Spelocteniza ashmolei Gertsch, 1982

Dupérré, Nadine & Tapia, Elicio, 2025, Revision of the Ecuadorian Microstigmatidae (Araneae: Mygalomorphae), with the description of six new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 1007, pp. 87-132 : 95

Spelocteniza ashmolei Gertsch, 1982

Figs 4–5 , 24–25 , 30

Diagnosis

Females are distinguished from those of all species by their evanescent eyes ( Figs 4A , 5A ), internal genitalia with two spermathecal heads on narrow bases ( Fig. 5C ).

Type material

Holotype

ECUADOR • ♀; Morona Santiago Province, Shovel Pot Trapdoor Chamber of cave at Los Tayos ; 3 ° 11′ S, 78 ° 12′ W; 26 July 1976; N.P. Ashmole leg; AMNH_IZC 00357161; AMNH.

Description

See Gertsch (1982). Gertsch stated the rastellum having six heavy, curved, socketed spines along inside half “, we observed two large spines, four smaller setae. Tarsal organ highly elevated, smooth at apex of tarsi ( Figs 24D , 25A–B ), leg cuticle pustulose ( Fig. 25D ).

Natural history

The female was collected in a trapdoor nest on the vertical silk surface on a wall ( Gertsch 1982).

Distribution

Only known at the type locality in Morona Santiago.

Figures

Fig. 4. Spelocteniza ashmolei Gertsch, 1982, ♀, holotype (AMNH_IZC 00357161; AMNH). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Fig. 5. Spelocteniza ashmolei Gertsch, 1982, ♀, holotype (AMNH_IZC 00357161; AMNH). A. Carapace, dorsal view. B. Sternum, ventral view. C. Internal genitalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Fig. 24. Spelocteniza ashmolei Gertsch, 1982, ♀, holotype (AMNH_IZC 00357161; AMNH), SEM. A. Carapace eye region, dorsal view. B. Sternum, ventral view. C. Labium and maxillae, ventral view. D. Tarsus IV, dorsal view (arrow points to tarsal organ).

Fig. 25. Spelocteniza ashmolei Gertsch, 1982, ♀, holotype (AMNH_IZC 00357161), SEM. A. Palp tarsus, dorsal view (arrow points to tarsal organ). B. Tarsus III, dorsal view (arrow points to tarsal organ). C. Tarsus IV trichobothria, dorsal view. D. Tarsus II cuticle, dorsal view.

Fig. 30. Distribution map of members of the family Microstigmatidae Roewer, 1942 in Ecuador. Spelocteniza ashmolei Gertsch, 1982 (yellow star), Spelocteniza pampenita sp. nov. (orange triangle), Spelocteniza zuninoi sp. nov. (turquoise circle), Pseudonemesia scutata gen. et sp. nov. (red triangle), Pastaza aureliae gen. et sp. nov. (yellow circle), Pastaza roberti gen. et sp. nov. (pink circles), Pastaza vegai gen. et sp. nov. (green circle).