Trichopelma grande, Ortiz & Fonseca, 2024

Ortiz, David & Fonseca, Elier, 2024, A hairy giant among dwarves: Trichopelma grande, a distinct new species of tarantula from Cuba (Araneae: Theraphosidae), Journal of Natural History 58 (45 - 48), pp. 2189-2205 : 2195-2202

Trichopelma grande sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3C3D43D1-5C8B-4156-B39F-25C56D2E8BC2

( Figures 1–7 )

Type specimens

Holotype male ( SMF). CUBA: Pinar del Río province: Viñales municipality: Sierra de Quemado : La Palma karstic sinkhole: 22.5481°N, 83.8433°W: 190 metres above sea level (m.a.s.l.); 20 April 2008; Elier Fonseca and Gunnary León, cols; wandering by midnight on the sinkhole rim, 10 m above the ground; semi-deciduous mesophytic forest.

Paratype male ( IES) . CUBA: Pinar del Río province: Viñales municipality: Sierra de Quemado: Cueva del Salón : 22.5356N °, 83.8544W °: 150 m .a.s.l.; 22 December 2016; Elier Fonseca and Daniel Proud, cols; under a stone; dark zone of cave. Paratype male ( MCZ-IZ167597 ) . CUBA: Pinar del Río province: Viñales municipality: Mogote del Valle , western slope: near to ‘ Dos Hermanas’ camping site: 22.6225°N, 83.7369°W: 190 m .a.s.l.; 26 December 2015; Elier Fonseca and David Ortiz, cols.; in trap-door burrow on the ground; semi-deciduous microphyllous forest; collected as a juvenile and moulted into adulthood on 6 February 2016.

Other material examined (non-type). Male juvenile ( MCZ-IZ 167598) Male juvenile ( MCZ-IZ 167598). CUBA: Pinar del Río province: Viñales municipality: Sierra del Infierno : El Infierno farm (near Los Acuáticos settlement): around a spring well: 22.6164°N, 83.7671° W: 320 m .a.s.l.; 12 February 2018; Elier Fonseca, col.; in trap-door burrow on the ground; evergreen mesophytic forest.

Etymology. The specific epithet grande comes from the word meaning ‘large’ or ‘great’, in Spanish, and it is intended to be used as a noun in apposition. This name was selected to reflect the species’ status as the largest known within the genus Trichopelma . Additionally, the choice of grande serves as a nod to the geographical origin of the species, endemic to Cuba, a Spanish-speaking country.

Diagnosis. Adult males of Trichopelma grande can be distinguished from those of all other recognised Trichopelma species by their larger body size and by the presence of abundant, long, and laterally projecting setae on the tibiae and metatarsi, which give the legs a feather duster-like appearance ( Figure 3 ; Supplementary information). Additionally, they differ from most other Trichopelma species in that the apical article of the posterior lateral spinnerets is conical rather than domed ( Figure 4E ).

Description

Male holotype

Colour and pubescence. Carapace glabrous in centre, revealing a dark brown integument, but with dense chestnut brown pubescence along edges ( Figure 3 ). The same pubescence sparsely covers femora, metatarsi and tarsi, which are instead mainly covered by dark brown pilosity. Patellae longitudinal stripes inconspicuous.

Prosoma. Total length, 24.4. Carapace 11.1 long, 9.15 wide; carapace width/length 0.82. Sternum 4.8 long, 4.3 wide; sternum width/length: 0.90. Caput almost flat and fovea deep and recurved. Eight eyes disposed in two rows on markedly elevated tubercle; anterior eye row procurved; posterior row, slightly recurved ( Figure 4A ). Ocular quadrangle width, 1.77; length, 0.88. Clypeus absent. Anterior median eyes circular, diameter, 0.50; Anterior lateral eyes elliptical, greater diameter, 0.48; Posterior median eyes ovoid, greater diameter, 0.35; Posterior lateral eyes elliptical, greater diameter, 0.5. Sternum ( Figure 4C ) slightly convex to its centre, covered by erect thick hairs; with three pairs of sigillae, placed opposite to coxae I, II and III. Posterior sigillae separated from sternum margin by 0.6 of their width. Labium subtrapezoidal; middle length, 1.05; anterior width, 1.42; posterior width, 1.72. Labial cuspules: 18. Prolateral edge of maxillae with distinctly lighter pigmentation of the integument (‘whitened’) ( Figure 4C ). Frontal lobe of maxilla distinct. Maxilla 3.9 long, 1.50 wide. Right maxilla with 137 spiniform cuspules not extending into frontal lobe or to heel; left maxilla, with 147. Well-developed maxillary heel. Chelicera with 10 teeth on a single row parallel to promargin on ventral face. Cheliceral rastellum poorly developed, composed of long thick setae like setae covering other parts of the prosoma. Intercheliceral tumescence present.

Appendages. Tarsi integral on legs I, II and III and cracked on legs IV ( Figure 4B ). Tarsal clavate trichobothria mostly distributed along two longitudinal lines. Two tarsal claws without denticles on all legs. Segment lengths. Palp: femur, 5.4; patella, 3.5; tibia, 4.7; total, 13.6. Leg I: femur, 10.4; patella, 6.0; tibia, 8.6; metatarsus, 8.2; tarsus, 4.6; Total, 37.8. Leg II: femur, 10.2; patella, 5.1; tibia, 8.2; metatarsus, 8.6; tarsus, 4.3; Total, 36.4. Leg III: femur, 8.8; patella, 4.4; tibia, 6.9; metatarsus, 9.6; tarsus, 4.2; Total, 33.9. Leg IV: femur, 12.0; patella, 4.9; tibia, 10.6; metatarsus, 14.1; tarsus, 5.1; Total, 46.7. Leg IV> I> II> III. Spination. Pedipalp: femur p0-0-1; tibia p0-2-0. Leg I: femur p0-0-1; tibia p0-0-1r 0-1-0 v1-1-3. Leg II: femur p0- 1-1; tibia p0-1-1 v1-1-2; metatarsus v0-1-0. Leg III: femur p0-0-1 r0-0-2; patella p1; tibia p0- 1-1 r1-0-1 v3-2-2; metatarsus p1-1-1 r1-1-1 v2-2-3. Leg IV: femur p0-0-1 r0-0-2; tibia r0-1-1 v2-2-2; metatarsus p0-0-1 r0-0-1 v2-2-3. Setation. Long, laterally extending setae on all leg tibiae and metatarsi, giving a feather duster-like appearance ( Figure 3 ). Femora of pedipalps and legs I and II prolaterally covered by a pad of simple and ciliated hairs. Femora IV retrolateral zone covered by a pad of ciliated hairs. Pedipalpal trochanters prolateral surface with thick simple hairs. Metatarsal scopulae sparse, covering only the apex of the segment, on all legs. Tarsal scopulae sparse on all legs; undivided on legs I, II and III; on legs IV, undivided but with multiple non-adhesive hairs along its axis ( Figure 4B ). Claw tufts dense on every leg.

Sexual features Pedipalps. Cymbium sub-conical, with two lobes apically separated by a deep incision; retrolateral lobe much larger and covered dorsally by clavate trichobothria ( Figure 5A ). Bulb pyriform, with a sub-conical embolus that gradually thins from base to apex and is curved dorsally and retrolaterally ( Figure 6A–D ). No palpal bulb keels evident. Legs I holding organ. Tibiae I with two apophyses near the apex, which originate from a common base, and are placed in proventral position ( Figure 5B,C ). Prolateral apophysis conical, nearly straight and bearing a megaspine (now lost) on its internal border; length 1.0. Retrolateral apophysis chevron-shaped, curved prolaterally and with a long megaspine at its tip; length 1.8. The strongly curved metatarsus I folds on the outer side of the retrolateral apophysis ( Figure 5C ). Integument of ventral side of metatarsus I with distinctly lighter pigmentation, whitish.

Abdomen. Dorsal pattern of abdomen with alternated transversal darker (6) and lighter (6) stripes separated in the centre by a single longitudinal light stripe ( Figure 4D ). Book lung combs present. Posterior median spinnerets short, with a single article; length: 0.78. Posterior lateral spinnerets long, with three articles (basal: 1.95; median: 1.0; apical: 0.68); apical article conical ( Figure 4E ).

Preservation state. The specimen is well preserved and housed in a jar containing 80% ethanol. The left pedipalpal bulb is separately enclosed within a plastic vial, which is also stored in the jar. The left leg III has been detached and is preserved in the cryogenic collection of the SMF, available for use in molecular studies.

Adult male variation (n = 3): Quantitative characters. Carapace length: 8.4–11.1; carapace width: 7.0–9.15; carapace width/length: 0.82–0.83; sternum length: 3.6–4.8; sternum width: 4.0–4.3; sternum width/length: 0.89–0.95; labial cuspules: 18–76; maxillary cuspules: 93–147; cheliceral teeth: 10–13; total length of palp: 12.3–13.6, of leg I: 27.7–37.8, of leg II: 26.8–36.4, of leg III: 23.8–33.9, of leg IV: 33.3–46.7; metatarsal scopula covering 1/2–1/3 of the segment on all legs; tarsal claw denticles on leg I: 0–5, on leg II: 0–3, on leg III: 0–2. Qualitative characters. Fovea recurved to nearly straight; dorsal pattern of abdomen distinct to faint.

Male juvenile (n = 1): Carapace length: 9.1; setation: lacking long, laterally extending setae on leg tibiae and metatarsi (legs without feather duster-like appearance).

Female Unknown. Morphological character scoring: Character states following the matrix by Mori and Bertani (2020), also provided in the Supplementary material (Character: state). 0: 93–147; 1: 18–76; 2:2; 3:1; 4:?; 5:1; 6:0; 7:1; 8:0; 9:1; 10:1; 11:0; 12:0; 13:1; 14:1; 15:?; 16:?; 17:0; 18:0; 19:0; 20:2; 21:1; 22:1; 23:?; 24:?; 25:0; 26:1; 27:0; 28:0; 29:1; 30:1; 31:0; 32:0; 33:0; 34:1; 35:0; 36:?; 37:?; 38:0; 39:?; 40:0; 41:?; 42:0; 43:?; 44:?; 45:?; 46:?; 47:1; 48:1; 49:0; 50:0; 51:?; 52:?; 53:0; 54:?; 55:1; 56:?; 57:?; 58:?; 59:?; 60:?; 61:?; 62:?; 63:1; 64:0; 65:1; 66:1; 67:1; 68:1; 69:0; 70:?; 71:0; 72:?; 73:1; 74:0; 75:?; 76:?; 77:?; 78:?; 79:?; 80:3; 81:1; 82:0; 83:0; 84:1; 85:0; 86:0; 87:0; 88:1; 89:1; 90:1; 91:0; 92:2; 93:0; 94:0.

Mitochondrial cox1 barcode (holotype). Genbank accession: OR721863. Full sequence (1515 bp): ata ttt tct act aat cat aag gat att ggg aca ttg tac ttt gtt ttt ggt gtt tga tcg gct ata ctt ggt act gtt ata aga gta att att cgt gta gag tta ggt cag gtg ggg aga tta ttg gga gat gac cat tta tat aat gtt ata gtg act gct cat gct tta att atg att ttt ttt ata gtt ata cct att ttg att ggg ggt ttt gga aat tgg atg tta cct ttg atg tta gga gct cat gat ata gct ttc cct cgc atg aat aat ttg aga ttt tgg ttg ctt cca cca tca ttg ttt tta ttg tta ttg tct tca tta act gat gtt ggg gtg ggg gct ggt tga act att tat ccc cca tta tct tct ttc atg ggg cat gct ggt ggg ggt atg gat ttc gct att ttt tct tta cat ttg gct ggt gta tct tca att atg ggg tct att aat ttt att act act gtg gtg aat ata cgt tct tct ggg att acg ttg gag cgg gtt cct ttg ttt gtt tgg tct gta gta atc act aca gtg ttg tta ttg tta tcg ctt cct gta ctg gct ggg gct att act ata ttg ctt tct gac cgt aat ttt aat acg tct ttt ttt gat cct gct ggt ggg gga gat cct gta ttg ttt cag cat ttg ttt tga ttt ttt gga cat ccg gaa gta tat att ttg att tta cca ggt ttt gga atg gtt tct cat att att aga tct tcg gtt ggg aaa cgg gag cct ttt gga act tta ggg ata att tat gct ata gta aga att ggt gga atg gga ttt gtt gtt tga gct cat cat atg ttt tct gtt gga ata gat gtt gat act cga gcg tat ttt act gct gct act ata gtt att gct gtt cct act gga att aag gtt ttt agt tga ata gct act ttg tat ggg tct tat ttt aag ttg gat gtg tct ttg ata tga tgt att ggt ttt gtg ttt ttg ttt act ttg ggt ggg ttg act ggt gtg gtt tta gca aat tct tct ctg gat att att ctt cat gat act tat tat gtt gtt gct cat ttt cat tat gtt ttg aga ata gga gct gta ttt gct att ttg ggt ggg ttg gct tat tgg ttt cct tta ttt ttt ggg att att atg aat cct ata att atg aaa tta cag ttt att gtt atg ttt ttg ggt gtt aat ata acc ttt ttc ccg caa cat ttt ttg gga ttg aat gga ata cct cgt cgt tat tct aat tat cct gat tca ttt tat atg tga aat gtg gtt tct tct tta ggt tct ata tta tca tta ttg gct gtt att atg ttg gta gtt ttg gtg tgg gaa gct ttg gtg tct aaa aat agt gta att ggt gaa tat tat gtt ggt aga ttt tta gag tga caa cat gat gtg cct cat tta gag cat act tat aat caa atg aat tat gta

Distribution and natural history

Trichopelma grande has been identified in four distinct localities within the Viñales National Park in Pinar del Río province, western Cuba, with the farthest sites being a maximum of 15.5 km apart ( Figure 7A ). All these locations are linked with the limestone formations of mogotes and small mountain ranges characteristic of the region ( Figure 7B ): two in the Sierra de Quemado, one in Sierra del Infierno, and one in the smaller Mogote del Valle.

Three of the records of T. grande are from epigeous habitats, typified by a mix of humid semi-deciduous mesophytic forest ( Figure 7C ), evergreen mesophytic forest, and the drier semi-deciduous microphyllous forest that results from limited soil availability in areas where the limestone is bare ( Figure 7D ). Interestingly, one of the adult males was discovered within the dark zone of a cave. However, considering the nomadic nature of adult male tarantulas, caution is advised when drawing conclusions about the microhabitat versatility of this species based solely on observations of males.

On the other hand, two male specimens of T. grande were found as juveniles in trap-door burrows on the ground ( Figure 7E ), a behaviour that is consistent with that of other Trichopelma species. Yet without data from adult females, again, it is challenging to draw definitive conclusions on the retreating behaviour of this species, especially considering its unique morphological attributes.

Finally, adult males of T. grande have either been observed in nature or have moulted in captivity during December, February and April, hinting at a breeding season that spans at least from winter to spring.

Figures

Figure 1. Phylogenetic position of Trichopelma grande within Theraphosidae. Ultraconserved Elements (UCE) data from the male holotype added to the backbone Theraphosidae UCE database of Ortiz (2023). Results mapped onto the maximum likelihood (IQ-TREE) phylogeny comprising 570 UCE loci. High support corresponds to values of IQ-TREE ultrafast bootstrap ≥0.95, coalescent-based SVDQUARTETS standard bootstrap ≥0.90, and gene concordance factor (gCF) ≥ 50. Black circles indicate branches with consistent topology and high support in both phylogenetic analyses. For improved visibility, broken branches have been reduced to one-third of their original length. Habitus: male of Trichopelma sp., from western Cuba, a species that lacks long, laterally projecting setae on legs.

Figure 2. Carapace lengths of Trichopelma grande males (black dots) compared to other Trichopelmatinae and Ischnocolinae taxa (white dots). Each dot represents a specimen and dot size is proportional to carapace length.

Figure 3. Habitus of the male holotype of Trichopelma grande. Photo by David Ortiz.

Figure 4. Somatic features of the male holotype of Trichopelma grande. (A) Ocular area. (B) Left tarsus IV, showing sparse tarsal scopula. (C) Sternum and maxillae, showing heel, distinct frontal lobe and the whitened anterior prolateral edge of the maxillae. (D) Abdomen, dorsal view. (E) spinnerets, showing the conical apical segment. Unlabelled scale lines: 1 mm.

Figure 5. Sexual features of the male holotype of Trichopelma grande (left limbs). (A) Cymbium, dorsal view. (B) Tibial apophyses, ventral view (covering setae removed for improving visibility). (C) Part of leg I, prolateral view, showing the ‘whitened’ ventral face of metatarsus I and the tibial apophyses. Unlabelled scale lines: 1 mm.

Figure 6. Left pedipalpal bulb of the male holotype of Trichopelma grande. (A) Prolateral view. (B) Retrolateral view. (C) Dorsal view. (D) Ventral view.

Figure 7. Distribution, habitat and behaviour of Trichopelma grande. (A) Distribution, in the limestone formations of The Valley of Viñales area, Cuba; yellow star: type locality; white circles: other localities. (B) The Valley of Viñales area, populated by limestone mogotes and small mountain ranges. (C) Vegetation of a semi-deciduous mesophytic forest at the locality of the male paratype MCZ. (D) Mixture of soil and exposed limestone rock at the male paratype MCZ locality, a habitat commonly found at the foot of the Viñales mogotes and mountain ranges. (E) Trap-door burrow (opened) of Trichopelma sp., similar to T. grande’s burrow (with the lid in the up position). Photos by David Ortiz (A–D) and Elier Fonseca (E).