Ixchela purepecha, 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 : 41-42

Ixchela purepecha SP. NOV.

Type data: MEXICO: Michoacán: 1 ♂ holotype ( CNAN T0791 ) [28 August 2010; A. Valdez, O. Francke, C. Santibáñez] from 8.5 km W of Huiramangaro, Km 30 federal road 14 (lat. 19.5065°, −101.8334°; 2215 m), Municipio Santiago Tingambato. Paratypes : 1 ♀ ( CNAN T0792 ) ; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ ( CNAN T0793 ), same data as holotype .

Material examined: MEXICO: Michoacán: 1 ♀, 1 juv. ( CNAN) [24 March 2000; F. Alvarez, E. González, O. Delgado, J. Castelo, E. Lira, O. Francke, C. Duran] from Road Uruapan-Los Reyes Salgado (lat. 19.5272°, −102.1921°; 2300 m) . 6 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, 6 juv. ( CNAN), same data as holotype . 4 ♀♀ ( CNAN) [30 April 2011; A. Valdez, O. Francke, J. Cruz, R. Monjaraz, E. Miranda] from Parque Nacional Barranca de Cupatitzio (lat. 19.4280°, −102.0936°; 1760 m), Municipio Uruapan . 2 ♀♀, 1 juv. ( UMSNH) [26 June 1988; L. García ] ; 1 ♂, 1 juv. ( UMSNH) [11 December 1988; L. García ] ; 1 ♀ (with egg sac), 2 ♀♀, 4 juv. ( UMSNH) [19 August 1988; L. García ] ; 3 juv. ( UMSNH) [27 November 1988; L. García ] ; 1 ♀, 2 juv. ( UMSNH) [16 July 1988; L. García ] ; 1 ♀, 2 juv. ( UMSNH) [23 August 1988; L. García ] ; 2 ♀♀, 1 juv. ( UMSNH) [30 July 1988; L. García ] ; 1 ♀, 1 juv. ( UMSNH) [24 September 1988; L. García]; same locality . 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 juv. ( CNAN) [30 April 2011; A. Valdez, O. Francke, J. Cruz, R. Monjaraz, E. Miranda] from Angahuan Paricutín, Road to Ruínas del Viejo San Juan Parangaricutiro (lat. 19.5425°, −102.2342°; 2392 m) .

Etymology: The specific name is a noun in apposition and refers to ‘Los Purépechas’, an ethnic group that live primarily in the state of Michoacán, Mexico, where the type locality is located.

Diagnosis: Resembles I. azteca , but distinguished by the FAC wider, more rounded distally ( Figs 71, 74 ); the femur of palp almost straight ( Figs 72, 73 ), whereas in I. azteca it is ventrally curved and considerably wider distally than basally ( Figs 38, 39 ); the VAF wider basally and ending in a longer tip ( Fig. 72 ); and the epigynum longer and thinner, ending in a large median projection ( Figs 75, 78 ); in frontal view, the lateral edges on the epigynum are larger ( Fig. 78 ).

Description: Male (Holotype). Prosoma: Pale yellow, with a wide, pale brown pattern on each side ( Fig. 69 ). Ocular region brown, with inconspicuous brown lines projecting from AME and PME backwards ( Fig. 69 ). Fovea surrounded with wide brown region ( Fig. 69 ). Clypeus pale yellow, with inconspicuous grey region distally ( Fig. 70 ). Chelicerae brown, paler around the SAC and basally ( Fig. 71 ). Sternum olive. Labium and endites brown, white distally. Legs: Coxae pale yellow, pale brown distally on retrolateral and prolateral part. Trochanters brown. Femora, patellae, tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi brown. Femora with a wide, brown ring sub-distally. Tibiae with a dark ring basally and another one distally. Opisthosoma: Conical, pale blue, longer than high ( Figs 68, 69 ). Gonopore plate olive, oval. Palp: Femur pale yellow, with several long setae ventrally ( Figs 72, 73 ). VAF wide basally, ending in small tip ( Fig. 72 ). Patella and tibia orange. Procursus dark orange, paler basally, long and slightly sigmoid; distal spine thin and curved ( Fig. 72 ). VPP with 5–6 long setae ( Fig. 72 ). Embolus conical, dorsally with a small, thin spine ( Figs 72, 73 ), ventrally with apical sigmoid projection ( Figs 72, 73 ). PAB wide ( Fig. 73 ). Measurements: Total length 9.2. Carapace 3.90 long, 3.50 wide. Clypeus 1.45 long. Diameter AME 0.16, ALE 0.30, PME 0.22, PLE 0.25. Distance ALE–PME 0.19, PME–PME 0.38. Leg I: 61.71 (16.87 + 1.60 + 16.12 + 20.37 + 6.75), tibia II: 11.87, tibia III: 9.75, tibia IV: 12.31. Tibia I l/d: 25.70.

Female (Paratype). ( CNAN T 0792). Similar to the male, but with the following differences: Prosoma: Dorsal pattern on carapace darker brown than on male. Ocular region and around the fovea darker brown than on male. Clypeus with a wide, pale brown longitudinal region. Chelicerae dark brown. Sternum pale brown. Legs: Femora and patellae brown; tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi orange. Epigynum: Higher than long and wide, with a long conical protuberance distally ( Figs 75, 76, 78 ). PP wide, laterally curved ( Fig. 77 ), with small oval, sac-shaped concavities between MSE and PP, only visible in anterior–dorsal view ( Fig. 77 ). MSE with upsidedown Y-shape ( Fig. 77 ). Measurements: Total length 9.90. Carapace 3.40 long, 3.00 wide. Clypeus 1.32 long. Diameter AME 0.14, ALE 0.24, PME 0.20, PLE 0.23. Distance ALE–PME 0.18. PME–PME 0.32. Leg I: 46.72 (12.25 + 1.40 + 12.87 + 15.00 + 5.20), tibia II: 9.35, tibia III: 7.25, tibia IV: 9.45; tibia I l/d 25.50.

Variation: The specimens from 8.5 km west of Huiramangaro, Km 30 federal road 14, have pale brown, brown or dark brown coloration. This was the same pattern found in the specimens from Parque Nacional Barranca de Cupatitzio. In both localities, there were specimens notably smaller than the others, even with variation in the opisthosomal coloration: grey, pale grey, blue, or pale blue. Males: 8.5 km west of Huiramangaro, Km 30 federal road 14 (N = 6), tibia I: 11.75–14.75 (x = 14.38). Parque Nacional Barranca de Cupatitzio (N = 2), tibia I: 9.40, 9.80. Females: 8.5 km west of Huiramangaro, Km 30 federal road 14 (N = 5), tibia I: 11.00–14.12 (x = 13.39). Parque Nacional Barranca de Cupatitzio (N = 4), tibia I: 11.25–15.00 (x = 12.70). Natural history: The specimens from the type locality were collected in a pine–oak forest on their sheet webs along road-cut walls, with high humidity and covered with roots and leaf litter. Some of the paratypes were collected among fallen logs and boulders on the ground. The specimens from Parque Nacional Barranca de Cupatitzio were collected on their sheet webs on walls along road-cuts and on crevices on the karstic ground; others were collected among fallen logs and boulders on the ground. Some of these specimens were collected more easily at night using head lamps, because the spiders were easily visible on their sheet webs on walls along road-cuts, in comparison with daytime when only the apparently empty sheet webs are visible. The specimens from Angahuan Paricutín, Road to Ruínas del Viejo San Juan Parangaricutiro, were collected under fallen logs, and among dry roots of an agave plant, a microhabitat with high humidity.

Distribution: MEXICO: Michoacán ( 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 68–78. Ixchela purepecha sp. nov. Male: 68, 69, Habitus, lateral and dorsal views, respectively. 70, Carapace and chelicerae, frontal view. 71, Chelicerae, frontal view. 72, 73, Left palp, retrolateral and prolateral views, respectively. 74, Chelicera, lateral view. Female: 75, Epigynum, left lateral view. 76, Epigynum, ventral view. 77, Epigynum, anterior–dorsal view. 78, Epigynum, frontal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (Figs 71, 74, 75, 77), 1 mm (Figs 68, 69, 72, 73, 76, 78).

Figures 34–44. Ixchela azteca sp. nov. Male: 34, 35, Habitus, lateral and dorsal views, respectively. 36, Carapace and chelicerae, frontal view. 37, Chelicerae, frontal view. 38, 39, Left palp, retrolateral and prolateral views, respectively. 40, Chelicera, lateral view. Female: 41, Epigynum, left lateral view. 42, Epigynum, ventral view. 43, Epigynum, dorsal view. 44, Epigynum, frontal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (Figs 42, 43), 1 mm (Figs 34–41, 44).