Stenosfemuraia cumbre Huber, 2020

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 277-281

Stenosfemuraia cumbre Huber sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E3129849-E737-4A50-9E57-FF43BC4F6DB9

Figs 978–979 , 988–998 , 1004–1007, 1064

Stenosfemuraia sp. – Huber & Arias 2017: 497 , fig. 1.

Diagnosis

Distinguished from congeners by combination of: armature of male chelicerae ( Fig. 994 ; two pairs of frontal processes in distinctive arrangement); shape of procursus [ Figs 991–993 ; with subdistal transparent process as in S. pilosa ( González-Sponga, 2005) and S. exigua Huber sp. nov., but slightly S-shaped in lateral view]; wide distal bulbal sclerite with subdistal side-branch ( Figs 995–997 ); and epigynum (Fig. 1004–1005; relatively large anterior plate on large protruding whitish area, sclerotized part of posterior plate restricted to median half); from most known congeners (except S. cuadrata González-Sponga, 2005 ) also by long legs (male tibia 1>5.0, female tibia 1>3.0).

Etymology

The species name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.

Type material

VENEZUELA – Aragua • ♂ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 22135), Henri Pittier National Park, forest near La Cumbre (10.3575° N, 67.5771° W), 1450 m a.s.l., 20 Feb. 2020 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.) .

Other material examined

VENEZUELA – Aragua • 4 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 22136), and 1 ♂, 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven20-161), same collection data as for holotype • 1 ♂, ZFMK (Ar 18256) Henri Pittier National Park, Rancho Grande (10.349° N, 67.684° W), ~ 1150 m a.s.l., in building, 12 Dec. 2002 (B.A. Huber) • 2 ♂♂, assigned tentatively (examined in 1999; not reexamined), AMNH, Rancho Grande , 1200 m a.s.l., cloud forest, 1–10 Aug. 1987 (Bordan & Peck). – Carabobo • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, MNHN (Ar 10556), with Eugène Simon’s labels “14651. Psil. San Esteban!” and “La Cumbre” [presumably La Cumbre between San Esteban and Maracay, 10.33° N, 68.00° W, i.e., not the homonymous type locality!], Mar. 1888 (E. Simon) .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 3.2, carapace width 1.3. Distance PME–PME 100 µm; diameter PME 120 µm; distance PME–ALE 90 µm; diameter AME 35 µm; distance AME–AME 20 µm. Leg 1: 22.6 (5.6 +0.5 +5.6+8.9 +2.0), tibia 2: 3.5, tibia 3: 2.6, tibia 4: 3.3; tibia 1 L/d: 45. Femora 1–4 width (at half length): 0.23, 0.23, 0.24, 0.21.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace pale ochre-yellow with dark ochre median and lateral marginal bands, ocular area and clypeus also dark ochre; sternum ochre-yellow; legs ochre-yellow to light brown, with black rings on femora (subdistally), tibiae (proximally, subdistally) and metatarsi (indistinct proximal ring); abdomen pale greenish-gray, dorsally and laterally with dark bluish marks, ventrally with dark ochre transversal mark in gonopore area; book lung covers barely darkened.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 978 . Ocular area moderately raised. Carapace high, with deep thoracic groove, posteriorly not inflated. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (0.86/0.60), unmodified. Abdomen globular, pointed at spinnerets.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 994 , with two pairs of frontal processes in distinctive arrangement, without modified hairs.

PALPS. As in Figs 988–990 , in general very similar to congeners (see, e.g., Huber & Arias 2017: figs 35– 36); coxa with retrolateral-ventral apophysis; trochanter barely modified; femur with retrolateral-ventral process proximally and large ventral apophysis distally (arrow in Fig. 993 ); procursus ( Figs 991–993 ) slightly S-shaped, with subdistal transparent process like S. pilosa and S. exigua Huber sp. nov.; genital bulb ( Figs 995–997 ) with complex distal process, wide ventral sclerite with subdistal side-branch.

LEGS. Without spines, with curved hairs on legs 1 (femur, tibia, metatarsus) and 2 (tibia, metatarsus); vertical hairs in higher than usual density on femora (ventrally) and tibiae; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all leg tibiae; tarsus 1 with ~25 pseudosegments, mostly distinct.

Female

In general similar to male ( Fig. 979 ), carapace slightly less high, legs with few vertical hairs, without curved hairs. Tibia 1 in four females: 3.5, 3.7, 3.8, 3.8. Epigynum (Figs 1004–1005) with relatively large plate on large protruding whitish area; sclerotized part of posterior plate restricted to median half. Internal genitalia ( Figs 998 , 1006–1007) with contiguous pore plates, median anterior receptacle, and pair of lateral anteriorly diverging sclerites (very similar S. exigua Huber sp. nov.).

Distribution

Known from three localities in the western Coastal Range of Venezuela , in the states Aragua and Carabobo (Fig. 1064).

Figs 999–1007. Stenosfemuraia González-Sponga, 1998 ; epigyna, ventral and lateral views and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. 999–1002. S. exigua Huber sp. nov.; from La Guaira, El Limón (type locality; ZFMK Ar 22134). 1003. Stenosfemuraia sp. ‘Ven18-10’ from Aragua, Colonia Tovar (ZFMK Ar 22127). 1004–1007. S. cumbre Huber sp. nov.; from Aragua, Henri Pittier National Park (type locality; ZFMK Ar 22136).

Natural history

Most specimens were collected from small webs that were protruding from accumulations of leaves or in dense mosses and ferns up to one meter above the ground; some specimens were hiding under large leaves on the ground (e.g., dead palm leaves).

Figures

Figs 972–979. Stenosfemuraia González-Sponga, 1998; live specimens. 972. S. cuadrata González- Sponga, 2005; male from Aragua, Colonia Tovar. 973. S.pilosa (González-Sponga, 2005); female with egg sac from Aragua, Colonia Tovar. 974–975. S. parva González-Sponga, 1998; male and female from Miranda, El Ávila National Park. 976–977. S. exigua Huber sp. nov.; male and female with egg sac from La Guaira, El Limón. 978–979. S. cumbre Huber sp. nov.; male and female with egg sac from Aragua, Henri Pittier National Park.

Figs 988–990. Stenosfemuraia cumbre Huber sp. nov.; from Aragua, Henri Pittier National Park (type locality; ZFMK Ar 22136); left male pedipalp, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. Scale line: 0.5 mm.

Figs 991–998. Stenosfemuraia cumbre Huber sp. nov.; from Aragua, Henri Pittier National Park (type locality; ZFMK Ar 22136). 991–993. Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views (arrow: ventral femur apophysis). 994. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 995–997. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views (arrow: distinctive subdistal side branch of bulbal sclerite). 998. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.