Aptostichus lucerne, Bond, Jason E., 2012

Bond, Jason E., 2012, Phylogenetic treatment and taxonomic revision of the trapdoor spider genus Aptostichus Simon (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Euctenizidae), ZooKeys 252, pp. 1-209 : 142-143

Aptostichus lucerne sp. n. Figures 304-310Map 33

Types.

Male holotype (AP434) and paratype (AP433) from California, San Bernardino County, Deadman’s Point, locality presumed to be point E of Apple Valley, jnct. HWY’s 18 and 247, 34.47221, -117.122 3, 922m, coll. E. Sleeper 25.x.1957; deposited in AMNH.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition taken from the presumed type locality of Deadman’s Point in the Lucerne Valley.

Diagnosis.

Males can be distinguished by having long ventral spines on tibia I like those of Aptostichus elisabethae (Figs 304, 305, 308, 309, 310). However, the tibia I prolateral spination is denser (TSp 17-19 vs. 8-16 in Aptostichus elisabethae ) and the embolus of Aptostichus lucerne is serrated (Fig. 306), whereas that of Aptostichus elisabethae is not.

Description of male holotype.

Specimen preparation and condition. Specimen collected from pitfall trap, preserved in 70% EtOH. Coloration faded. Pedipalp, leg I left side, other legs, removed, stored in vial with specimen. General coloration. Carapace, chelicerae, legs yellowish red 5YR 4/6. Abdomen uniform light brown 7.5YR 6/4 dorsally, light dorsal chevron markings. Cephalothorax. Carapace 5.15 long, 4.40 wide, glabrous, stout black bristles along fringe; surface smooth, pars cephalica elevated. Fringe, posterior margin with black bristles. Foveal groove deep, strongly recurved. Eyes on low mound. AER slightly procurved, PER slightly recurved. PME’s smaller in diameter than AME. Sternum moderately setose, STRl 2.95, STRw 2.45. Posterior sternal sigilla medium in size, elongate, positioned posteriorly, not contiguous, anterior sigilla pairs small, elongate, marginal. Chelicerae with distinct anterior tooth row comprising 4 teeth, posterior margin with single row of small denticles. Palpal endites, labium lacks cuspules, LBw 0.77, LBl 0.43. Rastellum consists of 14 stout spines arranged across anterior margin of chelicerae. Abdomen. Setose, heavy black setae intermingled with fine black setae. Legs. Leg I: 5.44, 4.48, 3.68, 2.26, 1.55; leg IV: 4.55, 3.00. Light tarsal scopulae on legs I, II; light scopulate on metatarsus I. Tarsus I with single, slightly staggered row of 15 trichobothria. Leg I spination pattern illustrated in Figures 304, 305, 308, 309, 310; TSp 19, TSr 15, TSrd 0. Pedipalp. Articles stout, tibia short, width more than half length, with a distinct patch of medial/distal retrolateral spines (Fig. 307); PTw 1.04, PTl 1.84, Bl 0.82. Embolus stout dorsal - ventrally flattened with slight curvature at midpoint, and serrated distally (Fig. 306).

Variation (2). Cl 4.8-5.15, Cw 3.96-4.40, STRl 2.50-2.95, STRw 2.18-2.45, LBw 0.71-0.77, LBl 0.43-0.46, leg I: 4.65-5.44, 3.80-4.48, 3.01-3.68, 2.25-2.26, 1.40-1.55, leg IV: 4.52-5.20, 2.9-3.04, PTl 1.62-1.84, PTw 0.90-1.04, Bl 0.71-0.82, TSp 18-19, TSr 15-15, TSrd 0-0.

Description of female.

Known only from male specimens.

Material examined.

Known only from the type material.

Distribution and natural history.

Aptostichus lucerne is known from only the two male type specimens collected from the type locality in San Bernardino, characterized as Mojave Desert habitat.

Conservation status.

The conservation status of Aptostichus lucerne is likely to be critically imperiled or presumed extinct. The species has not been seen since the type specimens were collected in 1957. Efforts to collect Aptostichus lucerne over the past decade, from the putative type locality, have proved unsuccessful; the area has been highly impacted by development.

Species concept applied.

Morphological.

Remarks.

The locality label of the type specimens is somewhat dubious, labeled only as "Deadman Point, San Bernardino", and thus requires collecting of more specimens to confirm that the Apple Valley junction determination as the type locality is correct.