Chrysometa atotonilco, Salgueiro-Sepúlveda & Álvarez-Padilla, 2018

Salgueiro-Sepúlveda, F. Javier & Álvarez-Padilla, Fernando, 2018, New species of the orb-weaving spider genus Chrysometa (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) from oak forests near of the Pico de Orizaba National Park (Veracruz, Mexico), Zootaxa 4450 (3), pp. 301-330 : 311-314

Chrysometa atotonilco new species

Figures 7 , 8 , 19

Type material. Holotype ( CNAN-T1185 ). Female from Pico de Orizaba National Park, Atotonilco Calcahualco, Veracruz, Mexico. Plot I: 19° 8' 17.4" N, 97° 12' 16.2" W, 2,300 m. October 4–14, 2012 . Allotype ( CNAN-T1186 ). Male from Pico de Orizaba National Park, Atotonilco Calcahualco, Veracruz, Mexico. Plot II: 19° 8' 30.2" N, 97° 12' 21.5" W, 2,388 m. May 21–30, 2012 . Paratypes. 14 females and 11 males. Types are deposited in the Colección Nacional de Arácnidos ( CNAN) at the Instituto de Biología ( IBUNAM) .

Etymology. The species epithet is a noun in apposition and refers to the type locality.

Diagnosis. Females of C. atotonilco can be distinguished from C. brevipes , C. puebla and all sympatric species by the following features: small and shallow copulatory openings and thick and rectangular transverse bar ( Figs. 7D , 8D ). Chrysometa brevipes females have large, rectangular copulatory openings and a transverse bar with oval arms. Chrysometa puebla females have the transverse bar arms rounded. Males of C. atotonilco are distinguished from C. brevipes and all sympatric species by the following features: long and completely curved lower prong, orientated retrolaterally ( Figs. 7I , 8A, B ). Chrysometa brevipes males have a horizontal and more pointed lower prong.

Description. Female. Total length 4.9. Cephalothorax: length 2, width 1.5. Carapace pale-yellow, brown patterns over the cephalic region narrowing in the middle and towards the fovea ( Fig. 7A ). Ocular area dark-yellow below the median eyes and pale-yellow below the lateral eyes. Eyes subequal in size ( Fig. 7G ). AME diameter 0.1, PME 0.14, ALE and PLE 0.12. Chelicerae yellow, brown on the anterior part, black patterns of circles on the posterior part, with few scattered setae ( Fig. 7G ). Endites longer than wide, dark-yellow, brighter in the tip, internal margins pale-yellow. Labium wider than long, brown, yellow on the posterior part and the margins. Sternum brown, with a posterior yellow mark, wider between the first and second legs ( Fig. 7C ). Abdomen: dorsally covered with few, small guanine silvery patches, lateral and anterior part darker with a V-shape pattern ( Fig. 7A, B ); ventrally brown, with guanine patches concentrated in two lines forming a central brown pattern between the spinnerets and the epigynum, one yellow spot on each side of spinnerets ( Fig. 7C ). Leg lengths: I 11, II 7.5, III 4 and IV 6. Coxae-femora pale-yellow, patellae-tarsi yellow with brown rings, darker on joints, with ventral and dorsal brown spots. Epigynum: epigynal plate small and oval, wider than long; transverse bar thick and rectangular with short arms, septum thin with thick margins, well sclerotized. Copulatory openings very small and shallow ( Figs. 7D , 8D ). Spermathecae, copulatory ducts and fertilization ducts as shown in Figure 7E, F .

Male. As in female except as noted. Total length 3.3. Cephalothorax: length 1.6, width 1.3. Carapace: dorsal patterns wicker. Eyes subequal in size. AME diameter 0.08, PME 0.1, ALE and PLE 0.1. Chelicerae dark-yellow, retrolateral cuticle rugose, larger and narrower, setae bases enlarged and more abundant at base. Abdomen: dorsal and ventral patterns weaker than in female. Ventral guanine patches larger. Leg lengths: I 15, II 8.4, III 3.9 and IV 5.8. Pedipalp: CEBP triangular, curved anteriorly. CEMP rectangular and flattened, pointed retrolaterally. Paracymbium thin, upper prong enlarged, wider than lower prong in retrolateral view ( Figs. 7I , 8A, B, C ), long lower prong completely curved ventrally and protruding over the paracymbium ( Figs. 7I , 8A ). Embolus thin, long and curved apically, tubular and supported by the conductor; EBA shorter than embolus ( Figs. 7I , 8A, B, C ). Conductor, embolus and EBA in ventral view as in Figures 7I , 8A .

Variation. Female total length 3.5–4.9, cephalothorax length 1.6–2, cephalothorax width 1.3–1.5. Male total length 2.8–3.3, cephalothorax length 1.4–1.6, cephalothorax width 1.1–1.3.

Material examined. N=27. Mexico: Veracruz, Atotonilco Calcahualco, two males Plot I: 19° 8' 17.4" N, 97° 12' 16.2" W, 2,300 m., May 21–30, 2012 ; 15 females, ten males Plot I: 19° 8' 17.4" N, 97° 12' 16.2" W, 2,300 m., October 4–14, 2012; 1 female, Plot I: 19° 8' 17.4" N, 97° 12' 16.2" W, 2,300 m., February 15–24, 2013. Colección Nacional de Arácnidos ( CNAN) at the Instituto de Biología ( IBUNAM) .

Distribution. Veracruz, Mexico. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 19 ).

Biology. Specimens were collected in a Quercus forest with secondary plant growth. All specimens were found only in plot I during all three expeditions (expedition I: May 21–30, 2012; expedition II: October 4–14, 2012 and expedition III: February 15–24, 2013). Most specimens were captured by direct collecting at night followed by beating vegetation.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Chrysometa atotonilco n. sp., female. A, habitus dorsal view. B, lateral view. C, ventral view. D, epigynum ventral view. E, epigynum ventral view (cleared). F, dorsal view (cleared). G, prosoma anterior view. Male. H, prosoma anterior view. I, pedipalp ventral view. Scale bars, A, B, C, 1.0 mm; D, 0.2 mm; E, F, I, 0.1 mm; G, H, 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 8. Chrysometa atotonilco n. sp., male. A, pedipalp ventral view, B retrolateral view. C, dorsal view. Female. D, epigynum ventral view. E, posterior view. Scale bars, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 19. Species Distribution Map. Atotonilco Locality: Chrysometa citlaltepetl, C. triangulosa, C. rosarium, C. atotonilco and C. sagicuta.. Xamaticpac Locality: C. xamaticpac, C. puya and C. chipinque.