Titiotus tulare, Platnick & Ubick, 2008

Platnick, Norman I. & Ubick, Darrell, 2008, A Revision of the Endemic Californian Spider Genus Titiotus Simon (Araneae, Tengellidae), American Museum Novitates 3608 (1), pp. 1-36 : 24

Titiotus tulare , new species

Figures 52–56 ; map 2

TYPE: Male holotype from near Ash Mountain, Sequoia National Park , Tulare Co. , California (July 9, 1958; W. Gertsch, V. Roth) , deposited in AMNH.

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

DIAGNOSIS: Males and females have not been collected together, and it is possible that the females treated here as T. tulare are actually those of T. icenoglei , and vice versa. Males resemble those of T. heberti but differ in having the tibial apophysis with a distally wider middle prong (fig. 54); females differ from those of T. heberti in having a posteriorly narrowed epigynal septum (fig. 55).

MALE: Total length 16. Coloration as in T. californicus . Leg spination: femora: I p0-4-1, r1-2-1; II r1-2-1; III p1-1-2, r1-2-2; IV p1-2-1; tibiae: I v6-6-4, r1-2-0; II d1-0-1, v6-6-4, r1-2- 0; III d1-0-0, p1-1-2, r0-1-1; IV r1-0-2; metatarsi: I, II p1-1-0, r1-1-0; III p1-2-2. Embolus twisted near base, distally narrow; median apophysis with subdistal and retrolateral projections; middle prong of tibial apophysis bifid but not deeply incised, dorsal prong large, wide, flattened (figs. 52–54).

FEMALE: Total length 13. Coloration as in T. californicus . Leg spination: femora: I r1-2-1; II p1-1-2, r1-1-2; tibiae: I d1-0-0, v4-4-4, r1- 1-0; II d1-0-1, v4-4-4, r1-1-0; III r0-1-1; metatarsi: II r1-1-0; III p1-2-2. Epigynal septum wide but short, posterior portion restricted to narrow, triangular bulge; posterior ducts oblique, spermathecae narrow (figs. 55, 56).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: United States: CALIFORNIA: Kern Co.: Paradise Valley, Tehachapi Mountains , Aug. 18, 1959, in building, elev. 5000 ft (W. Icenogle, WRI), 1♀; Tehachapi Mountain County Park , Tehachapi Mountains , 35 ° 04.680 9 N, 118 ° 28.857 9 W, Sept. 9, 2004, crawling on road after rain, conifer-oak forest, elev. 5800 ft (W. Icenogle, WRI), 1♀. Tulare Co. : 3 mi W Giant Forest, Sequoia National Park, July 9, 1958 (W. Gertsch, V. Roth, AMNH), 13; Kaweah Power Station #3, Ash Mountain , 40 mi NE Visalia, Mar. 12, 1983 ( CDU) , 13, July 10, 1983 (D. Burdick, CAS) , 13, Apr. 13, 1985 ( CAS) , 13, Apr. 25, 1996 (D. Burdick, CAS) , 13; Kaweah River, 5 mi E Three Rivers, July 17, 1952, elev. 1258 ft (W. Gertsch, AMNH), 1♀; Lake Kaweah, Visalia , May 10, 1994 (D. Bixler, CDB) , 13; Three Rivers , July 17, 1952, elev. 1268 ft (W. Gertsch, AMNH) , 23.

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from Kern and Tulare Counties (map 2).

Figures

Figs. 52–56. Titiotus tulare, new species. 52. Left male palp, prolateral view. 53. Same, ventral view. 54. Same, retrolateral view. 55. Epigynum, ventral view. 56. Same, dorsal view.