Mysmenopsis otokiki, Dupérré & Tapia, 2020

Dupérré, Nadine & Tapia, Elicio, 2020, Megadiverse Ecuador: a review of Mysmenopsis (Araneae, Mysmenidae) of Ecuador, with the description of twenty-one new kleptoparasitic spider species, Zootaxa 4761 (1), pp. 1-81 : 12-15

Mysmenopsis otokiki new species

Figs 21–30 , 222, 223 , 233 map 1 (blue circle).

Material examined. Male holotype and female allotype from Ecuador, Esmeraldas Province, Alto Tambo, Reserva Otokiki (00.91271 -78.57110) 735m, 5 Oct. 2015, collected in Linothele sp. web, E.E. Tapia, I.G. Tapia ( QCAZ). Paratypes: 4♂ 7♀, same data ( QCAZ, ZMH-A 0001890).

Additional material examined. Ecuador: Cañar, Manta Real (-02.54863 -79.36391) 235m, 3♂ 6♀, 17 July 2016, in Linothele web, on ground between rocks, E.E. Tapia, N. Dupérré, A.A. Tapia ( DTC, ZMH-A0001891 ) .

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality, Reserva Otokiki of the OTONGA Foundation.

Diagnosis. Males most resemble M. viracocha and M. huascar but can be distinguished from both species by the presence of a pointed transparent embolic apophysis ( Fig. 28 ), whereas M. viracocha has a large plate-like apophysis ( Baert 1990; fig. 3) and M. huascar has no apophysis ( Baert 1990; fig. 20); from M. cube n. sp., see the diagnosis of the latter species. Females most resemble M. viracocha and M. awa n. sp. but can be distinguished by the presence of an anterior rim on the epigynum ( Fig. 29 , arrow), absent in M. awa n. sp. ( Fig. 49 ); spermathecae in M. viracocha are rounded with long anteriorly oriented copulatory ducts ( Baert 1990; fig. 4) while M. otokiki n. sp. has small oval spermathecae on a wide base with straight medially directed copulatory ducts ( Fig. 30 ).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length: 1.87; carapace length: 0.9; carapace width: 0.75; abdomen length: 0.97. Cephalothorax: carapace dark orange-brown, pear-shaped; suffused with black along pars cephalica and radiating lines ( Fig. 21 ). Sternum black; covered with long setae. Clypeus dark orange-brown; low (3x AME). Chelicerae dark orange-brown; promargin with three teeth; retromargin not observed. Eyes: eight, rounded, all approximately equal size; ocular region on protuberance; AME separated by their radius, AME-LE touching; ALE-PLE contiguous, LE-PME separated by their diameter; PME separated by their diameter. Abdomen: rounded, dark grey, with white patches in semi-circular pattern ( Figs 21, 22 ). Legs: femora dark orange-brown; femora III-IV orange-brown with darker orange brown bands basally and apically; tibiae and metatarsi I-IV orange-brown with darker orange brown bands apically, tarsi orange-brown; femur and tibia I enlarged, metatarsus I curved ( Fig. 24 ). Legs spination: patellae I-IV with one macroseta; tibia I with two prolateral clasping spurs and two macrosetae; metatarsus I curved, row of six macrosetae prolatero-ventrally and one clasping spur apically ( Fig. 24 ); tibiae I-IV with one macroseta dorso-proximally; tibia II with five macrosetae ventrally. Total length leg I: 3.49 (1.11/0.34/1.02/0.48/0.54). Genitalia: palpal tibia elongated globular; retrolateral ledge with small triangular projection without cusps; ventral projection triangular with two cusps; two retrolateral trichobothria ( Fig. 26 ). Cymbium apically pointed, paracymbium angular and deeply excavated prolatero-dorsally ( Fig. 27 ). Tegulum oval ( Fig. 26 ). Embolus short, pointed apically, with elongated transparent lamellar basal apophysis ( Figs 26, 28 ).

Female (allotype): Total length: 2.27; carapace length: 1.01; carapace width: 0.81; abdomen length: 1.26. Cephalothorax: dark brown, pear-shaped; suffused with black along pars cephalica and radiating lines ( Fig. 21 ). Clypeus dark brown; low (3x AME). Chelicerae and sternum as in male. Eyes: eight, rounded, all approximately of equal size; ocular region on lower protuberance; AME separated by their diameter, AME-LE touching; ALE-PLE contiguous, LE-PME separated by their diameter; PME separated by their diameter. Abdomen: as in male ( Figs 21, 23 ). Legs: femora I-III dark brown; femur IV dark brown with light yellow band basally; tibiae and metatarsi I-IV light brown with darker brown bands apically, tarsi orange-brown; femur I enlarged with sub-apical, pointed tubercle ( Fig. 25 ). Legs spination: patellae I-IV with one macroseta; tibiae I-IV with one macroseta dorso-proximally; tibia I with nine, tibia II with five macrosetae ventrally; metatarsus I with nine short spines ( Fig. 233 , arrow point to the first two spines). Total length leg I: 3.59 (1.12/0.35/0.9/0.7/0.52). Genitalia: epigynum anterior margin with well sclerotized rim ( Fig. 19 , arrow), posterior epigynal protruding and rounded ( Fig. 29 ). Dorsal epigynal plate short with straight anterior margin ( Fig. 30 ). Internal genitalia (paratype): spermathecae small oval on a wide base; copulatory openings situated at margin of dorsal plate ( Fig. 222 ); copulatory ducts short, positioned externally; fertilization ducts straight, well sclerotized basally, curved and semi-transparent apically ( Figs 30 , 223 ).

Distribution. Ecuador, Cañar and Esmeraldas Provinces.

Natural history. Specimens were collected in Linothele webs, the species inhabit the the Andean region of Ecuador from 235– 735m. Specimens were collected in an evergreen foothill forest on the western side of the Andes (BsPn01) ( Guevara & Morales 2013). M. otokiki is found in sympatry with M. choco n. sp. and M. awa n. sp. in Esmeraldas Province at Otokiki Reserve.

Figures

FIGURES 21–25. Mysmenopsis otokiki n. sp., 21, Male and female habitus, dorsal view. 22, Male abdomen, posterior view. 23, Female abdomen, posterior view. 24, Male leg I, dorsal view. 25, Female leg I, prolateral view. Scale bar: 21–23: 0.5mm; 24, 125: 0.1mm.

FIGURES 26–30. Mysmenopsis otokiki n. sp., 26, Male palp, retrolateral view. 27, Male palp, prolateral view. 28, Embolus and apophysis retrolateral view. 29, Epigynum, ventral view (arrow points to sclerotized ridge). 30, Internal genitalia, dorsal view (arrow points to sclerotized ridge).

FIGURES 222–229. 222, 223, Mysmenopsis otokiki n. sp., 224, 225, Mysmenopsis choco n. sp. 226, 227, Mysmenopsis pululahua n. sp. 228, 229, Mysmenopsis shushufindi n. sp. 222, 224, 226, 228, Epigynum dorsal view. 223, 225, 227, 229, Internal genitalia, posterior view.

FIGURES 230–233. 230, 231. Mysmenopsis fernandoi Dupérré & Tapia 2015, 230, Epigynum dorsal view. 231, Internal genitalia, posterior view, 232, Mysmenopsis otonga Dupérré & Tapia 2015, epigynum dorsal view. 233, Mysmenopsis otokiki n. sp. female metatarsus I, prolateral view (arrow points to short spines).

FIGURES 46–50. Mysmenopsis awa n. sp., 46, Male palp, retrolateral view. 47, Male palp, prolateral view (arrow points to cymbium excavation). 48, Embolus and apophysis retrolateral view. 49, Epigynum, ventral view. 50, Internal genitalia, dorsal view.

FIGURES 16–20. Mysmenopsis guayaca n. sp., 16, Male palp, retrolateral view. 17, Male palp, prolateral view (arrow points to excavated base of paracymbium). 18, Embolus and apophysis retrolateral view. 19, Epigynum, ventral view. 20, Internal genitalia, dorsal view.