Neischnocolus moraspungo Cisneros-Heredia, Peñaherrera-R., Guerrero-Campoverde, León-E., Gabriel & Sherwood sp. nov., 2025

Peñaherrera-R, Pedro, Guerrero-Campoverde, Ariel, León-E, Roberto J., Gabriel, Ray, Sherwood, Danniella & Cisneros-Heredia, Diego F., 2025, Revisiting the tarantula genus Neischnocolus Petrunkevitch, 1925 (Araneae, Theraphosidae): new insights on male palpal bulb morphology and description of three new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 1022, pp. 19-50 : 38-40

Neischnocolus moraspungo Cisneros-Heredia, Peñaherrera-R., Guerrero-Campoverde, León-E., Gabriel & Sherwood sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

Figs 2, 12–13

Diagnosis

Females of N. moraspungo sp. nov. resemble those of N. tiputini sp. nov. by having rectangular spermathecae and spermathecal striae converging in a complete arc and collapsing between digitiform ventral receptacles. Nonetheless, N. moraspungo differs from N. tiputini by having comparatively more elongated spermathecae, developed inverted L-shaped guard plates, spermathecal striae inconspicuous, and short and thinner ventral receptacles (comparatively shorter spermathecae, weakly developed inverted L-shaped guard plates, spermathecal striae conspicuous, as well as longer and wider ventral receptacles extending over the length of the spermathecae in N. tiputini ).

Etymology

The specific epithet moraspungo is a noun in apposition derived from the name of the parish Moraspungo where the type locality is placed – a region within canton Pangua, Ecuador. The name also pays homage to the dedicated efforts of the Frente de Defensa del Agua, la Vida y la Naturaleza del Cantón Pangua, a grassroot organization actively opposing mining activities in the area. This community-driven group, formed by local farmers and rural residents, exemplifies unity and commitment to defending their land, water, and ecosystems, often through peaceful protests and collective action.

Type material

Holotype

REPUBLIC OF ECUADOR – Provincia de Cotopaxi • ♀; Cantón Pangua, Hacienda La Mariela ; 1.08560° S, 79.18410° W; elev. 760 m; 27 Feb. 2023; M. López-García, J. Montalvo, D. Brito-Zapata and C. Reyes-Puig leg.; ZSFQ-i, ZSFQ-i21330 .

Description ( holotype, ♀, ZSFQ-i21330)

Total length: 24.14. Carapace length 11.50, width 11.50. Abdomen length 14.05, width 11.50. Eyes: anterior slightly recurved; AME: 0.29, ALE: 0.16, PME: 0.20, PLE: 0.09, AME–AME: 0.43, AME–ALE: 0.21, PME–PME: 0.93, PME–PLE: 0.14, AlE–PLE: 0.20, OQ length: 1.79, width: 0.82, clypeus: 0.28. Fovea deep, recurved. Chelicerae: 11 promarginal teeth and 9 denticles. Labium: length 1.40, width 1.87, with 14 cuspules. Maxillae: 45–48 cuspules on inner third. Sternum: length: 4.85, width: 4.35. Legs: formula 4123, total length: I, II, III, IV; leg (femur/patella/tibia/metatarsus/tarsus) and pedipalp (femur/patella/tibia/cymbium) article lengths: I 7.65/5.60/6.10/4.50/4.05, II 7.25/5.05/4.90/3.85/3.90, III 6.20/4.50/4.90/5.20/3.70, IV 7.70/5.30/6.50/7.95/4.00 palp 5.55/4.65/4.85/5.10. Scopula: tarsi I– II densely scopulated, tarsi III – IV slightly scopulated. Tarsi and metatarsi I– II not divided by a rhomboidal group of setae; tarsi III partially divided by rhomboidal setae; tarsi IV completely divided. Metatarsi III and IV absent thicker setae. Metatarsus: I 100%, II 50%, III 40%, IV 0%, absent. Legs and pedipalp spination: femora and patellae I– IV and palp 0. Tibiae I 2 V; II 2 V; III 2 V, 2P; IV 2 V, 1 R, 3P; palp 2 V – 2P. Metatarsi I 2 V; II 2V-2 R; III 4 V, 2P, 2 R, 2D; IV 8 V, 2P, 5 R, 2D. Tarsi I– IV and palp, 0. Spermathecae ( Fig. 12): rectangular spermatheca with two extremely short ventral receptacles not extending over the length of this structure. Spermathecal striae are present but inconspicuous; all of them converge in a complete arc and collapsing between the ventral receptacles. Developed inverted L-shaped guard plates present. Live colouration ( Fig. 13): carapace, abdomen and legs overall black, covered by long reddish setae and short coppery setae; abdomen with dorsal anterior black dot.

Distribution

Currently known only from its type locality, Hacienda La Mariela, on the western foothills of the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes, at 760 m, province of Cotopaxi, Ecuador. The examined specimen was collected in Foothill Evergreen Forest of the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes in the Western Ecuador biogeographic province ( Morrone 2014).