Masteria machay Dupérré & Tapia, 2021

Dupérré, Nadine, Tapia, Elicio, Quandt, Dietmar, Crespo-Pérez, Verónica & Harms, Danilo, 2021, From the lowlands to the highlands of Ecuador, a study of the genus Masteria (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Dipluridae) with description of seven new species, Zootaxa 5005 (4), pp. 538-568 : 544-546

Masteria machay Dupérré & Tapia , new species

Figs 4A, B , 5A , 20C , map.1.

Type material. Female holotype from Ecuador, Napo, Miraflores community (-00.958370 -77.645851) 854m, 24 Feb. 2018, hand collected 10m in cave, E.E. Tapia ( QCAZ). Paratype: one female, same data as holotype (ZMH- A0002513) .

Other material examined. Ecuador: Napo Province: Miraflores community (-00.958370 -77.645851) 854m, 24 Feb. 2018, 3 juv., hand collected 10m in cave, E.E. Tapia ( ZMH-A0002511 , QCAZ) .

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the Kichwa language “mach’ay” meaning cave.

Diagnosis. Females most resemble M. tayrona Passanha & Brescovit, 2018 but are distinguished from all species by their reduced eyes ( Figs 4A , 20C ) and their internal genitalia composed of multilobed (8 lobes) spermathecae ( Fig. 5A ); whilst M. tayrona female multilobed spermathecae is composed of 4–5 lobes ( Passanha & Brescovit 2018; fig. 22F).

Description. Female (holotype): Total length: 4.57; carapace length: 1.85; carapace width: 1.43; abdomen length: 2.72. Carapace light yellow, smooth, covered with long setae ( Figs 4A , 20C ). Chelicerae yellow; promargin with 10 teeth and ~20 smaller mesobasal teeth. Endites yellow without cuspules. Labium yellow without cuspules. Sternum yellow, covered with long setae ( Fig. 4B ). Eyes: six reduced eyes grouped; AME absent; ALE and PLE almost equal; PME the smallest, rounded: posterior row slightly recurved ( Figs 4A , 20C ). Abdomen elongated, uniformly beige covered with long setae ( Fig. 4A ). Spinnerets: PLS 1.75 (0.61/0.57/0.57). Legs coloration uniformly pale yellow. Leg formula 4123; leg measurements: I 6.25 (1.71/0.79/1.52/1.27/0.96); II 5.16 (1.47/0.74/1.19/0.92/ 0.84); III 4.97 (1.39/0.53/1.11/1.04/0.90); IV 6.28 (1.67/0.63/1.58/1.42/0.98). Leg spination: I: femur d1-1-1-1-1; tibia v1-1; metatarsus v1-1; II: femur d1-1-1-1-1, p1; tibia v1-1ap, p1; metatarsus v1-1-1; III: femur d1-1-1-1, p1; patella p1; tibia d1-1, v1-1-1-3ap, p1-1, r1-1; metatarsus d1-2, v2-2-3ap, p1, r1-1; IV: femur d1-1-1-1-1; patella v-1ap; tibia d1, v2-1ap, p-1-1, r1-1, metatarsus d1, v2-2-2ap, p1-1, r1-1-1. Palpal claw with ~14 teeth. Genitalia: multilobed (8 lobes) spermathecae with large, oval ectal lobes (EcL) on elongated stems; ental lobes (EnL) triangular; spermathecae bases long; glandular region with small glands close together at the base of lobes and large glands widely interspaced on the spermathecae bases ( Fig. 5A ).

Male: unknown.

Distribution. Ecuador: only found at the type locality.

Natural History. Specimens were found in an open karstic cave under rocks, about 6–10m from the entrance. The cave floor was covered with residues (fruits) from fruit bats.

Figures

FIGURES 4A, B. Masteria machay n. sp. (holotype). A. Female habitus, dorsal view. B. Female habitus, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.5mm.

FIGURES 5A. Masteria machay n. sp. (holotype), female internal genitalia, dorsal view.

FIGURES 20A–H. Cephalothorax, dorsal view. A. Masteria hirsuta L. Koch, 1873 (female holotype). B. Masteria jatunsacha n. sp. (male holotype). C. Masteria machay n. sp. (female holotype). D. Masteria chalupas n. sp. (male holotype). E. Masteria papallacta n. sp. (male holotype). F. Masteria papallacta n. sp. (female allotype). G. Masteria pasochoa n. sp. (male holotype). H. Masteria pasochoa n. sp. (female allotype).