Mysmenopsis baerti, 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 : 43-46

Mysmenopsis baerti new species

Figs 119–128 , map 2 (red rectangle).

Material examined. Male holotype and female allotype from Ecuador, Zamora-Chinchipe Province, Tepuy Guanza (-04.14633 -78.67509) 1527m, 5 March 2016, E. Tapia ( QCAZ). Paratypes: 1♂, same data ( QCAZ).

Etymology. The specific name is in honor of Dr. Léon Baert in recognition of his work on Peruvian Mysmenopsis .

Diagnosis. Males are distinguished from all species by the sharply pointed, bifid embolic apophysis and one large cusp on the small, curved retrolateral ledge of the palpal tibia ( Figs 124, 126 ). Females most resembles M. onorei but can be distinguished by the rounded apical margin of the epigynal plate ( Fig. 127 ) and large, curved fertilization ducts whereas the apical margin is pointed in M. onorei ( Dupérré & Tapia 2015, fig. 6).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length: 1.26; carapace length: 0.66; carapace width: 0.62; abdomen length: 0.60. Cephalothorax: carapace dark brown, pear-shaped; suffused black along pars cephalica and radiating lines ( Fig. 119 ). Sternum dark brown; covered with long setae. Clypeus dark brown; high (5x 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 diameter, AME-LE touching; ALE-PLE contiguous, LE- PME separated by their diameter; PME separated by their diameter. Abdomen: rounded, dark grey with four white spots dorsally, followed by pattern of white-patched bands interlace with dark bands ( Figs 119, 120 ). Legs: femur I orange-brown; femora II-IV light orange-brown; tibiae and metatarsi I-IV light orange-brown with dark band apically, tarsi light orange; femur and tibia I enlarged, metatarsus I slightly curved. Legs spination: patellae I-IV with one macroseta; tibia I with one prolateral clasping spur; metatarsus I without macrosetae and with one clasping spur apically ( Fig. 122 ); tibiae I-IV with one macroseta dorso-proximally; tibia II with two macrosetae ventrally. Total length leg I: 2.47 (0.78/0.22/0.65/0.4/0.42). Genitalia: palpal tibia globular; retrolateral ledge small and curved with one large cusp, ventral ledge rectangular without cusps; two retrolateral trichobothria ( Fig. 124 ). Cymbium apically pointed, not strongly excavated; paracymbium large, shark fin-like, deeply excavated prolatero-dorsally ( Fig. 125 ). Tegulum oval, with rectangular tip ( Fig. 124 ). Embolus spine-like, with two basally pointed apophyses ( Figs 124, 126 ).

Female (allotype): Total length: 2.01; carapace length: 0.91; carapace width: 0.82; abdomen length: 1.1. Cephalothorax ( Fig. 119 ), chelicerae and sternum: as in male Clypeus dark brown; high (4x AME). Eyes: eight, rounded, all approximately of equal size; ocular region on lower protuberance; AME separated by their diameter, AME-LE touching; ALE-PLE contiguous, LE-PME separated by their diameter; PME separated by their diameter. Abdomen: as in male ( Fig. 121 ). Legs: femur I dark brown, femora II-IV light brown with basal, medial and apical black bands, tibiae II-IV light brown with medial and apical black bands, metatarsi II-IV light brown with apical black bands, tarsi light brown; femur I enlarged with medial, triangular tubercle ( Fig. 123 ). Legs spination: patellae I-IV with one macroseta; tibiae I-IV with one macroseta dorso-proximally; tibiae I-II with four macrosetae ventrally. Total length leg I: 3.27 (1.06/0.36/0.83/0.56/0.46). Genitalia: epigynum protruding, anterior epigynal margin not well delimited, posterior epigynal margin rounded ( Fig. 127 ). Dorsal epigynal plate with wing-like anterior margin ( Fig. 128 ). Internal genitalia with large and rounded spermathecae; copulatory ducts well sclerotized, directed inwards; fertilization ducts wide, curved, well sclerotized basally, semi-transparent apically and curving ( Fig. 128 ).

Distribution. Only found at the type locality in Zamora-Chinchipe Province. Natural history. Specimens were collected in a Linothele sp. web in a low evergreen mountain forest of the Cordillera del Condor-Kutuku (BsBa03) ( Morales, Chinchero & Medina-Torres, 2013) at 1527m. M. baerti n. sp. lives in sympatry with M. guanza n. sp. and M. tepuy n. sp.

Figures

FIGURES 119–123. Mysmenopsis baerti n. sp., 119, Male and female habitus, dorsal view. 120, Male abdomen, posterior view. 121, Female abdomen, posterior view. 122, Male leg I, prolatero-dorsal view. 123, Female leg I, prolateral view. Scale bar: 119–121: 0.5mm; 122, 123: 0.1mm.

FIGURES 124–128. Mysmenopsis baerti n. sp., 124, Male palp, retrolateral view. 125, Male palp, prolateral view. 126, Embolus and apophysis retrolateral view. 127, Epigynum, ventral view. 128, Internal genitalia, dorsal view.