Cymbiapophysa homeroi, Peñaherrera-R., 2023

Penaherrera-R., Pedro, 2023, Increasing knowledge of Cymbiapophysa Gabriel & Sherwood, 2020 (Araneae, Theraphosidae): general distribution, key to species, and three new species from Ecuador, ZooKeys 1178, pp. 17-38 : 17

Cymbiapophysa homeroi sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 4 , 10

Examined material.

Holotype: Republic of Ecuador • 1 ♂; Province of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Canton Santo Domingo, Parish of San Jose de Alluriquin , Reserve Rio Guajalito , trail Los Espanoles ; -0.2338, -78.7939, 2260 m a.s.l.; 26 November 2015; M. Costales leg.; ZSFQ-i11577.

Diagnosis.

Cymbiapophysa homeroi sp. nov. can be distinguished from other species by the morphology of the male palpal bulb from C. falconi sp. nov. by the presence of a continuous and slightly serrated PACK keel, PS keel as long as PI keel, and D developed (disjunct and distally slightly serrated PACK keel, PS keel longer than PI keel, and D weakly developed in C. falconi sp. nov.); from C. carmencita sp. nov. by the presence of a slightly serrated PACK keel and smooth PI keel, developed RS keel, weakly developed RI keel, weakly developed A keel, D developed, and absence of PAIK keel and Type III urticating setae (slightly serrated PACK and PI keels, absence of RS and RI keels, disjunct and developed A keel, developed PAIK keel, D weakly developed, and presence of Type III urticating setae in C. carmencita sp. nov.); from C. velox and C. yimana by palpal bulb morphology with the presence of a continuous and slightly serrated PACK keel, D developed, and absence of Type III urticating setae (PACK keel(s) absent, D weakly developed, and presence of Type III urticating setae in C. velox and C. yimana ( Gabriel and Sherwood 2020; Sherwood et al. 2021a)); from C. marimbai , C. magna , and C. seldeni by the presence of a single slightly PACK keel and a RI keel, having the PS keel as long as PI keel, absence of a tibial apophysis, D developed, and absence of Type III urticating setae (two PACK keels present, RI keel absent, PS keel longer than PI, tibial apophysis present, D well-developed, and presence of Type III urticating setae in C. marimbai ; PACK and RI keels absent, PS keel longer than PI, tibial apophysis present, D developed, and presence of Type III urticating setae in C. magna ; PACK keel (s) absent, PS keel as long as PI keel, tibial apophysis present, and D weakly-developed in C. seldeni ( Perafán and Valencia-Cuéllar 2018; Sherwood et al. 2021a; Sherwood and Gabriel 2023)). Additionally, Cymbiapophysa homeroi sp. nov. can further be distinguished from all other species, by the exception of C. carmencita sp. nov., by the presence of a well-developed PI keel (developed PI keel in C. magna , C. marimbai , C. seldeni , and C. yimana ; weakly developed RI keel in C. falconi sp. nov. and C. velox ( Perafán and Valencia-Cuéllar 2018; Gabriel and Sherwood 2020; Sherwood et al. 2021a; Sherwood and Gabriel 2023)).

Description.

Male holotype (ZSFQ-i11577): Total length including chelicerae: 24.75. Carapace: length 12.95, width 11.10. Caput: slightly raised. Ocular tubercle: raised, length 1.14, width 2.05. Eyes: AME> ALE, AME> PLE, PLE> PME, anterior eye row straight, posterior row slightly recurved. Clypeus: narrow; clypeal fringe short. Fovea: straight. Chelicera: length 2.14, width 2.23. Abdomen: length 9.66, width 5.76. Maxilla with 112-146 cuspules covering approximately 60% of the proximal edge. Labium: length 1.80, width 2.00, with 52 cuspules most separated by 0.5-1.0 × the width of a cuspule. Labio-sternal mounds joined along the entire base of the labium. Sternum: length 4.87, width 4.89, with three pairs of sigilla. Scopulation, leg measurements and spination unknown due to the fragile state of the specimen. Palpal cymbium with conical well-developed retrolateral apophysis (Fig. 1B ). Leg I lacking tibial apophyses. Femur III and palpal tibia laterally incrassate. Metatarsus I straight. Palpal bulb (Fig. 4 ) with developed and triangular TH. PS, PACK, and PI keels well-developed; RS keel developed; RI and A keels weakly developed. PS as long as PI keel. Small and slightly serrated PACK keel extending less than a half the length of the embolus. PI visible in retrolateral and prolateral views. ER disjunct from PC forming a PR, PAR absent. PC narrow and slightly constricted in posterior half. D developed. Ventral face with rugulose area. Type Ia urticating setae present, Type III urticating setae absent. Colour: after thirteen years in preservative, generally with a brown colouration and setae with a pale grey colour.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a patronym for my father, Homero Giovanni Peñaherrera Zavala, who has always been a main pillar of my life, and always supported my crazy ideas like keeping aquariums and unconventional animals inside the house, which helped me grow my curiosity about nature.

Distribution.

Cymbiapophysa homeroi sp. nov. is only known from its type locality, on the Reserve Rio Guajalito, alongside the trail Los Españoles, Province of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, north of the western mountain range of the Andean Cordillera of Ecuador, at 2261 m.

Ecology.

The holotype of Cymbiapophysa homeroi sp. nov. was collected in the low montane evergreen forest of the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes of Ecuador, in the Northern Andes biogeographic province (Fig. 10 ).

Remarks.

The specimen is in a fragile state; thus, I did not measure scopulation, leg lengths, leg spination, and posterior lateral spinnerets segments to prevent fragmentation and loss of leg and pedipalp segments. Nevertheless, the most important characteristics to diagnose this new species are presented. The type specimen was found in the didactic collection of the ZSFQ and the original specimen label indicates "Guajalito. M. Costales’’. This specimen was collected by M. Costales during a student excursion to the Guajalito Reserve, managed by Vlastimil Zak, professor of Botany, in 2016 (Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia, in litt. 2023).

Figures

Figure 1. Leg I, metatarsus morphology, retrolateral view A Cymbiapophysa falconi sp. nov. male holotype (AE- 0005) B Cymbiapophysa homeroi sp. nov. male holotype (ZSFQ-i 11577) C Cymbiapophysa carmencita sp. nov. male holotype (ZSFQ-i 11578). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A); 1 mm (B, C).

Figure 4. Cymbiapophysa homeroi sp. nov. male holotype (ZSFQ-i 11577), palpal bulb (left hand side): A prolateral view B retrolateral view C dorsal view D ventral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 10. Distribution of the genus Cymbiapophysa Gabriel & Sherwood, 2020 including biogeographical regions of Ecuador and Colombia sensu Morrone 2014 and Cisneros-Heredia 2019. Blue circle = Valley of Yunguilla, type locality of C. falconi sp. nov.; Black circle = Reserve Rio Guajalito, type locality of C. homeroi sp. nov.; White circle = Padrewasi, type locality of C. carmencita sp. nov.; Yellow circle = Paramba, type locality of C. velox; Pink circle = Pambelar, historic record of C. velox; Dark green circle = Carondelet, type locality of C. seldeni; Light green circle = Reserva Natural Biotopo Selva Humeda, type locality of C. marimbai; Dark brown circle = Itsmina, possible occurrence of C. magna; Light brown circle = Andagoya, possible occurrence of C. magna.