Pisaboa retracta Huber sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: B2DFE769-82AC-47E4-BA79-65355A99E74B

Figs 775–778, 785–786, 790–795, 1063

Diagnosis

Easily distinguished from most known congeners [except P. marcuzzii (Caporiacco, 1955) comb. nov.] by male chelicerae (cf. Figs 781–782; apophyses in proximal rather than distal position, not hinged) and by shape of epigynal plate (Fig. 790; wider anteriorly than posteriorly); from P. marcuzzii comb. nov. by shape of procursus (weakly curved, i.e., not S-shaped; compare Figs 783 and 785), by epigynal plate not smooth but with ridges (compare Figs 788 and 791), by internal female genitalia larger relative to epigynal plate (compare Figs 784 and 786), and by more strongly annulated legs (each femur with proximal dark ring in addition to subdistal ring, sometimes also with dark ring at half length; compare Figs 773–774 and 775–776).

Etymology

The species name (Latin: retired, reclusive, withdrawn) refers to the retreats in which the spiders were hiding during the day; adjective.

Type material

VENEZUELA – Lara • ♂ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 22079), between Barquisimeto and Boconó (9.5906° N, 69.8343° W), 1370 m a.s.l., 20 Nov. 2018 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.) .

Other material examined

VENEZUELA – Lara • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, 1 juv., ZFMK (Ar 22080), and 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven18-202), same collection data as for holotype • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 22081), Yacambú National Park, Sendero Ecológico (9.709° N, 69.580° W), ~ 1550 m a.s.l., 15–16 Dec. 2002 (B.A. Huber, A. Pérez González, O. Villarreal M., B. Striffler, A. Giupponi) .

Assigned tentatively

VENEZUELA – La Guaira • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, ZFMK (Ar 22082), and 2 ♀♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven20-168) (one abdomen moved to ZFMK, Ar 22082), El Limón, ‘site 1’ (10.4788° N, 67.3010° W), 600 m a.s.l., forest remnant along small stream, 21 Feb. 2020 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.) .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 2.1, carapace width 0.95. Distance PME–PME 70 µm; diameter PME 90 µm; distance PME–ALE 60 µm; distance AME–AME 15 µm; diameter AME 25 µm. Leg 1: 15.3 (3.7 +0.4 +3.8+6.2 +1.2), tibia 2: 2.3, tibia 3: 1.8, tibia 4: 2.1; tibia 1 L/d: 40; femur 1–4 maximum diameter: 0.21, 0.22, 0.21, 0.20.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace pale ochre, with indistinct light brown lateral marginal bands and median band including ocular area; clypeus also light brown; sternum light brown medially, whitish laterally; legs pale ochre-yellow to light brown, femora and tibiae with dark rings proximally, medially (indistinct), and subdistally; abdomen pale gray, with dark bluish and white internal marks dorsally and laterally, ventrally with transversal brown plate in front of gonopore.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 775. Ocular area moderately raised. Carapace with distinct thoracic groove. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (0.72/0.48), with very indistinct pair of humps frontally. Abdomen globular.

CHELICERAE. As in P. marcuzzii comb. nov. (cf. Figs 781–782), with pair of proximal apophyses that do not appear articulated.

PALPS. In general very similar to P. marcuzzii comb. nov. (cf. Figs 779–780), but procursus less curved and slightly wider (Fig. 785); genital bulb without prolateral pointed process.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; with vertical hairs in high density on all tibiae; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 8%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~20 pseudosegments, distally distinct.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in eight males from Lara (including holotype): 3.0–4.1 (mean 3.6). Second and third femora never much thicker than other femora. Dark lateral margins on carapace barely visible in some males.

Males from La Guaira (Fig. 777) with apparently identical male palps but cheliceral apophyses slightly shorter; they are therefore assigned tentatively (see also female below); tibia 1 in male from La Guaira: 4.1 (missing in second male).

Female

In general similar to male (Fig. 776) but sternum without humps and uniformly dark brown, dark rings on legs more distinct, vertical hairs on tibiae in barely higher than usual density. Tibia 1 in seven females from Lara: 2.6–2.9 (mean 2.8). Epigynum (Fig. 790) large trapezoidal light brown plate, anteriorly wider than posteriorly, weakly protruding, with pair of shallow pockets at anterior margin, greenish internal arc distinct in uncleared specimens; with short but wide posterior plate. Internal genitalia (Figs 786, 791–792) small relative to epigynal plate, pore plates in V-shaped position, with membranous receptacle between internal genitalia and epigynal plate.

Females from La Guaira (Fig. 778) with slightly smaller epigynal plates but with apparently identical internal genitalia (i.e., internal genitalia larger relative to epigynal plate; Figs 794–795); also with less distinct dark rings at half length of femora and tibiae; they are therefore assigned tentatively (see also male above); tibia 1 in three females from La Guaira: 2.3, 2.4, 2.7.

Distribution

Known from two localities in the Venezuelan state Lara and from specimens assigned tentatively from the Venezuelan state La Guaira (Fig. 1063).

Natural history

At the type locality, all specimens were collected from ~ 1–2 m above the ground, where the domed sheet webs consistently led into a retreat. The retreats were formed by dead leaves but the webs did never contain additional particles to serve as camouflage. All specimens were sitting in the retreats. At El Limón, the specimens were also found up to 1.5 m above the ground, in small webs leading into retreats among the vegetation.