Zygoballus chekokue Rubio, Baigorria & Stolar, 2023

Rubio, Gonzalo D., Baigorria, Julián E. M. & Stolar, Cristian E., 2023, Unveiling some unknown jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from Argentina: descriptions of seven new species, Peckhamia 294 (1), pp. 1-22 : 13-16

Zygoballus chekokue Rubio, Baigorria & Stolar , sp. nov.

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EDA27880-443D-445B-B783-C03F4C0C1C02 Figures 50-61

Type material. Male holotype (IBSI-Ar 1592) from Argentina, Misiones, Candelaria, Urutaú Natural Reserve (S27.4802°, W55.7925°), 5 February 2021, G . Rubio, J . Baigorria & C . Stolar coll . Paratypes: 1 male, 1 female (IBSI-Ar 0638) from Corrientes, Iberá, Cambyretá (S27.8586°, W56.8735°), 7 November 2013, G . Avalos coll .

Etymology. The specific name chekokue is an indigenous Guaraní word combination meaning that live in my farm (kokue refers to a farm or field).

Diagnosis. Specimens of Z. chekokue sp. nov. resemble Z. rufipes Peckham & Peckham, 1885 and Z. minutus Peckham & Peckham, 1896 in having a thin embolus emerging behind the embolic haematodocha (EH), being barely visible, and a bulb relatively elongate, ovoid ( Figure 53 ); the female resembles Z. rufipes in having a similar epigynal plate and duct scheme: CDs enter laterally in a broad stretch and directed first medially then posteriorly with some coils ( Figures 59-61 ). Zygoballus chekokue sp. nov. can be distinguished from other congeners by the unique abdominal pattern of orange and yellowish brindle coloration ( Figures 50 , 55 ), and from Z. rufipes by the small, non-projecting male chelicerae and the shorter, somewhat right-angled scheme of the CDs ( Figures 52 , 60 ; compare with illustrations in Metzner, 2023).

Description. Male (holotype). Carapace length 1.45, width 1.27; abdomen length 1.70. Carapace ( Figures 50- 52 ) dark mahogany, darker on the eyes and lighter towards basal edges; rough integument, something granulated, covered with translucent setae; eye area trapezoidal with PEs wider than AEs, with the PLE area highest, and the thoracic slope very pronounced. Clypeus medium 0.15, with numerous scaly white hairs, aligned towards the chelicerae. Chelicerae light brown, small, vertical; two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth (hard to see). Sternum orange. Palp dark brown, cymbium blackish with scattered hairs, denser at the apex. RTA small, with nail shape. Embolus short, thin, emerging behind the embolic haematodocha (EH), being barely visible, tip towards the apex and ventrally directed ( Figure 53 ). Legs II to IV light brown, orange; leg I darker, mainly femur and metatarsus ( Figures 51-52 ). Abdomen dark brown, mahogany, with some stripes and chevrons orange colored ( Figures 50-51 ). Live specimens present a bluishgray coloration with conspicuous red legs, and the stripes observed in preserved specimens are almost imperceptible.

Female (paratype). Carapace length 1.80, width 1.62; abdomen length 2.50. Carapace ( Figures 55-58 ) dark brown, blackish, darker on the eyes; rough integument, something granulated, covered with a few translucent setae; eye area trapezoidal as in male; thoracic slope also as in male. Clypeus medium 0.22, with numerous scaly white hairs, aligned towards the chelicerae. Chelicerae mahogany, small, vertical; two promarginal teeth and one bicuspid retromarginal tooth. Sternum reddish brown. Palps and legs orange brown, femurs and metatarsus darker. Abdomen dark gray, with some spots and chevrons yellowish colored ( Figure 55 ). Epigyne ( Figures 59-61 ) small plate, sclerotized; without atrium, a small posterior coupling pocket on the epigastric furrow ( Figure 59 ). Two conspicuous submedial COs, the CD enter laterally in a broad stretch of the CDH (see Edwards 2015) with accessory gland on the duct ( Figures 60-61 ). Spermatheca small, somewhat spherical, located posteriorly; fertilization ducts not visible.

Natural History. Specimens from southern Misiones were collected within the ecoregion known as Southern Cone Mesopotamian Savanna. The species is apparently restricted to wetlands, to tall and well-preserved humid grasslands, dominated by Sorghastrum and Andropogon grasses.

Distribution. Mesopotamia Argentina, in the Campos and Malezales ecoregion (southern Misiones) and Iberá wetlands (Corrientes).

Other material examined. 1 female (IBSI-Ar 0635) from Argentina, Corrientes, Iberá, Cambyretá (S27.8586°, W56.8735°), 7 November 2013, G. Avalos coll.; 1 male (IBSI-Ar 0659), same data as above; 1 male (IBSI-Ar 1700) from Misiones, Candelaria, Santa Cecilia Ranch (S27.4507°, W55.7171°), 7 December 2021, J. Baigorria coll. Material examined for comparison. Female holotype (Museo de La Plata –MLP 16785) of Gastromicans sexpunctata (= Zygoballus melloleitaoi Galiano, 1980 ) from Argentina, Misiones, Puerto Victoria, May 1941, C. Zenzes coll.

Tribe Aelurillini Simon, 1901

Genus Akela Peckham & Peckham, 1896

Figures

Figures 50-54. Male of Zygoballus chekokue sp. nov. (holotype IBSI-Ar 1592). 50, Habitus dorsal. 51, Same, dorsolateral. 52, Same, frontal. 53, Left palp, ventral view. 54, Same, retrolateral.

Figures 55-61. Female of Zygoballus chekokue sp. nov. (paratype IBSI-Ar 0638). 55, Habitus dorsal. 56, Same, frontal. 57, Same, lateral right. 58, Same, lateral left. 59, Epigyne, ventral view. 60, Same, cleared. 61, Same, photo.