Ixchela franckei, 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 : 314-316

Ixchela franckei new species

Figures 147–159

Type data. MEXICO: Guerrero: 1 3 holotype (CNAN T0715) [23 July 2009; A. Valdez, O. Francke, H. Montaño, C. Santibañez, T. Palafox, C. Quijano] from Cueva del Borrego, 3.5 km E of Omiltemi (lat 17.5559°, lon - 99.6603°; 2623 m), Municipio Chilpancingo. Paratypes: 2 ƤƤ (CNAN T0716), 2 3 (CNAN T0717), 7 ƤƤ (CNAN T0718), same data as holotype.

Other material examined. MEXICO: Guerrero: 18 immatures (CNAN 3323), same data as holotype. 1 Ƥ, 9 immatures (CNAN 3324) [26 June 2007; O. Francke, H. Montaño, L. Escalante, A. Ballesteros], same locality as holotype. 3 3, 9 ƤƤ, 2 immatures (CNAN 3325) [24 January 2012; A. Valdez, O. Francke, D. Ortiz, J. Mendoza, G. Contreras], same locality as holotype.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Dr. Oscar F. Francke Ballvé in recognition of his contribution to the knowledge of the arachnids from Mexico and his support in this project.

Diagnosis. Resembles to I. viquezi , distinguished by FAC wider in lateral view ( Figs 149, 150 ); by the SAC larger and wider ( Figs 149, 151 ); by the embolus with proximal conical protuberance, ending in round tip and near to PAB ( Figs 153 , arrow 154); by the palp femur wide and short ( Figs 152, 153 ); and by the small epigynum , with a half darker than the other half in ventral view ( Fig. 155 ).

Description. Male (Holotype). Prosoma: Carapace yellow, with inconspicuous orange spots towards each side of the margin of carapace ( Fig. 148 ). Ocular region dark orange ( Fig. 148 ). Fovea with irregular dark region around it, forming a pattern V-shaped with the posterior part of ocular region ( Fig. 148 ). Ocular region with two gray lines, tenuous, longitudinal, close together ( Fig. 148 ). Clypeus pale orange ( Fig. 151 ). Chelicerae dark brown ( Figs 149–151 ). Sternum pale orange, with brown region wide and dark. Labium dark brown. Endites dark brown, pale distally, with retrolateral apophysis slightly bifurcated. Legs: Coxae pale yellow, pale orange toward prolateral and retrolateral parts. Trochanters orange. Femora dark brown in basal third, pale orange towards distal half. Patellae gray. Tibiae pale orange. Metatarsi and tarsi dark orange. Tenuous single rings on distal part of femora and basal and distal part of tibiae. Opisthosoma: Globular, slightly larger than high, pale gray ( Fig. 147 ). Gonopore plate wider than long, with half moon-shaped. Palp: Femur conical, with VAF rounded ( Fig. 152 ). Procursus long, extending almost to the base of femur, with distal spine curved and wide ( Figs 152, 153 ). VPP inconspicuous, with few and short setae ( Fig. 152 ). Embolus short and wide, dorsally with thin distal spine; ventrally with thin distal projection spine-shaped ( Figs 152–154 ). Measurements: Total length 6.10. Carapace 2.65 long, 2.55 wide. Clypeus 1.05 long. Diameter AME 0.12, ALE 0.23, PME 0.17, PLE 0.20. Distance ALE-PME 0.11, PME-PME 0.35. Leg I: 55.18 (14.44+1.0+14.06+19.88+5.8), tibia II: 11.05, tibia III: 9.40, tibia IV: missing. Tibia I l/d 46.86.

Female (Paratype). (CNAN T0716). Similar to the male, differences: Legs: Femora dark orange, without darker basal third. Epigynum: Wider than long ( Figs 155, 156, 158 ). PP small, oval towards MSE ( Fig. 156 ). Small rounded pit in ventral and frontal views ( Figs 155 , arrow 159). Measurements: Total length 7.00. Carapace 2.80 long, 2.55 wide. Clypeus 1.15 long. Diameter AME 0.11, ALE 0.23, PME 0.18, PLE 0.20. Distance ALE-PME 0.13. PME-PME 0.28. Leg I: 55.02 (14.50+1.16+14.50+19.56+5.30), tibia II: 10.00, tibia III: 8.25, tibia IV: 10.18; tibia I l/d 58.00.

Variation. Males and females have variation in size and coloration, but the variation in coloration could be because some of the specimens had recently molted. There is little variation on the epigyna, only one female had an epigynum smaller than the others. Male tibia I: 12.88–13.94 (x = 13.41). Female tibia I: 11.12–16.12 (x = 13.69).

Natural History. The vegetation type in the localities of the material examined is pine-oak forest. The specimens from Cueva del Borrego ( Fig. 14 ) were collected in their irregular sheet webs, near the walls or in cracks on the walls ( Fig. 9 ). Most of the specimens were collected among boulders on the ground. The cave had high humidity, ca 80%, and is located in the Morelos formation, a karst zone from the Cretaceous period. The specimen collected in pine-oak forest outside of the cave in Omiltemi was collected among fallen logs and boulders on the ground.

Distribution. MÉXICO: Guerrero ( Fig. 214 ).

Figures

FIGURE 214. Known distribution of Ixchela franckei new species, Ixchela huasteca new species, Ixchela santibanezi new species, Ixchela tzotzil new species and Ixchela viquezi new species.

FIGURES 147 – 159. Ixchela franckei new species. Male: 147, Habitus, lateral view. 148, Carapace, dorsal view. 149, Chelicerae, frontal view. 150, Chelicera, lateral view. 151, Carapace, frontal view. 152 – 153, Left palp, retrolateral and prolateral views respectively. 154, Bulb and embolus, prolateral view (arrow indicates the round tip near to PAB). 157, Bulb and procursus, dorsal view. Female: 155, Epigynum, ventral view. 156, Epigynum, dorsal view. 158, Epigynum, left lateral view. 159, Epigynum, frontal view (arrow indicates the small rounded pit). Scales: 1 mm (Figs 147, 148, 151 – 153, 157), 0.5 mm (Figs 149, 150, 154 – 156, 158, 159).

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.

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.