Rothilena cochimi, Maya-Morales, Julieta & Jiménez, María Luisa, 2013

Maya-Morales, Julieta & Jiménez, María Luisa, 2013, Rothilena (Araneae: Agelenidae), a new genus of funnel-web spiders endemic to the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico, Zootaxa 3718 (5), pp. 441-466 : 453-456

Rothilena cochimi new species

Figures 1–3 , 20, 21 , 32–41

Type. Male (Holotype): MEXICO: Baja California Sur, Municipality of Comondú, San José de Comondú, collected by pitfall trap, 26°03′34″N, 111°49′13″W, 300 m, 15.XII.2002, A. Trujano and G. Nieto (CARCIB 1906), deposited at CARCIB.

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition and refers to the extant ethnic native American group named “ Cochimí ” of the Baja California Peninsula.

Diagnosis. Males are readily diagnosable from R. griswoldi and R. pilar by having the basal part of RTA with a rounded anterior margin ( Figs. 32, 34 ). Females can be distinguished from R. pilar by the copulatory ducts with tips directed laterally ( Figs. 38, 39 ), from R. griswoldi by having the hoods covering less than half the epigynum plate length ( Figs. 36, 37 ), from R. golondrina by having the hoods with mesal margin straight ( Figs. 36, 37 ) and from R. sudcaliforniensis and R. naranjensis by having the spurs not exceeding the epigastric furrow in ventral view ( Fig. 37 ).

Description. Male (Holotype): Coloration. Prosoma with a black band around the border of thoracic region. Two longitudinal symmetric darkener bands on carapace, intensified by brown plumose hairs. Black spot in ocular region. Chelicerae dark orange with a diffuse spot, condyles dark orange covered by clypeus. Endites and labium yellowish with white tips. Sternum yellowish with a diffuse black border. Three black and diffuse rings in femur. Opisthosoma light brown with a black spot at anterior dorsum with two lateral white bands and two longitudinal black bands with three pairs of black spots in the posterior part. Basal segment of posterior lateral spinnerets with black spots. Habitus. Total length 4.76. Carapace length 2.88, width 1.75, cephalic region width 0.9, ocular region width 0.52. Eye rows strongly procurved. Eye diameter: 0.12. Distance between eyes: AME-AME 0.04, AME- ALE 0.08, AME-PME 0.12, ALE-PLE 0.04, ALE-ALE 0.25, PME-PME 0.08, PME-PLE 0.08. Clypeus height 0.13. Chelicerae: basal segment length 0.97, fang length 0.38. Labium wider than long (0.38/0.29). Endites convergent (distance at their base compared with that at their tips 0.48/0.13). Sternum longer than wide (1.3/1.18). Opisthosoma longer than wide (2.48/1.86). Anterior lateral spinnerets separated by more of their basal diameter (0.25/0.19), posterior lateral spinnerets with distal segment longer than basal segment (0.44/0.35). Legs. Relation prosoma/patella-tibia I: 2.88/3.38. Legs length: I—femur 3.33/ patella-tibia 3.38/ metatarsus 3.08/ tarsus 2.05; II— 2.76/ 3.29/ 3.05/ 1.9; III—2.9/ 3.14/ 3.33/ 1.76; IV—3.81/ 3.95/ 4.76/ 1.95. Spination. Femur dorsal I—1-1 -2-2/ II—1-2 -1-2/ III—1-2 -1-2/ IV—1-1 -1-2; patella dorsal I—1-1 -1/ II—1-2 -1/ III—1-2 -1/ IV—1-2 -1; tibia I—dorsal 1-2-1/ ventral 2-2-2/ prolateral 0-1-0/ retrolateral 0; II—2-2 -1/ 1-2-2/ 0-1-0/ 0; III—1-2 -1/ 1-2-2/ 0-1-0/ 0-1-0; IV—1-2 -1/ 1-2-2/ 0-1-0/ 0-1-0; metatarsus I—0/ 2-2-1/ 0-1-1/ 0-1-0; II—2-2 -1/ 1-2-2/ 0-1-0/ 0; III—3-1 -2/ 2-2-2/ 0-1-1/ 0-1-1; IV—3-2 -2/ 2-1-2-2/ 0/ 0-0-1. Number of trichobothria in tarsus: I—6, II—6, III—5, IV—2. Pedipalp ( Figs. 20, 21 , 32–35 ). Embolus sinuous. Conductor with distal and ectal projections rounded. Basal part of RTA with rounded anterior margin. Basal part of RTA with a sharp tip and a straight anterior margin. Number of spines: femur 2, patella 2, tibia 4. Cymbium length 0.96, width 0.58.

Female (paratype from the type locality) (CARCIB 1904): Coloration. Similar to male but darker ( Fig. 1 ). Chelicerae and labium reddish, condyles yellowish. Sternum yellowish with diffuse black spots at sides. Legs darker than in male with spots present in patella and tibia also ( Fig. 2 ). Spots in posterior lateral spinnerets extend into distal segment. Habitus. Total length 7.5. Carapace length 2.88, width 1.88, cephalic region width 0.95, ocular region width 0.57. Eye rows strongly procurved. Eye diameter: AME, PME and PLE 0.12, ALE 0.13. Distance between eyes: AME-AME 0.08, AME-ALE 0.08, AME-PME 0.12, ALE-PLE 0.06, ALE-ALE 0.29, PME-PME 0.08, PME-PLE 0.1. Clypeus height 0.15. Chelicerae: basal segment length 1.1, fang length 0.48. Labium wider than long (0.43/0.33). Endites convergent (distance at their base compared with that at their tips 0.48/0.24). Sternum longer than wide (1.43/1.19). Opisthosoma longer than wide (4/2.25). Anterior lateral spinnerets separated by slightly less their basal diameter (0.27/0.29), posterior lateral spinnerets with distal segment longer than basal segment (0.71/0.5). Legs. Relation prosoma/patella-tibia I: 2.88/3.19. Legs length: I—femur 2.67/ patella-tibia 3.19/ metatarsus 2.48/ tarsus 1.67; II—2.57/ 3.05/ 2.43/ 1.48; III—2.62/ 2.9/ 2.67/ 1.24; IV—3.14/ 4/ 3.9/ 1.43. Spination. Femur dorsal I—1-1 -1-2/ II—2-2 -2-2/ III—1-1 -2-3/ IV—1-1 -1-3; patella dorsal I—1-1 -1/ II—1-2 -1/ III—1-2 -1/ IV—1-2 -1; tibia I—dorsal 1-1-0/ ventral 1-2-2/ prolateral 1-1-0/ retrolateral 0; II—1-1 -1/ 1-2-2/ 0-1-0/ 0; III—1-2 -1/ 1-2-2/ 0-1-0/ 0; IV—1-2 -1/ 1-2-2/ 0-1-0/ 0-1-0; metatarsus I—0/ 2-2-2/ 0-1-0/ 0-1-0; II—0/ 2-2-2/ 0- 1-1/ 0-1-1; III—3-1 -0/ 2-2-2/ 0-1-1/ 0-1-1; IV—3-2 -2/ 1-2-2-2/ 0/ 0-0-1. Number of trichobothria in tarsus: I—5, II—5, III—4, IV—1. Pedipalp. Number of dorsal spines: femur 2, patella 2, tibia 5. Epigynum ( Figs. 36–41 ). Hoods cover less than half of atrium with posterior part wider than anterior, copulatory ducts separated by less their width, spermathecae separated by their width and adjacent to ventral margin in posterior view. Plate wider than long (0.85/0.56).

Variation. Total body length in males varies between 4.38 and 5.63 (n = 4) and in females between 6.38 and 8.25 (n = 3). Male prosoma length varies between 2.5 and 2.88 (n = 4) and in females between 2.88 and 4.13 (n = 3). Patella-tibia I length in males varies between 3.75 and 3.88 (n = 3) and in females between 3.19 and 4.38 (n = 3).

Additional material examined. Paratypes: MEXICO: Baja California Sur, Municipality of Comondú, same locality of holotype, 1 ♀ by hand collecting in ground, 25.XI.2002, M. Correa (CARCIB 1905); 1 ♂ by pitfall trap, 25.XI.2002, C. Palacios and M. Lobato (CARCIB 1907); 1 ♀ by night collecting in ground, 9.II.2003, G. Nieto (CARCIB 1904); 1 ♂ by night collecting in ground, 10.X.2003, I. Posada (CARCIB 1908); 1 ♂ by pitfall trap, 11.X.2003, I. Posada (CARCIB 1909); 1 ♀ by hand collecting in ground, 26°03′45″N, 111°48′18″W, 317 m, 2.XI.2012, C. Palacios, J. Maya and B. Rocha (CARCIB 3614).

Natural History. One female was captured and kept under observation at the laboratory, where it made four egg sacs over a period of 100 days; gestation time of the eggs was around 45 days. When we fed the female with prey, such as Tenebrio molitor larvae, the spider ran to it, bit it, and carried it to site near the shelter to feed on it later. In the case of smaller and faster prey, such as ants, the spider moved around it and immobilized it with silk thread before attempting to bite it. After emergence, juveniles wove a simple sheet-web, and after the second molt (30–45 days after birth), they started to weave the characteristic funnel-shape retreat. Juveniles also immobilize ants with silk thread before biting.

Habitat. The specimens were collected in an oasis dominated by Prosopis articulata (velvet mesquite, mesquite amargo), Vallesia glabra (pearlberry, otatave), Cercidium microphyllum (palo verde) and citruses (Wiggins 1980, Rebman & Roberts 2012).

Distribution. San José de Comondú, Municipality of Comondú, Baja California Sur, Mexico ( Fig. 7 ).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Known distribution of Rothilena griswoldi sp. nov., Rothilena cochimi sp. nov., Rothilena pilar sp. nov., Rothilena golondrina sp. nov., Rothilena sudcaliforniensis sp. nov. and Rothilena naranjensis sp. nov.

FIGURES 1 – 6. Rothilena spp., females in captivity. 1 – 3. Rothilena cochimi sp. nov. (from Mexico, Baja California Sur, San José de Comondú): 1. Habitus; 2. Feeding; 3. Egg sac; 4 – 6. Rothilena pilar sp. nov. (from Mexico, Baja California Sur, El Pilar): 4. Laying in shelter; 5. Habitus; 6. Egg sac.

FIGURES 16 – 21. Rothilena spp., males (SEM). 16 – 19. Rothilena griswoldi sp. nov.: 16. Expanded bulb of pedipalp, prolateral view; 17. Same, retrolateral view; 18. Conductor, ventral view; 19. Same, anterior view. 20, 21. Rothilena cochimi sp. nov.: 20. Bulb of pedipalp, prolateral view; 21. Conductor, ventral view. Abbreviations: CB, cymbium; dp, distal projection of conductor; E, embolus; ep, ectal projection of conductor; MA, median apophysis; mp, mesal projection of conductor; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; ST, subtegulum. Scale bars: 16, 20 = 60 µm; 17, 19 = 40 µm; 18, 21 = 30 µm.

FIGURES 32 – 35. Rothilena cochimi sp. nov., male pedipalp. 32, 34. Ventral view; 33, 35. Retrolateral view. Abbreviations: dp, distal projection of conductor; E, embolus; ep, ectal projection of conductor; MA, median apophysis; mp, mesal projection of conductor; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; T, tegulum. Scale bar = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 36 – 41. Rothilena cochimi sp. nov., female epigynum. 36, 37. Ventral view; 38, 39. Dorsal view; 40, 41. Posterior view. Abbreviations: A, atrium; CDa, anterior part of copulatory ducts; CDp, posterior part of copulatory ducts; FD, fertilization ducts; H, hoods; P, epigynum plate; S, spurs; SP, spermathecae. Scale bar = 0.25 mm.