Strotarchus beepbeep, Bonaldo, Alexandre B., Saturnino, Regiane, Ramírez, Martín J. & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2012

Bonaldo, Alexandre B., Saturnino, Regiane, Ramírez, Martín J. & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2012, A revision of the American spider genus Strotarchus Simon, 1888 (Araneae: Dionycha, Systariinae), Zootaxa 3363, pp. 1-37 : 23-24

Strotarchus beepbeep new species

Figs. 7 , 9 , 26, 31−32 , 39 , 53 , 93−96

Type material. Male holotype and four male paratypes from Upper Cave Creek, 6000–7500 ft. elev., Chiricahua Montains, Cochise Co. [109º55.2'W, 32º6.6'N], Arizona, United States, Sept. 6, 1984, V. Roth coll., deposited in AMNH (male holotype and two male paratypes), MPEG 19116 (1 male), IBSP 43400 (1 male); female paratype from Guadalupe Canyon, Cochise Co., Arizona, United States, Aug. 5, 1966, B. Nockumas coll. and male paratype from Huachuca Mts., Ramsey Canyon, Cochise Co., Arizona, Nov. 1979, J. Anderson coll., both deposited in AMNH.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the cartoon character Road Runner, which always manages to fool its enemy Wile E. Coyote in the classic TV series Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. The Road Runner character vocalises mostly with a sharp "Beep, Beep" and was inspired upon the bird Geococcyx californianus that is recorded in Arizona, where the species here described is known to occur.

Diagnosis. Males of Strotarchus beepbeep n. sp. differ from those of S. jacala n. sp. by the wide basal embolar fold, disposed parallel relative to the tegulum ( Figs. 93, 94 ). Females resemble those of S. jacala n. sp. and S. mazamitla n. sp. by the narrow atrium, but differ by the atrial anterior margin considerably projected medially and by the extremely elongated and heavily helicoid copulatory ducts ( Figs. 95, 96 ).

Description. Male (Holotype). Carapace orange, with paler margins. Chelicera red brown. Endites and labium red brown with white apexes. Sternum yellow, with brown margins. Legs orange, base of the articles darker. Abdomen orange. Total length 8.40. Carapace 3.50 long, 2.80 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.18, ALE 0.20, PME 0.18, PLE 0.18. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal teeth, the median largest, and 2 contiguous retromarginal teeth. Leg measurements: femur I 3.90/ II 3.60/ III 3.00/ IV 3.70. Leg spination: I—femur d1-1-0, p0-1-1, r0; tibia d0, p0, r0, v2- 2 -0; metatarsus d0, p0, r0, v2-2 - 1m. II—femur d1-1-0, p0-1-1, r0; tibia d0, p0-1-0, r0, v2-2 -0; metatarsus d0, p0-1- 1, r0-0-1, v2-2 - 1m. III—femur d1-1-0, p0-1-1-1, r0-0-1; tibia d0, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v1 p-2-0; metatarsus d0-1-0, p1-1- 2, r1-1-2, v2-2 - 1m. IV—femur d1-1-0, p0-0-1, r0-0-1; tibia d0, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v1 p-2-2; metatarsus d0-1-0, p1-1-2, r1-1-2, v2-2 - 1m. Palpal tibiae thin, half of the cymbial length; RTA rectangular, with rounded corners; ppRTA small and rounded, laRTA weak. Tegulum sub-circular; proximal fold of reservoir ventrally oriented; TA rounded, distally pointed, inserted on retrolateral margin of tegulum; EB not visible ventrally in unexpanded bulb; BEF restricted to retrolateral side of bulbus, disposed parallel in relation to tegulum; EP composed of two long projections, one pointed, other rounded; EA arising retrolaterally ( Figs. 93, 94 ).

Female (Paratype). Coloration as in male. Total length 9.80. Carapace 3.60 long, 2.70. Eye diameters: AME 0.22, ALE 0.20, PME 0.20, PLE 0.22. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal teeth, the median largest, and 2 retromarginal teeth, separated by three times their width. Leg measurements: femur I 3.50/ II 2.90/ III 2.40/ IV 3.30. Leg spination: I—femur d1-1-0, p0-1-1, r0; tibia d0, p0, r0, v0-1p-0; metatarsus d0, p0, r0, v2-1 p- 1p. II—femur d1-1-0, p0- 0-1, r0; tibia d0, p0, r1-1-0, v0-1p-0; metatarsus d0, p0, r0, v2-1 p- 1p. III—femur d1-1-1, p0-1-1-1, r0-0-1; tibia d0- 1-0, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-2 -0 or 1p-2-0; metatarsus d0-1-0, p1-1-2, r1-1-2, v2-2 - 1m. IV—femur d1-1-0, p0-0-1, r0-0- 1; tibia d0, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-2 -1r; metatarsus d0-1-0, p1-1-2, r1-1-2, v2-2 - 1m. Epigynum: atrium very narrow, AP large, rounded posteriorly, median slit narrow, pointed anteriorly; CD parallel, curved; GK represented by a rounded hump, base indistinct, laterally oriented; SS slightly enlarged medially; S continuous to SS, wider than long ( Figs. 95, 96 ).

Variation. Six males: total length 6.00–8.40; carapace 2.70−3.50; femur I 3.10−3.90.

Distribution. Southwestern United States.

Other material examined. None.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Strotarchus tropicus (Mello-Leitão, 1917), carapace, female: 1) dorsal; 2) laterodorsal. Strotarchus piscatorius (Hentz, 1847), carapace, female: 3) lateral; 4) frontal; 5) dorsal; 6) lateral. Strotarchus beepbeep new species, carapace, male: 7) dorsofrontal.

FIGURES 8 – 15. Strotarchus tamaulipas new species, male, chelicerae: 8) basal condylus. Strotarchus beepbeep new species, male: 9) chelicerae, ventral. Strotarchus piscatorius (Hentz, 1847), female: 10) chelicerae, posterior; 11) chelicerae, mesal; 12) serrula; 13) maxillary glands; 14) endites and labium; 15) sternum.

FIGURES 24 – 32. Strotarchus tropicus (Mello-Leitão, 1917), tarsal organ, female: 24) leg I. Strotarchus piscatorius (Hentz, 1847), tarsal organ, female: 25) leg I, left. Strotarchus beepbeep new species, tarsal organ, male: 26) leg II. Strotarchus tamaulipas new species, tarsal organ, male: 27) leg III. Strotarchus tropicus (Mello-Leitão, 1917), thricobothria, female: 28) tibia I; 29) tarsus I. Strotarchus piscatorius (Hentz, 1847), female: 30) tarsus I. Strotarchus beepbeep new species, male: 31 - 32) metatarsus, leg II.

FIGURES 33 – 39. Strotarchus piscatorius (Hentz, 1847), claws, male: 33) leg IV; 34 - 35) leg II; 36) female, palpal claw; 37) retrolateroapical, leg IV; 38) retrolateral, leg IV. Strotarchus beepbeep new species, claws, male: 39) retrolateral.

FIGURES 48 – 53. Strotarchus tropicus (Mello-Leitão, 1917), male: 48) palp, embolar process; 49) palp, ventral. Strotarchus tamaulipas new species, male: 50) apophysis tibial retrolateral; 51) palp, retrolateral; 52) palp, ventroapical. Strotarchus beepbeep new species, male: 53) palp, lateroventral.

FIGURES 89 – 96. Strotarchus jacala new species, male: 89) palp, ventral; 90) palp, retrolateral; female: 91) epigynum, ventral; 92) epigynum, dorsal. Strotarchus beepbeep new species,. male: 93) palp, ventral; 94) palp, retrolateral; female: 95) epigynum, ventral; 96) epigynum, dorsal. Abbreviations: BEF ― Basal embolar fold; EA ― Embolar apex; EB ― Embolar basis; EP ― Embolar process; TA ― tegular apophysis. Scale bar = 0.5 mm: 89 - 90, 93 - 94; 0.25 mm: 91 - 92, 95 - 96.