Gypogyna mexicana Ruiz & Bustamante, 2021

Ruiz, Gustavo R. S., Costa, Erika L. S. & Bustamante, Abel A., 2021, Revision of Gypogyna Simon, 1900 (Araneae: Salticidae), Zootaxa 5057 (2), pp. 241-259 : 252-254

Gypogyna mexicana Ruiz & Bustamante , sp. nov.

Figs 44 , 47–50 , 52–62 , 64

Type material. Holotype: ♂ from Estero el Salado, Puerto Vallarta , Jalisco, Mexico, 20.662 to 20.667°N, 105.240 to 105.241°W, 2014, W.P. Maddison ( WPM#14-002 , JAL14-8565), deposited in UBC-SEM . Paratype: 1 ♀ from Chachalaca Trail , Estación de Biología Chamela, Jalisco, Mexico, 19.4966°N, 105.0404 to 105.0426°W, 2014, W.P. Maddison ( WPM#14-017 , JAL14-9187), deposited in UBC-SEM .

Etymology. The epithet is to be treated as a Latin adjective and refers to the country where specimens listed herein were collected.

Additional material examined. MEXICO: Jalisco (Estación de Biología Chamela, Viveros , 19.499°N, 105.043°W): 1 ♀, 28.II–1.III.2014, W.P. Maddison ( WPM#14-042 , UBC-SEM); (Chamela, Xametla, beach and mangroves, 19.5376°N, 105.0815°W): 1 ♂ and 1 ♀, 22–27.II.2014, H. Proctor & W.P. Maddison ( WPM#14-037 , UBC-SEM); (Puerto Vallarta, Estero el Salado, 20.662 to 20.667°N, 105.240 to 105.241°W): 1 ♂, 5.II.2014, Maddison, Proctor, Navarro & Cupul ( WPM#14-002 , UBC-SEM) .

Diagnosis. Among the three species, G. mexicana sp. nov. can be immediately recognized by having three pairs of dark spots on the dorsum of abdomen (the anterior pair is fused with the oblique anterior dark lines in males) ( Figs 53–56 ), while the two anterior pairs of dark spots are always absent in G. forceps and G. amazonica sp. nov. Also, male chelicerae of G. mexicana sp. nov. are divergent (almost parallelly extended forward in G. forceps and G. amazonica sp. nov.), with the distal pair of promarginal teeth (DPT) being located close to the remaining cheliceral teeth ( Fig. 52 ), while this pair is placed near the articulation of the fang in the other two species ( Fig. 51 ). In comparison with G. forceps , the membranous window of the epigynal plate is narrower ( Fig. 44 ) and copulatory ducts are more compact in G. mexicana ; spermathecae are tubular in G. mexicana ( Fig. 50 ), but more rounded in G. forceps ( Figs 39 , 43 ) (the female of G. amazonica is unknown).

Description. Male (holotype). Total length: 3.25. Carapace orange, 1.53 long, 1.12 wide, 0.81 high; intestinal diverticula can be seen within cephalic area through translucent cuticle; area around anterior median eyes is reddish in live specimens ( Figs 53–54 ); faded dark lines extend from posterior eyes and converge to posterior border ( Fig. 57 ). Ocular quadrangle 0.66 long. Anterior eye row 0.92 wide and posterior 0.89 wide. Labium, endites and sternum clear ( Fig. 59 ). Palp as described for the genus ( Figs 47–48 ), with parallel cymbial borders. Chelicera orange, divergent ( Fig. 53 ); the cheliceral promargin has three teeth, all gathered proximally; of the three, the most distal (DPT) is larger than the other two (sPT) ( Fig. 52 ); the retromargin has a small tooth proximally, and a rounded distal apophysis (RDA) near the articulation of the fang; the fang is sinuous and bears a ventral bump proximally (fvb in Fig. 52 ) (see also discussion below). Legs 1234, yellow. Length: I 2.73 (0.69 + 1.19 + 0.85), II 2.38 (0.73 + 0.91 + 0.74), III 2.20 (0.68 + 0.81 + 0.71), IV 2.15 (0.66 + 0.94 + 0.55). Abdomen clear, anteriorly with an oblique dorsal pair of longitudinal dark lines (these are fused with the first pair of dark spots seen in the female), followed by two pairs of dark spots and a small dark spot over the anal tubercle. There are three pairs of tufts of white setae, one anterior and two others between the second and third pairs of dorsal dark spots ( Figs 53 , 57 ); laterally with a thin dark brown line ( Fig. 58 ); ventrally clear ( Fig. 59 ). Anterior spinnerets brown, posterior clear.

Female (paratype). Total length: 3.68. Carapace as in male, but lighter and with a median longitudinal stripe of white setae ( Figs 55–56 ) and pair of stripes of white setae laterally; 1.42 long, 1.04 wide, 0.49 high ( Fig. 60 ). Ocular quadrangle 0.67 long. Anterior eye row 0.89 wide and posterior 0.87 wide. Clypeus densely covered with white setae ( Fig. 56 ). Labium, endites and sternum clear ( Fig. 62 ). Chelicera yellow. Legs 4312, yellow. Length: I 2.11 (0.67 + 0.87 + 0.57), II 2.03 (0.66 + 0.70 + 0.67), III 2.02 (0.59 + 0.70 + 0.73), IV 2.25 (0.67 + 0.80 + 0.78). Abdomen clear with three pairs of dark brown spots dorsally, and a small dark spot over the anal tubercle; white setae form a median longitudinal stripe and a pair of lateral stripes ( Figs 55–56 , 60–61 ); laterally with faded brown line ( Fig. 61 ); ventrally clear ( Fig. 62 ). Epigyne as described for the genus, mostly poorly sclerotized and hard to visualize (inconspicuous copulatory openings on membranous area—only seen in great magnification; inconspicuous glandular portions) ( Figs 44 , 49–50 ). Spinnerets clear.

Distribution. Known only from the state of Jalisco, Mexico ( Fig. 64 ).

Note. This species was treated as “ Gypogyna sp. [JAL14-8565]” in Ruiz & Maddison (2015).

Figures

FIGURE 64. Distribution records of Gypogyna mexicana Ruiz & Bustamante sp. nov. (red circles). Yellow lines indicate country limits, while white lines indicate Mexican states.

FIGURES 40–44. Copulatory structures in Gypogyna spp. 40–42 left male palp of G. forceps Simon, 1900 (40 ventral; 41 retrolateral; 42 dorsal); 43 epigyne of G. forceps, ventral; 44 epigyne of G. mexicana Ruiz & Bustamante sp. nov., ventral.

FIGURES 45–50. Diagnostic structures in Gypogyna spp. 45–46 left male palp of G. amazonica Ruiz sp. nov. (45 ventral; 46 retrolateral); 47–48 left male palp of G. mexicana Ruiz & Bustamante sp. nov. (47 ventral; 48 retrolateral); 49 epigyne of G. mexicana, ventral; 50 same, cleared, dorsal.

FIGURES 51–52. Male chelicerae in Gypogyna spp. 51 G. forceps Simon, 1900, ventral (retrolateral); 52 G. mexicana, ventral. Abbreviations: DPT—distal prolateral tooth of chelicera; En—endite; fvb—fang ventral bump; L—labium; RDA—retrolateral distal apophysis of chelicera; RT—retrolateral tooth of chelicera; sPT—smaller prolateral tooth of chelicera.

FIGURES 53–56. Gypogyna mexicana Ruiz & Bustamante sp. nov., live specimens. 53–54 male holotype from Puerto Vallarta (Mexico) (53 dorsal; 54 frontal); 55–56 female from Estación de Biología Chamela (Mexico) (55 dorsal; 56 frontal) (W.P. Maddison 2015, under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International license).

FIGURES 57–62. Gypogyna mexicana Ruiz & Bustamante sp. nov. 57–59 male holotype (57 dorsal; 58 lateral; 59 ventral); 60–62 female (60 dorsal; 61 lateral; 62 ventral).

FIGURES 34–39. Gypogyna forceps Simon, 1900, copulatory structures. 34–37 left male palp (34 prolateral; 35 ventral; 36 retrolateral; 37 dorsal); 38 epigyne, ventral; 39 same, cleared, dorsal. Abbreviations: CL—cymbial lobe; co—copulatory opening; E—embolus; FD—fertilization duct; gl—glandular duct; rCG—retrolateral cymbial groove; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; RvTA—retroventral tibial apophysis; S—spermatheca.