Agyneta chiricahua, Dupérré, Nadine, 2013

Dupérré, Nadine, 2013, Taxonomic revision of the spider genera Agyneta and Tennesseellum (Araneae, Linyphiidae) of North America north of Mexico with a study of the embolic division within Micronetinae sensu Saaristo & Tanasevitch 1996, Zootaxa 3674 (1), pp. 1-189 : 107-109

Agyneta chiricahua new species

Figs 336–345 , map 22

Type material: Male holotype from Arizona, Cochise County, Chiricahua Mountains, mouth of Price Canyon, June 19, 1966, V. Roth ( AMNH). EXAMINED.

Etymology: The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona, USA.

Diagnosis: Males and females are diagnosed by their abdominal pattern ( Figs 341, 342 ). Furthermore, males are distinguished from all species by their distinctive large, curved dorsal cymbial tubercle ( Figs 337, 338 ). Females are differentiated from all other Agyneta by their proximal part of scape expanding into a plate and bearing a W-shaped keel ( Fig. 343 arrow).

Description: Male: Total length 1.54; carapace length 0.70, width 0.53.

CEPHALOTHORAX: Carapace light yellow, shiny, finely reticulate; suffused with brown along margin and radiating lines; sometimes with trident mark. Sternum suffused lightly with brown, darker along margin, reaching between coxae four to the pedicel. Clypeus height 2. Chelicerae light yellow; not excavated; seta-tipped tubercles absent; promargin six denticles, retromargin four tiny denticles. Cheliceral stridulatory organ ~23 striae, well spaced slowing getting closer basally. ABDOMEN: Off-white with an apical and two basal dark bands, creating an hour-glass off-white spot (bands tickness variable, or absent) ( Fig. 341 ). LEGS: Light yellow; leg I total length: 2.94; leg III total length: 1.91; Tm I: 0.29, Tm IV: absent. GENITALIA: Palpal retrolateral tibial apophysis long, smooth with hook-shaped tip; dorsal tibial apophysis with pointed tip (hidden behing RTA in retrolateral view); two retrolateral trichobothria and one dorsal ( Fig. 336 ). Cymbium rounded; glabrous depression present with small knob ( Fig. 336 ); dorsal tubercle rugose, strongly recurved; ventral tubercle elongated with rounded tip; prolateral notch medium ( Figs 337, 338 ). Paracymbium apical pocket short, anterior pocket medium, posterior pocket absent ( Fig. 336 ). Embolus tip wide and pointed, with long prong; ventrally rugose; basally with one large spike; Fickert’s gland absent; ventral lamella absent; thumb reaching the embolus proper ( Fig. 339 ). Embolus proper elongated set apically on a vertical ridge, of equal part ( Fig. 339 ). Anterior terminal apophysis large with numerous, long protrusions and with extra bifid prong basally; posterior terminal apophysis elongated bearing a small spur basally; lamella characteristica elongated with one pointed and one blunt tip ( Fig. 340 ).

Female: Total length 1.86; carapace length 0.75, width 0.55.

CEPHALOTHORAX: Carapace light yellow, shiny, finely reticulate, pars cephalic and margin suffused with dark brown. Sternum suffused lightly with dark brown, darker along margin, reaching between coxae four to the pedicel. Endites blackish. Chelicerae promargin five teeth, retromargin five tiny denticles. Cheliceral stridulatory organ easily visible ~12 striae, well spaced.

ABDOMEN: Off-white with an apical, and two basal dark marks, creating a hour-glass off-white spot (bands thickness variable) ( Fig. 342 ) or with only two basal-lateral dark spots remaining. LEGS: Same as male; palp dark, palpal tarsal claw absent; leg I total length: 3.16; leg III total length: 2.07; Tm I: 0.26, Tm IV: absent. GENITALIA: Epigynum with wide proximal part of scape, enlarging into a plate and bearing a W-shaped keel; epigynal slits, oval and small; pit hook depression indistinguishable ( Fig. 343 ); lateral lobes long; stretcher very long; pit deep ( Fig. 344 ). Median part of scape long and narrow; genital pores located at base of lateral lobes ( Fig. 345 ). Internal genitalia with an oval ventral receptacula and a small, rounded dorsal one ( Figs 344, 345 ).

Other material examined: USA: Arizona: Chiricahua Mountains, mouth of Price Canyon, 19.vi.1966, 13, V. Roth ( AMNH); Chiricahua Mountains, Southwestern Research Station, 1645m, 08.xi.1995, on hillside, 1Ƥ, V. Roth ( DUC). Oklahoma: near Stillwater, vi-ix.1966, sorphum field, 431Ƥ, C. Bailey ( AMNH). Texas: 3.2 km W of Bandera at junction of highway 16/470, 16 –23.x.1983, pitfall in control pasture, 131Ƥ, W. Rogers ( AMNH); Bill Haney Pecan Orchard, FM 1476, 3.2km E US 377/67, 25.v–01.vi.2001, 33, 0 8–15. vi.2001, 23, pitfall in pecan orchard, A. Calixto ( TAMU); Edinburg, 27.xi.1935, 132Ƥ, 29.xii.1936, 2Ƥ, S. Mulaik ( AMNH); Falfirries, xii.1939, 132Ƥ, S. Mulaik ( AMNH); Mount Pleasant, vii.1981, rotten logs, 1Ƥ, J. Reddell ( TMM); Rio Grande City, 29.iv.1939, 131Ƥ, S. Mulaik ( AMNH); San Antonio, 28.xii.1935, 13, L. Davis ( AMNH); 12km NE Sinton, 20.xi.1959, 131Ƥ, 30.ix.1959, 1Ƥ, 12.v.1960, 131Ƥ, H. Laughlin ( AMNH); Winchester, 234Ƥ ( AMNH).

Distribution: Southwestern USA.

Figures

FIGURES 336 – 345. Agyneta chiricahua n. sp. 336 – 341, Male. 342 – 345, Female. 336. Palp, retrolateral view. 337. Palp, prolateral view. 338. Dorsal and ventral cymbial tubercles, dorsal view. 339. Embolus, prolateral view. 340. Radical division, retrolateral view (arrow points to bifid prong). 341. 342. Abdomen, dorsal view. 343. Epigynum, ventral view (arrow points to W-shaped keel). 344. Internal genitalia, ventral view. 345. Internal genitalia, dorsal view.