Ixchela jalisco, Valdez-Mondragón & Francke, 2015

Valdez-Mondragón, Alejandro & Francke, Oscar F., 2015, Phylogeny of the spider genus Ixchela Huber, 2000 (Araneae: Pholcidae) based on morphological and molecular evidence (CO 1 and 16 S), with a hypothesized diversification in the Pleistocene, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 175 (1), pp. 20-58 : 39-40

Ixchela jalisco SP. NOV.

Type data: MEXICO: Jalisco: 1 ♂ holotype ( CNAN T0751 ) [21 July 2012; A. Valdez, O. Francke, D. Barrales, G. Contreras] from 8 km S of Cerro de la Tetilla (lat. 20.367°, long. −105.020°; 2441 m), Municipio Talpa de Allende. Paratypes : 1 ♀ (with egg sac) ( CNAN T0752 ) [21 July 2012; A. Valdez, O. Francke, D. Barrales, G. Contreras] from Cerro de la Tetilla (lat. 20.365°, long. −104.993°; 2427 m), Municipio Talpa de Allende . 4 ♀♀, 1 juv. ( CNAN T0753 ) [19 July 2012; A. Valdez, O. Francke, D. Barrales, G. Contreras] from 1.5 km road to Área Natural Protegida Piedras Bola (lat. 20.647°, long. −104.037°; 1877 m), Municipio Ahualulco del Mercado . 1 juv. ( CNAN T0754 ) [17 July 2012; A. Valdez, O. Francke, D. Barrales, G. Contreras] from Área Natural Protegida Piedras Bola (lat. 20.651°, long. −104.057°; 1880 m), Municipio Ahualulco del Mercado .

Etymology: The specific name is a noun in apposition and refers to the state where the type locality is found: Jalisco, Mexico.

Diagnosis: Distinguished from congeners by the chelicerae with FAC long and conical, slightly projected dorsally and slightly curved apically ( Figs 48, 51 ); the palp femur markedly curved ventrally, being thinner basally and wider distally ( Figs 49, 50 ); the VAF large, conical and claw-shaped ( Figs 49, 50 ); and the epigynum with long and conical apophysis ( Figs 52, 53, 55 ).

Description: Male (Holotype). Prosoma: Pale yellow, with wide and long pale grey pattern on each side ( Fig. 46 ). Ocular region pale yellow, with a wide pale grey line projected from AME toward posterior region, and other lines thinner and shorter projecting from PME toward posterior region ( Fig. 46 ). Fovea surrounded by an irregular, pale grey region ( Fig. 46 ). Clypeus pale yellow, with small pale grey region near chelicerae ( Fig. 47 ). Chelicerae pale brown, paler around the SAC and basally ( Fig. 48 ). Sternum, labium and endites olive green. Endites distally white. Legs: Coxae white, olive green distally on retrolateral and prolateral part. Trochanters olive green. Femora pale orange, without numerous colour rings, only one grey ring subdistally. Patellae grey. Tibiae pale orange, without numerous colour rings, only one basal and one subdistal. Metatarsi and tarsi orange, without colour rings. Legs with numerous oblique, long setae; and with few, short vertical setae. Opisthosoma: Conical, longer than high, blue, with grey pattern dorsally ( Figs 45, 46 ). Gonopore plate oval, olive green. Palp: Femur pale yellow, slightly grey dorsally ( Figs 49, 50 ). VAF clawshaped. Patella and tibia pale grey. Procursus pale grey on basal half and brown on distal half, with distal spine ( Fig. 49 ). VPP small, with setae of different sizes ( Fig. 49 ). Embolus conical, dorsally with small, curved spine ( Figs 49, 50 ); ventrally with long, sigmoid projection on distal part ( Figs 49, 50 ). PAB conical ( Fig. 50 ). Measurements: Total length 8.00. Carapace 3.25 long, 2.85 wide. Clypeus 1.20 long. Diameter AME 0.14, ALE 0.24 PME 0.19, PLE 0.22. Distance ALE–PME 0.22, PME–PME 0.32. Leg I: 56.52 (15.00 + 1.40 + 14.87 + 18.75 + 6.50), tibia II: 10.75, tibia III: 8.75, tibia IV: 10.87. Tibia I l/d: 29.50.

Female (Paratype). ( CNAN T 0752). Similar to male, except by: Prosoma: The dorsal pattern on each side darker grey than on male. Ocular region uniformly brown, with inconspicuous lines projected from AME and PME. The irregular region surrounding the fovea darker grey than on male. Clypeus with wide, brown longitudinal band. Chelicerae darker brown than on male. Sternum, labium and endites dark brown. Legs: The distal part of retrolateral and prolateral faces of coxae dark brown. Trochanters dark brown. Femora brownish, paler basally. Tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi dark orange. Epigynum: Wider and higher than long ( Fig. 53 ). PP curved laterally ( Fig. 54 ), with oval, long sacshaped concavities between MSE and PP ( Fig. 54 ); MSE with upside down Y-shape ( Fig. 54 ). Measurements: Total length 8.70. Carapace 3.65 long, 3.50 wide. Clypeus 1.30 long. Diameter AME 0.16, ALE 0.26, PME 0.20, PLE 0.23. Distance ALE–PME 0.21. PME–PME 0.36. Leg I: 54.74 (14.81 + 1.50 + 14.81 + 18.00 + 5.62), tibia II: 10.60, tibia III: 8.65, tibia IV: 10.85; tibia I l/d 26.44.

Variation: The smallest females show variation in coloration, with carapace and legs orange; whereas the largest females have carapace pale yellow and legs reddish. There is variation in the coloration of the ocular region, dorsal pattern on carapace and clypeus pattern, ranging from pale brown to dark brown. Female tibia I: 10.25–12.60 (x = 11.03).

Natural history: The specimens were collected in mixed oak–pine forests; the holotype was collected under dried leaves of an agave plant, a microhabitat with high humidity. The paratypes were collected on their sheet webs on walls along road-cuts, covered with roots and leaflitter with high humidity, and among fallen logs and boulders on the ground.

Distribution: MEXICO: Jalisco ( Fig. 90 ).

Figures

Figure 90. Known records of Ixchela azteca sp. nov., Ixchela jalisco sp. nov., Ixchela mendozai sp. nov., Ixchela purepecha sp. nov. and Ixchela tlayuda sp. nov.

Figures 45–55. Ixchela jalisco sp. nov. Male: 45, 46, Habitus, lateral and dorsal views, respectively. 47, Carapace and chelicerae, frontal view. 48, Chelicerae, frontal view. 49, 50, Left palp, retrolateral and prolateral views, respectively. 51, Chelicera, lateral view. Female: 52, Epigynum, left lateral view. 53, Epigynum, ventral view. 54, Epigynum, dorsal view. 55, Epigynum, frontal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (Figs 48, 51, 52, 54, 55), 1 mm (Figs 45–47, 49, 50, 53).