Anapis churu, Dupérré & Tapia, 2018

Dupérré, Nadine & Tapia, Elicio, 2018, Further discoveries on the minuscule spiders from the Chocó region of Ecuador with the description of seven new species of Anapis (Araneae: Anapidae), Zootaxa 4459 (3), pp. 482-506 : 488-490

Anapis churu new species

Figs 14–19 , 50 , 62a .

Material examined. Male holotype and male paratype from Ecuador, Cotopaxi Province, OTONGA Biological Reserve (-00.41994 -79.00623) 1,997m, 24.v–08.vi.2014, sifting litter, E. Tapia, C. Tapia, N. Dupérré ( QCAZ). Paratypes: Cotopaxi Province, OTONGA Biological Reserve (-00.41994 -79.00623) 1,997m, 04–07. ix.2014, 2 ♂ 1♀, sifting litter, E. Tapia, C. Tapia, N. Dupérré ( ZMH).

Additional material examined. ECUADOR: Cotopaxi: OTONGA Biological Reserve (-00.41994 - 79.00623) 1,997m, 16.viii–05. ix.2014, 1 ♂, 04–07. ix.2014, 1 ♀, pitfall, E. Tapia, C. Tapia, N. Dupérré ( ZMH) ; (- 0 0.42180 -79.01325) 2,225m, 25.xi–08. xii.2014, 1 ♂, pitfall, E. Tapia, C. Tapia, N. Dupérré (DTC).

Etymology: The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the Kichwa language meaning “spiral”.

Diagnosis. Males and females are distinguished from all species, by the ALE separated by three time their diameter and absence of metatarsal and tarsal cusps ( Figs 16, 17 ). Furthermore, males are diagnosed by large anvil–shaped retrolateral patellar apophysis ( Fig. 15 ) and female by their copulatory ducts making one loop ( Fig. 19 ).

Description. Male (paratype): Total length: 0.93; carapace length: 0.38; carapace width: 0.36; abdomen length: 0.55; abdomen width: 0.47; clypeus height: 0.13. Cephalothorax: Carapace reddish-orange; pars cephalica puntated; cephalic groove deep, strongly punctated; pars thoracica dorsally and laterally punctated ( Fig. 50 ). Sternum orange, suffused with dark gray, punctated, longer than wide, covered with setae. Clypeus orange, punctated. Labral spur present. Chelicerae orange, excavated medially; with one basal tooth and denticulate plate apically. Eyes: 6 eyes, rounded; AME absent, ALE separated by 3x their diameter, ALE-PLE contiguous, LE-PME separated by 1x their diameter, PME contiguous. Abdomen: rounded, with dorsal orange scutum; soft portion whitish with a few setose sclerites ( Fig. 50 ); complete spinneret scutum. Legs: Reddish-orange, metatarsus I–II not swollen without cusps, tarsus I–II without cusps ( Figs 16, 17 ). Genitalia: Palpal patella with large anvil-shaped, ventrally curved retrolateral apophysis; palpal tibial trichobothrium not observed; strongly recurved tibial apophysis ( Fig. 15 ). Cymbium cup-shaped without extension ( Figs 14, 15 ). Embolus long exiting the conductor; conductor semi-transparent, stongly ridged ( Figs 15, 15a ).

Female (paratype, abdomen damaged): Carapace length: 0.44; carapace width: 0.36; clypeus height: 0.08. Same coloration and pattern of punctation as male. Chelicerae and sternum as male. Labral spur present. Eyes: 6 eyes, rounded; AME absent, ALE separated by 3x their diameter, ALE-PLE contiguous, LE-PME separated by their diameter, PME contiguous. Abdomen: Whitish, rounded without dorsal scutum (damaged). Genitalia: Ventral scutum orange, visible through the scutum: a pair of large rounded spermathecae, large copulatory ducts ( Fig. 18 ). Internal genitalia with large rounded spermathecae; copulatory ducts wide narrowing, making one loop; fertilization ducts recurved, directed basally ( Fig. 19 ).

Distribution. Ecuador: Known only from the type locality.

Natural History. All specimens were found in the cloud forest sifting litter or by pitfall trap between 1,997– 2,225m.

Figures

FIGURES 14–19. Anapis churu n. sp. 14, Male palp prolateral view. 15, Male palp retrolateral view. 15a. Male palp conductor and embolus, retrolateral view. 16, Male left metatarsus and tarsus I, prolateral view. 17, Male, left metatarsus and tarsus II, prolateral view. 18, Female epigastric region, ventral view. 19, Female internal genitalia, dorsal view.

FIGURES 46–53. Habitus, lateral view. 46, Male Anapis anabelleae n. sp. 47, Female Anapis anabelleae n. sp. 48, Male Anapis carmencita n. sp. 49, Female Anapis carmencita n. sp. 50, Male Anapis churu n. sp. 51, Male Anapis mariebertheae n. sp. 52, Male Anapis naranja n. sp. 53, Female Anapis naranja n. sp. Scale bars: 0.5mm

FIGURES 62–62a. Distribution maps of Anapidae in Ecuador. 62, Distribution of previously described species and formerly known localities. 62a, Distribution of new species and new localities for previously described species.