Mecolaesthus mucuy Huber, 2000

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 79-82

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2020.718.1101

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F9E9A91E-488C-4DB1-9361-E788E9AC5BC1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4343849

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E887AD-FF9E-7A50-FDC5-FD0FFE3DFE50

treatment provided by

Valdenar

scientific name

Mecolaesthus mucuy Huber, 2000
status

 

Mecolaesthus mucuy Huber, 2000 View in CoL

Figs 216–217 View Figs 212–219 , 238–244 View Figs 238–244 , 251–253, 256 View Figs 245–256 , 1042

Mecolaesthus mucuy Huber, 2000: 258 View in CoL , figs 1024–1033 (♂).

Diagnosis (amendments; see Huber 2000)

Females are easily distinguished from most known congeners by strongly protruding epigynum only medially sclerotized, laterally whitish ( Figs 251, 256 View Figs 245–256 ). Note, however, that the female of M. azulita Huber, 2000 is unknown.

New records

VENEZUELA – Mérida • 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 21884–85), and 2 ♀♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven18- 223), Mucuy , along Laguna El Suero trail (between 8.629° N, 71.039° W and 8.623° N, 71.034° W), 2500–2690 m a.s.l., 24 Nov. 2018 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.) GoogleMaps 1 ♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven18- 232), Monte Zerpa , forest above La Hechicera (8.634° N, 71.163° W – 8.639° N, 71.167° W), 2050– 2180 m a.s.l., 26 Nov. 2018 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M., N.A. Sánchez G.) GoogleMaps .

Redescription of male (amendments; see Huber 2000)

Habitus as in Fig. 216 View Figs 212–219 . Eye measurements (male from Mucuy): distance PME–PME 120 µm; diameter PME 130 µm; distance PME–ALE 120 µm; distance AME–AME 15 µm; diameter AME 30 µm. Carapace mostly pale ochre-gray, anteriorly brown, ocular area and clypeus also brown; sternum brown; abdomen pale bluish gray, with dark bluish marks dorsally and laterally, lung plates brown, large dark gray mark at gonopore area and dark bluish median mark behind gonopore. Thoracic furrow shallow but distinct; carapace slightly inflated posteriorly. Prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1. Procursus and genital bulb as in Figs 238–243 View Figs 238–244 . Tibia 1 in nine males (including the five males measured in Huber 2000): 4.7–5.6 (mean 5.3).

Description of female

Females in general similar to males ( Fig. 217 View Figs 212–219 ). Epigynum ( Figs 251, 256 View Figs 245–256 ) strongly protruding, laterally whitish, medially brown band widening anteriorly. Internal genitalia ( Figs 244 View Figs 238–244 , 252–253 View Figs 245–256 ) with distinctive anterior arc, oval receptacle between arc and ventral external body wall; pore plates converging and contiguous anteriorly. Tibia 1 in five females: 3.9–4.3 (mean 4.1).

Distribution

Known from two neighboring localities in the Venezuelan state Mérida (Fig. 1042), between about 2050 and 2690 m a.s.l.

Natural history

This species occurs in close proximity to several very similar and putatively closely related species, i.e., M. tabay , M. peckorum , and M. cornutus . In the field there were sometimes no obvious microhabitat differences among these species (e.g., in Monte Zerpa): all seemed to live in very similar sheltered spaces close to the ground. In Mucuy, different species of Mecolaesthus seemed to prefer slightly different microhabitats and/or different altitudes (see under M. cornutus above).

ZFMK

Germany, Bonn, Zoologische Forschungsinstitut und Museum "Alexander Koenig"

ZFMK

Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Pholcidae

Genus

Mecolaesthus

Loc

Mecolaesthus mucuy Huber, 2000

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo 2020
2020
Loc

Mecolaesthus mucuy

Huber B. A. 2000: 258
2000
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