Chrysometa puya, Salgueiro-Sepúlveda & Álvarez-Padilla, 2018

Salgueiro-Sepúlveda, F. Javier & Álvarez-Padilla, Fernando, 2018, New species of the orb-weaving spider genus Chrysometa (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) from oak forests near of the Pico de Orizaba National Park (Veracruz, Mexico), Zootaxa 4450 (3), pp. 301-330 : 317

Chrysometa puya new species

Figures 11 , 13 , 19

Taxonomic note: The female of C. puya n. sp. was previously described as C. chipinque Levi 1986 ; however the female of C. chipinque belongs to this new species taking into account the COI analyses ( Fig. 16 ). Therefore the female of C. chipinque described by Levi is a misidentification.

Type material. Holotype (CNAN-T1191). Male from Pico de Orizaba National Park , Xamaticpac , Calcahualco , Veracruz, Mexico. Plot II: 19° 7' 32.5" N, 97° 4' 3.2" W, 1,700 m. October 2-11, 2013. Paratypes. One female and one male. Types are deposited in the Colección Nacional de Arácnidos ( CNAN) at the Instituto de Biología ( IBUNAM) .

Etymology. The species epithet is from the Spanish word puya (spur) and refers to the sharp projection of the cymbial ectomedian process in dorsal view.

Diagnosis. Females of C. puya can be distinguished from C. palenque and all sympatric species by the following features: epigynum transverse bar with curved arms and oval septum with convex sides protruding over the transverse bar ( Figs. 11D ). Chrysometa palenque females have a shorter transverse bar with wide and rounded ends and straight sides of the septum. Males of C. puya can be distinguished from C. alboguttata and all sympatric species by the following features: paracymbium large and thick with three upper prong lobes and two lower prong apophyses and a large and triangular cymbial ectomedian process ( Figs. 11G , 13A, B, C ). Chrysometa alboguttata males have a bifurcated paracymbium with lower prong without apophyses and the cymbial ectomedian process flat and smaller.

Description. Female. Total length 3.7. Cephalothorax: length 2, width 1.4. Carapace pale-yellow, dark pattern over the cephalic region narrowing towards the fovea ( Fig. 11A ). Ocular area pale-yellow. Eyes subequal in size ( Fig. 11E ). AME diameter 0.11, PME 0.14, ALE and PLE 0.14. Chelicerae yellow, darker on sides and tips, few scattered setae ( Fig. 11E ). Endites longer than wide, brown, internal margins brighter. Labium wider than long, dark brown. Sternum yellow, darker sides, wider between the first and second legs ( Fig. 11C ). Abdomen: brown, brighter on the center, dorsally covered with small guanine silvery patches, with transversal black patterns on the posterior part ( Fig. 11A, B ); ventrally gray, with guanine patches on sides of the epigynum ( Fig. 11C ). Leg lengths: I 8.1, II 6.7, III 4 and IV 5.5. Legs pale-yellow, darker on joints, with ventral and dorsal brown spots. Tarsi darkbrown. Epigynum: epigynal plate trapezoidal, wider than long; transverse bar more narrow below the septum, with curves arms. Septum oval with convex sides protruding over the transverse bar. margins well sclerotized. Copulatory openings small, on sides of the posterior part of the septum, not sclerotized ( Figs. 11D ).

Male. As in female except as noted. Total length 3.4. Cephalothorax: length 1.8, width 1.5. Carapace brighter, brown rectangular pattern over the cephalic region, with darker margins. Ocular area darker. Chelicerae larger and narrower, with large teeth. Cuticle rugose, setae bases enlarged and more abundant at base ( Fig. 11D ). Sternum pale-yellow. Abdomen: dorsally bright yellow, covered with guanine silvery patches uniformly distributed and without pattern defined; ventrally dark-gray, without guanine patches. Leg lengths: I 11, II 8.3, III 4.6 and IV 5.9. First pair darker. Tarsi brown. Pedipalp: CEBP large and thin, pointing retrolaterally and spoon-shaped in retrolateral view. CEMP large and triangular, rugose in ectal view. Paracymbium large and thick, with a large rounded three-lobed UpP and a small LwP with two apophysis in retrolateral view. Embolus thin and short, EBA short and curved in apical region; large, flattened and curved conductor ( Figs. 11G , 13A, B, C ). Conductor, embolus and EBA in ventral view as in Figures 11G , 13A .

Variation. Male total length 3.4–3.6, cephalothorax length 1.8–1.9.

Material examined. N=3. Mexico: Veracruz, Xamaticpac , Calcahualco. Two males and one female, Plot II: 19° 7' 32.5" N, 97° 4' 3.2" W, 1,700 m. October 2–11, 2013. Colección Nacional de Arácnidos ( CNAN) at the Instituto de Biología ( IBUNAM) .

Distribution. Mexico to Guatemala ( Levi 1986). Male known only from the type locality ( Fig. 19 ).

Biology. Specimens were collected in a Quercus forest with secondary plant growth. All specimens were found only in the Plot II of the second expedition (October 4–14 2012) by direct collecting at night.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Chrysometa puya n. sp., female. A, habitus dorsal view. B, lateral view. C, ventral view. D, epigynum ventral view. E, prosoma anterior view. Male. F, prosoma anterior view. G, pedipalp ventral view. Scale bars, A, B, C, 1.0 mm; D, G, 0.2 mm; E, F, 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 13. Chrysometa puya n. sp., male. A, pedipalp ventral view. B, retrolateral view. C, dorsal view. Chrysometa sagicuta n. sp. Female. D, epigynum ventral view. E, posterior view. Scale bars, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 16. Phylogeny based on Maximum Likelihood analysis of the COI fragment gene of Chrysometa species. Values on branches indicate the bootstrap support. Branch length is proportional to nucleotide substitution rates.

FIGURE 19. Species Distribution Map. Atotonilco Locality: Chrysometa citlaltepetl, C. triangulosa, C. rosarium, C. atotonilco and C. sagicuta.. Xamaticpac Locality: C. xamaticpac, C. puya and C. chipinque.