Sympolymnia cutleri, Perger & Rubio, 2020

Perger, Robert & Rubio, Gonzalo D., 2020, Sympolymnia, a new genus of Neotropical ant-like spider, with description of two new species and indirect evidence for transformational mimicry (Araneae, Salticidae, Simonellini), Zoosystematics and Evolution 96 (2), pp. 781-795 : 781

Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov. Figs 5F, G , 8L , 10

Type deposit.

Holotype ♀; Bolivia: La Paz Department, Nor Yungas Province, Villa Teresa; 16.2019°S, 67.8294°W; 1340 m a.s.l.; beating tray sampling; 17 Jan 2018; R. Perger leg.; IBSI-Ara 1072. Paratypes 2 ♀; same data as for preceding; IBSI-Ara 1024 • 3 ♀, 1 juv.; same data as for preceding; CBF • 1 ♀; La Paz Department, Nor-Yungas province, Coroico; Aug 1993; Metzner leg.; SMNK: 1358.

Diagnosis.

Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov. and S. lauretta are indistinguishable in their somatic characters. Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov. can be separated from all congeners by an epigyne with small, semi-circular opening (Figs 5F, G , 10D, E ) (opening of epigyne very large and longitudinal-elliptical in S. lauretta ).

Description.

Female holotype. Total length: 4.20 mm. Carapace length: 2.10 mm; width: 0.81 mm. Integument slightly shiny, dark brown, blackish, dorsum with sparse, simple, moderately long, whitish setae, denser and longer on anterior half of cephalic area and posterior half of abdomen. Carapace slender and elongated, cephalic portion as long as wide (width: 0.81 mm), as wide as widest thoracic part, smooth, marked constriction (width 0.62 mm) between cephalic and thoracic part, two translucent areas at each side of constriction, separated by narrow dark area (imitating part of femora II), constriction followed by globular, somewhat wrinkled knob, which is terminated behind by short pedicle which is more slender than the anterior constriction, evenly tapering when seen in lateral view and concave in dorsal view. Eyes arranged in four rows, quadrangle formed by the second and fourth rows of eyes wider than long, anterior eyes large, in contact, occupying entire front of vertical inclination of face; second pair placed on back behind eyes of first pair, but a little further from each other than distance between external borders of first ones, directed sideways; posterior eyes larger, separated by same distance as those of second row, eyes of the third pair halfway between second and fourth. Chelicerae light brown, with five teeth on promargin and three on retromargin. Anterior half of sternum pale yellow and posterior part dark brown, blackish. Abdomen length: 2.00 mm; width: 1.10 mm, of same length as carapace, broader, commencing by a short pedicle that appears to constitute a prolongation of that of thoracic part, covered dorsally and completely by a scutum, without constriction, smooth. Slender and comparably long legs, in the order 4, 3, 1, 2, first pair pale (leg I with dark longitudinal bands on anterior and posterior sides), third and fourth pair stouter, dark brown. Epigyne (Fig. 5F, G ): epigynal plate forming part of the epigastric sclerite, with a small semi-circular opening, wider than long (width: ~ 0.17 mm); copulatory ducts starting in a small chamber (hard to see), forming a spiral and entering the spermathecae posteriorly; spermatheca lung-shaped; copulatory duct anterior to spermatheca, between them. Male unknown.

Variation.

One immature (shiny surface, pointed abdomen) and five female adults (matt surface, rounded abdomen) (Fig. 8L ) were collected, showing the same ontogenetic shift in integument shine and abdomen shape as observed in the other congeners.

Etymology.

The specific epithet, cutleri , is a patronym in honour of Bruce E. Cutler in recognition of his contributions to the taxonomy of Simonellini .

Geographical and ecological distribution (Fig. 7 ).

Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov. is exclusively known from the type location in Bolivian Yungas forest.

Figures

Figure 5. Genitalia and chelicerae of Sympolymnia spp.: S. shinahota sp. nov., female holotype (IBSI-Ara 0726): A. Epigyne in ventral view, cleared (blue line course of copulatory ducts); B. Spermathecae, dorsal view; C. Epigyne, ventral view; D. Chelicera in anterior view. Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov., female holotype (IBSI-Ara 1072): E. Chelicera in anterior view; F. Epigyne in ventral view, cleared (blue line course of copulatory ducts); G. Spermathecae, dorsal view.

Figure 7. Ecoregion distribution: " Sympolymnia lucasi (Taczanowski, 1871); 3 / 4 S. cutleri sp. nov.; · S. shinahota sp. nov.; l S. lauretta (Peckham & Peckham, 1892).

Figure 8. Live habitus of Sympolymnia spp. and potential ant models. Please note the ontogenetic shift of shine and abdomen shape in the spiders. Sympolymnia shinahota sp. nov.: A. Juvenile female, Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept. (please note the shiny, pointed abdomen); B, C. Adult females, same location; D. Holotype female, Buena Vista, Santa Cruz Dept.; E. Pseudomyrmex ethicus, Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept.; F. Crematogaster sp., Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept.; G. Camponotus sanctaefidei, La Guardia, Santa Cruz Dept.; H. C. latangulus, Buena Vista, Santa Cruz Dept.; Sympolymnia lauretta: I. Juvenile, Bermejo, Santa Cruz Dept. (please note the shiny and pointed abdomen); J. Sub-adult male, Santiago de Chiquitos, Santa Cruz Dept.; K. Adult female, Santa Rosa de la Mina, Santa Cruz Dept.; L. Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov.: adult female, Chairo, La Paz Dept.

Figure 10. Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov., paratype female (SMNK-ARA: 1358): A, B. Carapace; C. Abdomen lateral; D. Epigyne; E. Spermatheca and copulatory duct (photographs by Hubert Hoefer, SMNK, Germany).