Mysmenopsis fernandoi, Dupérré, Nadine & Tapia, Elicio, 2015

Dupérré, Nadine & Tapia, Elicio, 2015, Descriptions of four kleptoparasitic spiders of the genus Mysmenopsis (Araneae, Mysmenidae) and their potential host spider species in the genus Linothele (Araneae, Dipluridae) from Ecuador, Zootaxa 3972 (3), pp. 343-368 : 349-351

Mysmenopsis fernandoi new species

Figs. 13–17

Material examined. Male holotype from Ecuador, Santo Domingo de Las Tsáchilas , Parroquia San José de Alluriquín, La Florida (00.25254°S 79.03043°W) 884m, 28.x.2014, hand collected in diplurid web in foothill forest, E. Tapia ( QCAZ). Female paratype same data.

Additional material examined. Ecuador: Santo Domingo de Las Tsáchilas : Parroquia San José de Alluriquín, La Florida (00.25254°S 79.03043°W), 884m, 28.x.2014, 3♂ 3♀, 1♂ 1♀, hand collected in diplurid webs, foothill forest, E. Tapia (DTC); 30.x.2014, 6♂ 2♀, hand collected in large diplurid web, foothill forest, E. Tapia, I. Tapia, A. Tapia and N. Dupérré ( MECN); 1♂ 2♀, hand collected in diplurid web, foothill forest, E. Tapia ( MECN); 17.xii.2014, 1♂ 2♀, hand collected in diplurid web beneath tree trunk, E. Tapia ( AMNH); 17.xii.2014, 1♀, hand collected in web of Linothele zaia from dirt talus, E. Tapia ( QCAZ). Cotopaxi: Parroquia San Francisco de Las Pampas, Casa César Tapia (00.42415°S 78.95719°W), 1426m, 25.xii.2014, 2♀, hand collected from two webs of L. quori juveniles, E. Tapia, A. Tapia and C. Tapia (DTC); 8♀, hand collected from web L. yanachanka, E.Tapia, A. Tapia and C. Tapia (DTC).

Etymology. The specific name is in honour of Fernando Coloma Román, Ecuadorian nature photographer, currently supporting the biorestoration and conversion of pasture to natural forest at the site where this species was first found. Additionally, he has dedicated his life to promote Ecuadorian biodiversity with photography.

Diagnosis. Males are distinguished from all species by the retrolateral projection of the palpal tibia bearing six cusps ( Fig. 14 ). Females are diagnosed by the W-shaped posterior margin of the epigynum ( Fig. 16 ).

Description. Male: Total length: 1.3; carapace length: 0.6; carapace width: 0.5; abdomen length: 0.7.

Cephalothorax: Carapace dark brown, pear-shaped; suffused with black along pars cephalica and radiating lines. Sternum dark brown, suffused with black; as long as wide; densely covered with long setae. Clypeus dark brown; high (4x AME). Chelicerae dark brown; promargin with three teeth or four teeth (specimen asymmetric) and ~10 denticles; retromargin with one tooth. Eyes: eight, rounded, all approximately equal in size; ocular region on protuberance; AME separated by half their diameter, AME-LE slightly separated; ALE-PLE contiguous, LE-PME separated by their diameter; PME separated by half their diameter. Abdomen: Oval, mostly blackish with dark gray pattern and a few white patches ( Fig. 13 ). Legs: Yellow-brown with black markings; coxae I–III yellow-brown, coxa IV yellow-brown with black spot. Leg I: femur enlarged and dark brown, tibia dark brown with ventral black mark, metatarsus with dark ring apically; tarsus light yellow. Leg II–IV: femora with proximal, median and distal black rings, tibiae with medial and distal black ring, metatarsi with distal black ring, tarsi light yellow. Legs spination: Patellae I–IV with macroseta dorso-distally; tibia I with two prolateral clasping spurs; metatarsus I slightly curved, row of six large macrosetae prolateral-ventral and two spurs apically; tibiae I–IV with one macroseta dorso-proximally; tibia II with three macrosetae ventrally. Genitalia: Palpal tibia globular; retrolateral ledge with wide projection bearing six cusps; ventral projection with three cusps; two retrolateral trichobothria ( Fig. 14 ). Cymbium pointed apically, tip rounded, with large paracymbium ( Fig. 15 ). Tegulum elongated-oval ( Fig. 14 ). Embolus hook-shaped; embolic base apophysis absent ( Fig. 14 ).

Female: Total length: 1.5; carapace length: 0.7; carapace width: 0.6; abdomen length: 0.8. Cephalothorax: Carapace and sternum as in male. Clypeus dark brown; high (3x AME). Chelicerae dark brown, promargin with three teeth and ~10 denticles; retromargin without teeth. EYES: Same as in male, ocular region on lower protuberance. Abdomen: Same as in male. Legs: Coloration same as in male, femur I enlarged with ventral distal tubercle. LEG SPINATION: Same as in male. Genitalia: Epigynum with anterior epigynal margin straight, posterior epigynal margin W-shaped ( Fig. 16 ). Dorsal epigynal plate with straight ventral margin ( Fig. 17 ). Internal genitalia with rounded spermathecae; copulatory ducts not observed; fertilization ducts small, situated apicointernally ( Fig. 17 ).

Distribution. Ecuador, Cotopaxi and Santo Domingo de Las Tsáchilas Provinces.

Natural history. M. fernandoi is found in the foothill forest where it lives in sympatry with M. chiquita , but was never collected in the same web. Most specimens were collected in large webs of an unknown diplurid, probably Linothele tsachilas , but the host was never collected. One female specimen was collected in the web of Linothele zaia . M. fernandoi was also collected at a second locality in a secondary subtropical forest in the web of L. yanachanka and L. quori but never collected in the same webs as M. onorei .

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 17. Mysmenopsis fernandoi n. sp. Male 13 – 15. Female 16 – 17. 13, Abdomen, dorsal view. 14, Palp, retrolateral view. 15, Palp, prolateral view. 16, Epigynum, ventral view. 17, Internal genitalia, dorsal view.