Aamunops misi, Galán-Sánchez & Álvarez-Padilla, 2022

Galán-Sánchez, M. Antonio & Álvarez-Padilla, Fernando, 2022, A new genus of caponiid spiders with its phylogenetic placement within Nopinae and the description of a new species of Orthonops Chamberlin, 1924 from Eastern Mexico (Araneae: Synspermiata, Caponiidae), Zootaxa 5128 (4), pp. 547-573 : 559-562

Aamunops misi sp. n.

Figs. 38 – 56

Types. Holotype male. MEXICO: Veracruz, Atotonilco de Calcahualco, 15 km away from the Pico de Orizaba Volcano (Plot II, 19°8’30.2” N, 97°12’21.5” W, elev. 2,388 m), oak forest, leaf litter, collected with pitfall traps, 21-30 May 2012 ( CNAN-T01486 ) . Paratypes: 1 ♀, Xamaticpac de Calcahualco , 23 km away from the Pico de Orizaba Volcano (Plot II, 19°7’32.5” N, 97°4’3.2” W, elev. 1,700 m), oak and tropical wet forest, leaf litter, collected with Berlese funnels, 4-17 February 2014 ( CNAN-T01494 ) , 1 ♂, same data except: Plot I, 19°7’34.1” N, 97°4’1.5” W, elev. 1,710 m, 19-27 April 2013, pitfall traps ( CNAN-T01495 ) .

Etymology. The species epithet, a noun in apposition is taken from the “Popoluca de la Sierra” word for cat.

Diagnosis. Males of A. misi sp. n. differ from other species of the genus by having a thin, sharpened embolus tip ( Fig. 55 ). Females of A. misi sp. n. share with A. chimpa sp. n. a large membranous sac ( Figs. 35 , 54 ) but differ from this species by having a short, wide T-shaped sclerotized bifid duct, by the anterior margin of the transverse rigid plate dorsally curved along its total length and by the presence of small projections on the postero-median invagination ( Figs. 49 , 54 ).

Description. Male (Holotype). Total length 4.1. Cephalothorax 1.75 long, 1.35 wide. Sternum 1.15 long, 0.85 wide. Legs: I 4.76 (1.42) (0.80) (1.20) (0.84) (0.50); II 4.40 (1.30) (0.70) (1.10) (0.80) (0.50); III 3.74 (1.06) (0.50) (0.84) (0.84) (0.50); IV 5.86 (1.60) (0.72) (1.40) (1.48) (0.66). Carapace surface orange; weak patterned ( Fig. 38 ). Sternum, chelicerae, labium, palps, and legs orange; coxae and trochanters lighter ( Figs. 39, 41, 42 ). Endites pale orange, anterior margin lighter. Abdomen dark gray, with a dorsal pattern of four white chevrons, ventral surface lighter ( Figs. 38, 40 ). Anal tubercle and spinnerets light orange. Crista long, covering about 3/4 of metatarsus length in leg I, occupying about a half of metatarsus length in leg II ( Figs. 50, 51 ). Paired claws with five teeth ( Figs. 53 ). PLS longer than PMS. Prolateral brush of palpal tibia with nine setae ( Fig. 56 ); bulb globose, spherical; spermatic duct with a long, hyaline process resting over the embolus tip ( Fig. 55 ); embolus about the same length of palpal tibia ( Fig. 44 ), distal portion bent ( Figs. 44, 46 ), with a thin, sharpened tip ( Fig. 55 ).

Female (Paratype). Total length 6.20. Cephalothorax 2.40 long, 1.84 wide. Sternum 1.52 long, 1.16 wide. Legs: I 6.99 (2.17) (1.25) (1.75) (1.20) (0.62); II 6.61 (1.95) (1.15) (1.67) (1.22) (0.62); III 5.47 (1.62) (0.80) (1.25) (1.25) (0.55); IV 7.99 (2.25) (1.05) (1.87) (2.07) (0.75). Carapace surface dark orange; weak patterned. Sternum, chelicerae, and labium dark orange. Palps and legs orange; coxae and trochanters lighter. Endites pale orange, anterior margin lighter. Abdomen as in male. Crista long, covering all metatarsus length ( Fig. 52 ), wider on leg I. Paired claws with five teeth ( Figs. 53 ). PLS same size as PMS. Internal genitalia with the anterior margin of plate dorsally curved along its total length ( Fig. 49 ), posterior median invagination wide, with small projections ( Fig. 49 ); membranous anteromedian receptaculum formed by a short, wide T-shaped sclerotized bifid duct that protrudes from the posterior surface of plate leading to a large, membranous oval sac ( Figs. 48, 49 , 54 ).

Variation. N = 1 ♂. Total length 4.95. Cephalothorax 1.90 long, 1.45 wide. Sternum 1.25 long, 0.95 wide.

Natural history. All specimens were caught in Quercus and wet forests fragments, in leaf litter with pitfall traps (two individuals) and Berlese funnels (one individual).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 83 ).

Figures

FIGURE 83. Distribution map of Aamunops species. Black square, A. chimpa sp. n.; white square, A. noono sp. n.; black star, A. misi sp. n.; white star, A. olmeca sp. n.; triangle, O. confuse sp. n..

FIGURES 38–43. Aamunops misi sp. n., 38–42, male; 43, female. 38, habitus dorsal view; 39, same lateral view; 40, same ventral view; 41, prosoma anterior; 42, prosoma ventral (arrow to precoxal triangles); 43, spinnerets ventral view. Scale bars: = 1.0 mm (Figs. 38–40), 0.5 mm (Fig. 42), 0.2 mm (Figs. 41, 43).

FIGURES 44–49. Aamunops misi sp. n., 44–46, male; 47–49, female. 44, pedipalp prolateral view; 45, same ventral view; 46, same retrolateral view; 47, epigynum ventral view; 48, same dorsal view (digested); 49, same dorsal view (cleared). Scale bars: = 0.2 mm (Figs. 44–48), 0.1 mm (Fig. 49). Abbreviations: go, genital opening; ps, posterior spiracle; r, receptaculum; trp, transverse rigid plate. Arrow to small projections of the posterior invagination.

FIGURES 50–56. Aamunops misi sp. n., 50, 51, 53, 55, 56, male; 52, 54, female. 50, leg I prolateral view; 51, leg II prolateral view; 52, leg I prolateral view; 53, claws prolateral view; 54, epigynum dorsal view; 55, embolus tip prolateral and retrolateral view; 56, pedipalp prolateral view. Scale bars: = 0.2 mm (Figs. 50–52, 54, 56), 0.1 mm (Fig. 53), 0.05 mm (Fig. 55).

FIGURES 31–37. Aamunops chimpa sp. n., 31, 32, 36, 37, male; 33–35, female. 31, leg I prolateral view; 32, leg II prolateral view; 33, leg I prolateral view; 34, claws prolateral view; 35, epigynum dorsal view; 36, pedipalp prolateral view; 37, embolus tip prolateral view. Scale bars: = 0.2 mm (Figs. 31–33, 35, 36), 0.1 mm (Figs. 34, 37). Abbreviations: cr, crista; gl, gladius; hp, hyaline process; r, receptaculum; trp, transverse rigid plate.