Phonotimpus vacas, Platnick & Chamé-Vázquez & Ibarra-Núñez, 2022

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 : 31-32

Phonotimpus vacas sp. nov.

Figures 199–202 , 242–245

Type material. Male holotype from the Sótano de Agua de las Vacas [23.9629889°N, 99.4911614°W], 1 km NNE Agua de las Vacas, Nuevo León, Mexico (Dec. 29, 1986; P., T. Sprouse), deposited in AMNH. According to Pate & Sprouse (1993), this pit is on a forested slope at an elevation of 2050 m and reaches a depth of 31 m; those authors listed these specimens as Phonotimpus sp. and considered them possible troglophiles .

Other material examined. One male taken with the holotype ( AMNH) .

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Males can be easily recognized by the short, slim, lanceolate retrolateral tibial apophysis, which has a prolateral, bicuspid process ( Figs 200–201 ). The reduced pigmentation around their eyes suggest that they may indeed be troglophiles ( Fig. 242 ).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 1.55. Carapace pale yellow, with dusky markings restricted to faint lines radiating from thoracic groove, pars thoracica steeply sloping, pars cephalica sloping evenly to clypeus; sternum, mouthparts pale yellow, unmarked, each cheliceral paturon with one erect bristle near base; abdomen narrow, dorsum, sides light gray with scattered white spots, dorsum posteriorly with about three threadlike white chevrons followed posteriorly by wide white spot immediately above spinnerets, weak, shiny scutum notably darkened at its edges, covering about two-thirds of abdomen width, extending more than three-quarters of abdomen length, widening slightly to its posterior edge, venter pale yellow, without markings ( Figs 242–245 ); legs yellow, without dark markings. Leg spination: femora: I d1-0-0, p0-0-2; II–IV d1-0-0; tibiae: I v4-4-4; II v3-4-2; metatarsi: I v4-2-1p, II v3-2-2.

Palpal femur long, club-shaped, with one dorso-distal spine, with retrolateral excavation extending most of distal half of segment, patch of spinules on distal, prolateral half; dorsal tibial apophysis long, straight, gently curved ventrally, bearing one long, erect, basal macroseta ( Figs 201–202 ); retrolateral apophysis shorter, bent at about onethird its length, tip arrow-shaped, with a bicuspid, laminar process at half of inner side, directed prolaterally ( Figs 200–201 ); distal border of palpal tibia deeply notched prolaterally ( Figs 199–200 ); shallow groove on middle of cymbium, corresponding with dorsal tibial apophysis; tegulum greatly expanded proximally, laterally; membranous embolar base except prolaterally and distally, narrow, about one-fifth of bulb width; embolus short, extending along the alveolus edge, obscured by cymbial setae and embolar basal process, which has tip wide; conductor long, greatly widened at tip; hook-shaped apical tegular apophysis strong, pointing retrolaterally ( Figs 199–202 ).

Female: Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the Sótano de Agua de las Vacas in the Municipio de General Zaragoza in southwest Nuevo León ( Fig. 339 ).

Figures

FIGURE 339. Northeast Mexico, showing distribution of the Phonotimpus species described in this work.

FIGURES 199–205. 199–202. Phonotimpus vacas sp. nov., male. 203–205. P. valles sp. nov., female. 199. Left palp, prolateral view. 200. Same, ventral view. 201. Same, retrolateral view. 202. Same, dorsal view. 203. Epigynum, ventral view. 204. Cleared epigynum, ventral view. 205. Same, dorsal view.

FIGURES 226–245. 226–229. Phonotimpus frio sp. nov., female. 230–233. P. revilla sp. nov., female. 234–241. P. tetrico sp. nov., male (234–237) and female (238–241). 242–245. P. vacas sp. nov., male. 226, 230, 234, 238, 242. Carapace, dorsal view. 228, 232, 236, 240, 244. Same, ventral view. 227, 231, 235, 239, 243. Abdomen, dorsal view. 229, 233, 237, 241, 245. Same, ventral view.