Paratropis cryptica, Dupérré & Tapia, 2024

Dupérré, Nadine & Tapia, Elicio, 2024, Seven new species of the enigmatic spider genus Paratropis Simon, 1889 (Mygalomorphae, Paratropididae) from Ecuador, Zootaxa 5519 (4), pp. 451-486 : 477-485

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5519.4.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1434ADD6-A021-4DFB-8471-D834438F8682
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13916753
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/8B364742-586C-FFA1-FF28-66BAC81DFEDD
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Paratropis cryptica
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Paratropis cryptica new species

Figs 23–28 View FIGURE 23 View FIGURE 24 View FIGURE 25 View FIGURE 26 View FIGURE 27 View FIGURE 28 , 29D View FIGURE 29 , Map. 1 View MAP 1

Type material. Female holotype from Napo province: Tena, Communidad Campos Felices, Colonso Chalupas Natural Reserve (–00.914889° –77.878056°) 784 m, hand collected inside Ungurahua palm on ground, half rotten, egg sac [with 15 juveniles none types], E. Tapia, ECFN 7834 ( QCAZ) . Paratypes: 1 ♂, Tena, Communidad Campos Felices, Colonso Chalupas Natural Reserve (–00.914889° –77.878056°) 1048 m, hand collected, N. Dupérré. A. Tapia, E. Tapia, ECFN 4861 ( QCAZ); 1♀, Misahualli via Arajuno (–1.098282° –77.549760°) 458 m, 21 May 2019, hand collected under dead log in native forest, E. Tapia ECFN 1320 ( ZMH-A0003000 ) .

Other material. Napo province: Misahualli, Jungle Lodge (1°2’S, 77°40’W) [–1.0385384° –77.66649°] 11–20 iv. 1999, 1♀, A.C. Rehn, C.L. Alexander ( CASENT 9060470 ); GoogleMaps 20 km E Puerto Napo, Aliñahui (1°0’S, 77°25’W) [–1.00062° –77.416542°] 450 m, May 1994, 1♀, V. D. Roth & B. Roth ( CASENT 9060448 ); GoogleMaps 20 km E Puerto Napo, Aliñahui (01°0’S, 77°25’W) [–1.00062° –77.416542°] 450 m, Nov.–Dec. 1995, 1♀, E.S. Ross ( CASENT 9060463 ); GoogleMaps Misahualli, via aeropuerto (–01°05.010’, –77°37.946’) [–1.083310° –77.632352°] 396 m, 26 Feb. 2018, 1♀, en tierra pegado a base de arbol con Avicularia, E. Tapia ECFN 228 ( ZMH-A0003000 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective taken from the Latin, and refers to the cryptic nature of the species.

Diagnosis. Females and males are distinguished from those of other species by the presence of large dorsal abdominal tubercles ( Fig. 24A View FIGURE 24 ) Furthermore, they most resemble P. arenosa sp. nov., but are distinguished by their spermathecal heads with short, condensed vesicles ( Fig. 25C–F View FIGURE 25 ), while elongated in the latter ( Fig. 22C, D View FIGURE 22 ); males are diagnosed by the following combination of characters: short bulb (2.9x longer than wide); subtegulum without notch; embolus tip curved ( Fig. 28C–E View FIGURE 28 ), and absence of basal retrolateral conic process on tibia ( Fig. 29D View FIGURE 29 ).

Description. Coloration (live female paratype ECFN 1320). Female carapace black, completely covered with soil particles, mud; abdomen completely covered with soil particles; legs blackish, covered with soil particles, mud ( Fig. 23A View FIGURE 23 ). (Female holotype): Total length: 17.74; carapace length: 9.28 carapace width: 9.57; abdomen length: 10.20. Coloration in ethanol. CEPHALOTHORAX: Carapace dark orange-brown, caput arched; fovea straight ( Figs 24A View FIGURE 24 , 25B View FIGURE 25 ). Chelicerae dark orange-brown; promargin 13 teeth, retromargin 12 teeth. Labium sub-rectangular, ~90 cuspules anteriorly ( Fig. 25B View FIGURE 25 ). Maxillae longer than wide, anterior prolateral lobe elongated, conical; 88 cuspules ( Fig. 25B View FIGURE 25 ). Sternum length 3.98; width 5.56, oval; three pairs of oval sigilla ( Fig. 25B View FIGURE 25 ). EYES: Eight eyes on tubercle, elevated, height 0.97; AME: 0.28, ALE: 0.30, PLE: 0.30; PME: 0.11, PME–PME: 0.76. ABDOMEN: Strongly encrusted with soil; dorsally beige with six transversal rows of large tubercles, with small spatulate setae; laterally beige with few tubercles and thinner spatulate setae; ventrally beige with thin spatulate setae ( Fig. 24A, B View FIGURE 24 ). LEGS: Uniformly dark orange-brown, completely encrusted with soil particles. Macrosetae ventrally on tibia, metatarsi and tarsi II–IV. Spinules on leg I ventrally, tibia: 18; metatarsus: 38; tarsus: 26; tarsal scopula absent. Trichobothria: palpal tarsus: 10; tarsus I: 12, II: 10, III: 9, IV: 10; metatarsus I: 6/7, II: 5, III: 4, IV: 4/5. Legs measurements: I 24.70 (7.33/3.42/6.77/4.75/2.43); II 18.52 (5.96/2.31/4.27/3.72/2.26); III 17.19 (4.78/2.49/3.70/3.79/2.43); IV 24.59 (6.89/3.24/5.62/6.21/2.63); leg formula 1423. Tarsus I, third claw present; tarsi II–IV without third claw; all paired claws with one tooth. GENITALIA: Two short spermathecae (1.5x longer than wide); spermatheca heads with narrow constriction; spermathecal head with condensed vesicles; stalk wider basally than apically ( Fig. 25C–F View FIGURE 25 ).

(Male paratype ECFN 4861). Total length: 11.76; carapace length: 5.90; carapace width: 5.86; abdomen length: 5.91. CEPHALOTHORAX: Carapace dark reddish-brown, pars cephalica darker, caput arched; fovea almost straight ( Fig. 27A View FIGURE 27 ). Chelicerae dark reddish-brown; promargin 13 teeth, retromargin 8 teeth. Labium sub-rectangular, 66 cuspules anteriorly ( Fig. 27B View FIGURE 27 ). Maxillae longer than wide, anterior prolateral lobe elongated, conical; 76 cuspules ( Fig. 27B View FIGURE 27 ). Sternum length 2.23; width 3.10, oval; three pairs of oval sigilla ( Fig. 27B View FIGURE 27 ). EYES: Eight eyes on tubercle, elevated, height 0.81; AME: 0.28; ALE: 0.23; PLE: 0.21; PME: 0.15; PME–PME: 0.50. ABDOMEN: Slightly encrusted with soil particles, dorsally beige medially, with six rows of large tubercles, with spatulate setae; laterally grayish with few tubercles and thinner spatulate setae; ventrally beige with thin spatulate setae ( Fig. 26A, B View FIGURE 26 ). LEGS: I–II uniformly dark reddish-brown, III–IV reddish-brown, without soil particles. Macrosetae ventrally on metatarsi and tarsi II, tibia, metatarsi and tarsi III–IV. Spinules absent on leg I; tibia without conical process ( Fig. 29D View FIGURE 29 ); apical scopula on tarsi I–III. Trichobothria: palpal tib: drl 3, dpl 4; tarsus I: 10, II: 7/8, III: 7, IV: 8; metatarsus I: 4, II: 4/5, III: 4, IV: 4. Legs measurements: I 20.09 (5.56/2.20/5.45/4.54/2.34); II 15.68 (4.39/1.59/3.82/3.75/2.13); III 15.80 (3.21/1.37/3.00/3.13/1.88); IV 19.09 (5.44/1.83/4.36/5.14/2.28); leg formula 4123. GENITALIA: Palp: tibia 1.88 length, 076 width; bulb + embolus length 1.59, bulb 0.55 width. Subtegulum straight without notch in ventral view ( Fig. 28D View FIGURE 28 ); bulb elongated oval; embolus straight; embolus tip bent ( Fig. 28C–E View FIGURE 28 ).

Variation. Females: (ECFN 1320) carapace length: 8.48; abdomen length: 9.49; (ECFN 1323) carapace length: 5.43; abdomen length: 6.60; CASENT (9060470) carapace length: 6.83; abdomen length: 9.88; CASENT (9060463) carapace length: 7.07; abdomen length: 9.06; CASENT (9060448) carapace length: 7.09; abdomen length: 10.26; ZMH (A0003000) carapace length: 5.00; abdomen length: 7.34; body length: 12.03–17.97, x 15.75, n = 7.

Males: (ECFN 7221) carapace length: 4.50; abdomen length: 5.15; body length: 9.65–11.76, x 10.70, n = 2.

Distribution. Known from Napo province ( Map 1 View MAP 1 ).

Natural History. The species was collected between 396–1048 m a.s.l., in the evergreen foothill forest of the north Eastern Cordillera of the Andes (BsPn03) ( Guevara et al. 2013b). Specimens were collected under log or inside a rotten log or in soil fixed at the base of tree with an Avicularia specimen.

QCAZ	Ecuador, Quito, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador, Catholic Zoology Museum
QCAZ	Museo de Zoologia, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador
V	Royal British Columbia Museum - Herbarium