Falconina taita, García & Bonaldo, 2023

García, Fabián & Bonaldo, Alexandre B., 2023, Taxonomic revision of the soldier spider genus Falconina Brignoli, 1985 (Araneae: Corinnidae: Corinninae), Zootaxa 5343 (3), pp. 201-242 : 220-222

Falconina taita sp. nov.

Figs 10–11 , 24

Type material. Holotype ♂: BOLIVIA: Chaparé: 75 km Cochabamba, ruta a Vila Tunari , [S15.62266°, W67.42184°, 928 m], A. Roing leg., 20.X.1983 ( MACN).

Paratype: Sapecho: Alto Beni, [S17.02524°, W65.58493°, 643 m], H. Höfer leg., VIII.1993, 1 ♀ ( MCN 24074 ) .

Note. The male holotype and the female paratype were collected nearly 12 km apart and the sexes are only tentatively associated. From a strictly nomenclatural point of view, proposing this doubtful association is preferable to making available a possibly unnecessary specific name.

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition, directly derived from the word “taita”, which means “father” in Andean Indigenous languages like Quechua, Kichwa, and Aimara. It is of particular significance to the first author, who affectionately used it to refer to his late father. By incorporating “taita” into the species name, the first author pays a heartfelt tribute to his father while honoring the cultural and linguist heritage of the Andean Indigenous languages.

Diagnosis. Males of F. taita sp. nov. share with F. gracilis a short and thick apical spur on the ventral lobe of the RTA ( Figs 10A , 11A ). It can be recognized by the laminar embolus, the unique median lobe of RTA, robust, longer than both ventral and dorsal lobes, and by the dorsal lobe devoid of projections ( Figs 10B , 11B ). Females can be easily recognized by the posterior margin of the epigynal plate without a pronounced median notch, gently curved laterally, and by a clearly visible copulatory opening ( Fig. 10C ); internally, by the presence of remarkably long fertilization ducts ( Figs 10C , 11D ) and by the secondary spermathecae placed posteriorly in relation to the primary spermathecae ( Figs 10D , 11D ).

Description. Male (holotype, MACN). Carapace dark brown. Chelicerae, labium and endites reddish-brown. Sternum reddish-brown, with dark brown edges. Legs reddish-brown, with femora dark brown. Abdomen dark brown, scutum grey. Total length: 4.162. Carapace 1.900 long, 1.507 wide. Clypeus height 0.173. Eyes. Diameters AME 0.126, ALE 0.124, PME 0.111, PLE 0.100. Interocular distances AME-AME 0.062, AME-ALE 0.031, PME-PME 0.142, PME-PLE 0.129, ALE-PLE 0.027, PME-AME 0.042. Chelicerae with three promarginal teeth, the second two times longer, and five retromarginal teeth, most proximal to fang three times smaller than others. Sternum 1.275 long, 1.275 wide.

Leg measurements: I—1.458, 0.502, 1.278, 1.066, 0.905, 5.209; II—1.203, 0.437, 1.073, 1.033, 1.024, 4.770; III—0.983, 0.462, 0.847, 1.011, 0.802, 4.0105; IV—1.417, 0.465, 1.380, 1.567, 1.066, 6.895. Abdomen 1.106 long, 1.275 wide. Leg spination: I—femur d 1-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-1; v 0-0-0; tibia d 0-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-0; v 1-2-2-2-2; metatarsus d 0-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-0; v 2-0-2; II—femur d 1-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-0; v 0-0-0; tibia d 0-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 1- 0-1; v 2-2-2; metatarsus d 0-0-0; p 0-1-0; r 1-1-0; v 2-2-2; III—femur d 1-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-0; v 0-0-0; tibia d 0-1-0; p 0-0-2; r 0-0-0; v 1-2-2; metatarsus d 0-0-0; p 0-1-0; r 1-1-0; v 2-2-2; IV—femur d 1-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-0; v 0-0-0; tibia d 0-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 1-0-1; v 1-2-2; metarsus d 0-0-0; p 1-0-1; r 1-0-1; v 2-2-2-2. Male palp. Tibia almost half of cymbium length. Three lobes. Ventral lobe narrow, with short, thick apical spur, dorsal process of ventral lobe triangular, smaller than apical spur ( Figs 10A , 11A ). Median lobe strongly sclerotized, unique, robust, larger than both ventral lobe and dorsal lobe. Dorsal lobe small, sclerotized, with rounded apex ( Figs 10B , 11B ). Cymbium with well-developed retrolateral basal process. Basal prolateral process present. Spermophore with five ventral folds. Tegular process sub-triangular, with rounded apex, embolus lamelliform, shorter than conductor. Embolar process well-developed, exceeding height of embolus.

Female (MCN 24074). Carapace dark brown. Chelicera, labium and endites reddish-brown. Sternum orangish-brown. Legs reddish-brown, with femora dark brown. Abdomen dark brown. Total length: 4.683. Carapace 2.178 long, 1.743 wide. Clypeus height 0.103. Eye diameters AME 0.123, ALE 0.089, PME 0.093, PLE 0.096. Interocular distances AME-AME 0.084, AME-ALE 0.057, PME-PME 0.146, PME-PLE 0.103, ALE-PLE 0.057, PME-AME 0.017. Chelicera with three promarginal teeth, the second two times longer, and five retromarginal teeth. Sternum 1.223 long, 1.088 wide. Leg measurements: I—1.936, 0.562, 2.050, 1.828, 1.459, 8.835; II—1.902, 0.786, 2.050, 1.696, 1.411, 8.845; III—1.587, 0.415, 1.338, 1.264, 0.970, 5.574; IV—2.110, 0.524, 1.789, 2.242, 1.158, 7.823. Abdomen 2.505 long, 1.522 wide. Leg spination: I—femur d 1-0-0; p 0-0-1; r 0-0-1; v 0-0-0; tibia d 0-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-0; v 2-2-2-2; metatarsus d 0-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-0; v 2-0-2; II—femur d 1-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-1; v 0-0-0; tibia d 0-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-0; v 2-2-2-2; metatarsus d 0-0-0; p 0-0-1; r 0-0-0; v 2-0-2; III—femur d 1-0-0; p 0-0-0; r 0-0-0; v 0-0-0; tibia d 0-0-0; p 0-0-1; r 0-1-0; v 2-2-2; metatarsus d 0-0-0; p 0-1-0; r 1-0-1; v 2-0-2; IV—femur d 1-0-0; p 0-0-1; r 0-0-0; v 0-0-0; tibia d 0-0-0; p 1-0-1; r 1-0-1; v 2-2-2; metatarsus d 0-0-0; p 1-1-1; r 1-0-1; v 2-2- 2. Epigyne. Epigynal plate elliptical; copulatory opening near posterior margin of epigynal plate, clearly visible; posterior margin without pronounced median notch, gently curved laterally ( Fig. 10C ), posterior vulvar plate slightly visible in ventral view ( Figs 10C , 11C ); dorsally, vulva with well-developed posterior vulvar plate, trapezoid, wider than long, reaching posterior half of vulva ( Fig. 10D ); fertilization ducts extremely long; secondary spermathecae posteriorly placed in relation to primary spermathecae ( Figs 10D , 11D ).

Distribution. Only known from Bolivia ( Fig. 24 ).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Falconina taita sp. nov. A, B male holotype (MACN):A palp, ventral view; B palp, retrolateral view. C, D female paratype (MCN). C Epigyne, ventral view; D Epigyne, dorsal view. Abbreviations AS, apical spur; CO, Copulatory opening; C, conductor; CRP, cymbial retrolateral basal process; E, embolus; EP, embolar process; FD, fertilization ducts; DL, dorsal lobe of the retrolateral tibial apophysis; MnPVP, median notch of the posterior margin of the epigynal plate; ML, median lobe of the retrolateral tibial apophysis; PVP, posterior vulvar plate; S1, primary spermathecae; S2, secondary spermathecae; TP, tegular process; VL, ventral lobe of the retrolateral tibial apophysis. Scale bar A–B 1 mm; C–D 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 11. Falconina taita sp. nov. A, B male holotype (MACN): A palp, ventral view; B palp, retrolateral view. C, D female paratype (MCN): C epigyne, ventral view; D Epigyne, dorsal view. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 24. Known geographical distribution of Falconina species (except Falconina gracilis).