Anyphaena noctua sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 1C0E8CF3-254F-4193-B505-8272507357B1

Figs 37, 38C–D, 52

Differential diagnosis

Females of A. noctua sp. nov. are differentiated from those of all species of the pectorosa and pacifica groups by the following features: atrium small, lateral borders sinuous, hood triangular, posteriorly curved at the center, genital openings at the posterior margin of the atrium, copulatory ducts short, comma-shaped (Figs 37E–F, 38C–D).

Etymology

The species epithet is derived from the Latin ‘ noctua ’ (‘owl’), in reference to the characteristic shape of the epigynum and atrium that are reminiscent of a horned owl with the spermathecae as its eyes.

Material examined

Holotype MEXICO • ♀; San Luis Potosi, Xilitla City, Las Pozas; 21.39722° N, 98.99388° W; alt. 662 m; 10–15 Jun. 2012; Arcanolab team leg.; tropical wet forest fragment; LUP; CNAN-T01533.

Description

Female

Total length 6.1. Carapace light yellow, with two faint darker bands delineating cephalic area and around fovea, ocular quadrangle and clypeus dark brown (Fig. 37A, D). Sternum surface white, intercoxal triangles present on all legs. Labium yellow, white at tip, longer than wide. Endites yellow, rectangular, broader at tip (Fig. 37C). Chelicerae brown without dorsal pattern (Fig. 37B, D), promargin with four teeth, retromargin with seven to eight denticles. Femora base of legs white, orange-yellow distally, darker from patella to tarsi. Abdomen dorsal surface white and covered by diffuse darker pattern, pattern of lateral and ventral surfaces even fainter, tracheal spiracle closer to epigastric furrow (Fig. 37A–C). Lateral side of espigynal plate flanked by two faint pits. Seminal receptacles close to genital openings. Fertilization ducts short, cylindrical, and entering posterior surface of spermathecae (Figs 37E–F, 38C–D). Cephalothorax length 2.71, thoracic width 2.1, cephalic width 1.1. Clypeus height 0.05. Eye diameters: AME 0.07, ALE 0.11, PME 0.1, PLE 0.11. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–PLE 0.05, PME–PME 0.17, PME–PLE 0.07. Femur lengths: I 2.86, II 2.62, III 2.19, IV 2.95. Leg spination: femur I d1-1-1, p0-0-2, r0-0-1. Tibia I v2-2-0, p1-1-1, r1-1-1. Metatarsus I v2-2-0, p1-1-1, r1-1-1. Femur II d1-1-1, p0-1-1, r0-0-1. Tibia II v2-2-0, p1-1-1, r1-1-1. Metatarsus II v2-2-0, p1-1-1, r1-1-1. Femur III d1-1-1, p0-0-1, r0-0-1. Tibia III v1-1-0, p1-1-1, r1-1-1. Metatarsus III v2-2-2, p1-1-2, r1-1-2. Femur IV d1-1-1, p0-0-1, r0-0-1. Tibia IV v2-2-2, p1-1-1, r1-1-1. Metatarsus IV v2-2-2, p1-1-2, r1-1-2.

Male

Unknown.

Variation

Only type specimen known.

Distribution

Only known from the type locality (Fig. 52).

Natural history

Collected by beating direct searching over ground vegetation.