Eutichurus tendetza, Peñaherrera-R & Guerrero-Campoverde & Guerrero-Molina & Cisneros-Heredia, 2024

Peñaherrera-R, Pedro, Guerrero-Campoverde, Ariel, Guerrero-Molina, Tomás & Cisneros-Heredia, Diego F., 2024, On the first Subandean species of Eutichurus Simon, 1897 (Araneae: Cheiracanthiidae) from the Cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador, Zootaxa 5477 (2), pp. 246-250 : 246-248

Eutichurus tendetza sp. nov.

Figs. 1–3

Type material. Holotype male, República de Ecuador, Provincia de Zamora Chinchipe, Cantón Paquisha, Parroquia Paquisha , Destacamento Paquisha Alto , first plateau of Cerro Machinaza , Cordillera del Cóndor , -3.8985, -78.4805, 2315 m a.s.l.; 15 October 2023; P. Peñaherrera-R. leg.; ZSFQ–i17797 (Field label: PJPR–RI0531-533).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a name in apposition honouring José Isidro Tendetza Antún, a Shuar leader of the Yaanua community, member of the Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas de la Amazonía Ecuatoriana and the Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador, and former vice president of the Shuar Federation of Zamora. He vigorously opposed and fought against mining concessions and environmental exploitation of the Cordillera del Cóndor. José was one of many indigenous leaders whose murders have been linked to the fight against extractive activities and pro-mining laws.

Diagnosis. Females of Eutichurus tendetza sp. nov. resemble those of E. lizeri and E. yungas by having a longer than wide median field, fused posterior plates, primary spermathecae small and globular, and secondary spermathecae stalk superposed to copulatory duct ( Figs 2–3 ; Bonaldo 1994, figs 41–42; Bonaldo et al. 2018, figs 18–19). It can be distinguished from both E. lizeri and E. yungas by having shorter anterior projections (~0.3 times the length of posterior plate of lateral lobe), wide secondary spermathecae stalks curved inwards and dorsally fused with the copulatory duct at medial part and enlarged fertilisation ducts ( Figs 2–3 ). Additionally, the epigynal morphology of the females of E. tendetza sp. nov. resembles those of E. marquesae and E. putus by having similarly reduced anterior projections ( Fig. 3 ; Bonaldo 1994, figs 80–81, 92–93; Bonaldo et al. 2018, figs 52–56. It can be distinguished from E. marquesae by having a wider median field, posterior plate of lateral lobe without a semi-circular sclerotised area and elongated and thin secondary spermathecae stalks; from E. putus by having longer than wide median field, elongated and thin secondary spermathecae stalks, and longer posterior plate of lateral lobe ( Figs 2–3 ).

Description. Female (holotype). Colour in live ( Fig. 1 ): carapace brown, covered with grey setae, thoracic groove reddish, chelicerae black, endites and labium reddish black. Sternum reddish with black margins. Legs light brown. Abdomen light brown with a median, longitudinal light stripe, one half of the abdomen lighter than the other half. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal teeth, the second the largest, the first a denticle, and with 4 retromarginal teeth closely placed. Tarsi I–II moderated scopulated, Tarsi III- IV dense scopulated and metatarsi I–II with moderate scopulae; metatarsi III–IV with moderate scopulae, denser apicad. Total length 20.9. Carapace 7.61 long, 6.01 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.41, ALE 0.37, PME 0.28, PLE 0.36. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.40, AME–ALE 0.60, PME–PME 0.57, PME–PLE 0.61, AME–PME 0.38, ALE–PLE 0.14, clypeus AME 0.34, clypeus ALE 0.38. Leg and palp measurements: palp 5.85 (2.72, 0.98, 2.01,–, 2.08); leg I 22.85 (6.33, 2.56, 5.99, 5.34, 2.63); leg II 20.64 (6.45, 2.07, 5.20, 4.94, 1.98); leg III 17.14 (5.33, 1.65, 3.95, 4.28, 1.93); leg IV 20.99 (6.28, 1.94, 5.04, 5.68, 2.05). Leg formula I–IV–II–III. Spination: palpal femur: d 0–1–1 p 0, r 0, v 0. Leg. I femur d 1-1-0, p 0–0–1 r 0 v 0; tibia d 0, p 0, r 0, v 0–p1–0; metatarsus d 0, p 0, r 0, v 1–1–0, p 0–1–1. II—femur d 1–1–0, p 0–0–1 r 0, v 0; tibia d 0, p 0, r 0, v 0–p1–0; metatarsus d 1–1–0, p 0, r 0, v 1–1–0. III—femur d 1–1–0, p–1–1–0, r 1–0–0, v 0; tibia d 1–1–0, p 1–1–0, r 1–1–0, v 0–1–0; metatarsus d 0, p 0, r 0, v 0. IV—femur d 1–1–0, p 0, r 0, v 0; tibia d 0, p 0, r 0–1–1, v 0–2–0; metatarsus d 0, p 0, r 0, v 2–2–1. Genitalia ( Fig. 2–3 ). Median field longer than wide and protruding; Anterior projections reduced with rounded apices, ~0.3 times the length of the posterior plate of lateral lobe; posterior plates fused, anterior margins constricted distally; primary spermatheca small and globular; secondary spermatheca small and globular, projected inwards, with few apical gland pores; elongated secondary spermatheca stalk superposed to copulatory duct, stalk dorsally fused with the copulatory duct medially; elongated and lanceolate fertilisation ducts; wide, elongated, lanceolate-shaped diverticulum present below secondary spermatheca stalk ( Fig. 2B ).

Male. unknown.

Distribution and natural history. E. tendetza sp. nov. is known only from type locality, the first plateau of the Cerro Machinaza, Cordillera del Cóndor, at 2315 m, Zamora Chinchipe province. The female holotype was found between the leaves of a bromeliad, that were gathered by silk, creating a retreat, at Montane Evergreen Forest on sandstone plateaus of the Cordillera del Cóndor, Napo biogeographic province (sensu MAE, 2013; Morrone, 2014). Due to the proximity (~100 metres) to the international border with Peru, the distribution expansion of E. tendetza sp. nov. to Peru is expected.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Live habitus of Eutichurus tendetza sp. nov., female holotype (ZSFQ–i17797):A lateral view; B latero-dorsal view. Scale bars = 7 mm.

FIGURE 2. Eutichurus tendetza sp. nov., female holotype (ZSFQ–i17797): A epigynum, ventral view; B same, cleared; C same, posterior view. Abbreviations: AP, anterior projection of lateral lobe; CO, copulatory opening; D, diverticulum; MF, median field; PP, posterior plate of lateral lobe; S1, primary spermathecae; SS2, stalk of S2. Scale bars = 1mm.

FIGURE 3. Eutichurus tendetza sp. nov., female holotype (ZSFQ–i17797): A, B cleared vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD, copulatory duct; FD, fertilisation duct; S1, primary spermathecae; S2, secondary spermathecae; SS2, stalk of S2. Scale bars = 1 mm.