Acanthoctenus virginea ( Kraus, 1955 )

Arizala, Stephany, Labarque, Facundo Martín & Polotow, Daniele, 2021, Revision of the Neotropical spider genus Acanthoctenus (Araneae: Ctenidae Acanthocteninae), Zootaxa 4920 (1), pp. 1-55 : 31-36

Acanthoctenus virginea ( Kraus, 1955) stat. res., comb. nov.

Figs 10A , 31–33

Paracantheis virginea Kraus, 1955: 51–52 , figs 134–137 (male holotype from Vulcano San Vicente, Finca El Carmen, San Vicente Department [13°37’35.7”N, 88°48’32.0”W], El Salvador, 1300 m.a.s.l., 30.VII.1951, A. Zilch coll., deposited in SMF 8676; female paratype from east of Vulcano Izalco, bottom of Cerro Verde, Sonsonate Department [13°49’49.4”N, 89°36’55.7”W], El Salvador, 1200 m.a.s.l., 26.VII.1951, A. Zilch coll., deposited in SMF 8674; female paratype from road south of La Palma, El Refugio, [14°18’57.8”N, 89°10’31”W], Chalatenango Department, El Salvador, 1100 m.a.s.l, 4.XI.1951, A. Zilch coll., deposited in SMF 8675; all examined).— World Spider Catalog 2020.

Acanthoctenus spinipes — Lehtinen 1967: 256 (Syn.).— World Spider Catalog 2020.

Note. Lehtinen (1967: 208) synonymized Paracantheis virginea Kraus, 1955 with Acanthoctenus spinipes Keyserling, 1877 without seeing the type specimens of the former. Here we examine the type specimens of P. virginea and recognize it as a distinct species.

Diagnosis. Males of Acanthoctenus virginea stat. res., comb. nov. ( Figs 31 C–D, 32A–B) resemble those of A. spiniger ( Figs 11 C–D, 12A–B) by the palpal tibia retrolaterally swollen and the RTA short, wider than long. It can be distinguished by the cymbial projection with a pronounced anterior slope in ventral view and by the median apophysis proapical hook elongated, longer than wide. A. spiniger presents a slightly anterior slope in the cymbial projection and a reduced, wider than long median apophysis proapical hook. Females of Acanthoctenus virginea stat. res., comb. nov. ( Figs 32 C–D, 33C–D) resemble those of A. spiniger ( Figs 12 C–D, 14A–B) by the median sector subpentagonal, but it can be distinguished by lateral sectors’ anterior border straight, forming a 60° angle with the median sector’s longitudinal axis, and the atrium suboval. A. spiniger presents curved anterior border of the lateral sectors forming a 90° angle with the median sector’s longitudinal axis, and a subtriangular atrium.

Description. Male (holotype SMF 8676). Total length 11.20. Carapace 4.75 long and 4.00 wide. Clypeus 0.32 high. Eye diameters: AME 0.24, ALE 0.18, PME 0.34, PLE 0.40. Leg measurements: I: femur 7.0/ patella 2.38/ tibia 7.98/ metatarsus 7.56/ tarsus 2.52/ total 27.35; II: 6.02/ 2.24/ 6.58/ 5.88/ 1.82/ 22.54; III: 5.18/ 1.82/ 4.34/ 5.17/ 1.82/ 18.33; IV: absent. Leg spination: tibia I v-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2, r-1-0-0-1, p-1-0-1-1-1; II v-2-2-2-2-2-2-2- 2-2, r-1-1-0-1-1, p-1-0-1-1, III and IV v-2-2-2, r-1-0-1, p-0-1-1; metatarsus I and II v-2-2-2-2-2, r-0-1, p-1-0-1; III and IV v-2-2-2, r-1-1-1, p-1-1-0-1. Palp ( Figs 31 C–D, 32A–B): tibia shorter than cymbium, swollen retrobasally; RTA short and blunt; cymbium elongated and with retrobasal projection; embolus elongated, cylindrical, and curved; conductor hyaline and following the tip of embolus; median apophysis laminar, elongated, narrow at the base and wider at the top, with a proapical hook and a retrolateral ridge.

Female (SMF 8674). Total length 9.50. Carapace 4.50 long and 3.00 wide. Clypeus 0.35 high. Eye diameters: AME 0.20, ALE 0.14, PME 0.30, PLE 0.34. Leg measurements: I: femur 4.10/ patella 1.70/ tibia 4.50/ metatarsus 3.80/ tarsus 1.30/ total 15.30; II: 6.022.24/ 6.58/ 5.88/ 1.82/ 22.54; III: 5.18/ 1.82/ 4.34/ 5.17/ 1.82/ 18.33; IV: absent. Leg spination: tibia I v-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2, r-1-0-0-1, p-1-0-1-1-1; II v-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2, r-1-1-0-1-1, p-1-0-1-1, III and IV v-2-2-2, r-1-0-1, p-0-1-1; metatarsus I and II v-2-2-2-2-2, r-0-1, p-1-0-1; III and IV v-2-2-2, r-1-1-1, p-1-1-0-1. Epigynum ( Figs 32 C–D, 33C–D): median sector suboval, elongated, wide anteriorly extending into the atrium, projected posteriorly; anterior border of the lateral sectors straight; atrium large, suboval; copulatory ducts S-shaped; spermathecae head quote-shaped, with apical glandular openings, spermathecae base curled; fertilization ducts tubular, slanting outwards.

Distribution. El Salvador ( Fig. 10A ).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Distribution map of Acanthoctenus species. A, south of North America and Central America; B. north of South America.

FIGURE 11. Acanthoctenus spiniger Keyserling, 1877, male holotype (NHB 1890.7.1.2924). A–B, habitus; A, dorsal; B, ventral. C–D, male palp; C, ventral; D, retrolateral.

FIGURE 12. Acanthoctenus spiniger Keyserling, 1877, copulatory organs.A–B, male palp (holotype NHB 1890.7.1.2924); A, ventral; B, retrolateral. C–D, female genitalia (CAS); C, epigynum, ventral; D, internal genitalia, dorsal.

FIGURE 31. Acanthoctenus virginea (Kraus, 1955) stat. res., comb. nov., male holotype (SMF 8676).A–B, habitus; A, dorsal; B, ventral. C–D, male palp; C, ventral; D, retrolateral. E, original collection label.

FIGURE 32. Acanthoctenus virginea (Kraus, 1955) stat. res., comb. nov., copulatory organs. A–B, male palp (holotype, SMF 8676); A, ventral; B, retrolateral. C–D, female genitalia (paratype, SMF 8674); C, epigynum, ventral; D, internal genitalia, dorsal.

FIGURE 33. Acanthoctenus virginea (Kraus, 1955) stat. res., comb. nov., female paratype (SMF 8674). A–B, habitus; A, dorsal; B, ventral. C, epigynum, ventral. D, internal genitalia, dorsal (asterisk to gland openings). E, original collection label.