Chibchea danielae Huber sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: BDC193DC-E8A2-46AF-B5D2-8728CF83EAA9

Figs 108–109, 121–126, 131–133, 1035

Diagnosis

Distinguished from similar congeners ( C. tunebo Huber, 2000; C. merida Huber, 2000; C. thunbergae Huber sp. nov.) by male chelicerae (Fig. 122; deep furrow followed distally by distinctive frontal process and field of short spines), by distal process of genital bulb (Figs 123–125; slender, with brush of hair-like structures), and by large round receptacle in internal female genitalia (Fig. 126).

Etymology

This species is named for Daniela de Jesús Salomón Machado who died at the age of 15 on July 31 st, 2017 after having been shot at a political demonstration against the acting president of Venezuela . She represents the many victims of violence, both by colectivos and protesters.

Type material

VENEZUELA – Mérida • ♂ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 21844), forest above Mesa Bolívar (8.467° N, 71.614° W), 1300 m a.s.l., 12 Feb. 2020 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M., Q. Arias C.) .

Other material examined

VENEZUELA – Mérida • 2 ♀♀, together with male holotype, same data .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 2.5, carapace width 0.95. Distance PME–PME 80 µm; diameter PME 90 µm; distance PME–ALE 80 µm; distance AME–AME 20 µm; diameter AME 20 µm. Leg 1: 22.5 (5.2 +0.4 +5.4+10.1 + 1.4), tibia 2: 3.3, tibia 3: 2.6, tibia 4: 3.6; tibia 1 L/d: 68.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace pale ochre-yellow, with wide median and lateral dark bands, clypeus with pair of dark bands, sternum dark brown; legs light brown, without dark rings; abdomen pale bluish gray, dorsally and laterally with dark bluish marks, ventrally with large light brown mark in front of gonopore and long dark blue band between gonopore and spinnerets.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 108. Ocular area moderately raised. Carapace with distinct thoracic groove. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (0.66/0.46), unmodified. Abdomen elongated, tapering towards spinnerets.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 122, pair of proximal bulges set with combs of stronger and longer hairs, pair of deep transversal furrows (arrow in Fig. 122) followed distally by distinctive frontal processes and large fields of short spines, and small sclerotized processes close to laminae; fangs unmodified.

PALPS. In general as in C. merida Huber, 2000 (cf. Huber 2000: figs 643–644); coxa with distinct retrolateral apophysis, trochanter barely modified, femur proximally with retrolateral-ventral process, distally only weakly widening; procursus very simple (Fig. 121); genital bulb (Figs 123–125) with brush of hair-like processes, slender distal apophysis.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 11%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~25 pseudosegments.

Female

In general similar to male (Fig. 109). Tibia 1 in two females: 3.2, 3.4. Epigynum (Fig. 131) light brown plate, weakly bulging; without posterior plate. Internal genitalia (Figs 126, 132–133) with large round receptacle.

Distribution

Known from type locality only, in Venezuela, Mérida (Fig. 1035).

Natural history

The spiders were collected on the ground, between and under small rocks near a small forest stream. They lived in small webs but ran rapidly over the ground when disturbed.