Linothele pukachumpi Dupérré & Tapia, 2015

Linothele pukachumpi Dupérré & Tapia, 2015: 356, figs 30-33.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Ecuador • ♀; Cotopaxi Province, Otonga Biological Reserve; 0°25’21.396”S, 79°30’38.519”W; 2225 m a.s.l.; 04-09.IX.2014; N. Dupérré, E. Tapia and C. Tapia leg.; QCAZ.

Paratype. Ecuador • 1 ♀; same collecting data as for holotype; 26.V.2014; A. Tapia leg.; QCAZ .

TYPE LOCALITY. — Otonga Biological Reserve, Ecuador.

DISTRIBUTION. — Only known from the type locality.

DIAGNOSIS. — “Females are diagnosed by their uniform red-brown colour […]. From L. longicauda, L. aequatorialis and L. cousini by the presence of yellowish setae on the carapace […]. Females can be further diagnosed by their elongated and apically tapering spermathecae, with a few elongated vesicles medially […].” see Dupérré & Tapia (2015: 356-357).

DESCRIPTION (FOLLOWING DUPÉRRÉ & TAPIA 2015)

Male

Unknown.

Female

CL = 11.0. CT = 10. MC = 25-30. Colouration: overall reddish brown, see Dupérré & Tapia (2015: fig. 30); maculae absent. Sternum, labium and maxillae: see Dupérré & Tapia (2015: fig. 31). Leg formula: 4123. Scopula divided. Leg tarsi pseudo-segmented. Spermathecae: “joined at base, elongated and tapering apically, with a few elongated vesicles medially, most on long stalk”, see Dupérré & Tapia (2015: figs 32, 33).

REMARKS

Dupérré & Tapia (2015) diagnosed Linothele pukachumpi as follows: “From L. longicauda, L. aequatorialis and L. cousini by the presence of yellowish setae on the carapace […]. Females can be further diagnosed by their elongated and apically tapering spermathecae, with a few elongated vesicles medially […].” Yellowish/golden setae on carapace, dorsal trochanter, or coxae are known at least from living specimens of L. curvitarsis, L. gaujoni, L. sericata, and L. spinosa sp. n. Furthermore, yellowish/golden setae can be observed in all species, except for the male of L. yanachanka, in the original descriptions by Dupérré & Tapia 2015. The golden shine visible in living specimens fades shortly after preparation in alcohol. The setae become dull and more greyish, likely due to shrinking of the cuticula; see Foelix et al. 2009. While the yellowish setae are an easy way to distinguish alive specimens of L. longicauda and L. pukachumpi, further characteristics to distinguish between preserved specimens of these species might become necessary.

NATURAL HISTORY According to Dupérré & Tapia (2015), specimens “[…] of L. pukachumpi were collected in a primary cloud forest at 2225m, they build webs of 50 × 40 cm on dirt talus along trails, the retreat is located in soil crevices.”