Schismatothele caiquetia, Moeller & Weinmann & Guadanucci, 2023

Moeller, Wolf, Weinmann, Dirk & Guadanucci, José Paulo Leite, 2023, Genus Schismatothele Karsch, 1879 (Araneae, Theraphosidae): taxonomic notes and seven new species description, European Journal of Taxonomy 861, pp. 78-112 : 89-92

Schismatothele caiquetia sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7D76A7AA-96CE-4F5D-B33A-B5CF76D29B8A

Figs 5–8 , 33–40 , 87 ; Table 2

Diagnosis

Males resemble those of S. timotocuica sp. nov., S. olsoni and S. merida sp. nov. by the absence of keels on palpal bulb. Differ from those of S. timotocuica and S. olsoni by the globose aspect of tegulum with a pronounced prolateral lobe, near the embolus. Differ from those of S. merida by absence of a tegulum with ventral processes near the embolus ( Figs 33–36 , 41–44 , 67–70 ). Females resemble those of S. timotocuica , S. olsoni and S. merida by the digitiform shape of spermathecae ventral receptacles but differ from the spermathecae shape, which has the ventral portion fused at the base, with two large and elongated receptacles, and dorsal portion with two small digitiform receptacles ( Figs 40 , 48 , 74 ).

Etymology

The name is in honor of the Caiquetio indigenous group, natives of northwestern Venezuela before Spanish colonization.

Type material

Holotype VENEZUELA • ♂; Falcón, Curimagua ; 11°13′21.72″ N, 69°36′55.26″ W; 19 Sep. 2002; D. Weinmann and F. Pribik leg.; MZSP 28423 .

Paratype VENEZUELA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; MZSP 28424 .

Only type material known.

Description

Male (holotype MZSP 28423)

COLOR (in alcohol). Carapace, chelicerae and legs reddish brown, labium and sternum brown, abdomen dark brown with five subtle light brown stripes ( Figs 5–6 ).

MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 12.91. Chelicerae basal segment: length 1.92. Carapace elongated: length 6.34, width 4.93. Abdomen: length 6.24. Clypeus absent. Eye tubercle slightly elevated, subrectangular: length 0.62, width 1.37. Anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior slightly recurved. Eyes and interdistances:AME 0.35,ALE 0.32, PME 0.26, PLE 0.28, AME–AME 0.07,AME–ALE 0.05, ALE–ALE 0.84, PME–PME 0.69, PME–PLE 0.04, PLE–PLE 1.02, AME–PME 0.05, ALE–PLE 0.07. Thoracic fovea straight, narrow, deep: width 0.75. Chelicerae basal segment with 12 well-developed teeth on furrow promargin and a group of ca 30 small teeth on proximal area of furrow. Intercheliceral tumescence absent. Maxillae ca 100 cuspules, located on anterior inner corner. Labium trapezoidal: length 0.81, width 1.07, with ca 180 cuspules. Sternum slightly oval: length 2.8, width 2.04; with three pairs of sigilla, the posterior ones longer than the others with the same distance from the edge.

PALPAL BULB. Without keels. Tegulum globose with a pronounced prolateral lobe near to embolus. Short embolus pointing upward. Paraembolic apophysis short, below embolus, pointing upward ( Figs 33– 36 ). Cymbium with two asymmetric lobes, retrolateral larger and wider; prolateral lobe elongated and laterally flattened; retrolateral lobe with a distal retrolateral protrusion. Palpal tibia swollen, with short spines in a row separated in two groups, one retrolateral line with 8–9 spines and one at tibia ventral medial concavity, with one or two strong spines ( Figs 38–39 ).

LEGS AND PALPS. Tibial spur I: prolatero-ventral spur with two separated branches of similar sizes; retrolateral branch slightly procurved, digitiform, with a small spine inserted subapically, prolateral branch little shorter, slightly recurved and digitiform, with contiguous spine ( Fig. 37 ). Metatarsus I bent retrolaterally to tibial spur. Superior tarsal claws without teeth. Tarsal scopulae: I and II entire with longitudinal band of conical setae, III and IV divided by longitudinal band of conical setae. Metatarsal scopulae not dense, extension: I on distal ¾, II on more than distal half, III on distal half, IV on less than half. Clavate tarsal trichobothria in two rows, each with ca 9 trichae, interspersed with filiform trichobothria of different lenght. Tarsus IV cracked. Leg formula 4123 ( Table 2 ).

SPINATION (proximal to distal). Cymbium and tarsi without spines. Palp: femur 0; patella 0; tibia (r) ca 9 megaspines. Leg I: femur (p) 1; patella 0; tibia (p) 1; metatarsus (v)0-1-ap1, (p) 0-1-0. Leg II: femur (p)1; patella 0; tibia (v) 0-0-ap3, (p) 0-1-1; metatarsus (v)1-1-ap2, (p) 0-1-0. Leg III: femur (r) 1; patela (r) 2; tibia (v)1-1-ap2, (p) 1-10, (r) 2-2-0; metatarsus (v) 0-2-ap3, (p) 0-1-1, (r) 0-1-1. Leg IV: femur (p), (r)0-0-1; patela 0; tibia (v)1-1-ap3, (p) 0-1-1, (r) 1-1-0; metatarsus (v) 0-2-ap3, (p) 0-1-1, (r) 1-1-1.

Female (paratype MZSP 28424)

COLOR (in alcohol). As in male ( Figs 7–8 ).

MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 18.76. Chelicerae basal segment: length 4.04. Carapace elongated: length 7.42, width 6.01. Abdomen: length 8.27. Clypeus absent. Eye tubercle slightly elevated, subrectangular: length 0.78, width 1.57. Anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior slightly recurved. Eyes and interdistances: AME 0.42, ALE 0.42, PME 0.29, PLE 0.36, AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.07, ALE–ALE 0.95, PME–PME 0.81, PME–PLE 0.03, PLE–PLE 1.18, AME–PME 0.12, ALE–PLE 0.09. Thoracic fovea slightly procurved, narrow, deep: width 1.15. Chelicerae basal segment with 10 well-developed teeth on furrow promargin, and group of ca 30 small teeth on proximal area of furrow. Intercheliceral tumescence absent. Maxillae with ca 100 cuspules, located at anterior inner corner. Labium trapezoidal: length 1.13, width 1.74, with ca 180 cuspules. Sternum rounded: length 3.4, width 3.4; with three pairs of sigilla, posterior ones longer than the others with the same distance from the edge.

SPERMATHECAE. Heavily sclerotized composed of two portions, dorsal and ventral. Ventral portion with two large elongated digitiform receptacles, fused in the base, slightly recurved and flattened at the apex. Dorsal portion with two small digitiform receptacles with granular aspect ( Fig. 40 ).

LEGS AND PALPS. Superior tarsal claws without teeth. Tarsal scopulae: I–IV divided by longitudinal band of conical setae. Metatarsal scopulae dense in I–II and not dense in III–IV, extension: I–II on distal ¾, III on more than distal half, IV on less than half. Clavate tarsal trichobothria in two rows, each with ca 10 trichae, interspersed with filiform trichobothria of different length. Tarsus IV not cracked. Leg formula 4123 ( Table 2 ).

SPINATION (proximal to distal). Tarsi without spines. Palp: femur 0; patella 0; tibia (p) ap1. Leg I: femur 0; patella 0; tibia 0; metatarsus (v) ap1. Leg II: femur 0; patella 0; tibia 0; metatarsus (v) 1-0-ap1. Leg III: femur 0; patela 0; tibia (p) 0-0-1, (r) 0-1-0; metatarsus (v) ap1, (p) 0-0-1, (r) 1-2ap1. Leg IV: femur 0; patella 0; tibia 0; metatarsus (v) ap3, (p) 0-0-1, (r) 0-1-1.

Figures

Figs 1–8. Schismatothele spp. 1–4. Schismatothele caeri sp. nov. 1–2. Holotype, ♂ (MZSP 47440). 1. Dorsal view. 2. Prosoma, ventral view. 3–4. Paratype, ♀ (MZSP 47427). 3. Dorsal view. 4. Prosoma, ventral view. – 5–8. Schismatothele caiquetia sp. nov. 5–6. Holotype, ♂ (MZSP 28423). 5. Dorsal view. 6. Prosoma, ventral view. 7–8. Paratype, ♀ (MZSP 28424). 7. Dorsal view. 8. Prosoma, ventral view. Scale bars = 10 mm.

Figs 33–40. Schismatothele caiquetia sp. nov. 33–39. Holotype, ♂ (MZSP 28423). 33–36. Palpal bulb, prolateral (33), retrolateral (34), ventral (35), and dorsal (36) views. 37. Tibial spur, ventral view. 38–39. Palpal tibiae, right (38), and left (39). 40. Paratype, ♀ (MZSP 28424), spermathecae, ventral view. Abbreviations: E = embolus; DS = dorsal receptacle; PA = paraembolic apophysis; VS = ventral receptacle. Black arrows show the tegulum prolateral lobe. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 87. Distribution map for species of Schismatothele Karsch, 1879.

Figs 41–50. Schismatothele merida sp. nov. 41–47. Holotype, ♂ (MZSP 28411). 41–44. Palpal bulb, prolateral (41), retrolateral (42), ventral (43), and dorsal (44) views. 45. Tibial spur, ventral view. 46– 47. Palpal tibiae, right (46), and left (47). 48–50. Paratypes, ♀, spermathecae, ventral view. 48. MZSP 28412. 49. MZSP 28422. 50. MZSP 28421. Abbreviations: DS = dorsal receptacle; E = embolus; PA = paraembolic apophysis; VGP = ventral granular process; VS = ventral receptacle. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs 67–74. Schismatothele timotocuica sp. nov. 67–73. Holotype, ♂ (MZSP 28420). 67–70. Palpal bulb, prolateral (67), retrolateral (68), ventral (69), and dorsal (70) views. 71. Tibial spur, ventral view. 72–73. Palpal tibiae, right (72), and left (73). 74. Paratype, ♀ (MZSP 26081), permathecae, ventral view. Abbreviations: E = embolus; DS = dorsal receptacle; PA = paraembolic apophysis; VS = ventral receptacle. Black arrow show the retrolateral torsion of paraembolic apophysis. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.