Psalmopoeus satanas, Peñaherrera-R. & León-E., 2023

Penaherrera-R., Pedro & Leon-E., Roberto J., 2023, On Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895 (Araneae, Theraphosidae) species and tarantula conservation in Ecuador, ZooKeys 1186, pp. 185-205 : 185

Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov.

Figs 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8

Psalmopoeus ecclesiasticus Pocock, 1903: Cifuentes and Bertani 2022: 217-235 (in part, misidentification).

Material examined.

Holotype: Republic of Ecuador • 1 ♂; Province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Canton Santo Domingo, Parish of San Jose de Alluriquin , Reserva Otongachi - Fundación Otonga; -0.3209, -78.9513, 866 m a.s.l.; 24 May 2021; R. J. León-E, R. F. Valencia, and S. Cortese leg.; ZSFQ-i12150 (Field code: OG-Satanas).

Paratypes: Republic of Ecuador • 1 ♀; Province of Pichincha [= Province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas], Canton Santo Domingo, Parish of San Jose de Alluriquin , La Magdalena ; -0.2647, -79.0256, 920 m a.s.l.; 02 November 1995; B. Yangari leg.; QCAZ-i274324 (Field code: MYGA 08) . Republic of Ecuador • 1 ♀; Province of Pichincha, Canton San Miguel de Los Bancos, Parish of Mindo , Los Bancos ; 0.0166, -78.8833, 909 m a.s.l.; 17 December 1988; V. Navarrete leg.; QCAZ-i274323 (Field code: MYGA 40) .

Additional material.

Republic of Ecuador • 1 sub ♀; Province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Canton Santo Domingo, Parish of San Jose de Alluriquin , Reserva Otongachi - Fundación Otonga; -0.3209, -78.9517, 937 m a.s.l.; 05 October 2017; A. Tadashima leg.; ZSFQ-i12156 (Field code: AT16) .

Diagnosis.

Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. can be distinguished from known congeners by the morphology of male palpal bulb and by female spermathecal morphology. Males of Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other male congeners by having a slender embolus slightly curved, almost straight at distal part (Fig. 4A-D ), the presence of a prominent ventral dilatation (Fig. 4A, B ), and the embolus being ~ 4 × the tegulum length in retrolateral view (Fig. 4B ) (ventral dilatation unknown in all other congeners, for comparative measurements see Cifuentes and Bertani 2022). Additionally, males of Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. can be distinguished from P. cambridgei , P. reduncus , P. pulcher , P. irminia , P. victori by the absence of a distal thickening in retrolateral branch of tibial apophysis (distal thickening present in retrolateral branch of tibial apophysis in P. cambridgei , P. reduncus , P. pulcher , P. irminia , P. victori ; see also Gabriel and Sherwood 2020: figs 13, 14; Cifuentes and Bertani 2022: figs 150-152, 187-189, 209-211, 242-244, 253-255, 280-282). Females of Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. can be distinguished from Psalmopoeus chronoarachne sp. nov. by having two ill-defined lobes and a single domed well-defined lobe in receptacles, apical digitiform lobe present and comparatively receptacles less curved towards the centre (Fig. 8 ) (only a single ill-defined lobe on each receptacle, absence of well-defined lobes, apical digitiform lobe, comparatively receptacles more curved towards the centre in Psalmopoeus chronoarachne sp. nov.; Fig. 1 ); from P. ecclesiasticus by having straight receptacles, distal apex curved towards the centre and overlapping, comparatively less sclerotised wider and longer apical digitiform lobe pointing upwards and only two ill-defined lateral lobe and a single domed well-defined lateral lobe on apical-inner (Fig. 8 ) (curved receptacles towards the centre, distal apex more curved and overlapping, receptacles comparatively with more sclerotised, thin and shorter apical digitiform lobe pointing downwards, one to four protruding well-defined lobes and a single ill-defined lobe in P. ecclesiasticus (Fig. 10 ); see also Gabriel and Sherwood 2019: fig. 1; Cifuentes and Bertani 2022: figs 224, 229); from P. cambridgei , P. irminia , P. pulcher , P. langenbucheri , P. reduncus , and P. victori by having elongated and straight receptacles with distal apex curved with the combination of only two ill-defined lateral lobe and a single domed well-defined lateral lobe on apical-inner and narrow apical digitiform lobe overlapping each other (elongated and straight receptacles with distal apex straight, comparatively more sclerotised narrow apical digitiform lobe pointing upwards but not overlapping and two to three protruding and well-defined lobes at centre in P. cambridgei ; elongated and straight receptacles with distal apex straight, comparatively more sclerotised wider apical digitiform lobe pointing upwards but not overlapping and a single well-defined lobe at centre of each receptacle in P. irminia , elongated and straight receptacles with distal apex straight, comparatively more sclerotised thin apical digitiform lobe pointing upwards but not overlapping and numerous lobes at centre or lateral which reduce in size from apex to centre in P. pulcher ; elongated and triangular receptacles with distal apex straight, comparatively more sclerotised wider and shorter apical digitiform lobe pointing upwards, not overlapping but very close and two to three well-defined lateral lobes in P. langenbucheri , short and triangular receptacles with distal apex straight, comparatively more sclerotised wider and shorter apical digitiform lobe pointing upwards but not overlapping and only a single ill-defined lateral lobe in P. reduncus ; comparatively more elongated and straight receptacles with wider distal apex without receptacles in P. victori ; see also Mendoza 2014: figs 27, 28; Cifuentes and Bertani 2022: 125, 170-175, 190, 191, 215, 245, 268-271, 283, 300, 309).

Description.

Male holotype (ZSFQ-i12150): Total length including chelicerae: 29.10. Carapace: length 12.60, width 11.62. Caput: slightly raised. Ocular tubercle: slightly raised, length 2.21, width 3.14. Eyes: ALE> PLE, PLE <AME, AME> PME, anterior eye row recurved, posterior row recurved. Clypeus: wide; clypeal fringe long. Fovea: recurved. Chelicera: length 4.25, width 2.57. Abdomen: length 11.35, width 6.32. Maxilla with 137 cuspules covering approximately 20% of the proximal edge. Labium: length 1.77, width 2.25, with 131 cuspules most separated by 1.0-2.0 × the width of a single cuspule. Labio-sternal mounds joined along the entire base of the labium. Sternum: length 6.57, width 4.53, with two pairs of elongated sigilla. Tarsi I-IV fully scopulate, Metatarsal scopulae: I 95%; II 90%; III 80%; IV %, metatarsi I divided by up to half of the segment, metatarsi IV divided by a strip of longer and wider setae. For lengths of legs and palpal segments see Table 2 ; legs 1, 4, 2, 3. Spination: Leg II: tibia v 0-0-0 (1ap). Leg III: metatarsus v 0-0-0 (3ap). Leg IV: metatarsus v 0-0-0 (1ap). Tibia I with principal paired tibial apophysis and a short, irregular, and triangular central third apophyses, RB longer than PB, RB and PB with one megaspine (Fig. 5 ). Posterior lateral spinnerets with three segments, basal 3.32, median 1.14, digitiform apical 2.01. Lateral median spinnerets with one segment. Stridulation organ with 12 primary lyra on left maxilla (two of them widely separated and proximal to basal section of maxilla), ten on right (one of them slightly thinner, separated, and proximal to basal section of maxilla, slight scar on individual); other primary lyra wider from base to apex (Fig. 7 ). Palp (Fig. 4 ): tegulum length 1.53, width 0.713, embolus proximal width 0.66, length 6.41. Embolus proximal portion slightly curved with a prominent ventral dilatation in medial section. Embolus length to tegulum length: 4.18. Embolus distal third slightly curved to ventral and retrolateral sides; retrolateral curvature almost straight. Embolus tapers to the tip ending in a straight tip. Colouration: abdomen, carapace, and legs covered with short and long pale golden setae (Fig. 6 ). After two years in preservative, with pale grey colouration and brown setae.

Female paratype (QCAZ-i274324): Total length including chelicerae: 46.26. Carapace: length 16.45, width 15.27. Caput: slightly raised. Ocular tubercle: slightly raised, length 1.34, width 3.01. Eyes: AME> ALE, AME> PLE, PLE> PME, anterior eye row straight, posterior row slightly recurved. Clypeus: wide; clypeal fringe long. Fovea: straight. Chelicera: length 7.18, width 3.88. Abdomen: length 22.63, width 14.09. Maxilla with 170-183 cuspules covering approximately 50% of the proximal edge. Labium: length 2.46, width 2.68, with 157 cuspules most separated by 1.0-2.0 × the width of a cuspule. Labio-sternal mounds joined along the entire base of the labium. Sternum: length 9.32, width 7.86, with two pairs of elongated sigilla. Tarsi I-IV fully scopulate, tarsi IV divided by wide strip of longer and thicker setae, Metatarsus IV divided by wide strip of longer and wider setae up to the half of the segment. Metatarsal scopulae: I 100%; II 100%; III 75%; IV 25%. For lengths of legs and palpal segments see Table 3 ; legs 4, 1, 2, 3. Spination: Leg II: tibia v 0-0-0 (1ap). Leg III: metatarsus v 0-0-0 (2ap). Leg IV: metatarsus v 0-0-0 (2ap). Palp: tibia v 0-0-0 (1ap). Posterior lateral spinnerets with three segments, basal 3.24, median 2.03, digitiform apical 2.37. Lateral median spinnerets with one segment. Stridulation organ with 15 primary lyra on left maxilla (two of them considerably thinner, widely separated, and proximal to basal section of maxilla), 13 on right (two of them considerably thinner, widely separated, and proximal to basal section of maxilla) (Fig. 7B ); other primary lyra wider from base to apex. Spermatheca (Fig. 8 ) with two elongate asymmetrical receptacles overlapping each other, usually straight and distal apex curved towards the centre and more sclerotised; apex constricted with narrow apical lobe pointing upwards. Three dorsal longitudinal folds and ventral longitudinal folds absent on left receptacle, three dorsal longitudinal folds and ventral longitudinal folds absent on right receptacle. Left receptacle with a single well-defined lobe on apical-inner disposed on the most inner longitudinal fold. Right receptacle with two ill-defined lateral lobes on apical-inner, each lobe disposed on the most inner longitudinal fold. Colouration: after 30 years in preservative, with a dark brown colouration and pale brown setae (Fig. 9 ).

Variation.

(QCAZ-i274323) Stridulation organ with 9 primary lyra on left maxilla (two of them considerably thinner, widely separated, and proximal to basal section of maxilla), 11 on right (one of them considerably thinner, widely separated, and proximal to basal section of maxilla).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition honouring the nickname of the holotype male Satanas . The members of the Mygalomorphae Research Group in the Laboratory of Terrestrial Zoology at Universidad San Francisco de Quito grew very fond of this individual during its care, in spite of the individual’s bad temperament and sporadic attacks (reason for the nickname).

Distribution.

Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. is known from the localities La Magdalena and Reserva Otongachi in the Province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas and Los Bancos in the province of Pichincha. The new species is distributed across an altitudinal range of 866-937 m, in the north of the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes of Ecuador (Figs 11 , 12 ).

Ecology.

Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. is found in low montane and montane evergreen forest of the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes, in the Western Ecuador biogeographic province. The male holotype was found within a bamboo fence and exhibited defensive behaviour when observed. This behaviour then transformed into fleeing, where the spider made quick sporadic movements, nearly too fast to see.

Remarks.

Previously the female paratypes were examined by Carlos Perafán during his doctoral thesis about historical and actual distribution of Mygalomorphae from the northern Andes ( Perafán 2017). During his revision he identified the female paratype (QCAZ-i274324) as Psalmopoeus cf. ecclesiasticus and the other female paratype (QCAZ-i274323) as Psalmopoeus sp., each one with a respective handwritten label (Fig. 9 ). Prior to this, Yeimy Cifuentes examined the same specimens for her taxonomic revision and cladistic of the subfamily Psalmopoeinae and concluded that both were Psalmopoeus ecclesiasticus , also including a new handwritten label stating the identification of each specimen and reporting each locality for the distribution of the previously mentioned species ( Cifuentes and Bertani 2022).

During the recent revision of these specimens by the first author, it was observed that the spermathecae of both specimens and also a third, also examined by Carlos Perafán and Yeimy Cifuentes which certainly is Psalmopoeus ecclesiasticus (Fig. 10 ) and was collected near the type locality, were not completely cleaned and that only the left receptacle of the female paratype (QCAZ-i274323) of Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. was properly cleaned, making it impossible to observe the complete morphology of apical lobe and number of lobes. This led to both Peráfan and Cifuentes making erroneous identifications; although Carlos opted for a more conservative approach. Additionally, the right receptacle of the female paratype (QCAZ-i274323) of Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. was broken by someone who previously examined the specimen.

Morphology of tibial apophyses has been used for cladistics analysis in Psalmopoeinae and in some cases for species diagnoses (e.g., P. langenbucheri ; Cifuentes and Bertani 2022) using some characters related to spines combination, branches development, origin of each branch, and morphology of central protuberance behind the two branches ( Hüsser 2018; Cifuentes and Bertani 2022). Nevertheless, intra-specific variation has not yet been fully explored and some characters may or may not be reliable for proposing synapomorphies for previously known species or new ones; we tentatively use the distal thickening of retrolateral branch as secondary character to differentiate P. satanas sp. nov. from P. cambridgei , P. reduncus , P. pulcher , P. irminia , P. victori . Cifuentes and Bertani (2022) used the shape of the central protuberance as diagnostic character for P. langenbucheri . However, it should be noted that significant variation of width and length of this structure have been observed between left and right tibial apophysis in the male holotype (ZSFQ-i12150). For this reason, we encourage future researchers to evaluate intra- and inter-specific variation in order to confirm the validity of these tibial apophysis characters in species diagnosis and to evaluate morphometric aspects of other structures (e.g., leg segment ratios and spermathecae measurements; Hamilton et al. 2016; Gabriel and Sherwood 2020).

Figures

Figure 1. Psalmopoeus chronoarachne sp. nov. female holotype (ZSFQ-i 11704), spermatheca A dorsal view B ventral view C apical view. Abbreviation: iLB, ill-defined lobe. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 4. Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. male holotype (ZSFQ-i 12150), palpal bulb (right hand side), arrow indicates ventral dilatation of embolus A prolateral view B retrolateral view C dorsal view D ventral view. Scale bars: 1.5 mm.

Figure 5. Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. male holotype (ZSFQ-i 12150), tibial apophysis (left hand side) A retrolateral view B dorsal view C dorso-retrolateral view D prolateral view. Scale bars: 5 mm.

Figure 6. Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. male holotype (ZSFQ-i 12150), live habitus A dorsolateral view B dorsal view. Scale bars: 10 mm.

Figure 7. Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. Maxillae showing maxillary lyra A male holotype (ZSFQ-i 12150) (right hand side) B female paratype (QCAZ-i 274324) (left side). Scale bars: 0.4 mm (A), 0.2 mm (B).

Figure 8. Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. female paratype (QCAZ-i 274324), spermatheca A dorsal view B ventral view. Abbreviations: iLB, ill-defined lobe; wLB, well-defined lobe. Scale bars: 2 mm.

Figure 9. Psalmopoeus satanas sp. nov. female paratype, habitus and previous examinator labels. Scale bar: 15 mm.

Figure 10. Psalmopoeus ecclesiasticus non-type female (QCAZ-i 274322), spermatheca A dorsal view B ventral view. Scale bars: 2 mm.

Figure 11. Distribution of the genus Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895 in Ecuador, including biogeographical regions of Ecuador. White star = Reserva Otongachi, type locality of P. satanas sp. nov.; White triangle = Localities of P. satanas sp. nov. paratypes; Black star = Hacienda La Mariela, type locality of P. chronoarachne; Yellow star = Rio Sapayo, type locality of P. ecclesiasticus; Yellow circle = Carondelet, historical record of P. ecclesiasticus; Yellow squares = Additional records of P. ecclesiasticus.

Figure 12. Distribution of the genus Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895 in Ecuador, including mining concessions and cropland use. White star = Reserva Otongachi, type locality of P. satanas sp. nov.; White triangle = localities of P. satanas sp. nov. paratypes; black star = Hacienda La Mariela, type locality of P. chronoarachne; yellow star = Rio Sapayo, type locality of P. ecclesiasticus; yellow circle = Carondelet, historical record of P. ecclesiasticus; yellow squares = additional records of P. ecclesiasticus.