Phonotimpus Gertsch & Davis, 1940

Platnick, Norman I., Chamé-Vázquez, David & Ibarra-Núñez, Guillermo, 2022, The guardstone spiders of the genus Phonotimpus Gertsch & Davis (Araneae: Phrurolithidae) from northeastern Mexico, Zootaxa 5219 (1), pp. 1-48 : 4

Genus Phonotimpus Gertsch & Davis, 1940

Type species: Phonotimpus separatus Gertsch & Davis, 1940 .

Diagnosis. Phonotimpus differs from all other phrurolithids by the following combination of characters: posterior eye row recurved, posteromedian eyes smaller than posterolateral eyes and closer to posterolateral eyes than each other ( Figs 65, 69 ), both sexes with a dorsal abdominal scutum ( Figs 66, 70 ). Males have palpal femur with a retrolateral excavation and a prolateral patch of spinules distally ( Figs 13, 14 ), with dorsal and retrolateral tibial apophyses (not joined at base) ( Figs 3, 4 ), palpal bulb with an embolar basal process and membranous conductor clumped with the embolus ( Figs 9, 12 , and fig. 3B in Chamé-Vázquez et al. 2018).

Description. A detailed generic description must await treatment of other undescribed species.

Natural history. Phonotimpus specimens are found in the soil litter from tropical forests, secondary vegetation ( Chamé-Vázquez et al. 2018), or in caves (see below). The predatory behavior and some aspects of reproductive behavior and natural enemies are known only for P. pennimani Chamé-Vázquez, Ibarra-Núñez & Jiménez, 2018 and P. talquian Chamé-Vázquez, Ibarra-Núñez & Jiménez, 2018 ( Angulo-Ordoñes et al. 2019; Chamé-Vázquez 2020).

Figures

FIGURES 65–84. 65–72. Phonotimpus separatus Gertsch & Davis, 1940 male (65–68) and female (69–72). 73–80. P. cima sp. nov., male (73–76) and female (77–80). 81–84. P. cumbres sp. nov., male. 65, 69, 73, 77, 81. Carapace, dorsal view. 67, 71, 75, 79, 83. Same, ventral view. 66, 70, 74, 78, 82. Abdomen, dorsal view. 68, 72, 76, 80, 84. Same, ventral view.

FIGURES 8–18. Phonotimpus separatus Gertsch & Davis, 1940 male (8–15) and female (16–18). 8. Left palp, prolateral view. 9. Same, ventral view. 10. Same, retrolateral view. 11. Same, dorsal view. 12. Left palpal bulb, embolus, embolar basal process, and conductor, ventral view. 13. Left femur, retrolateral view. 14. Same, ventral view. 15. Modified setae of dorsal tibial apophysis, retrolateral view. 16. Epigynum, ventral view. 17. Same, dorsal view. 18. Detail of bursae, copulatory ducts, and secondary spermathecae, dorsal view.

FIGURES 1–7. Phonotimpus separatus Gertsch & Davis, 1940 male (1–4) and female (5–7). 1. Left palp, prolateral view. 2. Same, ventral view. 3. Same, retrolateral view. 4. Same, dorsal view. 5. Epigynum, ventral view. 6. Cleared epigynum, ventral view. 7. Same, dorsal view.