyi Huber, 2000: 153 (3, Ƥ transfer from Coryssocnemis ).

Type data: MEXICO: San Luis Potosí: 1 3 holotype, 1 Ƥ paratype (AMNH) (not examined) [30 January 1969; W. Elliot, D. Honea, M. Abernathy] from Sotano de Abernathy, W of Valle de los Fantasmas [~ lat 22.0796°, lon - 100.6355°].

Material examined. MEXICO: Coahuila: 2 immatures (AMNH) [5 June 1966; J. Reddell] from Cueva de las Vigas 20 km E of Arteaga (lat 25.4609°, lon -100.6502°, 2271 m), found hanging from web along walls. 1 immature (TMM-UT Inv. Zoo. Coll. # 10,335) [3 September 1995; A. Cobb] from Cueva de Los Llanitos, 5 km NW Mesa de La Tablas (lat 25.2588°, lon -100.3535°, 2540 m). 2 immatures (TMM-UT Inv. Zoo. Coll. # 10,336) [16–17 July 1993; P. Sprouse] from Cueva de Los Llanitos, 1700 m N of Los Llanitos, 5 km NW Mesa de Las Tablas, Ejido el Potrero (lat 25.2588°, lon -100.3535°, 2540 m). Nuevo León: 1 3 (AMNH) [24 August 1973; D. McKenzie] from Sotano de Rancho Nuevo No. 4 (lat 23.8640°, lon -99.4154°; 1754m). 1 3 (AMNH) [13 October 1987; P. Sprouse] from Cueva de la Forja, 1 km N Chupaderos, 9 km W of Dulces Nombres. 1 immature (AMNH) [14–15 July 1986; P. Sprouse] from Cueva de la Forja No. 2., Chupaderos. 2 immatures (AMNH) [22 March 1988; A. Cobb] from El Techito, 2.5 km S Ejido Cuauhtemoc, 6.5 km S of Revilla. 1 3 (AMNH) [24 August 1973; R. Jameson] from Sotano de Rancho Nuevo No. 3 (lat 23.8640°, lon -99.4154°; 1754m). 2 ƤƤ, 1 immature (AMNH) [22 August 1973; R. Jameson, D. McKenzie] from Cueva de Rancho Revilla. 1 Ƥ, 3 immatures (AMNH) [21 March 1989; G. Veni, A. Cobb] from Cueva del Polvo Tempestado. 1 3, 1 Ƥ (TMM-UT Inv. Zoo. Coll. # 52,510) [28 December 2004; J. Kennedy, C. Whitney] from Cueva Tronco Muerto, Mesa Colorada, Ejido de Laguna de Sánchez, Municipio de Santiago. 1 Ƥ (TMM-UT Inv. Zoo. Coll. # 18,272) [22 November 1999; A. Guevara] from Pozo de Fernando, 4 km SW El Refugio. 1 immature (TMM-UT Inv. Zoo. Coll. # 51,642) [31 December 2001; P. Sprouse] from Pozo Nazca (PEP529), Chupaderos (lat 23.9700°, lon -99.6555°; 1995 m), Municipio de Zaragoza. 1 Ƥ (TMM-UT Arth. Cat. # 6,809) [28 November 1981; P. Sprouse] from Poza de las Sardinas, 400 m N Rancho Nuevo Firetower. 1 Ƥ (TMM- UT Inv. Zoo. Coll. # 24,131) [25 November 1999; C. Savvas] from Pozo Milenio (PEP432) (lat 23.8463°, lon - 99.6869°; 2800 m), Santa María de Arriba, 20 km SE of Garza. 1 3 (TMM-UT Inv. Zoo. Coll. # 24,081) [22 November 1999; F. Vanoye] from Pozo Caldo (PEP440) (lat 23.8540°, lon -99.6879°; 2800 m), Santa Marta de Arriba, 20 km SE of Zaragoza. 1 3 (TMM-UT Inv. Zoo. Coll. # 10,312) [23 December 1996; J. Richards] from Pozo Seta, 3300 m NW Rancho Nuevo. 1 Ƥ (TMM-UT Inv. Zoo. Coll. # 10,315) [21 November 1994; R. Savvas] from Pozo Nido de la Rata. 1 3, 1 immature (TMM-UT Inv. Zoo. Coll. # 10,321) [25 November 1993; C. Savvas] from Pozo Piso Falso, 2.5 km SSE of La Escondida (lat 24.0860°, lon -99.9071°). San Luis Potosí: 3 ƤƤ (CNAN 3345) [13 May 2010; A, Valdez, O. Francke, J. Cruz, C. Santibáñez] from Km 227 Carretera Federal No. 70 Cd. San Luis Potosí-Río Verde (lat 22.0884°, lon -100.6502°; 2344 m). 5 immatures (CNAN 3346) [13 May 2010; A, Valdez, O. Francke, J. Cruz, C. Santibáñez] from cave of the town named “Km 58” (lat 22.02°, lon -100.6015°; 2298 m), Municipio Villa de Zaragoza. 2 ƤƤ, 1 immature (AMNH) [7 March 1972; J. Cooke] from Sotano de las Golondrinas (lat 21.5998°, lon -99.0990°; 856 m), Valle de los Fantasmas. 1 Ƥ, 1 immature (AMNH) [30 January 1969; W. Elliot, D. Honea, M. Abernathy] from Sotano de Abernathyi , W of Valle de los Fantasmas (lat 22.0784°, lon - 100.6360°; 2450 m). 2 3 (AMNH) [28 November 1968; W. Elliot, J. Jarl] from Unnamed 30-foot-long cave, 1.2 km S of San Francisco. 1 3, 2 ƤƤ, 2 immatures (AMNH) [29 November 1968; W. Elliott, J. Jarl, S. Cathey, M. Burk] from Sotano de las Golondrinas (lat 21.5998°, lon -99.099°; 856 m), Valle de los Fantasmas. 2 immatures (AMNH) [18 May 1972; W. Elliot] from Cueva de los Caballos (lat 22.0878°, lon -100.6581°; 2431 m), 30 km ESE San Luis Potosí (3000 m), Municipio Zaragoza. 1 Ƥ (AMNH) [17 March 1972; W. Elliott, R. Mitchell, J. A. L. Cooke, G. Campbell, G. Graves, M. Brownfield] from Sotano de las Golondrinas (lat 21.5998°, lon -99.099°; 856 m), Puerto Altamira, 40 km E San Luis Potosí (3000 m). Tamaulipas: 1 immature (AMNH) [24 August 1973; R. Jameson, D. McKenzie, F. Pérez] from Cueva Tecolote (lat 23.8941°, lon -99.4527°). 3 immatures (AMNH) [20 April 1980; D. Honea, J. Williams] from Pozo Ciego, 1.5 km N Conrado. 1 Ƥ (AMNH) [1 November 1979; P. Sprouse] from Pozo del Lagartijo 0.5 km SW Fire Tower. 1 immature (AMNH) [16 April 1979; P. Sprouse] from Sistema Purificación, Entrada de los Franceses. 3 immatures (AMNH) [17 March 1979; G. Atkinson] from Entrada del Viento Baja. 1 Ƥ (AMNH) [22 March 1979; D. Pate] from Cueva del Musgo. 1 Ƥ (AMNH) [25 April 1981; P. Sprouse, T. Treacy] from Cueva del Borrego, 0.5 km S Conrado Castillo. 1 Ƥ (with ovisac) (AMNH) [24 April 1981; P. Sprouse] from Cueva X, Conrado Castillo. 1 Ƥ [28 March 1978; A. G. Grubbs, P. Sprouse, T. Treacy, S. Balsdon] from Cueva X, Conrado Castillo. 1 Ƥ (AMNH) [25 October 1979; T. Tracy, P. Sprouse] from Sistema de Purificación, Conrado Castillo. 2 ƤƤ (AMNH) [27 November 1979; J. Lieberz, P. Sprouse] from Sumidero de Oyamel. 1 3, 1 immature (AMNH) [10 April 1980; D. Honea, D. Pate] from Sistema Purificación, Sumidero de Oyamel. 1 immature (AMNH) [4 June 1980; P. Sprouse, T. Treacy] from Cueva del Pedernal, 2 km N Conrado Castillo. 1 Ƥ, 1 immature (AMNH) [14 March 1979; D. Pate, P. Sprouse, T. Treacy, L. Turpin] from Cueva del Brinco. 1 3 (AMNH) [15 January 1971; J. Reddell, W. Elliot] from Cueva Chica de la Perra, 13.5 km NW of Gomez Farias. 2 immatures (AMNH) [April 1980; D. Honea, J. Williams] from Cueva del Alacrán, 1.5 km N Conrado Castillo. 1 immature (AMNH) [Date?; Collectors?] from Cueva de la Capilla, 11.5 km NNE Gómez Farias. 1 3 (AMNH) [28 November 1986; P. Sprouse] from Cueva de los Chirriones, 3 km NW Los San Pedro. 1 3 (AMNH) [March–April 1978; A. G. Grubbs, C. Ediger, P. Sprouse, T. Treacy] from Conrado Castillo. 2 immatures (AMNH) [19 April 1980; T. Treacy, D. Pate, L. Clarfield, L. Will] from Cueva de Revilla, Revilla (Purification Area). 2 immatures (AMNH) [October 1979; P. Sprouse] from Entrada del Viento Baja, Conrado Castillo. 1 3 (TMM-UT Arth. Cat. # 6,811) [19 March 1982; D. Honea, J. Williams] from Cueva del Equinoccio, 500 m N Conrado Castillo. 1 Ƥ (TMM-UT Arth. Cat. # 6,812) [6 April 1982; G. Atkinson] from Cueva de la Onza, 0.5 km N Conrado Castillo. 1 immature (TMM-UT Arth. Cat. # 6,813) [6 April 1982; P. Sprouse] from Cueva de la Onza, 0.5 km N Conrado Castillo. 1 Ƥ (TMM-UT Arth. Cat. # 6,810) [15 March 1982; P. Sprouse, T. T Sprouse] from Pozo de Arrecife, 800 m NE Rancho Nuevo (lat 23.9438°, lon -99.4745°; 2240 m).

Diagnosis. Resembles to I. placida , distinguished by FAC straight ( Figs 21, 22 ); palp femur conical, wider than I. placida ( Figs 25 , 65 ); PAB rounded and bigger than I. placida ( Figs 26 , 66 ); and by the epigynum with three rounded angles at apex ( Figs 27, 30 ) and with a small rounded pit on central apex ( Figs 27, 28 ).

Description. Male. (Unnamed 30-foot-long cave, 1.2 km S of San Francisco). Prosoma: Carapace yellow, three small spots on each side ( Fig. 20 ). Ocular region brown, brown region around fovea, brown line from PLE toward fovea ( Fig. 20 ). Clypeus brown, darker distally ( Fig. 23 ). Chelicerae dark brown, darker on prolateral part and pale on small region basally; with sclerotized and curved SAC ( Fig. 21 ). Sternum brown, labium brown darker than sternum, pale distally. Endites dark brown, darker than sternum, pale distally. Legs: Coxae pale yellow, brown distally on prolateral and retrolateral parts. Trochanters brown. Femora yellow, with about 10 brown rings on femur I, 7 on II, 5 on III and 6 on IV; femora dark brown distally. Patellae brown. Tibia yellow, 6–7 brown rings on tibia I, 5–6 tibia II, 4 on III and 5–6 on IV. Metatarsi and tarsi orange. Opisthosoma: Conical distally, larger than high, pale blue coloration ( Fig. 19 ). Plate of genital gonopore square. Palp: Femur with VAF ( Fig. 25 ). Procursus long, VPP with long setae; curved spine distally ( Fig. 25 ). Tibia with two long setae dorsodistally. Embolus wide and long, with spine dorsodistally and curved projection ventroapically ( Figs 24–26 ). Measurements: Total length 9.40. Carapace 3.45 long, 3.2 wide. Clypeus 1.30 long. Diameter AME 0.16, ALE 0.19, PME 0.22, PLE 0.26. Distance ALE-PME 0.19, PME-PME 0.34. Leg I missing, tibia II: 11.80, tibia III: 9.50, tibia IV: 11.75. Tibia I l/d: missing.

Female. (CNAN 3345). Similar to the male, differences: Prosoma: Clypeus with X-shaped brown mark. Epigynum: Wider than high and long ( Figs 27, 28, 30 ). PP triangular; MSE wide, posteriorly not touching PP ( Fig. 29 ). Two sac-shaped concavities between MSE and PP ( Fig. 29 ). Measurements: Total length 9.20. Carapace 2.85 long, 2.60 wide. Clypeus 1.05 long. Diameter AME 0.12, ALE 0.24, PME 0.20, PLE 0.22. Distance ALE-PME 0.18. PME-PME 0.26. Leg I: 43.06 (femur 11.25 + patella 1.13 + tibia 11.56 + metatarsi 14.25 + tarsi 4.87), tibia II: 8.50, tibia III: 6.81, tibia IV: 8.55; tibia I l/d 30.33.

Variation. Males and females have variation in size and coloration, even in specimens of each sex and from the same population, some specimens have legs brown and other specimens dark orange. Some specimens have rings on femur more marked than others. Some specimens have opisthosoma gray and others yellow. Male tibia I: 20.81–21.00 (x = 20.90). Female tibia I: 11.25–13.87 (x = 12.91).

Natural History. The specimens from km 227 Carretera Federal No. 70 Cd. San Luis Potosí-Rio Verde, San Luis Potosí, were collected in a karstic zone with pine-oak forest; the spiders were on their sheet webs among boulders and under fallen logs ( Fig. 1 ). The specimens from cave of the town named “Km 58”, Municipio Villa de Zaragoza, San Luis Potosí, were collected also in a karstic zone with pine-oak forest; the specimens were collected in the entrance and around 5m inside the cave, on their sheet webs on walls and among boulders on the floor.

Distribution. MEXICO: San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas (Gertsch 1971, 1973), Coahuila, Nuevo León ( Fig. 85 ).

Figures

FIGURE 85. Known distribution of Ixchela abernathyi (Gertsch, 1971), Ixchela furcula (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902), Ixchela pecki (Gertsch, 1971), Ixchela placida (Gertsch, 1971) and Ixchela simoni (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898).

FIGURES 19 – 30. Ixchela abernathyi (Gertsch, 1971). Male: 19, Habitus, lateral view. 20, Carapace, dorsal view. 21, Chelicerae, frontal view. 22, Chelicerae, lateral view. 23, Carapace, frontal view. 24, Bulb and procursus, dorsal view. 25 – 26, Left palp, retrolateral and prolateral views respectively (arrows indicate the apical-dorsal projection spine-shaped on the embolus, and the apical-vental projection respectively). Female: 27, Epigynum, frontal view. 28, Epigynum, ventral view. 29, Epigynum, dorsal view. 30, Epigynum, left lateral view. Scales: 1 mm (Figs 19, 21, 23, 25, 26), 0.5 mm (Figs 20, 22, 24, 27 – 30).

FIGURES 60 – 71. Ixchela placida (Gertsch, 1971). Male: 60, Habitus, lateral view. 61, Carapace, dorsal view. 62, Chelicerae, frontal view. 63, Chelicera, lateral view. 64, Carapace, frontal view. 65 – 66, Left palp, retrolateral and prolateral views respectively. 67, Bulb and procursus, dorsal view. Female: 68, Epigynum, frontal view. 69, Epigynum, ventral view. 70, Epigynum, dorsal view (arrow indicates the sac-shaped concavities between MSE and PP). 71, Epigynum, left lateral view. Scales: 1 mm (Figs 60, 61, 64, 65, 66, 68 – 71), 0.5 mm (Figs 62, 63, 67).

FIGURES 1 – 12. Living specimens of the genus Ixchela Huber, 2000, from Mexico. 1, Ixchela abernathyi (Gertsch, 1971), female from Km 227 Carretera Federal No. 70 Cd. San Luis Potosí-Rio Verde, San Luis Potosí. 2, Ixchela placida (Gertsch, 1971), female from Cueva de Atlahuilapa, Veracruz. 3, Ixchela pecki (Gertsch, 1971), female from Cueva de Teopisca, Chiapas. 4, Ixchela simoni (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898) from 2 km W of crossroad Omiltemi-Chautipan, Guerrero. 5, Ixchela mixe new species, female with egg sac from cave near Tlahuitoltepec, Oaxaca. 6, Ixchela huberi new species, male from Santa Inés del Monte, Oaxaca. 7, Ixchela juarezi new species, female with egg sac from 2 km E of Guelatao, Oaxaca. 8, Ixchela taxco new species, female from Rancho La Soñadora, 6 km W of Taxco, Guerrero. 9, Ixchela franckei new species, male from Cueva del Borrego, 3.5 km E of Omiltemi, Guerrero. 10 – 11, Ixchela huasteca new species: 10, male from 1.5 km road to Microondas La Pingüica, Querétaro; 11, female with egg sac from Buenavista, near Ahuacatlan, San Luis Potosí. 12, Ixchela tzotzil new species, male from Grutas de Arcotete, Chiapas.