Loxosceles binfordae Duperre & Tapia sp. nov.

Figs 4, 5, 6, 9C, D, H, Map 1

Type material.

Male holotype from Loja Province, Oña (-03.47523, -79.160351) 2242 m, 5.III.2020, hand collected under rocks and logs in dry area, N. Dupérré, E. Tapia, A. Tapia, ECFN 4457 (QCAZ). Paratypes: same data as holotype, 1♂5♀, ECFN 7662 7665-7667 7674 (QCAZ); Oña (-03.472523, -79.160351) 2242 m, 5.III.2020, hand collected under rocks and logs, N. Dupérré, E. Tapia, A. Tapia, 2♀ (ZMH-A0014264, 14625), 1♀ (ZMH-A0015437), 2♀ (ZMH-A0015488, 15489), 1♂, (ZMH-A0015490), 1♀ (ZMH-A0015614), 2♂3♀2juv. (ZMH-A0014266); 1♂2♀ (USNM), 1♂2♀ (AMNH), 2♂2♀ (QCAZ), 1♂2♀ (MCZ); (-03.471850, -79.168543) 2252 m, 16.XI.2021, hand collected under rocks in dry area, I. Tapia, ECFN 7657 (QCAZ).

Other material examined.

Ecuador: Loja Province: Oña (-03.472523, -79.160351) 2242 m, 5.III.2020, 1♂, 1juv., hand collected under rocks and logs, N. Dupérré, E. Tapia, A. Tapia ECFN 4520 (DTC); Oña (-03.471850, -79.168543) 2252 m, 16.XI.2021, 2♂ 7♀ 10juv., hand collected under rocks in dry area, I. Tapia ECFN 4515 7625 7630 7671 7654 7862 (DTC) .

Diagnosis.

Males most resemble L. taeniopalpis Simon, 1907 and L. inca Gertsch, 1967 but are distinguished by their shorter palpal femur and tibia, femur 7 × as long as wide, tibia 2.8 × long as wide (Fig. 5A, B), while in L. taeniopalpis the palpal femur is 8 × as long as wide and the tibia 3.5 × as long as wide (see Gertsch 1967:165, plate 11, fig. 4); and from L. inca by its leg formula 2413, while 2143 in L. inca (see Gertsch 1967: 163). Females most resemble L. taeniopalpis, L. inca and, L. guayllabamba sp. nov. but are distinguished by their spermathecae rounded, short (0.6 ×); with low, wide outer lobes (Fig. 6A-D, G, H) while in L. taeniopalpis the spermathecae are shorter than wide (0.3 ×) and with two outer lobes (Fig. 7C, D, arrows); from L. inca by their spermathecae with outer lobes (Fig. 6A-D, G, H) absent in the latter (see Gertsch 1967: pl.10 fig. 4) and from L. guayllabamba sp. nov., by their spermathecae shorter than wide (0.6 ×), while in the latter the spermathecae are as long as wide (1 ×) (Fig. 3A, C).

Description.

Male (holotype): Total length: 7.78; carapace length: 3.29; carapace width: 2.6; abdomen length: 4.49.

Cephalothorax. Carapace orange-brown, piriform, pars cephalica darker; darker brown along radiation lines (Fig. 4A); clypeus 0.19, dark orange-brown.

Chelicerae. Dark orange-brown; fused basally, with chelated chelicerae laminae; stridulatory organ well developed with ~32 files; fangs reddish-brown, paler distally; sternum light yellow, longer than wide; labium light orange, trapezoidal, fused to sternum; endites orange, white apically; longer than wide (Fig. 4B).

Eyes. Six eyes in three diads; PME: 0.14, ALE: 0.21, PLE: 0.18, PLE-PLE: 0.82 (Fig. 6A).

Abdomen. Dorsally and ventrally light grayish, elongated oval (Fig. 4A, B); colulus triangular.

Legs. Light orange-brown, femur slightly darker (Fig. 4A, B). Legs measurements: I 17.77 (4.82/1.09/5.03/5.36/1.47); II 19.2 (5.14/0.88/5.74/5.81/-1.63); III 15.57 (4.37/0.86/4.12/5.25/0.97); IV 17.93 (4.92/1.02/4.93/5.66/1.4). Leg formula: 2413.

Palp. Femora light yellow-orange, long and thin (2.25 length /0.32 width = 7.0 ×) with stridulatory pick basally (Fig. 5A); patellae light yellow-orange; tibiae orange, long (1.27 length /0.45 width = 2.8 ×) and thin (Fig. 5C); straight dorsally, slightly bulging than ventrally; tarsus reddish-orange (Fig. 5A, B). Palp bulb rounded, with an evenly, widely curved embolus; tip twisted at (1/3) of embolus tip (Fig. 9C, D arrow).

Female (paratype): Total length: 10.5; carapace length: 4.4; carapace width: 3.56; abdomen length: 6.1.

Cephalothorax. Carapace brown, piriform, without violin-shaped pattern dorsally; darker brown along radiation lines and fovea (Fig. 4C); clypeus 0.41, dark brown.

Chelicerae. Dark reddish-brown; fused basally, with chelated chelicerae laminae; stridulatory organ well developed with ~22 files; fangs reddish-brown, paler distally. Sternum orange, longer than wide; labium reddish-brown, trapezoidal, fused to sternum; endites reddish-brown, white apically; longer than wide (Fig. 4D).

Eyes. Six eyes in three diads; PME: 0.14, ALE: 0.18, PLE: 021, PLE-PLE: 1.22 (Fig. 4C).

Abdomen. Dorsally dark grayish, elongated oval (Fig. 4C); ventrally light gray (Fig. 4D); colulus triangular.

Legs. Light orange-brown, femur slightly darker (Fig. 4C, D). Legs measurements: I 20.4 (5.53/1.3/6.58/5.52/1.47); II 22.14 (6.04/1.46/6.76/6.34/-1.54); III 18.62 (5.43/1.39/4.88/5.57/1.35); IV 21.93 (6.05/1.54/6.13/6.48/1.73). Leg formula: 2413.

Palp. Femur light orange with basal stridulatory pick; patellae light orange; tibia and tarsus dark reddish brown.

Genitalia. Spermathecae bean-shaped, rounded apically, with wide outer lobes (Fig. 6A, arrow); short, wider than long (0.6 ×); bases of spermathecae wide (Fig. 6A-D, G, H).

Etymology.

The specific name is in honor of Greta Binford, arachnologist and evolutionary biologist, in recognition of her research on Loxosceles venom and systematics.

Distribution.

Only known from the type locality.

Natural history.

Females and males were collected under rocks in a semi-deciduous shrubland of the southern Andean valleys (Fig. 11A).