Neischnocolus mecana sp. nov.

Figs 23, 24, 25, 26

Type material.

Holotype ♂: Colombia, Chocó, Bahía Solano, Jardín Botánico del Pacífico, 6.38, -77.40, elevation, 28 m a.s.l., 10-25 February 2022, M. Echeverri, S. Gómez Torres and C. Perafán leg. (ICN 12365). Paratype ♀: same data as holotype (ICN 12366).

Etymology.

The specific epithet Neischnocolus mecana is a noun in apposition related to one of the townships of the municipality of Bahía Solano, where the JBP is located. The name of this small town is due to the fact that it is located on the Mecana riverside, with crystalline waters and abundant biodiversity. The JBP promotes the conservation, research, and recovery of the native biodiversity of this region. We would like to pay tribute to its community and the JBP with this recognition.

Diagnosis.

Male of Neischnocolus mecana sp. nov. can be distinguished from the other Neischnocolus species by the following combination of morphological characters: shape of the palpal bulb piriform, with the tip of the embolus continuing the palpal organ axis (not perpendicular), well-developed prolateral (PS and PI) and apical (A) keels with non-serrated edge, PI discontinuous, absence of retrolateral keel (R), and without granulation or microspikes on embolus or tegulum (Fig. 25A-D); palpal tibia with two distal retrolateral processes (Fig. 25F). Female of Neischnocolus mecana sp. nov. differs from other Neischnocolus species in the spermatheca morphology consisting of a glandular and slightly sclerotized trapezoidal back-plate with small transverse keels, with two small asymmetrical tubiform seminal receptacles located on a small projected central portion of the atrium (Fig. 26F). Additionally, male and female have ventral coloration pattern (Figs 24B, E, 26B, E), and female has all body black color (Fig. 23B) (brown or reddish brown in the other species).

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Figs 1, 2).

Description.

Male holotype (Figs 23A, 24, 25). Total length 30.5. Carapace: length 14.7, width 14.2; cephalic area slightly raised. Abdomen: length 14.7, width 10.0. Spinnerets: PLS with three segments: total length 5.88 (basal 1.78, middle 1.70, apical digitiform 2.40); PMS with one segment, length 1.14. (Fig. 24).

Clypeus: absent. Ocular tubercle: ovoid, length 1.14, width 2.34; elevated, forwardly directed. Anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior eye row slightly recurved. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.54 (circular), ALE 0.68 (oval), PME 0.40 (oval), PLE 0.55 (oval), AME-AME 0.30, AME-ALE 0.18, PME-PME 1.11, PME-PLE 0.19, PLE-PLE 1.80, ALE-PLE 0.24, AME-PME 0.16. Thoracic fovea: transverse, width 3.25; slightly procurved, deep, 8.75 from the anterior edge of carapace. Chelicerae basal segment: length 4.2, width 3.1; with 11 well-developed teeth on each furrow promargin, and a group of ca. 15 small teeth near last three basal promargin teeth. Maxillae (Fig. 24D): longer than wide, with the anterior prolateral lobe conical; with ca. 45 left / 34 right cuspules covering ca. 75% of the proximal edge. Labium (Fig. 24D): sub-rectangular, length 1.43, width 2.64, with ten cuspules on anterior edge. Labio-sternal junction: broad in the midline with two sigillae joined. Sternum (Fig. 24E): oval with raised posterior angle, length 6.19, width 5.15, with three pairs of sigillae heavily sclerotized. Sigillae: proximal pair circular, distal pairs oval; proximal pair separated by more than its diameter from the edge, middle pair separated by less than its diameter, and posterior pair separated by its diameter.

Legs pattern: IV>I>II>III. Lengths of legs and palpal segments on Table 6. Trichobothria: filiform and clavate; all tarsi with two irregular longitudinal rows of short claviform trichobothria. Tarsal claws: STC with a row of six or seven small teeth, ITC absent. Scopulae: All tarsi 100% scopulate. Tarsal scopulae: tarsi I-III with scopula entire, tarsus IV divided by a wide band of longer conical setae; all tarsal scopulae with distal rhomboidal group of longer conical setae. Metatarsal scopulae extent: metatarsus I 60%, II 50%, III 15%, IV ascopulate. Plumose setae on retrolateral face of femur IV absent. Stridulatory bristles absent.

Urticating setae: types I urticating setae present, subtype Ic (Kaderka et al. 2019) and I modified ( Pérez-Miles et al. 2008) / subtype Id (Kaderka et al. 2019), located in a dorsoposterior abdominal patch.

Spination: All femora, patellae, and tarsi 0. Legs I-II and palp 0. Tibiae: I-II 0; III d 0-0-1, v 0-1-2 ap, p 1-1-0, r 0-1-0; IV d 0-1-0, v 0-1-2 ap, p 0-1-1, r 0-0-1. Metatarsi: I-II 0; III d 0, v 0-2-4 (3 ap), p 1-1-1, r 0-1-1; IV d 0-0-1, v 2-3-4 (3 ap), p 1-1-1, r 0-1-1.

Palp (Fig. 25A-E): palpal bulb pyriform shape (Fig. 25A-D), embolus stout with the tip continuing the palpal organ axis, with two well-developed prolateral keels (PS and PI) and apical keel (A) present, PS discontinuous; without granulation on embolus or tegulum; tegular apophysis developed. Palpal tibia with two distinct subconical distal processes on retrolateral surface (Fig. 25E). Cymbium with two unequal lobes. Tibial apophysis (Fig. 25F): composed of two similar proventral branches, convergent, fused in their base. Flexion of metatarsus I retrolateral with respect to tibial apophysis.

Coloration. Living spiders: body color brown, carapace and femora dark brown, legs brown, and abdomen reddish brown. Ventral abdomen with patterns of dark spots (Fig. 24B) and coxae with anterior-proximal white spots (Fig. 24E). In alcohol: reddish brown.

Female paratype (Figs 22B, 25). Total length 33.4. Carapace: length 15.0, width 14.5; cephalic area raised. Abdomen: length 17.6, width 14.0. Spinnerets: PLS with three segments, total length 9.21 (basal 3.14, middle 2.58, apical digitiform 3.49); PMS with one segment, length 2.05. (Fig. 26).

Clypeus: absent. Ocular tubercle: ovoid, length 1.34, width 2.62; elevated, forwardly directed. Anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior eye row slightly recurved. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.53 (circular), ALE 0.70 (oval), PME 0.41 (oval), PLE 0.50 (oval), AME-AME 0.34, AME-ALE 0.30, PME-PME 1.27, PME-PLE 0.26, PLE-PLE 2.00, ALE-PLE 0.36, AME-PME 0.21. Thoracic fovea: transverse, width 3.50; slightly procurved, deep, 9.11 from the anterior edge of carapace. Chelicerae basal segment: length 5.1, width 3.6; with 11 well-developed teeth on each furrow promargin, and a group of ca. 12 small teeth near last three basal promargin teeth. Maxillae (Fig. 26D): longer than wide, with the anterior prolateral lobe conical; with ca. 50 cuspules covering ca. 70% of the proximal edge. Labium (Fig. 26D): sub-quadrate, length 1.17, width 2.14, with 22 cuspules on anterior edge. Labio-sternal junction: broad in the midline with two sigillae joined. Sternum (Fig. 26E): rounded with raised posterior angle, length 6.19, width 6.18, with three pairs of sigillae heavily sclerotized. Sigillae: oval, proximal pair separated by more than its diameter from the edge, posterior pairs separated by its diameter.

Legs pattern: IV>I>II>III. Lengths of legs and palpal segments on Table 7. Trichobothria: filiform and clavate; all tarsi with two irregular longitudinal rows of short claviform trichobothria. Tarsal claws: STC with a row of five or six small teeth, ITC absent. Scopulae: All tarsi 100% scopulate. Tarsal scopulae: tarsi I-III scopula entire, tarsus IV divided by a wide band of longer conical setae; all tarsal scopula with distal rhomboidal group of longer conical setae. Metatarsal scopulae extent: metatarsus I 90%, II 50%, III 30%, IV ascopulate. Plumose setae on retrolateral face of femur IV absent. Stridulatory bristles absent.

Spination: All femora, patellae, and tarsi 0. Tibiae: palp 0-0-2 ap; I d 0, v 0-0-2 ap, p 0, r 0; II d 0, v 0-0-3 ap, p 0-1-0, r 0; III d 1-0-0, v 0-1-3 ap, p 1-1-0, r 0-1-1; IV d 0, v 0-1-3 ap, p 1-1-0, r 1-1-1. Metatarsi: I 0; II d 0, v 0-1-2 ap, p 0-1-0, r 0; III d 0-1-1, v 0-3-2 ap, p 0-0-1 ap, r 0-0-1 ap; IV d 0-0-1, v 3-4-5 (3 ap), p 1-2-0, r 0-1-1.

Spermathecae (Fig. 26F): consisting of a glandular and slightly sclerotized trapezoidal back-plate with small transverse keels, with two small asymmetrical tubiform seminal receptacles located on a short projected central portion of the atrium.

Coloration. Living spiders: carapace, abdomen, and legs black, legs with light-colored stripes at the joints. Ventral abdomen with patterns of dark spots (Fig. 26B) and coxae with anterior-proximal white spots (Fig. 26E). In alcohol: reddish brown, darker than male.

Remarks.

Neischnocolus mecana sp. nov. it is the fourth species of the genus described for Colombia and it is the first record of Neischnocolus for the Chocó biogeographic region, as well as the first record for the Colombian Pacific. With this description, the known geographic range of the genus is extended. Currently, Neischnocolus is distributed in Colombia in the Andean, Amazonian, and Pacific regions. It is known that Neischnocolus is widely distributed in the Colombian territory, with a very extensive geographical and altitudinal range, and that most of its diversity has not yet been described ( Perafán 2017).