Jalapyphantes, GERTSCH & DAVIS, 1946

Moreira, Thiago Da Silva & Hormiga, Gustavo, 2021, Systematics of the Neotropical spider genera Jalapyphantes and Selenyphantes and the circumscription of the Pocobletus clade (Araneae: Linyphiidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 192 : -

GENUS JALAPYPHANTES GERTSCH & DAVIS, 1946

( FIGS 3–21, 41A, B)

Type species: Jalapyphantes cuernavaca Gertsch & Davis, 1946 (by original designation).

Included species: Jalapyphantes cuernavaca Gertsch & Davis, 1946 ; Jalapyphantes minoratus Gertsch & Davis, 1946 ; Jalapyphantes obscurus Millidge, 1991 ; Jalapyphantes puebla Gertsch & Davis, 1946 and the new species Jalapyphantes tricolor .

Diagnosis: Jalapyphantes is distinguished from the closely related genus Selenyphantes by its yellow/light brown colour on the prosoma and dark brown with guanine spots on the opisthosoma and the thick legs with black annuli ( Figs 6A–C, 7A–C) contrasting with Selenyphantes pearly white prosoma, and uniform thin white legs ( Figs 24A–C, 25A–C).

Description: Medium to small linyphiids (total length 1.97–4.70 in females and 1.95–3.69 in males). Prosoma longer than wide (length: 0.94–1.74 in males, 0.90–1.92 in females; width: 0.97–1.95 in males, 1.07– 2.88 in females). Prosoma colour varies from dark yellow with dark stripes on medial and lateral areas or completely dark yellow. Sternum rounded, flat, with setae. Eyes subequal; lateral eyes juxtaposed. Clypeus high (4.69–5.44× AME diameter in males and 2.28–4.20 in females, but 1.76× AME in the female of J. minoratus ) and slightly bent inward, immediately below AMEs (but straight in J. obscurus ) projecting the eye region. Eyes clustered in the centre of the cephalic region. Cephalic area at the same height as fovea (CFr 1.02–1.33 in females and 1.30–1.47 in males). Cheliceral teeth linearly arranged, prolateral (2–3 in males, 3–4 in females) larger than retrolateral teeth (3–4 in males and females). Cheliceral striae parallel, compressed and equally spaced. Female pedipalp with a claw, armed with a single strong macroseta in the patella and several strong setae in both metatarsus and tarsus. Legs stout and moderately long (femora length 1.16–74× prosoma length in males and 1.09– 1.56× prosoma length in females), covered with small, short macrosetae, along with all faces of articles. All leg articles with dark annuli (sometimes faded in ethanol). Femora (femur I 1.30–2.82 in males and 1.42–2.54 in females). Femora longer than metatarsi in males and shorter in females (metatarsi I 1.34–2.97 in males and 1.37–2.37 in females). Metatarsi slightly longer than femora in males and femora slightly longer than metatarsi in females (except in J. obscurus where male metatarsi are more than a third longer than its femora and female metatarsi slightly longer than femora). Leg autospasy at the patella–tibia joint. Opisthosoma oval, longer than wide (in J. obscurus piriform, taller than longer in females; cylindrical, longer than wider in males), dark grey with white guanine spots or dark beige with graphite black spots covered with setae (strong in J. minoratus and J. puebla ). Epiandrous fusules arranged in a convex line on the central part of the epigastric furrow, grouped in two or three per socket ( Fig. 19A). ALS with an extensive piriform field ( Figs 20F, 21A). PMS with three aciniform spigots between minor ampullate and cylindrical gland spigots ( Figs 20G, 21B). PLS with four to six aciniform spigots ( Figs 20H, 21C) linearly arranged, close to araneoid triplet; triplet absent in adult males. Tracheal system haplotracheate (per J. obscurus dissection). Tracheal trunks confined to the abdomen, the median being about half as long as the lateral trunks, similar to representatives of Selenyphantes and Pocobletus ( Fig. 19H).

Epigynum large, occupying the entire region anterior to epigastric furrow ( Figs 4C, 6C, 8C, 10C, 12C). Two subequal epigynal lobes greatly enlarged, ovoid, formed from ventral plates ( Fig. 16A–E), separated by a median septum, originated from the dorsal plate, ending in a scape. Scape oriented orthogonally or in angle with the symmetry axis, of variable morphology, without a socket. Epigynal lobes greatly enlarged, formed by conspicuous development of ventral plate ( Fig. 19E, F). Copulatory orifice opens anteriorly (medially in J. obscurus ) in a slit of variable size and shape ( Figs 16A–E, 19E, 20A). A membranous, non-symmetrical structure of variable morphology (the epigynal membranous channel, EMC) connects COs to CDs. CDs connect to a sclerotized structure, anteriorly wide but caudally thinner, the Spermatheca Pre Chamber (SPC; Figs 17A–E, 20B). SPC perpendicular to the spermathecae, connecting to its basis. Spermathecae longer than wider, of variable morphology. Fertilization ducts long, with an anterior turning point, sigmoid on the posterior third, exiting the epigynum dorsally, through the dorsal plate (but see in J. obscurus description).

Male palpal patella with a long, strong macroseta. Tibia ventrally bent with a variable number of strong, long macrosetae, positioned on its ectal side on the anterior and proximal part. Palpal tibia with two mesal and one dorsal trichobothrium. Cymbium mesally oriented, round and broader on its posterior part than its anterior part (baseball-glove shaped). Cymbium with two projections: an ectobasal one oriented upwards (dorsal to paracymbium in ectal view) and a mesobasal projecting downwards under the cymbium. Cymbium with an ectoapical concavity; cymbial lobe over the subtegulumbasal haematodocha area ( Fig. 16C, D). Paracymbium ‘J’-shaped (cymbium contact area is longer than the distal area, with an acute inward angle – Figs 19C, 20D, F), orthogonal to the tegular area, projecting outwards (somewhat in an angle or almost orthogonal in frontal or caudal view). Paracymbium bears basal and apical setae in variable quantities. Paracymbium apical part with an acute and short apophysis (square in J. obscurus ). Subtegulum distinctively separated from the rest of the tegular division. Tegular area is larger than cymbium. Tegular retrolateral lobe (TL) large, with variable morphology ( Figs 19C, 19D, 21E, G). Tegulum apex blunt, with a small apophysis and a protegular process with papillae.Tegulum bears a hook-shaped structure (of difficult observation) close to its ectal margin ( Fig. 41A). Suprategulum parallel to the tegulum. Suprategulum with large, acute DSA, always surpassing tegular apex ( Figs 7E, 13E; but see J. obscurus Fig. 9E). MSA, when present ( J. cuernavaca , J. puebla ; Figs 5E, 11E) is a flat lobe. Embolic division detached from the tegular division, completely mesally oriented relative to overall palp. Column basal on suprategulum, thick and visible in the unexpanded palp ( Fig. 14A–E). Radix short, with a tailpiece close to embolus base ( Figs 5G, 7G, 9G, 11G, 13G). The radix–embolus connection is partially membranous and slightly constricted. Embolus long (c. 1.5–2.0× the length of the prosoma), thick at the base and gradually decreasing in diameter throughout its length. Embolus exits radix into an upward curve ( Figs 5G, 7G, 11G, 13G; except in J. obscurus where it exits in a downward curve – Fig. 9G), projecting ectally, winding clockwise. Embolic division with two main nonradical sclerites: the lamella characteristica (LC) and the radical complex (RC). LC flattened, thin, translucent, not sclerotized, rolling over itself. RC, a massive, sclerotized structure, with two branches or projections: a distinctive larger one (Radical Complex Main Apophysis, RCm) and a smaller structure with a flattened or folded sheath (Radical Complex Secondary Apophysis, RCs). Both RCm and RCs project dorsally (upwards).

Natural history: Jalapyphantes species weave typical sheet webs ( Fig. 21H, 21I), usually without upper scaffolding, and are found in high elevation cloud forests.

Distribution ( Fig. 18 A–E): MEXICO: Chihuahua, Distrito Federal, Guerrero, Morelos, México, Nuevo

León, Querétaro, Veracruz; COLOMBIA: Putumayo, Cundinamarca .