Ixchela huberi, Valdez-Mondragón, Alejandro, 2013

Valdez-Mondragón, Alejandro, 2013, Taxonomic revision of the spider genus Ixchela Huber, 2000 (Araneae: Pholcidae), with description of ten new species from Mexico and Central America, Zootaxa 3608 (5), pp. 285-327 : 306-308

Ixchela huberi new species

Figures 98–109

Type data. MEXICO: Oaxaca: 1 3 holotype (CNAN T0640) [3 December 2005; A. Valdez, O. Francke, H. Montaño, C. Santibáñez] from 3 km E of deviation to Santa Inés del Monte (lat 16.9407°, lon -96.8605°; 2665 m), Distrito Zaachila. Paratypes: 1 Ƥ (CNAN T0641), same data as holotype. 2 3, 6 ƤƤ (one with egg sac), 4 immatures (CNAN T0642 to T0647) [19 September 2009; A. Valdez, C. Santibáñez, R. Paredes, J. A. Cruz] from Santa Inés del Monte (lat 16.9407°, lon -96.8604°; 2270 m), Distrito Zaachila.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Dr. Bernhard A. Huber in recognition of his contribution to the knowledge of the family Pholcidae around the world, and by his comments and contribution in this work.

Diagnosis. Resembles to I. simoni and I. huasteca , distinguished from I. simoni by the FAC big and rounded in frontal view ( Fig. 100 ), wider and apically flat in lateral view ( Fig. 101 ); by the marginal spots on carapace less marked and wide ( Fig. 99 ); by the darker region around the fovea, on I simoni is continuous from the posterior part of ocular region to posterior part of carapace ( Fig. 73 ), on I. huberi is discontinuous between posterior part of the carapace and the fovea ( Fig. 99 ); from I. huasteca by having FAC wider and shorter in lateral view ( Fig. 101 ); and by the marginal spots on carapace more marked and wider ( Fig. 99 ); from both species by the small epigynum , square-shaped ventrally ( Fig. 107 ), with a ventral conical apophysis in middle part, small and with tip rounded ( Figs 106, 107, 109 ).

Description. Male (Holotype). Prosoma: Carapace pale yellow, with paired long marginal brown spots ( Fig. 99 ). Ocular region brown, with posterior region brown darker and Y-shaped. Fovea with irregular darker region around it, wide and brown ( Fig. 99 ). Clypeus orange, with narrow pale brown longitudinal stripe, barely visible; with two brown spots near the chelicerae ( Fig. 102 ). Chelicerae brown, pale in prolateral part, particulary in basal and distal parts ( Fig. 100 ). Sternum orange, darker towards anterior part. Labium and endites brown, pale distally. Endites yellow in retrolateral part and on retrolateral aphophysis. Legs: Coxae pale orange. Trochanters brown.

Femora brown, paler basally. Patellae brown. Tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi orange. Distally on femora and basal and distally on tibiae with broad brown rings; rings of femora between two pale orange rings. Opisthosoma: Conical, larger than wide ( Fig. 98 ). Gonopore plate larger than wide. Palp: Femur conical, slightly curved ventrally, with VAF ending in small conical tip ( Fig. 103 ). Procursus long, wider in middle part; distally with small spine; conspicuous and rounded VPP with short setae, having the half of length of the procursus ( Fig. 103 ). Embolus with distal-dorsal spine almost straight; projection distal-ventral distally curved ( Figs 103, 104 ). Measurements: Total length 9.10. Carapace 3.45 long, 3.25 wide. Clypeus 1.37 long. Diameter AME 0.17, ALE 0.25, PME 0.21, PLE 0.26. Distance ALE-PME 0.22, PME-PME 0.38. Leg I: 46.98 (12.56+1.52+12.93+14.37+5.60), tibia II: 9.10, tibia III: 8.25, tibia IV: 11.00; tibia I l/d 21.55.

Female (Paratype). (CNAN T0641). Similar to the male, differences: Epigynum: Larger than wide, square ( Figs 107, 108 ), with ventral apophysis on middle part ( Figs 107, 109 ). PP wide, with concavities sac-shaped, large and inconspicuous, between PP and MSE ( Fig. 108 ). Measurements. Total length 8.80. Carapace 3.00 long, 2.80 wide. Clypeus 1.15 long. Diameter AME 0.12, ALE 0.24, PME 0.15, PLE 0.20. Distance ALE-PME 0.19. PME- PME 0.35. Leg I: 42.63 (11.31+1.20+11.87+13.25+5.00), tibia II: 8.25, tibia III: 6.6, tibia IV: 8.0; tibia I l/d 21.59.

Variation. There is continuous variation in size within males and females. Male tibia I: 12.81–13.69 (x = 13.27). Female tibia I: 8.65–13.68 (x = 11.58).

Natural History. The type locality is located in oak-pine forest. The specimens were collected manually on irregular sheet webs on walls next to the road ( Fig. 6 ), specifically in shaded and wetter areas covered with roots and litter ( Figs 17, 18 ).

Distribution. MEXICO: Oaxaca ( Fig. 146 ).

Figures

FIGURE 146. Known distribution of Ixchela mixe new species, Ixchela huberi new species, Ixchela juarezi new species, Ixchela grix new species and Ixchela taxco new species.

FIGURES 98 – 109. Ixchela huberi new species. Male: 98, Habitus, lateral view. 99, Carapace, dorsal view. 100, Chelicerae, frontal view. 101, Chelicera, lateral view. 102, Carapace, frontal view. 103 – 104, Left palp, retrolateral and prolateral views respectively. 105, Bulb and procursus, dorsal view. Female: 106, Epigynum, frontal view. 107, Epigynum, ventral view. 108, Epigynum, dorsal view. 109, Epigynum, left lateral view. Scales: 1 mm (Figs 98, 99, 102 – 104), 0.5 mm (Figs 100, 101, 105 – 109).

FIGURES 72 – 84. Ixchela simoni (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898). Male: 72, Habitus, lateral view. 73, Carapace, dorsal view. 74, Chelicerae, frontal view. 75, Chelicera, lateral view. 76, Carapace, frontal view. 77, Bulb and procursus, dorsal view. 78 – 79, Left palp, retrolateral and prolateral views respectively. 80, Embolus, dorso-distal view (arrow indicates the sclerotized spine small and sub-distal on the embolus). Female: 81, Epigynum, frontal view. 82, Epigynum, ventral view. 83, Epigynum, dorsal view. 84, Epigynum, left lateral view. Scales: 1 mm (Figs 72 – 74, 76, 78, 79, 81 – 84), 0.5 mm (Figs 75, 77, 80).

FIGURES 1 – 12. Living specimens of the genus Ixchela Huber, 2000, from Mexico. 1, Ixchela abernathyi (Gertsch, 1971), female from Km 227 Carretera Federal No. 70 Cd. San Luis Potosí-Rio Verde, San Luis Potosí. 2, Ixchela placida (Gertsch, 1971), female from Cueva de Atlahuilapa, Veracruz. 3, Ixchela pecki (Gertsch, 1971), female from Cueva de Teopisca, Chiapas. 4, Ixchela simoni (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898) from 2 km W of crossroad Omiltemi-Chautipan, Guerrero. 5, Ixchela mixe new species, female with egg sac from cave near Tlahuitoltepec, Oaxaca. 6, Ixchela huberi new species, male from Santa Inés del Monte, Oaxaca. 7, Ixchela juarezi new species, female with egg sac from 2 km E of Guelatao, Oaxaca. 8, Ixchela taxco new species, female from Rancho La Soñadora, 6 km W of Taxco, Guerrero. 9, Ixchela franckei new species, male from Cueva del Borrego, 3.5 km E of Omiltemi, Guerrero. 10 – 11, Ixchela huasteca new species: 10, male from 1.5 km road to Microondas La Pingüica, Querétaro; 11, female with egg sac from Buenavista, near Ahuacatlan, San Luis Potosí. 12, Ixchela tzotzil new species, male from Grutas de Arcotete, Chiapas.

FIGURES 13 – 18. Typical habitats of spiders of the genus Ixchela Huber, 2000 from Mexico. 13, Oak-pine forest, from Km 227 Federal Highway # 70 Cd. San Luis Potosí-Río Verde, San Luis Potosí: Ixchela abernathyi (Gertsch, 1970). 14, Karstic zone in oak-pine forest, Cueva del Borrego 3.5 km al E of Omiltemi, Guerrero: Ixchela franckei new species. 15, Oak-pine forest from Grutas de Arcotete, Chiapas: Ixchela tzotzil new species. 16, Tropical rain forest outside of Cueva de las Abejas, Chiapas: Ixchela santibanezi new species. 17, Oak-pine forest 3 km E of turn-off to Santa Inés del Monte, Oaxaca: Ixchela huberi new species. 18, Oak-pine forest at “ Rancho La Soñadora ”, 6 km W of Taxco, Guerrero: Ixchela taxco new species. Red arrows indicate the specific locations or microhabitats where specimens of Ixchela can be collected in the field.