Novalena tacana, Maya-Morales, Julieta & Jiménez, María Luisa, 2017

Maya-Morales, Julieta & Jiménez, María Luisa, 2017, Revision of the funnel-web spider genus Novalena (Araneae: Agelenidae), Zootaxa 4262 (1), pp. 1-88 : 75-78

Novalena tacana new species

Figures 41 , 42 ; Map 6

Rualena simplex Ibarra-Núñez, Maya-Morales & Chamé-Vázquez 2011: 1186 , figure 4h (♂) (misidentified)

Type. Holotype male: MEXICO: Chiapas: Municipality of Unión Juárez , Talquián , Volcán Tacaná Biosphere Reserve, 15°05′14.8″N, 92°05′55.6″W, 2100 m, pitfall trap, 9.VII.2007, D. Chamé and J.A. García, 1 ♂ (ECOTAAR 007691), deposited at ECOTAAR.

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

Diagnosis. The males of this species differ from N. shlomitae in having the RTA with a conspicuous excavation ( Fig. 42 b), from N. simplex in having the tegular median process less sclerotized ( Fig. 42 a), from N. cintalapa in having a tegulum flat in lateral view ( Fig. 42 b), and from N. gibarrai in having the tegular median process pointed ( Fig. 41 e). The females differ from N. shlomitae , N. simplex , N. gibarrai , and N. irazu in having the atrium with posterior margin divided in two large and rounded parts, from N. cintalapa in having the spurs separated by two times their basal width ( Fig. 42 c), and from N. triunfo in having the median plate uniformly wide ( Fig. 42 e).

Description. Male (holotype): Carapace light brown. Chelicerae dark brown, condyles orange. Endites and labium brown with white tips. Sternum light brown. Legs light brown, coxa yellow. Three rings on femur and two on tibia. Opisthosoma brown and grey with lateral light brown spots and foliage. Spinnerets yellow. Total length 8.38. Carapace length 4.38, width 2.88, cephalic region width 1.62, ocular region width 0.95. Eye diameter: AME 0.13, ALE, PME and PLE 0.19. Distance between eyes: AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.06, AME-PME 0.15, ALE- PLE 0.06, ALE-ALE 0.37, PME-PME 0.12, PME-PLE 0.1. Clypeus height 0.25. Chelicerae with three retromarginal teeth; basal segment length 1.76, fang length 0.72. Labium wider than long (0.61/0.48). Endites convergent (distance at their base compared at their tips 0.67/0.3). Sternum longer than wide (2/1.62). Opisthosoma longer than wide (3.57/2.62). ALS separated by less their basal diameter (0.23/0.33), PLS with distal segment as long as basal segment (0.48/0.48). Leg lengths: I—femur 3.38/ patella-tibia 4/ metatarsus 3.13/ tarsus 2.38; II— 3.5/ 4.13/ 3.25/ 2.13; III—3.25/ 3.75/ 3.38/ 2; IV—4.13/ 3.63/ 4.75/ 2.5. Spination: femur dorsal I—1-2 -3/ II—1-3 - 3/ III—1-3 -3/ IV—1-2 -3; patella I—dorsal 1-1/ prolateral 1/ retrolateral 0; II—1-1 / 1/ 0; III—1-1 / 1/ 1; IV—1-1 / 1/ 1; tibia I—dorsal 0/ ventral 2-2-2/ prolateral 0-1-0/ retrolateral 0; II—0/ 2-2-2/ 1-1-0/ 0; III—1-1 -0/ 2-2-2/ 1-1-0/ 1- 1-0; IV—1-1 -0/ 2-2-2/ 1-1-0/ 1-1-0; metatarsus I—0/ 2-2-2/ 0/ 0-0-1; II—0/ 2-2-2/ 1-1-1/ 0-1-0; III—3-2 -2/ 2-2-2/ 0-1-1/ 0-1-1; IV—3-2 -2/ 2-1-2-2/ 0-1-1/ 0-0-1. Number of trichobothria on tarsus: I—8, II—7, III—7, IV—7. Number of dorsal spines on pedipalp: femur 3, tibia 3. Cymbium length 1.67, width 0.86. Embolus curved; conductor with dorsal projection slightly larger than ventral one; tegular median process weakly sclerotized; dorsal projection of RTA with a transversal ridge and an excavation, ventral projection absent ( Figs. 41 e, f, 42a, b).

Female (paratype) (ECOTAAR 007694): Carapace as in male. Chelicerae and condyles dark brown. Endites and labium dark brown with white tips. Sternum brown with a central orange band. Legs yellow, tibia and metatarsus dark brown. Three rings on femur and two on tibia. Opisthosoma as in male. Spinnerets yellow. Total length 8.13. Carapace length 4.38, width 2.88, cephalic region width 1.81, ocular region width 0.95. Eye diameter: AME and PME 0.13, ALE 0.23, PLE 0.19. Distance between eyes: AME-AME 0.08, AME-ALE 0.08, AME-PME 0.21, ALE-PLE 0.1, ALE-ALE 0.37, PME-PME 0.15, PME-PLE 0.13. Clypeus height 0.27. Chelicerae with three retromarginal teeth; basal segment length 1.81, fang length 0.85. Labium slightly wider than long (0.61/0.58). Endites slightly convergent (distance at their base compared at their tips 0.61/0.36). Sternum longer than wide (1.95/1.67). Opisthosoma longer than wide (5.38/3.38). ALS separated by less their basal diameter (0.29/0.38), PLS with distal segment as long as basal segment (0.45/0.45). Leg lengths: I—femur 3.25/ patella-tibia 4/ metatarsus 2.5/ tarsus 2; II—3 / 3.25/ 2.25/ 1.75; III—2.88/ 3.13/ 3.13/ 1.63; IV—3.5/ 4.13/ 3.88/ 1.88. Spination: femur dorsal I—1-1 -2/ II—1-2 -3/ III—1-3 - 3/ IV—?; patella I—dorsal 1-1/ prolateral 1/ retrolateral 0; II—1-1 / 1/ 0; III—1-1 / 1/ 1; IV—1-1 / 1/ 1; tibia I—dorsal 0/ ventral 2-2-2/ prolateral 1-1-0/ retrolateral 0; II—0/ 2-2-2/ 1-1-0/ 0; III—1-1 -0/ 2-2-2/ 1-1-0/ 1-1-0; IV—1 -0-0/ 1-1-1-1-3/ 1-1-1-0/ 1-1-0; metatarsus I—0/ 2-2-2/ 1-0-1/ 0-0-1; II— 0/ 2-2-2/ 1-0-1/ 0-0-1; III—2-1 -2/ 2-2-2/ 0-1-1/ 0-1-1; IV—1-1 -1-1-1-1-2/ 1-1-1-2-2-2/ 0-0-1/ 0-0-1. Number of trichobothria on tarsus: I—7, II—7, III—7, IV—7. Dorsal spines on pedipalp femur: 3. Prolateral spines on tibia: 1-2. Epigynal plate wider than long (1.21/0.82); atrium in deep cavity; anterior hyaline spurs separated by more their basal width; posterior margin of atrium strongly sclerotized with two large and rounded parts ( Fig. 42 c, e). Internal genitalia: copulatory ducts curved in lateral direction, primary spermathecae adjacent ( Fig. 42 d).

Variation. Males (n=3): body length 5.63–8.38; carapace length 3.38–4.38; patella-tibia I length 3.13–4. Females (n=2): body length 8.13–9.38; patella-tibia I length 3.75–4.

Additional material examined. Paratypes. MEXICO : Chiapas: same data as holotype, 1 ♀ (ECOTAAR 007694) ; same data except 15°05′38″N, 92°06′06.2″W, 2044 m, 1 ♂ (CARCIB-0199) ; same data except 24.VIII.2007, 1 ♀ (CARCIB-0198). GUATEMALA : Quetzaltenango: NE ridge of Cerro Zunil , 12 km SW Zunil, 2700–2760 m, 28.V.1991, R. Anderson, 1 ♂ ( AMNH).

Habitat. Specimens from Mexico collected in tropical montane cloud forest.

Distribution. MEXICO: Chiapas; GUATEMALA: Quetzaltenango (Map 6).

Figures

FIGURE 41. Novalena tacana sp. nov. (SEM): a, b, male prosoma; c, d, female spinnerets; e, f, male pedipalp. a, dorsal view; b, frontal view; c, d, posterior view; e, ventral view; f, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: ALS, anterior lateral spinnerets; Cd, dorsal projection of conductor; Cv, ventral projection of conductor; E, embolus; MA, median apophysis; MAS, major ampullate glans spigots; PGS, piriform gland spigots; PLS, posterior lateral spinnerets; PMS, posterior median spinnerets; TMP, tegular median process (Photographs by Guadalupe Nieto López).

FIGURE 42. Novalena tacana sp. nov.: a, male pedipalp, ventral view; b, same, retrolateral view; c, epigynum, ventral view; d, internal genitalia, dorsal view; e, epigynum, posterior view. Abbreviations: A, atrium; C, conductor; CD, copulatory ducts; E, embolus; FD, fertilization ducts; MA, median apophysis; RTAd, distal projection of RTA; RTAo, dorsal projection of RTA; S, spurs; S 1, primary spermathecae; S 2, secondary spermathecae; T, tegulum; TMP, tegular median process. Scale bars: a = 1 mm; e = 0.5 mm.