Otiothops kathiae, Piacentini, Luis N., Ávila Calero, Sergio L., Pérez, Marianela E. & Grismado, Cristian J., 2013

Piacentini, Luis N., Ávila Calero, Sergio L., Pérez, Marianela E. & Grismado, Cristian J., 2013, The first palpimanid spiders from Bolivia: two new species of the genus Otiothops MacLeay, and the female of Fernandezina pulchra Birabén (Araneae: Palpimanidae: Otiothopinae), Zootaxa 3619 (4), pp. 491-500 : 492-495

Otiothops kathiae n. sp.

( Figs 1–2 )

Type material. BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz: holotype male, Yabaré (Estación de la Univ. A. Gabriel R. Moreno), N. of Tres Cruces, Prov. Chiquitos, 16°26'30"S, 62°10'21"W, 20-24 October 2010, transition between Chaco and Chiquitano forests, sifting litter, elev. 260 m, C. Grismado, S. Ávila Calero, M. Pérez (CBF). Paratypes: 1 female, same data as holotype (MACN-Ar 28905).

Other material examined. BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz: 1 juvenile, same data as holotype (MACN-Ar 28904).

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honour of Kathia Rivero, researcher of the Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado (Santa Cruz de la Sierra) in recognition of her fundamental contribution to the organization, logistics and success of the expedition to Bolivia in 2010.

Diagnosis. The male is very similar to that of O. naokii n. sp. in the shape of the embolus, which is distally flattened and widened, with a flattened projection on the anteromedian margin, but differs by having the embolus more closely adpressed against the tegulum (see ventral view, Fig. 2 f), and by the different shape of the distal elements of the embolus ( Figs 2 a, 2e–g). The female resembles those O. payak Grismado & Ramírez, 2002 and O. hoeferi Brescovit & Bonaldo, 1993 in having large, paired, posteriorly directed receptacula ( Figs 2 b–c; see Grismado and Ramírez 2002, fig. 4; Brescovit and Bonaldo 1993, fig. 10), but differs by having smaller, almost contiguous anterior poreplates, and by having a median sclerite on the anterior part of the atrium (MS in Figs 2 b, 2d).

Description. Male (holotype). Total length 4.16. Carapace 1.74 long, 1.24 wide. Femur I 1.14 long, 0.60 high. Posterior median eyes touching. Paturon with inconspicuous lateral ridge. Sclerotized portions of cephalothorax orange brown ( Figs 1 d–f); abdominal scutum orange brown, darker at booklungs, unsclerotized portion of abdomen purplish brown with numerous small, yellowish dots on dorsum ( Figs 1 d–f); venter uniformly yellowish ( Fig. 1 f). Pedipalpal femur not thickened, tibia smaller than bulb, nearly cup-shaped; bulb globose, embolus distally flattened, widened, with pointed, flattened, retrolaterally directed lobe near sperm outlet area ( Fig. 2 a), distal retrolateral extension with curved tip, distal prolateral extension with a thin lamella running parallel to embolar margin ( Figs 2 a, 2e–g).

Female (paratype). Total length 2.46. Carapace 1.98 long, 1.32 wide. Femur I 1.20 long, 0.64 high. Eyes and chelicerae as in male. Cephalothorax slightly lighter than in male ( Figs 1 a–c). Abdominal scutum small, entire, less sclerotized than male, curved, with entire sclerite present behind epigastric furrow ( Fig. 2 c). Abdominal pattern as in male, but on light brown background; anterodorsal area uniformly yellowish, without spots ( Figs 1 a–c). Female internal genitalia ( Fig. 2 b) composed of large, paired, globose, posterodorsally directed median receptacula, with no visible posterior extension of bursa; each receptaculum with small sclerotized poreplates situated anteriorly, nearly contiguous to each other. The median receptacula were nearly oval in situ, slightly pointed posteriorly (approximately as reconstructed in Fig. 2 c), but collapsed during KOH digestion ( Fig. 2 b). Anterior wall of atrium with a median sclerite (MS) bearing anterior pointed projection and two posterolateral arms.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Otiothops kathiae n. sp., habitus of preserved specimens: a – c, female paratype; d – f, male holotype; a, d, dorsal views; b, e, lateral views; c, f, ventral views.

FIGURE 2. Otiothops kathiae n. sp., copulatory organs: a, e – g, male holotype; b – d, female paratype; a, right pedipalp (inverted), proventral view (* = apical lobe of embolus, retrolaterally directed and with pointed tip); e, right pedipalp (inverted), prolateral view; f, same, ventral view; g, same, retrolateral view; b, KOH digested internal genitalia, dorsal view (MR = median receptacula [collapsed], MS = median sclerite, PP = poreplate); c, epigastric region, ventral view, showing the approximate reconstruction of the shape of the median receptacula prior to KOH digestion; d, same, digested and cleared, showing the median sclerite (MS).