Mysmenopsis choco, Dupérré & Tapia, 2020

Dupérré, Nadine & Tapia, Elicio, 2020, Megadiverse Ecuador: a review of Mysmenopsis (Araneae, Mysmenidae) of Ecuador, with the description of twenty-one new kleptoparasitic spider species, Zootaxa 4761 (1), pp. 1-81 : 15-18

Mysmenopsis choco new species

Figs 31 – 40 , 224, 225 , map 1 (orange circle).

Material examined. Male holotype and female allotype from Ecuador, Esmeraldas Province, Alto Tambo, Reserva Otokiki , (00.91271 -78.57110) 735m, 5 oct. 2015, in Linothele sp. web, E.E. Tapia ( QCAZ) . Paratypes: 5♂ 5♀, same data ( ZMH-A0001559 ) ; Otokiki Reserve (00.91325 -78.565679) 638m, 5 oct. 2015, 1♂ 2♀, in Linothele sp. web, E. Tapia, I. Tapia ( QCAZ) .

Additional material examined. Ecuador: Esmeraldas Province: Otokiki Reserve , (00.91325 -78.565679) 638m, 5 oct. 2015, 1♂ 2♀ 1juv., in Linothele web, E. Tapia, I. Tapia ( DTC); (00.911036 -78.570701) 700m, 5 oct. 2015, 1♂ 1♀, in Linothele web, E. Tapia, I. Tapia ( DTC) ; Alto Tambo, Sector Palo Amarillo , (00.97681 -78.56061) 620m, 17 Mar. 2019, 2♀, in Linothele web, E. Tapia, I. Tapia ( ZMH-A0001886 ) .

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the Chocó region, one of the most biodiverse regions of the world.

Diagnosis. Males and females are distinguished by their abdominal pattern consisting of a longitudinal line of four white spots dorsally ( Figs 32, 33 ). Male most resemble M. lasrocas n. sp., M. corazon n. sp. and M. alvaroi n. sp. but can be distinguished as such: from M. lasrocas n. sp. by the less pronounced paracymbium and curved embolus ( Figs 37, 38 ) much more pronounced paracymbium prolatero-dorsally and straight embolus in the latter ( Figs 57, 58 ); from M. corazon n. sp., and M. alvaroi n. sp. by the blunt base of the embolus, with sharp edge in these two species ( Figs 104 , 112 ), dull in M. choco n. sp. ( Fig. 38 ). Females most resemble M. lloa n. sp. but can be differentiated by the epigynum without sclerotized, darker band sub-apically ( Fig. 39 ) present in the latter species ( Fig. 84 ).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length: 1.8; carapace length: 0.89; carapace width: 0.74; abdomen length: 0.89. Cephalothorax: carapace orange-brown, pear-shaped; suffused black along pars cephalica and radiating lines ( Fig. 31 ). Sternum dark brown suffused with black; covered with long setae. Clypeus dark brown; low (3x AME). Chelicerae light brown; promargin with three teeth; retromargin not observed. Eyes: eight, rounded, all approximately equal size; ocular region on protuberance; AME separated by their radius, AME-LE touching; ALE-PLE contiguous, LE-PME separated by their diameter; PME separated by their diameter. Abdomen: rounded, dark grey with two small white spots apically ( Fig. 31 ) followed by longitudinal lines of four white spots ( Fig. 32 ). Legs: orange; femur and tibia I enlarged, metatarsus I straight. Legs spination: patellae I–IV with one macroseta; tibia I with two prolateral clasping spurs and without macrosetae; metatarsus I with row of seven macrosetae prolateroventrally and two clasping spurs apically (small one not visible on image) ( Fig. 34 ); tibiae I–IV with one macro seta dorso-proximally; tibia II with three macrosetae ventrally. Total length leg I: 3.05 (0.97/0.23/0.87/0.46/0.52). Genitalia: palpal tibia globular; retrolateral ledge with short angular projection; in total bearing eight cusps; two retrolateral trichobothria ( Fig. 36 ). Cymbium apically rounded, deeply excavated ( Fig. 37 , arrow); paracymbium low and rectangular prolatero-dorsally ( Fig. 37 ). Tegulum oval ( Fig. 36 ). Embolus spine-like, short and curved on a wide, plate-like base ( Fig. 38 ).

Female (allotype): Total length: 2.38; carapace length: 0.95; carapace width: 0.78; abdomen length: 1.43. Cephalothorax ( Fig. 31 ), chelicerae and sternum: as in male. Clypeus dark brown; low (3x AME). Eyes: eight, rounded, all approximately of equal size; ocular region on lower protuberance; AME separated by their radius, AME-LE touching; ALE-PLE contiguous, LE-PME separated by their diameter; PME separated by their radius. Abdomen: as in male ( Figs 31, 33 ). Legs: coloration as in male; femur I enlarged with pointed, medial tubercle ( Fig. 35 ). Legs spination: patellae I-IV with one macroseta; tibiae I-IV with one macroseta dorso-proximally; tibiae I-II with four to five macrosetae ventrally. Total length leg I: 3.27 (1.03/0.33/0.85/0.58/0.48). Genitalia: epigynum rather flat, anterior epigynal margin not well delimited, posterior epigynal margin pointed ( Fig. 39 ). Dorsal epigynal plate with straight anterior margin ( Fig. 40 ). Internal genitalia (paratype): spermathecae large and rounded ( Figs 40 , 225 ); copulatory openings situated medially ( Fig. 224 ); copulatory ducts short, positioned medially ( Fig. 40 ); fertilization ducts long, straight and sclerotized basally, curving and transparent apically ( Figs 40 , 225 ).

Distribution. Ecuador, Esmeraldas Province.

Natural history. Specimens were collected in Linothele sp. webs, the species inhabit the Andean region and was found in an evergreen foothill forest on the western side of the Andes (BsPn01) ( Guevara & Morales 2013) between 638– 735m. Mysmenopsis choco n. sp. is found in sympatry with M. otokiki n. sp. and M. awa n. sp. in Otokiki Reserve and in sympatry with M. awa n. sp. in Sector Palo Amarillo.

Figures

FIGURES 31–35. Mysmenopsis choco n. sp., 31, Male and female habitus, dorsal view. 32, Male abdomen, posterior view. 33, Female abdomen, posterior view. 34, Male leg I, prolatero-dorsal view. 35, Female leg I, prolateral view. Scale bar: 31–33: 0.5mm; 34, 35: 0.1mm.

FIGURES 36–40. Mysmenopsis choco n. sp., 36, Male palp, retrolateral view. 37, Male palp, prolateral view (arrow points to cymbium excavation). 38, Embolus and apophysis retrolateral view. 39, Epigynum, ventral view. 40, Internal genitalia, dorsal view.

FIGURES 222–229. 222, 223, Mysmenopsis otokiki n. sp., 224, 225, Mysmenopsis choco n. sp. 226, 227, Mysmenopsis pululahua n. sp. 228, 229, Mysmenopsis shushufindi n. sp. 222, 224, 226, 228, Epigynum dorsal view. 223, 225, 227, 229, Internal genitalia, posterior view.

FIGURES 56–60. Mysmenopsis lasrocas n. sp., 56, Male palp, retrolateral view. 57, Male palp, prolateral view. 58, Embolus and apophysis retrolateral view. 59, Epigynum, ventral view. 60, Internal genitalia, dorsal view (arrow points to sclerotization).

FIGURES 102–106. Mysmenopsis alvaroi n. sp., 102, Male palp, retrolateral view. 103, Male palp, prolateral view. 104, Embolus and apophysis retrolateral view. 105, Epigynum, ventral view. 106, Internal genitalia, dorsal view.

FIGURES 110–112. Mysmenopsis corazon n. sp., 110, Male palp, retrolateral view. 111, Male palp, prolateral view (arrow points to deep excavation at the base of paracymbium). 112, Embolus and apophysis retrolateral view.

FIGURES 81–85. Mysmenopsis lloa n. sp., 81, Female habitus, dorsal view. 82, Female abdomen, posterior view. 83, Leg I, prolater view. 84, Epigynum, ventral view. 85, Internal genitalia, dorsal view. Scale bar: 81, 82: 0.5mm; 83: 0.1mm.