Hidden cryptic spiders: Eight new species of Paratropis from Colombia and Ecuador (Araneae, Paratropididae) Tauber, Emilia Perafán, Carlos Pérez-Miles, Fernando European Journal of Taxonomy 2025 2025-06-10 997 51 76 Tauber & Perafán & Pérez-Miles 2025 [648,842,1536,1563] Arachnida Paratropididae Paratropis Animalia Araneae 17 68 Arthropoda species urku sp. nov.   urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: ECA6834A-1490-4F4C-A153-D5B6C1305F1E  Figs 10–13; Tables 8–9    Differential diagnosis Male differs from that of all other species of the genus in the palpal bulb morphology by a shorter embolus, the absence of subapical triangular tooth on the embolus ( Fig. 11), and the presence of an abdominal pattern comprising five transverse lighter stripes interrupted by a longitudinal medial band ( Fig. 10C). Additionally, it differs from other species in the presence of dorsal abdominal spiniform setae, distributed in some transverse rows of few (4–1) setae each ( Fig. 10C). Females differ from those of all other species in the spermathecae morphology, with two subconical receptacles with wide base, narrow neck and multilobed fundus ( Fig. 12E).    Etymology The specific epithet is a noun in apposition taken from Kichwa language refering to Kapak Urku, which means “lord of the mountains”.    Type material    Holotype ECUADOR• ♂; Pichincha, Cayambe; 0°04′53″ N, 78°08′59″ W;  3640 ma.s.l.;  15 Oct. 2011; J. Bustillosleg.; QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028A.    Paratype ECUADOR• 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; 0°04′54″ N, 78°09′00″ W;  3644 ma.s.l.;  Oct. 2010; J. Bustillosleg.; QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028B.    Description  Male( holotypeQCAZ, MV-PAR-0028A) Total length 11.29, carapace length 4.99, width 5.11; abdomen length 5.96, width 4.2; chelicerae length 2.44. Color (in alcohol): carapace, and legs reddish dark brown, chelicerae dark brown, abdomen light grayish brown. Carapace: slightly setose, lateral margins with single line of spiniform setae with a single line of curved setae mixed with disperse clubbed setae; striae conspicuous; caput arched, separated from thoracic region by transverse fovea, straight, width 0.84. Eyes and ocular tubercle: tubercle length 0.71, width 0.83, elevated (height 0.58) and forwardly directed, with few setae. Clypeus absent. Anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior recurved. Ocular sizes and interdistances: AME 0.17, ALE 0.24, PME 0.13, PLE 0.14, AME–AME 0.1, AME–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 0.29, PME–PLE 0.06, ALE–PLE 0.09, AME–PME 0.12, ALE–ALE 0.45, PLE–PLE 0.53. Chelicerae: short sparse bristles on dorsal and lateral areas, long fine bristles on ventral and anterior area; basal segment with clubbed plumose setae. Cheliceral furrow with two rows of well-developed teeth, 10/11 and 10/16 teeth on promargin and retromargin, respectively. Labium: length 0.81, width 1.17, with 33 cuspules on anterior edge. Labio-sternal groove with two lateral mounds. Maxillae longer than wide, with the anterior prolateral lobe very elongated, conical; with 46/48 cuspules spaced, largely spread over prolatero-ventral border from the inner edge to anterior lobe. Sternum: length 2.3, width 2.67; three pairs of sigillae, anterior subcircular, median and posterior sigillae oval; anterior and median sigillae marginal,posterior submarginal.Anterior edge of sternum with a semicircular area slightly elevated (joined to labio-sternal groove). Legs: cuticle normal. Leg and palpal segments measurements provided in Table 8. Bristles, thorn-like setae and spines present. Trichobothria: palp: Ti d6; Ta d6. Leg I: Ti d6; Me d4; Ta d9. Leg II: Ti d6; Me d3; Ta d5. Leg III: Ti d6; Me d3; Ta d6. Leg IV: Ti d4; Me d3; Ta d8. Tarsal pseudoscopula not dense. Claw tufts absent. Tarsal claws: ITC present on leg I; STC with one tooth on all legs. Spination: palp: 0. Leg I: Fe 0; Pa 1pv; Ti 0; Me 0; Ta 0. Leg II: Fe 0; Pa 0; Ti 0; Me 0; Ta 0. Leg III 0. Leg IV 0.   Fig. 10.  Paratropis urku sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028A). A. Carapace, dorsal view. B. Sternum, ventral view. C. Abdomen, dorsal view. D. Abdomen, ventral view.   Table 8.Length of legs and palpal segments of male holotype of  Paratropis vulcani sp. nov.(QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028A).     I  II  III  IV  Palp  Fe 2.55 2.39 2.81 2.09 1.92  Pa 2.14 1.74 1.56 1.69 1.19  Ti 2.08 1.89 1.75 2.73 1.61  Mt 2.28 1.18 2.08 3.33 –  Ta 1.33 0.80 1.49 2 1  Total 10.38 8 9.69 11.84 5.72   Fig. 11.  Paratropis urku sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028A), left palpal bulb. A. Prolateral view. B. Retrolateral view. C. Dorsal view. D. Ventral view.  ABDOMEN. Dorsal pattern consisting in five transversal lighter stripes on each side and a longitudinal darker band ( Fig. 10C). Anterior part of the abdomen with four long setae arranged in a transverse row. Book lung apertures projected, oval, sclerotized. Palp: cymbium with two unequal lobes separated by a sclerotized groove. Palpal bulb pyriform elongated; embolus curved, short, tapering to the apex ( Fig. 11). Spinnerets: PMS length 1.02; PLS length 3.9, apical segment digitiform. Basal segment of PLS divided in two unequal cuticle plates.  Female( paratypeQCAZ, MV-PAR-0028B) Total length 12.32, carapace length 4.41, width 4.54; abdomen length 7.87, width 5.01; chelicerae length 2.43. Color (in alcohol): body with soil particles encrusted; carapace, and legs reddish dark brown, chelicerae dark brown, abdomen grayish brown. Carapace: slightly setose, lateral margins with single line of spiniform setae with a single line of curved setae mixed with disperse clubbed setae; striae conspicuous; caput arched, separated from thoracic region by transverse fovea, straight, width 0.68. Eyes and ocular tubercle: tubercle length 1.03, width 0.93, very elevated (height 0.32) and forwardly directed, with few setae. Clypeus absent. Anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior recurved. Ocular sizes and interdistances: AME 0.21, ALE 0.23, PME 0.17, PLE 0.15, AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.06, PME–PME 0.4, PME–PLE 0.6, ALE–PLE 0.15, AME–PME 0.09, ALE–ALE 0.64, PLE–PLE 0.53. Chelicerae: short sparse bristles on dorsal and lateral areas, long fine bristles on ventral and anterior area; basal segment with clubbed plumose setae. Cheliceral furrow with two rows of well-developed teeth, 5/6 and 8/9 teeth on promargin and retromargin, respectively. Labium: length 0.91, width 1.15, with 53 cuspules on anterior edge. Labio-sternal groove with two lateral mounds. Maxillae longer than wide, with the anterior prolateral lobe very elongated, conical; with 39/41 cuspules spaced, largely spread over prolatero-ventral border from the inner edge to anterior lobe. Sternum: length 2.55, width 2.24; three pairs of sigillae, anterior subcircular, median and posterior sigillae oval; anterior and median sigillae marginal,posterior submarginal. Anterior edge of sternum with a semicircular area slightly elevated (joined to labio-sternal groove). Legs: cuticle normal. Leg and palpal segments measurements provided in Table 9. Leg I clearly thicker than the others. Bristles, thorn-like setae and spines present. Trichobothria: palp: Ti d4; Ta d5. Leg I: Ti d5; Me d4; Ta d4.Leg II: Ti d4; Me d2; Ta d5. Leg III Ti d4; Me d2; Ta d3. Leg IV: Ti d4; Me d3; Ta d5. Tarsal pseudoscopula not dense. Claw tufts absent. Tarsal claws: ITC present on leg I; STC with one tooth on all legs. Spin ation: principally thorn-like setae on all segments. Spines: Palp: Fe 0; Pa 0; Ti 0; Ta 2pv. Leg I: Fe 0; Pa 0; Ti 0; Me 3v, 3pv; Ta 9pv. Leg II: Fe 0; Pa 0; Ti 0;Me 2pv, 1p; Ta 0. Leg III: Fe 0; Pa 0; Ti 0; Me 2pv, 1p; Ta 0. Leg IV: Fe 0; Pa 0; Ti 0; Me 2pv; Ta 0.   Fig. 12.  Paratropis urku sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028B). A. Carapace, dorsal view. B. Sternum, ventral view. C. Abdomen, dorsal view. D. Abdomen, ventral view. E. Female spermathecae, dorsal view.   Table 9.Length of legs and palpal segments of male holotype of  Paratropis vulcani sp. nov.(QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028B).     I  II  III  IV  Palp  Fe 2.55 2.39 1.26 1.16 1.94  Pa 2.14 1.74 1.25 1.44 1.47  Ti 2.08 1.89 1.46 2.26 0.99  Mt 2.28 1.18 0.98 2.52 –  Ta 1.33 0.8 0.71 1.33 1  Total 10.38 8 5.66 8.71 5.4  ABDOMEN. With four longitudinal dorsal rows of seven small tubercles, each emitting from its apex a plumose, bacilliform seta ( Fig. 12C). Book lung apertures projected, oval, sclerotized. Two spermathecal subconical receptacles with wide base, narrow neck and multilobed fundus ( Fig. 12E). Spinnerets: PMS length 0.86; PLS length 2.35, apical segment digitiform. Basal segment of PLS divided in two unequal cuticle plates.    Distribution Known only from its typelocality, Ecuador, Pichincha province, Cayambe ( Fig. 13). 5179603317 2011-10-15 QCAZ J. Bustillos Ecuador 3640 0.08138889 Cayambe 21 -78.14972 Cayambe 18 69 MV-PAR-0028 1 1 Pichincha holotype 5179603304 2010-10 QCAZ J. Bustillos Ecuador 3644 0.08166667 ECUADOR 21 -78.15 Cayambe 18 69 MV-PAR-0028B 1 1 Pichincha paratype