Spelocteniza zuninoi, Dupérré & Tapia, 2025

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 : 104-107

Spelocteniza zuninoi sp. nov.

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Figs 11–12 , 30

Diagnosis

Males closely resemble those of S. pampenita sp. nov. but can be distinguished by the palpal bulb elongated oval, curved embolus and short paraembolic apophysis ( Fig. 12C–E ); while the palpal bulb is oval, the embolus sinuous and the paraembolic apophysis long in the latter ( Fig. 8C–E ).

Etymology

The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of Mario Zunino, Italian entomologist, in recognition of his studies on systematics, phylogeny of scarab beetles and support to the OTONGA foundation.

Type material

Holotype

ECUADOR • ♂; Cotopaxi Province, OTONGA Biological Reserve ; 0°25′17″ S, 79°00′48″ W; 2225 m a.s.l.; 19 Sep.–2 Oct. 2014; E. Tapia, C. Tapia and N. Dupérré leg.; ECFN 11673; QCAZ.

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Carapace length: 2.62; carapace width: 2.08; abdomen length: missing.

CEPHALOTHORAX. Carapace orange, oval; pars cephalica flat, pars thoracica sloping; fovea straight ( Fig. 11A ). Labium yellow with V-shaped margin; with four elongated cuspules ( Fig. 11B ). Maxillae with 3–7 elongated cuspules; anterior lobe small ( Fig. 11B ); serrula present. Sternum rounded (1.19 length, 1.22 width); with three oval sigilla along margin ( Fig. 11B ). Eight eyes in two rows: AME 0.1, ALE 0.1, PLE 0.09, PME 0.06, PME–PME 0.34; ocular quadrangle rectangular (0.47 anterior, 0.48 posterior, 0.23 high) ( Fig. 11A ).

CHELICERAE. Orange, rastellum absent; with 10 promarginal teeth, 12 intermarginal denticles; intercheliceral tumescence inconspicuous.

LEGS. Light orange with dark bands apically on femora, laterally on patellae and apically and basally on metatarsi. Leg measurements: I 7.46 (1.93/1.14/1.74/1.49/1.16); II 7.07 (1.94/1.07/1.53/1.41/1.12); III 6.44 (1.75/0.70/1.30/1.61/1.08); missing. Leg spination (spines on all segments except tarsi): I fe d1-1-1- 1-1-1, pa 0, ti p1-1, v2-2-3(apical), mt p1, v1-1-2(apical); II fe d1-1-1-1-1, pa 0, ti p1-1, v2-2-3 (apical), mt p1,v1-2-2(apical); III fe d1-1-2; pa d1, p1, r1, ti d1, p1-1, r1, v2-2-3 (apical), mt d2-2-1, p1-1-1-1, r1, v2-2-3(apical); IV missing. Tarsi with filiform trichobothria, tarsal organ highly elevated and smooth (observed under light microscope); tarsal claw biserrated with 5–8 teeth on each edge, ITC present on all leg. Male tibial clasping spur is a large spine ( Fig. 11C ); sparse scopula on tarsi I–II, sparse apical (25%) scopula on metatarsi I–II, absent on tarsi and metatarsi III–IV.

ABDOMEN. Missing.

GENITALIA. Palpal tibia (1.0 length, 0.36 width); cymbium without spines ( Fig. 12A–B ); bulb elongated oval; with large tegular heel; embolus sinuous, with short, curved paraembolic apophysis ( Fig. 12C–E ).

Female

Unknown.

Natural history

The only male was collected in a pitfall trap at 2225 m a.s.l. in the evergreen montane forest of the Western Cordillera (BsMn03) ( Iglesias et al. 2013a).

Distribution

Known only from the type locality in Cotopaxi Province.

Figures

Fig. 11. Spelocteniza zuninoi sp. nov., ♂, holotype (ECFN 11673; QCAZ). A. Carapace, dorsal view. B. Sternum, ventral view. C. Leg I, retrolateral view. Scale bars: A–B = 1.0 mm; C = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 12. Spelocteniza zuninoi sp. nov., ♂, holotype (ECFN 11673; QCAZ). A. Palp, prolateral view. B. Palp, retrolateral view. C. Bulb, prolateral view (arrow points to tegular heel). D. Bulb, ventral view. E. Bulb, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: A–B = 0.5 mm; C–E = 0.1 mm.

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).

Fig. 8. Spelocteniza pampenita sp. nov., ♂, holotype (ECFN 11665; QCAZ). A. Palp, prolateral view. B. Palp, retrolateral view. C. Bulb, prolateral view (arrow points to tegular heel). D. Bulb, ventral view. E. Bulb, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: A–B = 0.5 mm; C–E = 0.1 mm.