Loxosceles deformis Wunderlich, 1988

Magalhaes, Ivan L. F., Perez-Gonzalez, Abel, Labarque, Facundo M., Carboni, Martin, Hammel, Joerg U., Kunz, Robin, Ramirez, Martin J. & Solorzano-Kraemer, Monica M., 2022, Revision of recluse spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae: Loxosceles) preserved in Dominican amber and a total-evidence phylogeny of Scytodoidea reveal the first fossil Drymusidae, Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 80, pp. 541-559 : 541

5.1.2. Loxosceles deformis Wunderlich, 1988

Fig. 2

Loxosceles deformis Wunderlich, 1988: 68, fig. 90.

Type material.

Holotype adult male in Dominican amber, SMF Be 968a, deposited in SMF, examined. No other specimens are known.

Preservation.

The spider is incompletely preserved in a reddish yellow piece of amber. The abdomen is severely shriveled. The anterior portion of the prosoma is covered by emulsion. Only left legs I and III and right femur II are preserved. The left palp, as well as the right palpal tibia, are strongly deformed. Syninclusions: two small Lepidoptera , a nematoceran Diptera , an Acari, a Hymenoptera : Formicidae , another unidentified spider with fungi, and a Bryophyta.

Diagnosis.

Loxosceles deformis can be diagnosed from the Loxosceles in Dominican amber ( L. defecta ) by the unmodified first tibia (Fig. 2C ); the palp has a gently curved, flattened embolus that is twice as long as the globose base of the bulb. Among extant Antillean species, it is most similar to L. caribbaea (see Sánchez-Ruiz and Brescovit: 2013: figs 1, 2) but can be distinguished by the longer, more flattened embolus.

Description.

Male holotype (SMF-Be 968a). Structure: Carapace almost as wide as long, narrowed anteriorly, particularly hirsute in the cephalic region. Six eyes in three dyads. Legs without strong macrosetae; tibia I unmodified; tarsus III with only two claws. Details of mouthpieces and spinnerets not visible. Palp (Fig. 2D-F ): palpal femur as long as patella + tibia; tibia slightly incrassate, bulging ventrally, distally deformed; cymbium small, blunt, bulging dorsally; bulb with small globose base and long, flattened, gently curved embolus. Measurements [mm]: Total length (excluding chelicerae and spinnerets) 6.09. Carapace length 3.00, width 2.97. Abdomen length 3.43, width 1.80. Palpal femur length 1.59. Palpal tibia length 0.83, height 0.40. Leg I: femur 4.80, patella 1.07, tibia 5.60, metatarsus 4.22, tarsus 1.12. Leg II: femur 4.93, missing from patella. Leg III: femur 4.93, patella 1.12, tibia 4.85, metatarsus 4.81, tarsus 0.68. Leg IV missing.

Figures

Figure 2. Loxosceles deformis Wunderlich, 1988, holotype (SMF-Be 968 a), photographs under light microscopy. A, B habitus, dorsal view. C left tibia I, prolateral. D palps, subventral view. E right palp, retrolateral view. F right bulb, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 2 mm (A), 1 mm (B, C), 0.5 mm (D, E), 0.1 mm (F).