Selenops santibanezi, Valdez-Mondragón, Alejandro, 2010

Valdez-Mondragón, Alejandro, 2010, Two new species of spiders of the genus Selenops Latreille, 1819 (Araneae: Selenopidae) and redescription of Selenops scitus Muma, 1953 from Mexico, Zootaxa 2334, pp. 47-58 : 50-52

Selenops santibanezi new species

Figures 5–11

Type material: Holotype: male, from Santa Catarina Ixtepeji, [lat 17.28°, lon -96.54496667°, 2021 m; Municipio Santa Catarina Ixtepeji, Distrito Ixtlán, Oaxaca, México], 19 September 2009, A. Valdez, R. Paredes, C. Santibáñez Cols. (CNAN-T0415).

Other material examined: female paratype, from same locality as holotype, 17 March 2008, A. Valdez, H. Montaño, C. Santibáñez Cols. (CNAN-T0625). Two females paratypes, same data as holotype (CNAN- T0626). Five immatures, same locality as holotype ( CNAN 3230). Three immatures from Road to Santa Catarina Ixtepeji [lat 17.2796333°, lon 96.5447666°, 1951 m; Municipio Santa Catarina Ixtepeji, Distrito Ixtlán, Oaxaca, Mexico], 17 June 2007, A. Valdez, C. Santibáñez Cols. ( CNAN 3231). One immature (Ara- 0007) for DNA, from same data as holotype.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to the scorpionologist and friend Carlos Eduardo Santibáñez López, for his contribution to the knowledge of the arachnids from Oaxaca, Mexico, and his participation in the collecting of the type series.

Diagnosis. Males can be distinguished by the exclusive shape of the RTA and VTA; RTA is short and distally with axe-shape in retrolateral view ( Figs 7, 8 ); VTA is wide and oval in ventral view ( Fig. 7 ). Females can be distinguished by the wide vertical median septum of the epigynum, and by the thin vertical concavity near to epigastric furrow ( Fig. 10 ).

Description. Male (Holotype). Carapace orange with ocular region dark orange ( Fig. 5 ). Caparace with three thin gray lines, little visible, towards each side ( Fig. 5 ). Fovea Y-shaped extending anteriorly and merging with the posterior part of ocular region ( Fig. 5 ). Clypeus slightly shorter than diameter of AME. Chelicerae orange, with dark region in distal part. Promargin of the chelicerae with only three teeth, the middle one bigger, middle one closer to basal than to distal; retromargin with two teeth of same size ( Fig. 6 ). Sternum round, pale orange, darker posteriorly. Labium dark orange, wider than long, not merged withthe sternum. Gnathocoxae of the same color as sternum, trapezoid in shape. Opisthosoma orange, darker than carapace, dark around the edges and with a dark region near to spinnerets ( Fig. 5 ). Opisthosoma ventrally dark orange. ALS and PLS orange, dark in retrolateral part.

Palps. RTA short, as long a tibia; VTA wide, ventrally oval, strait in the base ( Figs 7, 8 ). Embolus long and thin, near to prolateral part of cymbium ( Fig. 7 ).

Legs. Coxae yellow, longer than wide. Femora-tarsus orange, femora paler, femora and tibia without dusky bands. Spine formulae: Tibiae I: v2.2.2; II: v2.2.2; III-IV: v2.2; metatarsi I–IV: v2.2. Femora I–IV: d1.1.1.

Measurements. Total length: 11.13, prosoma: 5.30 long, 5.60. Diameter of eyes: AME 0.36, ALE 0.20, PME 0.38, PLE 0.45. Leg lengths: I: femur 5.95/ patella 2.80/ tibia 5.40/ metatarsus 5.30/ tarsus 2.35/ total 21.80; II: 6.90/ 2.80/ 6.50/ 5.85/ 2.40/ 24.45. III: 6.95/ 2.50/ 6.25/ 5.75/ 2.25/ 23.70; IV: 6.70/ 2.30/ 5.60/ 5.60/ 2.23/ 22.43. Formula: 2341.

Female (Paratype): Coloration similar to the male ( Fig. 9 ).

Epigynum. Wider than long, triangular ( Fig. 10 ). Spermathecae oval, with a triangular trasparent membrane that covers them ( Fig. 11 ).

Measurements. Total length (prosoma + opisthosoma): 12.0, prosoma: 5.35 long, 5.5 wide. Diameter of eyes: AME 0.36, ALE 0.2, PME 0.38, PLE 0.44. Leg lengths: I: femur 4.85/ patella 2.45/ tibia 4.27/ metatarsus 3.57/ tarsus 1.83/ total 16.97; II: 5.65/ 2.62/ 4.85/ 4.05/ 1.8/ 18.97; III: 5.75/ 2.35/ 4.55/ 4.0/ 1.73/ 18.38; IV: 5.4/ 2.1/ 4.35/ 3.95/ 1.83/ 17.63.

Distribution. Only known from Santa Catarina Ixtepeji in Oaxaca state, Mexico. ( Fig. 20 ).

Natural history. The specimens were collected on bromeliads between the bracts, approximately 3 meters above the ground. These spiders have very fast movements, escaping between the bracts, rendering their capture quite difficult. The bromeliads were growing on oaks ( Quercus sp.) ( Fig. 19 ), in deciduous forest, near 2000 meters elevation, in the Northern Sierra Madre, Oaxaca State.

Remarks. Following Muma (1953), Selenops santibanezi belongs to the lindborgi group by having the leg formula 2341, by having RTA broad and distally twisted, female epigynum with auxiliary concavities and with spermathecal openings widely separated, and by having spine formulae: tibiae I–II: v2.2.2, metatarsi I– II: v2.2. Two species belong to lindborgi species group: S. lindborgi Petrunkevitch, 1926 and S. formosus Bryant, 1940 . One South American species, S. hebraicus Mello-Leitão, 1945 also seems to belong here ( Muma 1953).

Selenops santibanezi new species resembles to Selenops lindborgi Petrunkevitch, 1926 by the shape of the RTA and VTA, but in the new species the RTA is wider distally than in S. lindborgi , and in retrolateral view the new species has axe-shaped RTA whereas S. lindborgi has triangular-shape; in addition the MA in S. lindborgi is more extended than in S. santibanezi and closer to basal than to distal part of cymbium compared to S. santibanezi . The female epigynum of the new species has a vertical median septum of the epigynum in contrast to S. lindborgi , which has epigynum divided into two oval, diagonal, elevated areas, with posterior margin with a deep, narrow, median notch.

Figures

FIGURE 19. Microhabitat of Selenops santibanezi new species, arrow show the area among the bracts where the specimens were collected. Probably it is the same microhabitat for Selenops aztecus.

FIGURE 20. Records of Selenops aztecus new species (˔); Selenops santibanezi new species (●); and Selenops scitus Muma, 1953 (♦).

FIGURES 5 – 8. Selenops santibanezi new species. Male (Holotype). 5 Habitus, dorsal view; 6 Left chelicera, teeth of promargin and retromargin view; 7 Left palp, ventral view; 8 Left palp, retrolateral view. Scales = 1 mm.

FIGURES 9 – 11. Selenops santibanezi new species. Female (Paratype). 9 Habitus, dorsal view; 10 Epigynum, ventral view; 11 dorsal view. Scales = 1 mm.