Ixchela juarezi, Valdez-Mondragón, Alejandro, 2013

Valdez-Mondragón, Alejandro, 2013, Taxonomic revision of the spider genus Ixchela Huber, 2000 (Araneae: Pholcidae), with description of ten new species from Mexico and Central America, Zootaxa 3608 (5), pp. 285-327 : 308-310

Ixchela juarezi new species

Figures 110–121

Type data. MEXICO: Oaxaca: 1 3 holotype (CNAN T0700) [22 April 2010; A. Valdez. C. Santibañez, J. Cruz, D. Barrales] from 2 km E of Guelatao (lat 17.3085°, lon -96.4881°; 1859 m), Municipio Guelatao, District Ixtlán de Juárez. Paratypes: 5 ƤƤ (CNAN T0701), same data as holotype. 1 3, 1 Ƥ (CNAN T0702) [date?; A. L. Hernández] from Santa María Yahuiche, District Ixtlán de Juárez.

Other material examined. MEXICO: Puebla: 1 3 (CNAN 3632) [23 February 2012; A. Valdez, C. Santibáñez, J. Mendoza, D. Barrales, A. Ortega] from km 28 of deviation of highway Puebla-Tehuacan (lat 18.6029°, lon -97.4748°; 1985 m). 1 3, 2 ƤƤ (CNAN 3631) [24 February 2012; A. Valdez, C. Santibáñez, J. Mendoza, D. Barrales, A. Ortega] from 3 km E of Azumbilla, deviation to Nicolas Bravo (lat 18.6273°, lon - 97.3710°; 2174 m), Municipio Nicolas Bravo.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Benito Juárez García (1806–1872) in recognition of his role in the Mexican History; he was a Mexican lawyer and politician of Zapotec Indian origin and President of Mexico on several occasions, between 18 December 1857 and 18 July 1872. Born in Guelatao, municipality of the type locality of the species.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from congeners by the chelicerae with small, rounded and proximal FAC ( Figs 112, 113 ); by chelicerae with central deep frontal concavity ( Fig. 112 ); by the palp femur curved in proximal part ( Figs 115, 116 ); by the PAB long, finger-shaped ( Fig. 116 ); and by the epigynum with a very long apophysis, curved and conical ( Figs 118–121 ).

Description. Male (Holotype). Prosoma: Carapace pale orange, with three small grey spots each side ( Fig. 111 ). Ocular region brown, with a wide gray line on each side, near the fovea ( Fig. 111 ). Deep fovea, with irregular grey spot surrounding it ( Fig. 111 ). Clypeus pale orange ( Fig. 114 ). Chelicerae brownish in retrolateral part, pale orange in frontal and prolateral parts; with inconspicuous SAC ( Figs 112, 113 ). Sternum pale orange. Labium and endites orange, distally pale. Legs: Coxae pale orange. Trochanters brown. Legs brown, darker on femora than tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi. Femora distally with one ring brown, and one proximal ring and one distal on tibiae. Opisthosoma: Conical, larger than high, blue color ( Fig. 110 ). Gonopore plate trapezoidal, wider than long. Palp: Femur conical, larger ventrally than dorsally, with VAF triangular ( Fig. 115 ). Procursus long, almost straight, distally with triangular spine ( Figs 115, 116 ). VPP oval with short setae ( Fig. 115 ). Embolus with thin distal-dorsal spine, distal-ventral with sigmoidal projection ( Figs 115, 116 ). Measurements: Total length 7.50. Carapace 3.45 long, 3.20 wide. Clypeus length 1.15. Diameter AME 0.13, ALE 0.26, PME 0.20, PLE 0.24. Distance ALE-PME 0.20, PME-PME 0.34. Leg I: 45.46 (12.12+1.35+12.00+14.62+5.37), tibia II: 8.70, tibia III: missing, tibia IV: 8.75; tibia I l/d 21.55.

Female (Paratype). (CNAN T0701). Similar to the male, differences: Prosoma: Chelicerae brown, darker in retrolateral part. Epigynum: Larger than wide, conical and curved ( Figs 119–121 ). PP triangular and in posterior part ( Fig. 120 ), with concavities oval and with sac-shaped between MSE and PP ( Fig. 120 ). MSE with Y-shape upside down ( Fig. 120 ). Measurements: Total length 9.60. Carapace 3.60 long, 3.30 wide. Clypeus 1.33 long. Diameter AME 0.14, ALE 0.26, PME 0.22, PLE 0.26. Distance ALE-PME 0.22. PME-PME 0.34. Leg I: 46.65 (12.37+1.45+12.62+14.81+5.40), tibia II: 9.00, tibia III: 7.10, tibia IV: 9.37; tibia I l/d 22.88.

Variation. Male holotype smaller than the male paratype. Ocular region darker on males than on females. There is continuous variation in size among females. Male tibia I: 12.06, 14.00 (x = 13.03). Female tibia I: 11.12–13.37 (x = 12.46).

Natural History. The type specimens were collected in an oak-pine forest, on their sheet webs among boulders that formed a wall in the forest and under large fallen logs. These places were the spiders were collected had high humidity, ca 70%. Three females were collected with their egg sacs ( Fig. 7 ); thus April and May appears to be the optional reproductive period for this species. The specimens of other material examined were collected in a thorny scrub forest, on their sheet webs among boulders and under dry leaves of agave plants, microhabitats which also have high humidity and are protected against the wind.

Distribution. MEXICO: Oaxaca ( Fig. 146 ).

Figures

FIGURE 146. Known distribution of Ixchela mixe new species, Ixchela huberi new species, Ixchela juarezi new species, Ixchela grix new species and Ixchela taxco new species.

FIGURES 110 – 121. Ixchela juarezi new species. Male: 110, Habitus, lateral view. 111, Carapace, dorsal view. 112, Chelicerae, frontal view. 113, Chelicera, lateral view. 114, Carapace, frontal view. 115 – 116, Left palp, retrolateral and prolateral views respectively. 117, Bulb and procursus, dorsal view. Female: 118, Epigynum, frontal view. 119, Epigynum, ventral view. 120, Epigynum, dorsal view. 121, Epigynum, left lateral view. Scales: 1 mm (Figs 110 – 112, 114 – 121), 0.5 mm (Fig. 113).

FIGURES 1 – 12. Living specimens of the genus Ixchela Huber, 2000, from Mexico. 1, Ixchela abernathyi (Gertsch, 1971), female from Km 227 Carretera Federal No. 70 Cd. San Luis Potosí-Rio Verde, San Luis Potosí. 2, Ixchela placida (Gertsch, 1971), female from Cueva de Atlahuilapa, Veracruz. 3, Ixchela pecki (Gertsch, 1971), female from Cueva de Teopisca, Chiapas. 4, Ixchela simoni (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898) from 2 km W of crossroad Omiltemi-Chautipan, Guerrero. 5, Ixchela mixe new species, female with egg sac from cave near Tlahuitoltepec, Oaxaca. 6, Ixchela huberi new species, male from Santa Inés del Monte, Oaxaca. 7, Ixchela juarezi new species, female with egg sac from 2 km E of Guelatao, Oaxaca. 8, Ixchela taxco new species, female from Rancho La Soñadora, 6 km W of Taxco, Guerrero. 9, Ixchela franckei new species, male from Cueva del Borrego, 3.5 km E of Omiltemi, Guerrero. 10 – 11, Ixchela huasteca new species: 10, male from 1.5 km road to Microondas La Pingüica, Querétaro; 11, female with egg sac from Buenavista, near Ahuacatlan, San Luis Potosí. 12, Ixchela tzotzil new species, male from Grutas de Arcotete, Chiapas.