Trachelas gloriamarielae, Chamé-Vázquez & Chamé-Vázquez, 2025

Chamé-Vázquez, David & Chamé-Vázquez, Eduardo Rafael, 2025, A new species of Trachelas L. Koch, 1872 belonging to the tranquillus species group (Araneae: Trachelidae) from southern Mexico, Zootaxa 5683 (2), pp. 294-300 : 295-299

Trachelas gloriamarielae spec. nov.

Figures 1–29

Type material. Holotype 1♂: MEXICO: Chiapas: Unión Juárez, Chiquihuites [15.093686N, 92.099212W, 2024 m a.s.l.], cloud forest, flight interception trap, leg. E. Chamé, 8.V.2024 – 18.V.2024 (CARCIB-Ar-056).

Paratypes: same data as for holotype except, Talquián [15.087692N, 92.087286W, 1708 m a.s.l.], shade coffee plantations, flight interception trap, leg. E. Chamé, 30.VI.2024 – 14.VII.2024, 2♀ (CARCIB-Ar-358) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is a matronym in honor of Gloria Mariel Suárez Gutiérrez (ECOSUR, Mexico) for her significant contributions to gender and ecotourism studies in natural protected areas in Chiapas, Mexico. Furthermore, her efforts were instrumental in the collection of several new species described by the first author.

Description. Male (Holotype, CARCIB-Ar-056, Figs 1, 2, 5–7 ). Carapace 3.70 long, 3.17 wide. Fe I 3.67 long. Carapace, chelicerae, and labium dark reddish brown, carapace slightly darker anteriorly. Carapace and chelicerae surface with tuberculate appearance due to prominent setal bases. From front, both eye rows slightly procurved. Chillum divided. Endites dark orange, sternum lighter than endites. Fe I dusky orange, Fe II–IV, Pa I–IV, Ti I–IV, Mt I–IV, Ta I–IV light orange, Ti I–II and Mt I–II with diffuse sub-basal and subdistal light brown rings, Ti III–IV and Mt III–IV with conspicuous sub-basal and subdistal brown rings and preening brush. Cusps: Ti I 17, Mt I 33, Ta I 24, Ti II 11, Mt II 27, Ta II 14. Abdomen brownish with seven posterior brown chevrons, decreasing wide toward anal tubercle, orange dorsal scutum. Venter of abdomen with epigastric region sclerotized.

Diagnosis. Males of Trachelas gloriamarielae spec. nov. are similar to those of T. depressus , T. mexicanus , T. spicus , and T. volutus in having the base of the embolus with more than one and a half coils, but can be distinguished by it having four full coils ( Figs 11–23 ; two full coils in the four aforementioned species, Platnick & Shadab 1974a: figs 10, 14, 18, 38). Females resemble those of T. depressus and T. mexicanus in possessing secondary spermathecae arising from the CDp by short stalks, and anterior loops of the CDa that are transverse when viewed ventrally, but can be distinguished by the diagonal, elongated primary spermathecae ( Figs 26, 27 , 29 ; very long, tube-like and curved in T. depressus and T. mexicanus, Platnick & Shadab 1974a : figs 13, 21). Additionally, both sexes exhibit diffuse dark-brown rings on the forelegs and conspicuous dark-brown rings on the hindlegs ( Figs 6, 7, 9, 10 ).

Palp ( Figs 11–23 , 28 ). Retrolateral tibial apophysis thumb-shaped, very small, about 1/4 tibia length; tegulum expanded basally; sperm duct discernible trough integument, basal part restricted to the prolateral side of tegulum; base of embolus with four full coils; embolus shaft wide and sinuous; embolus tip narrow, curved retrolaterally, with tiny spike (arrow in Figs 21, 22 , 28 ).

Female (Paratype, CARCIB-Ar-358). Carapace 4.02 long, 3.30 wide. Fe I 3.80 long. Coloration as in male ( Figs 3, 4, 8–10 ), except abdomen grayish, with seven light brown chevrons, the last four very faint. Leg I–II segments dusky orange, except Fe II. Leg III–IV, segments light orange. Cusps: Ti I 20, Mt I 26, Ta I 13, Ti II 7, Mt II 19, Ta II 13.

Epigyne ( Figs 24–27 , 29 ). Entire epigastric region sclerotized; copulatory openings located within deep atria. Vulva: CDa relatively narrow and uniform in width, when viewed externally, anterior loops of CDa transverse; CDp narrow, about the same width as CDa; oval secondary spermathecae arising from CDp by short stalk; diagonal and elongated primary spermathecae, close to epigastric furrow, relatively short (about half the length of the secondary spermathecae).

Variation. Paratype female: carapace 3.90 long, 3.30 wide. Fe I 3.60 long. Cusps: Ti I 12, Mt I 20, Ta I 13, Ti II 2, Mt II 15, Ta II 9. The second female specimen examined exhibits CDa and CDp more irregularly coiled compared to the first specimen. Nevertheless, the overall arrangement of other components remains consistent, including the positioning of the copulatory openings, as well as the size and disposition of the primary and secondary spermathecae (compare Figs 26, 27 ). Additionally, this female lacks chevrons on abdominal dorsum, while the leg coloration aligns with that of the male holotype.

Natural history. Specimens of T. gloriamarielae spec. nov. were collected using flight interception traps in shade coffee plantation at 1,708 m a.s.l. and cloud forest at 2,024 m a.s.l.

Distribution. This species is only known from the type locality, at Tacaná Volcano, Chiapas, Mexico.

Remarks. The females assigned to this new species were not collected during the same event as the male. However, they are attributed to the same species based on their overall coloration, the proximity of their geographical localities, and the consistency in their overall morphology, which supports their placement within the same species group.

Platnick & Shadab (1974a) and Dondale & Redner (1982) referred to the large blind-ended structure as spermathecae. However, we agree with Ramírez (2014) and González Márquez et al. (2021) that this structure corresponds to the secondary spermathecae. In members of the tranquillus species group, the primary spermathecae (sensu Ramírez 2014) appears smaller, elongated or tubelike, and is located near the epigastric furrow (see Ramírez 2014: fig. 179C). The primary spermathecae is connected to the copulatory duct by an expanded portion, which may correspond to the copulatory duct receptacle observed in certain Meriola Banks, 1895 species ( González Márquez et al. 2021).

Platnick & Shadab (1974a) noted that males are easily distinguishable from one another, whereas females present greater challenges in differentiation. They noted that most differences are found in the vulva and also used geographic data as an identification tool. Furthermore, they argued that Chamberlin & Ivie (1935) overstated their claim that females cannot be identified without reference to males. Future studies on Neotropical Trachelas species should provide images of dissected emboli for improved comparisons, as exemplified by Chamberlin & Ivie (1935: figs 134, 135, 137–140), along with comments on vulva variation.

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Trachelas gloriamarielae spec. nov., male (1, 2, 5–7) and female (3, 4, 8–10). 1, 3. Habitus, dorsal view; 2, 4. Same, ventral view; 5, 8. Prosoma, anterior view. 6, 9. Leg I, retrolateral view; 7, 10. Leg IV, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 1–4, 2.0 mm; 5–10, 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 11–17. Male of Trachelas gloriamarielae spec. nov. 11. Palp, prolateral view; 12. Same, ventral view; 13. Same, retrolateral view; 14. Copulatory bulb, dorsal view; 15. Same, prolateral view; 16. Same, ventral view; 17. Same, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. Abbreviations: E—embolus; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; T—tegulum.

FIGURES 18–23. Male of Trachelas gloriamarielae spec. nov. 18. Copulatory bulb, prolateral view; 19. Same, ventral view; 20. Same, retrolateral view. 21. Detail of embolus (arrow pointing tiny spike on embolus tip), prolateral view; 22. Same, ventral view; 23. Same, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 18–20, 0.5 mm; 21–23, 0.2 mm.Abbreviations: E—embolus; Eb—embolus base; Es—embolus shaft; Et—embolus tip; T—tegulum.

FIGURES 24–27. Female of Trachelas gloriamarielae spec. nov. 24. Epigyne, ventral view; 25. Same (cleared), ventral view; 26. Same (cleared), dorsal view; 27. Same, dorsal view, second female paratype. Scale bars: 0.3 mm. Abbreviations: CO—copulatory opening; CDa—anterior portion of copulatory duct; CDp—posterior portion of copulatory duct; S1—primary spermatheca; S2—secondary spermatheca.

FIGURES 28, 29. Trachelas gloriamarielae spec. nov., male (28) and female (29). 28. Detail of embolus shaft and tip (arrow pointing tiny spike on tip), retrolateral view; 29. Schematic drawing of epigyne, dorsal view. Scale bars: 28, 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: CDa—anterior portion of copulatory duct; CDp—posterior portion of copulatory duct; FD—fertilization duct; S1—primary spermatheca; S2—secondary spermatheca.