Titiotus tahoe, Platnick & Ubick, 2008

Platnick, Norman I. & Ubick, Darrell, 2008, A Revision of the Endemic Californian Spider Genus Titiotus Simon (Araneae, Tengellidae), American Museum Novitates 3608 (1), pp. 1-36 : 17

Titiotus tahoe , new species

Figures 32–36 ; map 2

TYPE: Male holotype taken at an elevation of 6000 ft at Tahoe City, Placer Co. , California (July 10, 1952; W. Gertsch), deposited in AMNH.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

DIAGNOSIS: Males and females have not been collected together but are matched here on the basis of geography; males can easily be recognized by the tibial apophysis consisting of four prongs (fig. 34), females by the thumbshaped median lobe situated posteriorly on the epigynal septum (fig. 35).

MALE: Total length 8. Coloration as in T. californicus . Leg spination: femora: I r1-2-1; II p2-1-1, r1-1-2; III r1-2-2; IV p1-2-1; tibiae: I, II d1-0-1, v4-4-4, r1-1-0; III, IV r0-1-1; metatarsi: I p1-1-0, r0-1-0; II p1-1-0, r1-1-0; III, IV p1-2-2. Embolus expanded prolaterally just beyond base; median apophysis long, with large, subdistal projection; tibial apophysis with four prongs, only two most distal sharing common base (figs. 32–34).

FEMALE: Total length 19. Coloration as in T. californicus . Leg spination: femora: II, III r1-1-2; tibiae: I, II r1-1-0; III r0-1-1; IV p1-0-1; metatarsi: II p1-1-0, r1-1-0; III p1-2-2. Epigynal septum with thumb-shaped median lobe occupying posterior fifth of septum length; posterior ducts oblique (figs. 35, 36).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: United States: CALIFORNIA: El Dorado Co.: Placerville , Jan. 1995 ( UCR), 13; 5 mi N Pollock Pines, July 6, 1958 (W. Gertsch, V. Roth, AMNH), 13♀ ; Snowline Camp, July 15, 1948 (P. Hurd, AMNH), 13. Nevada Co.: S fork, Yuba River , 8 mi N Nevada City , Aug. 3, 1953 (W., J. Gertsch, AMNH), 5♀ . Placer Co.: Tahoe City , July 10, 1952, elev. 6000 ft (W. Gertsch, AMNH), 13. Yuba Co.: Brown’s Valley , June 28, 2004 (J. Crummett, UCR), 13 .

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from four counties in the Sierras (map 2).

Figures

Figs. 32–36. Titiotus tahoe, new species. 32. Left male palp, prolateral view. 33. Same, ventral view. 34. Same, retrolateral view. 35. Epigynum, ventral view. 36. Same, dorsal view.