Canaima guaquira Huber, 2020

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 31-33

Canaima guaquira Huber sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:ABAD982F-9BF4-4CE6-BF7D-934296A0224E

Figs 54–55 , 85–88 , 96–98 , 1034

Diagnosis

Distinguished from known congeners by armature of male chelicerae ( Fig. 87 ; three pairs of processes, with highly distinctive distal pair of slender curved processes), by shape of procursus ( Fig. 86 ; distinctive dorso-distal sclerite), by dorsal process on genital bulb (arrow in Fig. 86 ), and by internal female genitalia ( Figs 88 , 98 ): anterior bilobed sclerite (arrows in Fig. 88 ); median arc between pore plates; pore plates far apart; note that female of C. merida Huber, 2000 is unknown.

Etymology

The species name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.

Type material

VENEZUELA – Yaracuy • ♂ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 21834), Guaquira , ‘site 1’ (10.2951° N, 68.6535° W), 120 m a.s.l., forest along stream, 16 Feb. 2020 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M., Q. Arias C.) .

Other material examined

VENEZUELA – Yaracuy • 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 21835), and 8 ♀♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven20- 158), same collection data as for holotype • 1 ♂, 6 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 21836), Guaquira , ‘site 2’ (10.2807° N, 68.6530° W), 150 m a.s.l., forest along stream, 17 Feb. 2020 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M., Q. Arias C.) .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 1.1, carapace width 0.55. Distance PME–PME 35 µm; diameter PME 60 µm; distance PME–ALE 30 µm; AME absent. Leg 1: 8.45 (2.0 +0.2 +2.2+3.15 + 0.9), tibia 2: 1.1, tibia 3: 0.85, tibia 4: 1.1; tibia 1 L/d: 49.

COLOR (in ethanol). Prosoma and legs ochre-yellow, sternum whitish, legs without dark rings; abdomen pale greenish gray, dorsally with darker bluish marks.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 54 . Ocular area slightly raised. Carapace with distinct thoracic groove. Clypeus slightly more protruding than in female and with sclerotized rim. Sternum wider than long (0.40/0.30), with pair of small but distinct anterior processes. Abdomen oval.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 87 , with very short entapophyses and three pairs of frontal processes; highly distinctive distal pair of slender curved processes.

PALPS. As in Figs 85–86 ; coxa with distinct retrolateral-ventral apophysis, trochanter with low ventral process, femur proximally with retrolateral process, distally with small ventral process (similar to C. arima ; cf. Huber 2000: fig. 1322); procursus with distinctive dorso-distal sclerite and membranous elements; genital bulb with semitransparent dorsal process (arrow in Fig. 86 ), embolar process whitish, weakly sclerotized.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; with higher than usual density of vertical hairs on tibiae; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 25%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~13 pseudosegments.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in five males (incl. holotype): 1.9–2.4 (mean 2.14).

Female

In general similar to male ( Fig. 55 ) but without humps on sternum, clypeus less protruding and rim not sclerotized, few vertical hairs on leg tibiae. Tibia 1 in 13 females: 1.50–1.75 (mean 1.65). Epigynum ( Fig. 96 ) slightly protruding, anterior plate medially whitish, laterally brown, sclerotized; large light brown posterior plate. Internal genitalia ( Figs 88 , 97–98 ) with anterior bilobed sclerite (arrows in Fig. 88 ), median arc between pore plates, pore plates far apart, and large anterior transparent receptacle.

Distribution

Known from type locality only, in Venezuela , Yaracuy (Fig. 1034).

Natural history

Most specimens were collected in dead bamboo sheaths on the ground but the species seemed to be common in the general forest leaf litter.

Figures

Figs 50–57. Canaima Huber, 2000, live specimens. 50–51. C. loca Huber sp. nov., male and female with egg sac from Trujillo, Laguna Negra. 52–53. C. avila Huber sp. nov., male and female with egg sac from Miranda, El Ávila National Park. 54–55. C. guaquira Huber sp. nov., male and female with egg sac from Yaracuy, Guaquira. 56–57. C. guaraque Huber sp. nov.; males from Mérida, between Tovar and Guaraque.

Figs 85–88. Canaima guaquira Huber sp. nov.; from Yaracuy, Guaquira (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21835). 85–86. Left male pedipalp, prolateral and retrolateral views (arrow: dorsal process on genital bulb). 87. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 88. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view (arrows: anterior bilobed sclerite). Abbreviation: r =receptacle. Scale lines: 0.2 mm.

Figs 93–101. Canaima Huber, 2000, epigyna, ventral views, and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. 93–95. C. avila Huber sp. nov.; from Miranda, El Ávila National Park (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21833). 96–98. C. guaquira Huber sp. nov.; from Yaracuy, Guaquira (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21835). 99–101. C. guaraque Huber sp. nov.; from Mérida, between Tovar and Guaraque (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21838).