Anyphaena megamedia, Rivera-Quiroz & Álvarez-Padilla, 2023

Rivera-Quiroz, F. Andrés & Álvarez-Padilla, Fernando, 2023, Integration or minimalism: twenty-one new species of ghost spiders (Anyphaenidae: Anyphaena) from Mexico, European Journal of Taxonomy 865, pp. 1-94 : 77-80

Anyphaena megamedia sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F1F5319C-F100-4D69-9370-E1A5BF56E6C0

Figs 48–49 , 52

Differential diagnosis

Males of A. megamedia sp. nov. are differentiated from all those of the pectorosa and pacifica groups by the enormous size of the median apophysis, larger than the ventral tegular projection, and trapezoidal in shape ( Figs 48E–F , 49A, D ).

Etymology

The species epithet refers to the large size of the median apophysis characteristic of these species.

Material examined

Holotype MEXICO • ♂; Veracruz, Calcahualco, Xamaticpac , Plot I; 19.14172° N, 97.20597° W; alt. 1710 m; 4–17 Feb. 2014; Aracnolab team leg.; oak and tropical wet forest fragment; BEAT; AR_024; GenBank: ON619661 ; CNAN-T01530 .

Paratypes MEXICO • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; LUP; CNAN-T01558 • 1 ♂; Xamaticpac , Plot II; 19.12614° N, 97.06708° W; alt. 1700 m; 2–11 Oct. 2013; AR_018; GenBank: ON619672 ; CNAN-T01559 .

Additional material

MEXICO • 1 ♂; Veracruz, Calcahualco, Xamaticpac , Plot I; 19.14172° N, 97.20597° W; alt. 1710 m; 2–11 Oct. 2013; Aracnolab team leg.; oak and tropical wet forest fragment; BEAT; AR_025; GenBank: ON619662 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; AR_026; GenBank: ON619663 .

Description

Male

Total length 6.6. Carapace yellow, darker over ocular quadrangle, around fovea and clypeus. Sternum surface yellow, intercoxal triangles present on all legs. Labium brown, white at tip, longer than wide. Endites yellow, rectangular, broader at tip ( Fig. 48A–C ). Chelicerae dark yellow without dorsal pattern ( Fig. 48B, D ), promargin with four teeth, retromargin with eight to nine denticles. Abdomen surfaces white, hirsute, covered with darker spots except posterior to tracheal spiracle located at middle ( Fig. 48A, C ). Ventral tegular projection long, curved retro-ventrally, retrolateral edge with small transparent edge, prolateral base enlarged. Embolus filiform ( Fig. 49A–B ). RTA anterior branch largest, spine-shaped, RTA posterior branch small and squared. Prolateral apophysis present. Tibia longer than wide. Ventral branch of median tibial apophysis present ( Figs 48E–F , 49A–D ). Cephalothorax length 2.93, thoracic width 2.24, cephalic width 1.06. Clypeus height 0.12. Eye diameters: AME 0.09, ALE 0.11, PME 0.12, PLE 0.12. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.04, ALE–PLE 0.12, PME–PME 0.17, PME–PLE 0.11. Femur lengths: I 3.16, II 2.68, III 2.24, IV 3.02. Leg spination: femur I d1-1-1, p0-0-1, 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, p0-0-1, 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 v2-2-2, p0-1-1, r0-1-1. 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, p0-1-1, r0-1-1. Metatarsus IV v2-2-2, p1-1-2, r1-1-2.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

Males (N=5): total length 6.12 (± 0.49), cephalothorax length 2.79 (± 0.14), thoracic width 2.18 (± 0.06), cephalic width 1.05 (± 0.06), femur I 3.44 (± 0.14).

Distribution

This species is found in oak and tropical wet forest fragments around Pico de Orizaba Volcano National Park ( Fig. 52 ).

Natural history

Most specimens were collected over vegetation by direct searching or with a beating tray.

Figures

Fig. 48. Anyphaena megamedia sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (CNAN-T01558). A. Dorsal habitus. B. Lateral habitus.C. Ventral habitus.D. Prosoma, anterior view.E. Pedipalp, ventral view.F. Pedipalp, retrolateral view. Scale bars: A–C = 1.0 mm; D =0.5 mm; E–F= 0.2 mm.

Fig. 49. Anyphaena megamedia sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (CNAN-T01558). A. Pedipalp, ventral view. B. Pedipalp, prolateral view. C. Pedipalp, dorsal view.D. Pedipalp, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Fig. 52. Localities for the species of Anyphaena. Black square=Atotonilco Plots I and II, separated by 400 m, nine species registered: A. bifurcata sp. nov., A. bromelicola Platnick, 1977 (ON619634- 38 Supp. file 1), A. catalina Platnick, 1974 (ON619673-75), A. dulceae sp. nov., A. epicardia sp. nov., A. fernandae sp. nov., A. porta sp. nov., A. salgueiroi sp. nov. and A. sofiae sp. nov. White square=Xamaticpac Plots I and II, plots contiguous, eleven species registered: A. adnani sp. nov., A. alachua Platnick, 1974 (ON619665), A. fraterna (Banks, 1896) (ON619671), A. megamedia sp. nov., A. miniducta sp. nov., A. natachae sp. nov., A. porta sp. nov., A. quadrata sp. nov., A. rebecae sp. nov., A. stigma sp. nov. and A. tonoi sp. nov. Black circle =Xilitla, four species registered: A. franciscoi sp. nov., A. ibarrai sp. nov., A. noctua sp. nov. and A. triangularis sp. nov. White circle =Los Tuxtlas, two species registered: A. jimenezi sp. nov. and A. urieli sp. nov.