Kiekie almae, Omelko, 2023

Omelko, Mikhail M., 2023, Two new species of Kiekie Polotow & Brescovit, 2018 (Araneae: Ctenidae) from the highlands of Panama, Zootaxa 5323 (2), pp. 275-284 : 276-280

Kiekie almae sp. n.

( Figs 1–5 , 11–14 , 19–22 , 27–30 , 36–37, 40–43 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂ and 3♀ paratypes ( ZMMU), PANAMA, Chiriquí Prov., Totumas Mt. , 8°53’3.24”N 82°40’41.05”E, 1900 m, 1– 6.02.2022 (M.M. Omelko).

Etymology. The specific name is a matronym in honor of Alma Dietrich, wife of Jeffrey Dietrich, the owner of the Mount Totumas Cloud Forest resort, near where the new species was collected.

Diagnosis. Males of Kiekie almae sp. n. are similar to those of K. dietrichi sp. n. in having elongated, comma-shaped median apophysis, but can be easily distinguished by the strongly modified (curved) metatarsi IV (vs. unmodified; cf. Figs 5, 10 ) and the median apophysis (MA) located along the longitudinal axis of the cymbium (vs. diagonal position; cf. Figs 20, 24 ). By general conformation of male palp and shape of epigyne’s median plate in females, the new species is also similar to K. panamensis Polotow & Brescovit, 2018 . Males of K. almae sp. n. can be easily distinguished by the RTA’s base shifted proximally from the distal edge of the palpal tibia (vs. located adjacent to the distal edge; cf. Fig. 13 and fig. 13B in Polotow & Brescovit 2018). Females of K. almae sp. n. can be distinguished from those of K. panamensis by the median plate (MP), which is of equal width at the anterior and posterior edges (vs. the anterior edge significantly narrower than the posterior; cf. Fig. 27 and fig. 13C in Polotow & Brescovit 2018). The female of the new species is also similar to that of K. antioquia but differs from it by the rounded projections (Pr) of the median plate (vs. pointed) and a slightly curved posterior edge of the septum (vs. strongly curved; cf. Fig. 27 and fig. 14A in Polotow & Brescovit 2018).

Description. Male holotype ( Figs 1–2, 5 , 36 ). Total length 15.10. Carapace 7.73 long, 6.12 wide. Opisthosoma 7.35 long, 4.87 wide. Coloration in ethanol: carapace light brown, with narrow yellow median band, diamond-shaped near the ocular area. Lateral bands yellowish. Fovea thin, dark brown. Chelicerae brown, almost black. Sternum light brown without pattern. Labium light brown. Maxillae yellowish. Dorsal part of the opisthosoma with a complex pattern, consisting of a yellow cardiac mark, a pair of oblique stripes next to it, as well as a series of ca. 4 transverse stripes. Lateral sides of the opisthosoma yellow with a number of small gray spots. Ventral part yellow with some tiny grayish spots. Spinnerets uniformly yellow. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.28, ALE 0.26, PME 0.42, PLE 0.41; AME–AME 0.22, AME–ALE 0.32, PME–PME 0.11, PME–PLE 0.23, AME–PME 0.12, ALE–PLE 0.18, clypeus height at AME 0.34, at ALE 0.65.

Leg measurements: I 34.29 (9.23, 3.35, 9.89, 8.47, 3.35), II 31.75 (8.37, 3.33, 8.95, 7.75, 3.35), III 28.33 (7.66, 2.84, 7.60, 7.48, 2.75), IV 35.94 (9.13, 3.15, 9.81, 10.18, 3.67). Femora of all legs dorsally light brown, ventrally yellow. Other segments light brown with barely visible annulation, except for metatarsi IV dark brown with light distal part, modified, strongly curved and with large spines ( Fig. 5 ). For legs spination see Table 1 .

Living male with dark brown carapace (median band light brown) and black opisthosoma with a light brown pattern ( Fig. 36 ).

Palp as shown in Figs 11–14 , 19–22 . Tibia ca. 3.2 longer than wide, with 3 very long spines, longest ca. 0.67 of tibia length. RTA long, hook like with its base shifted proximally from the distal edge of the tibia. Cymbium length/width ratio ca. 1.9. Tip of cymbium about 0.3 of cymbial length, shorter than bulb. Subtegulum (St) large, oval, mainly hidden by embolus (E). Sperm duct (SD) clearly visible mainly in retrolateral and apical view. Median apophysis (MA) comma-shaped in ventral view, cup-spahed in prolateral view, not reaching conductor (C). MA located along the longitudinal axis of the cymbium. Conductor (C) open fan-shaped, ca. 1.2 times wider than long, covering the embolus tip. E with wide base (EB), starting at 7 o’clock position, thin, with slightly curved tip.

Female ( Figs 3–4 , 37 ). Total length 20.19. Carapace 9.34 long, 7.07 wide. Opisthosoma 10.49 long, 7.12 wide. Coloration in ethanol. Carapace brown (somewhat darker than in males) with narrow yellowish median band, widened and barely visible in ocular area. Lateral bands thin, poorly visible. Fovea thin, black. Chelicerae dark brown, almost black, number of teeth like in male. Sternum light brown without pattern, with dark edges. Labium dark brown, almost black. Endites dark brown with yellow outer edges. Dorsal part of the opisthosoma with a complex pattern, consisting of a poorly visible yellow cardiac mark, a pair of small oblique stripes next to it, as well as a series of ca. 4 paired spots. Lateral sides brown with poorly visible spots, ventral brown with a few small grayish spots. Spinnerets light brown. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.42, ALE 0.32, PME 0.46, PLE 0.42; AME–AME 0.27, AME–ALE 0.41, PME–PME 0.16, PME–PLE 0.52, AME–PME 0.23, ALE–PLE 0.26, clypeus height at AME 0.57, at ALE 0.95.

Leg measurements: I 34.16 (9.35, 4.05, 9.79, 7.85, 3.12), II 31.78 (8.74, 3.79, 8.87, 7.36, 3.02), III 28.53 (7.93, 3.33, 7.19, 7.36, 2.72), IV 36.64 (9.42, 3.46, 9.45, 10.66, 3.65). Femora of all legs brown dorsally, yellow ventrally. Other segments brown with barely visible annulation. For legs spination see Table 2 .

Living female with dark brown carapace (median band brown) and black, slightly shiny opisthosoma with light brown pattern (see Fig. 37 ).

Epigyne as shown in Figs 27–30 . Epigynal plate 1.2 times wider than long. Median plate (MP) with rounded anterior edges and 2 large, rounded projections (Pr) medially. Lateral teeth (LT) large, well developed, slightly curved in ventral view, with pointed tips in posterior view. Receptacles (Re) large, kidney-shaped. Copulatory ducts (CD) slightly curved. Fertilization ducts (FD) short.

Biology. All specimens were found in the litter of primary cloud forest ( Figs 40–41 ).

Notes. The species exhibits a noticeable sexual size dimorphism, with the female being 25% larger than the male (by total length). Among other species in the genus, such dimorphism is reliably known only for K. montanensis and K. panamenensis .

Distribution. Type locality only ( Figs 42–43 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. General appearance (1–4, 6–9) and legs (5, 10) of Kiekie almae sp. n. (1–5) and K. dietrichi sp. n. (6–10). 1, 6—male, dorsal; 2, 7—ditto, ventral; 3, 8—female, dorsal; 4, 9—ditto, ventral; 5—metatarsus IV; 10—metatarsi III–IV. Scale bars: 1–4, 6–9=5 mm; 10=2mm.

FIGURES 11–18. Male palp of Kiekie almae sp. n. (11–14) and K. dietrichi sp. n. (15–18). 11, 15—prolateral; 12, 16—ventral; 13, 17—retrolateral; 14, 18—dorsal. Scale bars=0.5 mm. Abbreviations: RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis.

FIGURES 19–26. Bulb of Kiekie almae sp. n. (19–22) and K. dietrichi sp. n. (23–26). 19, 23—prolateral; 20, 24—ventral; 21, 25—retrolateral; 22, 26—apical. Scale bars=0.5 mm.Abbreviations: C—conductor, E—embolus, EB—embolic base, MA— median apophysis, SD—sperm duct, St—subtegulum, Te—tegulum.

FIGURES 27–35. Epigyne of Kiekie almae sp. n. (27–30) and K. dietrichi sp. n. (31–35). 27, 31–32—intact, ventral; 28, 33—macerated, ventral; 29, 34—ditto, dorsal; 30, 35—ditto, posterior. Scale bars=0.5 mm. Abbreviations: CD - copulatory duct, CO—copulatory opening, FD—fertilization duct, LT—lateral tooth, MP—median plate, Pr—median plate projection, Re—receptacle.

FIGURES 36–41. Live paratypes of Kiekie almae sp. n. (36–37), K. dietrichi sp. n. (38–39) and their habitats in cloud forest of Totumas Mt. (40–41). 36, 38—male; 37, 39—female.

FIGURES 42–43. Geographic distribution records of Kiekie species known from Panama. The frame on Fig. 42 refers to the content of Fig. 43. 1—K. almae sp. n., K. dietrichi sp. n.; 2—K. barrocolorado Polotow & Brescovit, 2018; 3—K. curvipes (Keyserling, 1881); 4—K. montanensis Polotow & Brescovit, 2018; 5—K. panamensis Polotow & Brescovit, 2018; 6—K. sinuatipes (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897).