Epeirotypus bule sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 66510266-1FD6-407A-80D8-4EA7DDF338B1

Figs 1, 22

Diagnosis

Females of Epeirotypus bule sp. nov. resemble those of E. drune sp. nov. by the body coloration overall dark gray (Figs 21A–C, 22A–C), but E. bule can be distinguished by the opisthosoma with whitish-gray patches forming a ‘happy face’ in dorsal view (Fig. 22A) and the vulval bifid sclerotized septum forming a narrow, rounded, posterior curve (Fig. 22D), whereas E. drune have the opisthosoma with three pairs of dorsal whitish-gray patches covered by sparsely thick dark gray flecks (Fig. 21A) and have the bifid septum wide (Fig. 21D).

Etymology

The specific name is derived from 'bule' which means 'head' in the Ngäbere language, currently spoken by the Ngäbe native people of Panama, and refers to the coloration pattern on the opisthosoma, which resembles a 'happy face' with the anterior procurved patches forming the smile and the rounded median patches suggesting eyes..

Type material

Holotype

PANAMA – Chiriquí Province • ♀; Parque Internacional La Amistad, Cerro Picacho, one-hectare PANCODING inventory; 8.890500° N, 82.618778° W; 2299 m a.s.l.; 12–17 Jun. 2008; M. Arnedo, L. Benavides, G. Hormiga, F. Labarque, L. Piacentini and M. Ramírez leg.; voucher code SAU2NCL028; preparation code FML-00944; DNA code epes7238; GenBank code PX096964; MIUP.

Paratypes

PANAMA – Chiriquí Province • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; voucher code SAU2NCL033; preparation code FML-00968; DNA GenBank code PX096963; MIUP • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; voucher code SAU1NCR002; DNA barcode SPIPA387-10; MACN-Ar 29326 • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; voucher code SAC1DHH007; DNA barcode SPIPA389-10; MACN-Ar 29327 • 5 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; MCZ.

Description

Female (holotype MIUP SAU2NCL028, paratype MIUP SAU2NCL033)

Total length 2.99. Prosoma: length 1.38, width 0.99, height 0.90. Sternum: length 0.62, width 0.55. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.13, PME 0.16, AME–PME 0.13. Opisthosoma: length 2.09, width 1.97, height 1.84; with posterior lateral tubercles. Leg formula: 1243. Dorsal shield of prosoma dark, fovea yellowish-white (Fig. 2A). Dorsum of ocular area dark (Fig. 22A). Thoracic area of prosoma laterally higher (Fig. 22B). Sternum dark brownish-orange (Fig. 22C). Opisthosoma color overall dark gray with three pairs of dorsal whitish-gray patches laterally, anterior and middle ones fused forming ‘happy face’ (Fig. 22A). Opisthosoma with two lateral posterior tubercles connected ventrally by guanine silver stripe (Fig. 22C). Epigynal plate, booklung cover, tracheal spiracle, spinneret field and behind anal tubercle dark gray, surrounded by whitish-gray area (Fig. 22C). Legs I–II darker than III–IV, femora and patella greenish-brown, tibiae and metatarsi brownish-orange but distally dark, tarsi brownish-orange (Fig. 22A–C). Epigynal plate: domed, with transverse groove, central pit deep (Fig. 22B–C). Vulva: copulatory ducts massive, proximally with patch of gland ducts dorsally, heavily sclerotized distally inserting dorsolaterally posteriorly into spermathecae, spermathecae anteriorly sharp (i.e., angular), sclerotized, and connate (i.e., fused one above the other), fertilization ducts sclerotized, relative small, emerging dorsally posteriorly from spermathecae, curving anteriorly to meet uterus externus (Fig. 22D).

Male

Unknown.

Records and biology

Records are limited to collections made at 2299 m a.s.l. in lower montane rainforest from Parque Internacional La Amistad (Fig. 1). Females have been collected mostly during the day by cryptic technique, though some specimens have been collected at night by looking up.

Variation

Some females examined have the opisthosomal whitish-gray patches separated.