Linothele yanachanka, Dupérré, Nadine & Tapia, Elicio, 2015

Dupérré, Nadine & Tapia, Elicio, 2015, Descriptions of four kleptoparasitic spiders of the genus Mysmenopsis (Araneae, Mysmenidae) and their potential host spider species in the genus Linothele (Araneae, Dipluridae) from Ecuador, Zootaxa 3972 (3), pp. 343-368 : 353-356

Linothele yanachanka new species

Figs. 23 –29, 49

Material examined. Female holotype from Ecuador, Cotopaxi Province, Parroquia San Francisco de Las Pampas, Casa César Tapia (00.42415°S 78.95719 °W), 1426m, 08.xii. 2014, hand collected from web with 1 ♂ 1 ♀ Mysmenopsis onorei symbionts, E. Tapia and C. Tapia ( QCAZ). Male and female paratypes: Cotopaxi Province, San Francisco de Las Pampas, Casa César Tapia (00.42415°S 78.95719 °W), 1426m, 25.xii. 2014, hand collected from web with 1 ♀ 3 juveniles Mysmenopsis onorei , symbionts, E.Tapia, I. Tapia and C. Tapia ( QCAZ).

Additional material examined. Cotopaxi: Parroquia San Francisco de Las Pampas, Casa César Tapia (00.42415°S 78.95719 °W), 1426m, 25.xii.2014, 1♀, hand collected from web with 8 ♀ Mysmenopsis fernandoi, E.Tapia, I. Tapia and C. Tapia (DTC); 1 ♀hand collected from web at 6m in palm tree, E.Tapia, I. Tapia ( MECN); 1 ♀, hand collected in web in palm tree with 1 ♂ 1 ♀ Mysmenopsis onorei, E.Tapia, I. Tapia ( AMNH); 1 ♀, hand collected in web in palm tree with 1 ♂ 5 ♀ Mysmenopsis onorei, E. Tapia, A. Tapia and C. Tapia ( MECN); 1 ♀, hand collected from web with 1 ♂ Mysmenopsis onorei, E. Tapia, A. Tapia and C. Tapia (DTC); 1 ♀molt, hand collected from web with 1 ♂ 1 ♀ Mysmenopsis onorei, E. Tapia, A. Tapia and C. Tapia ( AMNH).

Etymology. The specific epithet is taken from the Kichwa language and represents the combination of the two words, “yana” (black) and “chanka” (legs).

Diagnosis. Females are diagnosed by their colour pattern ( Fig. 23); from L. gaujoni by their golden brown abdomen, black in the latter, and from L. quori by their black legs with brown tarsi ( Fig. 23), light brown with dark bands in the latter ( Fig. 41). Furthermore females are distinguished by their internal genitalia with numerous vesicles medially on short to elongated stalks ( Figs. 26, 27). Males are distinguished by their overall black coloration, from L. gaujoni by their black carapace without yellow setae ( Fig. 24); from L. quori by their black and curved embolus ( Fig. 28), straight and light brown in the latter species ( Fig. 44).

Description. Female: Total length: 25; carapace length: 10.0; carapace width: 8.0; abdomen length: 15.0; abdomen width: 9.0. Cephalothorax: Carapace slightly longer than wide, black, abundantly covered with golden setae with long black setae at margin and scattered over the carapace; cephalic region elevated, delimited by deep furrow; fovea recurved and deep ( Fig. 23). Chelicerae black with a few golden setae and long black setae ( Fig. 23); promargin with 10 teeth, fang furrow without denticles, retromargin without teeth. Labium with four cuspules, base dark brown, apex orange-brown. Maxillae brown with 35–40 cuspules, maxillary lyra absent. Sternum uniformly dark brown, covered with long, erect black setae, flat, as long as wide, with three oval to rounded sigilla, rebordered, border light yellow ( Fig. 25). Eyes: eight on a tubercle ( Fig. 23); AME rounded, separated by half their width; LE and PME oval, LE touching, ALE the largest; PME the smallest, separated by three time their diameter; anterior row straight, posterior row recurved ( Fig. 23). Abdomen: Oval, dorsally orange-brown with black-purplish median band and zigzag pattern laterally, covered with short golden setae, short black setae and long, black, erect setae ( Fig. 23); ventrally uniformly orange-brown, covered with black setae. Spinnerets: PLS black, except last segment brown, total length: 12.6, basal median apical: 3.5 /4.0/ 5.1 respectively; PMS brown, total length: 5.0. Legs: Overall black, except tarsi brown, covered with black setae, except coxae and trochanters covered with golden setae ( Fig. 23); tarsi I–IV flexible and pseudosegmented, with weak scopulae; leg formula 4123; total length: I 34.5 II 32.2 III 26.7 IV 36; leg articles length (femur/patella/tibia/metatarsus/tarsus): leg I 9.5 / 4.5 / 7 / 8.5 / 5; leg II 8.5 / 4.2 / 6.5 / 8 / 5; leg III 7 / 4 / 5.2 / 6.3 / 4.2; leg IV 9.8 / 4 / 7 / 10 / 5.2. Paired tarsal claws bipectinate, claws I–II with rows of 9 teeth, claws III–IV with rows of 7 teeth; third claw bare. Palpal claw unipectinate with row of 6 teeth. Legs spination: leg I: femur d 1 - 1 - 1 - 1, p0- 0-1, r0- 0-1; tibia v 1 - 1 -0; metatarsus v 2 - 2 - 2. Leg II: femur d 1 - 1 - 1 - 1, r0- 0- 1; tibia r 0-1 -0, v 1 - 1 - 1; metatarsus v 2 - 2 - 2. Leg III: femur d 1 -0-0, p 1 - 1 - 1 - 1, r 0-1 - 1; tibia p 1 - 1 -0, r 1 - 1 -0, d 1 -0-0, v 1 - 1 -2; metatarsus p 1 - 1 - 1, r 1 - 1 - 1, d 1 -0-0, v 2 - 2 -3. Leg IV: femur d 1 - 1 -0, p 0-1 - 1, r0- 0-1; tibia p 1 - 1 -0, d 1 -0-0, v 2 - 2 - 2; metatarsus p 1 - 1 - 1, r 1 - 1 - 1, d 1 - 1-2, v 2 - 2 -3. Genitalia: Spermathecae joined at base, elongated and tapering apically, with numerous vesicles medially on short to elongated stalks ( Figs. 26, 27).

Male: Total length: 19.5; carapace length: 11.0; carapace width: 8.0; abdomen length: 8.5; abdomen width: 5.5. Cephalothorax: Carapace slightly longer than wide, black with blue reflection abundantly covered by black setae, long black setae at margin; cephalic region elevated, delimited by deep furrow; fovea recurved and deep ( Fig. 24). Chelicerae black covered with black setae ( Fig. 24); promargin with 13 teeth, fang furrow without denticles, retromargin without teeth. Labium with one cuspules, base dark brown, apex orange-brown. Maxillae light brown with 35–40 cuspules, maxillary lyra absent. Sternum uniformely dark brown covered by long erected black setae, flat, as long as wide, with three oval to rounded sigilla, rebordered, border light yellow. Eyes: eight on a tubercle; AME rounded, separated by half their width; LE and PME oval, LE touching, ALE the largest; PME the smallest, separated by three time their diameter; anterior row straight, posterior row recurved ( Fig. 24). Abdomen: Elongated, dorsally dark brown with black median band (not visible in photo) covered by short black setae and long black erected setae ( Fig. 24); laterally and ventrally uniformely black covered by black setae. Spinnerets: PLS black except last segment brown, total length: 10.5, basal median apical: 3.5 /3.0/4.0 respectively; PMS beige with balck mark, total length: 2.0. Legs: Overall black except tarsi brown, covered by black setae ( Fig. 24); leg I with tibial retrolateral megaspine apically ( Fig. 29); metatarsus I with small, basal tubercle ( Fig. 29); metatarsal preening combs absent; tarsi I–IV with scopulae, flexible and pseudosegmented; leg formula 4123; total length: I 41.2 II 38.5 III 36 IV 43.5; leg articles length (femur/patella/tibia/metatarsus/tarsus): leg I 10 / 5 / 8.5 / 9.2 / 8.5; leg II 10 / 5 / 7 / 9 / 7.5; leg III 9 / 5 / 6 / 9 / 7; leg IV 11.3 / 5 / 7.5 / 11.7 / 8. Paired tarsal claws bipectinate, claws I–IV with rows of 7 teeth; third claw bare. Legs spination: leg I: femur d 1 - 1 - 1, p0- 0-1, r0- 0-1; tibia p 1 -0-0, r 1 -0-0, v 2 - 2. Leg II: femur d 1 - 1 - 1 - 1, r0- 0-1; tibia r 1 - 1 -0, v 2 - 2 - 2; metatarsus r 0-1 -0, v0- 0-2. Leg III: femur d 1 - 1 - 1, p 1 - 1 - 1 - 1, r 1 - 1 - 1 - 1; tibia p 0-1 - 1, r 1 - 1 - 1, d 1 -0-0, v 2 - 2 - 2; metatarsus p 1 - 1 - 1, r 1 - 1 - 1 - 1, d0- 0-1, v 1 - 1 -3. Leg IV: femur d 1 - 1 - 1, p 1 - 1 - 1 - 1, r 1 - 1 - 1; tibia p 0-1 - 1, r 1 - 1 - 1, d 1 -0-0, v 2 - 2 - 2; metatarsus p 1 - 1 - 1, r 1 - 1 - 1 - 1, d 1 - 0-1, v 1 - 1 -3. Genitalia: Palpal tibia long and slender; palpal cymbium pointed; bulb pyriform; embolus black, curved ( Fig. 28).

Distribution. Ecuador, Cotopaxi Province.

Natural history. The holotype female was collected in a 40 x 30 cm web approximately 1.5m from the ground in a secondary subtropical forest. The web was attached to a palm tree ( Phytelephas macrocarpa ), the base was made of dead palm tree leaves. Other specimens where collected in palm tree from 1m up to 6m high ( Fig. 49), and one was collected at ground level.