Decaphora pestai ( Reimoser, 1939 ) Reimoser, 1939

Rheims, Cristina Anne & Alayón, Giraldo, 2014, The huntsman genus Decaphora Franganillo, 1931 (Araneae: Sparassidae: Sparianthinae), Zootaxa 3815 (1), pp. 79-93 : 88

Decaphora pestai ( Reimoser, 1939) comb. nov.

Figs 5−6 , 29−36 , 45

Seramba pestai Reimoser, 1939: 366 , fig. 12 (holotype male from Waldeck (10°05'N; 83°22'W), Limón, Costa Rica, deposited in NMW, examined).

Thelcticopis pestai: Jäger 2005: 57 ; Platnick 2014.

Other material examined. BELIZE: Stann Creek District: 1♂, 1 juv., Sittee Point, Possum Biological Station (16°48’N, 88°24’W), 22-30 April 1987, Spangler & Faitoute leg. ( USNM). NICARAGUA: Zelaya: 1♀, Bluefields (12°00’N, 83°45’W), 11 March 1953, R.B. Swain leg. ( AMNH). COSTA RICA: Guanacaste: 5♂, Parque Nacional Guanacaste, Cacao Biological Station, 1100 m (10°55’N, 85°28’W), 17-18 March 1998, D. Garcia leg. ( INBIO 4526, 50915, 73795, 32621); 4♂, Tierras Morenas, Río San Lorenzo (10°33’N, 84°59’W), 8 March - 26 April 1995, G. Rodríguez leg. ( INBIO 4524). Limón: 3♂, Sector Cocori, 30 km N Cariari (10°38’N, 83°44’W), February 1995, E. Rojas leg. ( INBIO); 4♂, 1♀, Sector Cocori, December 1994, E. Rojas leg. ( INBIO 4525); 1♂, Reserva Biologica Hitoy-Cerere (09°20’N, 82°20’W), 21 May - 22 July 1993, E. Carballo leg. ( INBIO 2412). Heredia: 1♀, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, Finca La Selva, 4km SE Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui (10°27’N, 84°00’W), October 1981, C.E. Griswold leg. ( CAS); 1♀, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, Finca La Selva (10°27’N, 84°00’W), 18-21 August 1970, C.E. Valerio leg. (UCR). Puntarenas: 2♂, Agujas, Estación Agujas, 375 m (08°34’N, 83°22’W), 27-31 July 1998, C. Víquez, A. Azofeifa, P. Jordan, N. Montoya leg. ( INBIO 4526).

Diagnosis. Decaphora pestai resembles D. kohunlich spec. nov. by mRTA with many distal spines and dRTA very long and slender in the male palps ( Figs 23−24 vs. 30–31) and by lateral lobes of the female epigyne with posterior triangular projections ( Figs 26 vs. 34). The males are distinguished by the slightly oval TBC and conical TBE ( Fig. 30 ). The females are distinguished by the epigyne with touching part of LL 1.5 times longer than the median septum length ( Fig. 34 ).

Redescription. Male (USNM): Prosoma orange with brown fovea and very faint darker orange thoracic striae. Chelicerae, legs and pedipalps orange. Sternum pale yellow with pale orange margins. Labium and endites pale yellow. Opisthosoma cream colored, mottled with brown spots ( Fig. 5 ). Total length 8.9. Prosoma: 4.4 long, 3.9 wide. Opisthosoma: 4.3 long, 2.6 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.26, 0.22, 0.16, 0.20; interdistances: 0.20, 0.06, 0.44, 0.36, 0.14, 0.18. Legs (2-1/4-3): I: 16.9 (4.7, 2.3, 4.5, 4.4, 1.0); II: 17.1 (5.0, 2.5, 4.5, 4.2, 0.9); III: 13.6 (4.1, 2.0, 3.1, 3.6, 0.8); IV: 16.9 (4.9, 1.8, 4.0, 5.0, 1.2). Leg and palp spination follow the generic pattern. Palp: tibia short, with no spines ( Fig. 29 ); PTP long and cylindrical ( Fig. 30 ).

Female (CAS): Coloration pattern as in male, except opisthosoma with brown pattern of 8–9 median, inverted V-shaped marks and lateral spots ( Fig. 6 ). Total length 9.6. Prosoma: 4.0 long, 3.6 wide. Opisthosoma: 5.5 long, 3.5 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.28, 0.22, 0.16, 0.20; interdistances: 0.22, 0.10, 0.42, 0.38, 0.16, 0.14. Legs (2-1-4-3): I: 12.1 (3.4, 2.0, 3.3, 2.7, 0.7); II: 12.3 (3.7, 2.0, 3.2, 2.7, 0.7); III: 10.0 (3.2, 1.6, 2.2, 2.3, 0.7); IV: 12.0 (3.6, 1.5, 2.7, 3.2, 1.0). Leg and palp spination follow the generic pattern. Epigyne: median septum oval, wider than long ( Fig. 34 ). Vulva: fertilization ducts pointing away from each other ( Figs. 35−36 )

Variation. Males (n = 2): total length 8.3–8.9; prosoma length 4.2–4.4; femur I 4.2–4.7.

Distribution. Known from Central America from Belize to Costa Rica ( Fig. 45 ).

Figures

FIGURE 45. Distribution map of Decaphora pestai (Reimoser) comb. nov.

FIGURES 5 – 8. Habitus, dorsal view. 5 − 6 Decaphora pestai (Reimoser) comb. nov. (5 male, 6 female); 7 − 8 Decaphora variabilis (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge) comb. nov. (7 male, 8 female). Scale lines: 1 mm.

FIGURES 29 – 36. Decaphora pestai (Reimoser) comb. nov. 29 − 31 Male, left palp (29 prolateral, 30 ventral, 31 retrolateral view); 32 − 33 Male, right palp (32 expanded bulb, 33 detail of embolus); 34 − 36 Female (34 epigyne, 35 vulva, 36 schematic course of internal duct system). bH = basal haematodochae; C = conductor; dRTA = dorsal branch of RTA; E = embolus; FD = fertilization duct; MA = median apophysis; mH = median haematodochae; mRTA = median branch of RTA; P = blind ended projection; PTP = paraembolic tegular projection; S = spermathecae; ST = subtegulum; T = tegulum; TBC = tegular projection at base of conductor; vRTA = ventral branch of RTA. Scale lines: 1 mm.

FIGURES 22 – 28. Decaphora kohunlich spec. nov. 22 − 25 Male, left palp (22 prolateral, 23 ventral, 24 retrolateral, 25 detail of embolus); 26 – 28 Female (26 epigyne, 27 vulva, 28 schematic course of internal duct system). C = conductor; dRTA = dorsal branch of RTA; E = embolus; FD = fertilization duct, LL = lateral lobes; MA = median apophysis; mRTA = median branch of RTA; MS = median septum; P = blind ended projection; PTP = paraembolic tegular projection; S = spermathecae; TBC = tegular projection at base of conductor; TBE = tegular projection at base of embolus; vRTA = ventral branch of RTA. Scale lines: 1 mm.