Loxosceles pallalla sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:97475BEE-48BC-4AAB-A32C-A4E165B26973

Figs 7, 8C, 10

Diagnosis

Loxosceles pallalla sp. nov. can be distinguished from all Loxosceles species by the small tegular base and extremely long embolus with a flattened keel in the male palp (Fig. 7). Females can be recognised by the spermathecae with two receptacles originating from the same short and curved stalk, and the inner spermathecae larger than the outer one (Fig. 8C).

Etymology

The specific epithet means “flat” in the Aymara language, and refers to the flattened embolus of this species.

Type material

Holotype

CHILE: ♂, IV Región de Coquimbo: Elqui, La Herradura, 30.48333 S, 71.6 W, 80 m a.s.l., 3 Oct. 1992, N. Platnick, P. Goloboff and K. Catley leg. (AMNH).

Paratype

CHILE: ♀, Elqui, 6 km S of Cruz Grande, 29.31667 S, 71.31667 W, 5 m a.s.l., in the sand by the beach, 11 Nov. 1993, N.I. Platnick, K. Catley, M. Ramírez and R.T. Allen leg. (AMNH).

Note

Males and females were matched because they have the same coloration and have leg formula 2413. Also, both males and females have a deviant genital morphology, not fitting in any of Gertch’s speciesgroups.Although this species may be sympatric with Loxosceles coquimbo, the latter are easily separated by the leg formula 4213.

Description

Male (holotype, AMNH)

Carapace orange with cephalic area red brown, lacking the dark-coloured, violin-shaped median band. Chelicerae red brown. Labium, endites and legs orange. Sternum yellow. Palpus red brown. Opisthosoma uniformly grey, with spinnerets orange. Total length 7.2. Caparace 3.4 long, 2.8 wide. Clypeus 0.4 high, with long setae in the border. Eye diameters: ALE 0.16, PME 0.16, PLE 0.18. Sternum 1.7 long, 1.4 wide. Leg I: femur 5.9, patella 1.1, tibia 6.2, metatarsus 6.3, tarsus 1.6, total 21.1. II: 7.1, 1.1, 8.2, 8.3, 1.6, 26.3. III: 5.3, 1.0, 5.0, 5.7, 1.1, 18.1. IV: 6.6, 1.1, 6.2, 7.5, 1.5, 22.9. Leg formula 2431. Palpal femur 2.2 long, 0.4 wide. Palpal tibia 1.1 long, 0.8 wide. Palp with short cymbium, half the length of tibia, tibia short, enlarged (Fig. 7A–B); tegular base as large as the cymbium, embolus extremely long, coiled near base and flattened in all extension, except the slender tip (Fig. 7C–D).

Female (paratype, AMNH)

Colour as in male. Total length 8.6. Caparace 3.3 long, 3.0 wide. Clypeus 0.4 high, as in male. Eye diameters: ALE 0.16, PME 0.16, PLE 0.16. Sternum 1.8 long, 1.5 wide. Leg I: femur 5.4, patella 1.2, tibia 5.7, metatarsus 5.3, tarsus 1.3, total 18.9. II: 6.0, 1.2, 6.2, 6.1, 1.4, 20.9. III: 5.2, 1.1, 4.6, 4.9, 1.2, 17.0. IV: 5.9, 1.2, 5.6, 6.3, 1.4, 20.4. Leg formula 2413. Palp tarsus 1.3 long, narrow. Spermathecae small, positioned farther apart, without a single sclerotised base (Fig. 8C).

Distribution

Known only from the Coquimbo Region, Chile (Fig. 10).