Chococtenus, Dupérré, Nadine, 2015

Dupérré, Nadine, 2015, Description of a new genus and thirteen new species of Ctenidae (Araneae, Ctenidae) from the Chocó region of Ecuador, Zootaxa 4028 (4), pp. 451-484 : 453

Chococtenus new genus

Type species. Chococtenus otonga n. sp.

Etymology. The generic name is a contraction of “Chocó” and “ Ctenus ” in reference to the hotspot corridor running from Panama to Peru where the type species was first discovered. The gender is masculine.

Diagnosis. The genus Chococtenus is diagnosed from other Acantheinae by the presence of unique ventral and a spine-like retrolateral tibial apophysis ( Fig. 2). Males Chococtenus are differentiated from Enoploctenus Simon 1897 ( Dupérré 2014: fig. 7) and Phymatoctenus Simon 1897 by their unique, prominent ventral tibial apophysis, absent in the later genera. Furthermore males of Enoploctenus are distinguished by the presence of a retroapical tibial notch on the palpal tibia ( Dupérré 2014: fig. 8), absent in Chococtenus ( Figs 3, 7). Females are distinguished by the presence of lateral internal pockets of the epigynum ( Figs 5, 9, 24). From Enoploctenus , Phymatoctenus and Tuticanus Simon 1897 by the particularly wide median sector of the epigynum, longer than high ( Figs 12, 23, 27); narrow, higher than long in Enoploctenus ( Dupérré 2014: fig. 4), Phymatoctenus and Tuticanus .

Description. Male. Small to medium (3.3–9.5mm) size spiders. CARAPACE: Piriform, slightly longer than wide, two types of colour pattern: as C. otonga ( Figs 1, 55) or as C. cappuccino and C. otongachi ( Figs 20, 33); shallow thoracic groove; fovea longitudinal. Eyes pattern 2-4 - 2, rounded; AME, ALE the smallest, PME, PLE the biggest ( Figs 53, 54). Clypeus low, 1 / 2 x AME ( Figs 53, 54). Chelicerae promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 4 teeth; with two black stripes ( Figs 53, 54). Endites longer than wide. Labium rectangular. Sternum flat, as long as wide. LEGS: Evenly coloured or with black bands on femur, tibiae and metatarsi. Leg formula 4123. Trochanters notched. Ventral scopula on tarsi and metatarsi I. Femur with 3 dorsal and no ventral spines. Tibia I and II with five pairs of ventral spines, metatarsi I and II with three pairs of ventral spines. Tarsal claw unipectinate, with 7–10 teeth; with dense claw tufts. ABDOMEN: oval, with median half-length pale band, uniformly greyish-brown colour ( Figs 1, 55, 56) or with a pattern of darker patches. GENITALIA: Cymbium pointed apically with modified setae, as long as tibia; dorsal scopula present; with basal cymbial retrolateral keel ( Figs 2, 6, 25). Tibia as long as the cymbium; two prolateral spines, one retrolateral; retrolateral tibial apophysis well developed, spine-like ( Figs 3, 15, 22) or slightly curved ( Fig. 43); ventral tibial apophysis variable, somewhat transparent apically, curved ( Fig. 2), elongated ( Figs 6, 10), rectangular ( Figs 14, 18) or rounded ( Fig. 42). Tegulum oval ( Figs 2, 21, 38) sometimes with a retrolateral swelling ( Figs 6, 14, 29); with a hyaline sector at the base of the median apophysis. Median apophysis variable, elongated ( Fig. 6), curved ( Fig. 10), straight ( Fig. 14) or with basal projection ( Figs 25, 38, 42, 44, 46). Membranous tegular process originating at the base of the median apophysis and the embolus, elongated, hyaline, ribbed ( Fig. 2), long ( Fig. 14) or short ( Fig. 10), sometimes hidden behind the embolus ( Fig. 38). Conductor positioned at tip of embolus, hyaline, variably shaped, sometimes folded ( Fig. 21). Embolus base sometimes twisted ( Fig. 2) or straight ( Figs 6, 10). Embolus filiform, thin ( Figs 6, 14, 21) or broad ( Figs 38, 42), tip of different shapes ( Figs 21, 34).

Female. Small to medium (3.3–9.5mm) size spiders. Somatic morphology as in male, colouration somewhat darker and more contrasted than in males. LEGS: As in males, sometimes with pattern of yellow-orange to dark brown or blackish bands; with less leg spines; legs shorter than males compared to body length. Tarsal claw unipectinate, with 4 teeth and dense claw tufts. Pedipalp claw unipectinate with 4 short teeth. GENITALIA: Epigynum with strongly sclerotized median sector, either pentagonal ( Fig. 4), triangular ( Fig. 8), rounded ( Fig. 16), elliptical ( Figs 23, 31, 36) or heart-shaped ( Figs 12, 27); unsclerotized median sector can be wide ( Fig. 4), medium ( Fig. 16), narrow ( Fig. 23) or absent ( Fig. 12); slightly concave ( Fig. 4) or flat ( Fig. 23); lateral processes elongated ( Figs 4, 8) or short ( Figs 12, 16), positioned basally ( Figs 23, 27) or medially ( Figs 36, 40). Internal genitalia with copulatory ducts long, curved, positioned laterally ( Fig. 5) or short and positioned more ventrally ( Fig. 13) in internal lateral pockets ( Figs 5, 9, 24); spermathecae rounded ( Figs 5, 48) to oval ( Fig. 17); fertilization ducts short positioned at the base of the spermathecae, directed medially ( Fig. 5).

Composition. Fifteen species: C. acanthoctenoides ( Schmidt 1956) n. comb., C. cappuccino n. sp., C. kashakara n. sp., C. cuchilla n. sp., C. duendecito n. sp., C. fantasma n. sp., C. lasdamas n. sp., C. luchoi n. sp., C. miserabilis ( Strand 1916) , C. neblina n. sp., C. otonga n. sp., C. otongachi n. sp., C. piemontana n. sp., C. suffuscus n. sp. and C. waitti n. sp.

Distribution. Colombia and Ecuador.