Loxosceles bentejui, Planas & Ribera, 2015

Planas, Enric & Ribera, Carles, 2015, Description of six new species of Loxosceles (Araneae: Sicariidae) endemic to the Canary Islands and the utility of DNA barcoding for their fast and accurate identification, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 174 (1), pp. 47-73 : 56-59

LOXOSCELES BENTEJUI SP. NOV. ( FIGS 6 , 7 )

Loxosceles sp. GC-2 ( Planas & Ribera, 2014)

Holotype

1♂, CRBA-LX1711 (MorphoBank: M326622−M326627), El Risco, Gran Canaria, 28.0601 N, 15.7296 W, 190 m a.s.l., 24.xii.2010, Araya, M. & Planas, E. leg.

Paratypes

2♀, CRBA-LX1708 (MorphoBank: M326628−M326634), -LX1709, same locality and date as holotype ; 1♀ SMF ( LX1126 ), Barranco de Guayedra , S Agaete, Gran Canaria, 28.08075 N, 15.70475 W, 103 m a.s.l., 1.xii.2003, Jäger, P. leg.

Etymology

The species epithet is a noun in apposition in honour of Bentejui, an aboriginal warrior who actively participated in the resistance against the Castilian conquest of Gran Canaria, and who died jumping from a cliff before surrendering.

Diagnosis

Differs from L. rufescens and L. mrazig by the same morphological combination as L. mahan sp. nov. (see above) and from the Canary Island endemic species by the same morphological combination as L. tazarte sp. nov. (see above). Males can be distinguished from its sister species L. tazarte sp. nov. by the shape of the tibia palp ( Fig. 6A, B, E ) and females by the L-shaped inner lobe of the apical part of seminal receptacles ( Fig. 7 ), although some variation exists regarding these characters. Loxosceles bentejui sp. nov. also can be distinguished from the remaining Canary Island endemic species and from L. rufescens by three [387 ( T); 875 (C); 879 (C)] COI diagnostic nucleotide changes based on the alignment deposited in TreeBASE (accession number 15746; Fig. S1 ).

Description

Male (holotype)

Specimen preparation and condition: specimen collect- ed alive and preserved in 96% ethanol. Left pedipalp and right Leg 1 removed and conserved in a vial with specimen. Coloration: carapace pale yellowish, clypeus slightly darkened. Conspicuous dark V-mark posteriorly on pars cephalica ( Fig. 6D ). Median groove slightly darkened. Carapace with dispersed short black setae. Eye tubercles black. Chelicerae reddish brown, darkened in its distal part. Sternum bright yellowish, paler than carapace. Labium and gnathocoxae pale reddish brown. Legs pale yellowish with the apical segments slightly darkened. Abdomen pale yellowish to greyish, coated by short black setae. Cephalothorax: carapace slightly longer (2.91) than wide (2.6), truncated behind, widely rounded on sides, narrowed in front. Carapace evenly convex, with median groove moderately deep, elongated, occupying roughly the posterior third. Pars cephalica elongated (1.75 long, 0.84 wide). Long setae forming seven parallel rows in the pars cephalica, and six radial rows beginning from its posterior part. Clypeus height 0.275. Eye sizes: ALE 0.17, ME 0.13, PLE 0.19. LE separated from ME by 0.1. Sternum longer (1.53) than wide (1.38). Abdomen: elongate oval (3.63 long, 2.5 wide) in dorsal view. Legs: leg formula 2 1 4 3; Leg 1 (20.63): femur 5.66/patella 0.96/tibia 6.23/ metatarsus 6.4/tarsus 1.38; Leg 2 (23.45): 6.22/0.99/ 7.08/7.71/1.45; Leg 3 (17.47): 4.91/0.99/4.67/5.73/1.17; Leg 4 (18.97): 5.09/0.97/5.16/6.28/1.47. Male palp ( Fig. 6A–C, E ): femur cylindrical (1.3 long, 0.32 wide). Patella subglobular, roughly as long as wide (0.42). Tibia oval (0.84 long, 0.52 wide, lateral and dorsal). Tarsus short, as large as bulb (0.44). Long curved setae facing apically, situated sparsely in femur, tibia, and tarsus, especially in retrolateral position. Bulb similar to Loxosceles tazarte sp. nov., at least as large as the tarsus. Maximum bulb width 4.7 times wider than embolus base. Embolus long, approximately 1.6 times longer than bulb width and slightly curved in its medial part. Distal part rather more curved than the medial and slightly sinuous. Variation (Table 1): Males known only from the type specimen.

Female (paratype, CRBA-LX1708 )

Specimen preparation and condition: specimen collect- ed alive and preserved in 96% ethanol. Genitalia removed and conserved in a vial with specimen. Coloration: similar coloration as in male. Carapace yelloworange, with pars cephalica slightly darkened. Palps and chelicerae reddish. Dark V-mark posteriorly on pars cephalica greater than in male. Cephalothorax: carapace slightly longer (3.35) than wide (2.83). Pars cephalica elongated (2.04 long, 0.99 wide). Clypeus height 0.383. Eye sizes: ALE 0.17, ME 0.12, PLE 0.17. LE separated from ME by 0.16. Sternum longer (1.59) than wide (1.4). Abdomen: elongate oval (3.15 long, 2.08 wide) in dorsal view. Legs: leg formula 2 4 1 3; Leg 1 (16.78): femur 4.73/patella 1.11/tibia 4.94/metatarsus 4.85/tarsus 1.15; Leg 2 (18.05): 4.95/1.14/5.19/5.51/ 1.26; Leg 3 (14.86): 4.26/1.04/3.97/4.52/1.07; Leg 4 (16.96): 4.78/1.01/4.56/5.35/1.26. Female genitalia ( Fig. 7 ): atriobursal orifices situated in two large, rounded, almost contiguous pouches, slightly sclerotized around the edges. Base of seminal receptacles conical and wide, reinforced laterally with a curved, dark, sclerotized band. Medium part very short, bifurcating towards the tip in two cylindrical lobes. The external lobe is short and tapered whereas the inner is approximately twice as long and L-shaped, pointing ventrally. Seminal receptacles not touching each other, separated at their closest point by slightly more than the apical diameter of the inner lobes. Variation: Table 1. CRBA-LX 1709: Leg 1 16.09; Leg 2 17.81; Leg 3 14.54; Leg 4 16.45; CL 3.22; CW 2.79. General coloration darker than CRBA-LX 1708. Seminal receptacles nearly identical except that in this specimen the inner lobe is pointing anteriorly.

Distribution and natural history

Endemic to Gran Canaria. Known from three localities in the north-eastern part of the island, in the Barranco de Agaete, pinar de Acusa Seca, and in the Barranco de El Risco, where it has been found more abundantly under big stones. Distinguished from L. tazarte sp. nov., also endemic to Gran Canaria, based on allopatric distribution ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

Figure 1. A, geographical position of the Canary Islands, indicated by the inset box. B, phylogenetic relationships amongst the Canary Islands endemic Loxosceles species; lineages with more than one individual are collapsed (see Planas and Ribera, 2014 for further information). C, sampling localities of the Canary Islands endemic Loxosceles; colours correspond to B.

Figure 6. ♂ Loxosceles bentejui sp. nov. A, palp, prolateral view; B, palp, retrolateral view; C, bulb and embolus; D, cephalothorax, dorsal view; E, palp, dorsal view. Scale bars: A, B, C, E = 0.5 mm; D = 1 mm.

Figure 7. ♀ Loxosceles bentejui sp. nov. vulva: A, ventral view; B, dorsal view; C, anterior view; D, posterior view. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.