Oecobius yaqui, Alcántar-Valenzuela & Chamé-Vázquez & Jiménez, 2025

Alcántar-Valenzuela, Joel Jair, Chamé-Vázquez, David & Jiménez, María-Luisa, 2025, Four new species of the spider genus Oecobius Lucas, 1846 (Araneae: Oecobiidae) from northwestern Mexico, Zootaxa 5679 (4), pp. 501-520 : 508-510

Oecobius yaqui spec. nov.

Figs 21–30

Type material. Holotype: 1♂ (CARCIB-Ar-036), MEXICO: Sonora, Hermosillo, Hermosillo City, Stadium Sonora (29.0697°N, 111.0575°W, 195 m), deciduous xerophyte scrub, manual collection, K. Gómez leg., 19/III/2022.

Paratypes: Same data as for holotype, 1♀ (CARCIB-Ar-037); same data as for holotype, 1 juv. (CARCIB-Ar- 0228) .

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Yaqui indigenous ethnic group, who inhabits Sonora.

Diagnosis. Male palp of O. yaqui spec. nov. resembles those of O. yoreme spec. nov. by having the radical apophysis about the same length than terminal apophysis; however, O. yaqui spec. nov. possesses a large, median protrusion on radical apophysis ( Fig. 26 ; vs. without protrusion on radical apophysis in O. yoreme spec. nov., Fig. 36 ), and a curved terminal apophysis, right-angled at one-third of its length ( Fig. 25 ; vs. apically hooked in O. yoreme spec. nov., Fig. 35 ). Females O. yaqui spec. nov. resemble those of O. hoffmannae by having the scape longer than wide, with copulatory openings on scape apex, and copulatory ducts running anteriorly on scape; however, O. yaqui spec. nov., possesses the scape almost two times longer than wide ( Fig. 28 ; vs. less than 1.3 times longer than wide in O. hoffmannae , Fig. 48 ; Jiménez & Llinas 2005: fig. 4).

Description. Male. Coloration: Carapace light brown with three dark submarginal spots. Eye area bordered with black. Legs pale white, with black rings on segments (usually broken) as follows: Fe with two, Pa with one, Ti with two, Mt with two. Sternum, labium and endites whitish. Opisthosoma dorsum with white and dark brown spots interspersed, and a large, brown cardiac mark; sides suffused with dark spots. Opisthosoma venter dark brown anteriorly and posteriorly, median area light, with few interspersed white spots and a posterior dark band. Spinnerets and anal tubercle dark brown ( Figs 21–22 ).

Carapace, eyes, mouthparts, and opisthosoma as in Oecobius culichi spec. nov. Measurements: total length 2.15. Carapace 0.79 long, 0.96 wide. Opisthosoma 1.36 long, 0.95 wide. Ti I 0.66, II 0.66, III 0.70, IV 0.71.

Palp. In prolateral view, radical apophysis subtriangular, with median protrusion broadly attached, directed prolaterad; radical protrusion short and pointed; terminal apophysis thinner than radical apophysis, curved (right angled at one-third of its length) with apex flattened dorsoventrally, same apophysis with basal, claw-shaped process near embolus. Conductor with two processes directed retroventrally and one protruding hyaline rim above the long, pointed hyaline median process, lower process short, subtriangular; embolus filiform directed retroventrally ( Figs 25–27 ).

Female. Coloration: Carapace and opisthosoma as male but carapace slightly darker and opisthosoma suffused with more white spots and epigastric area whitish with two black spots ( Figs 23–24 ). Measurements: total length 2.24. Carapace 0.78 long, 0.86 wide. Opisthosoma 1.46 long, 1.17 wide. Ti I–IV missing.

Epigyne. Scape longer than wide, oval-shaped, slightly pointed apically; copulatory openings small, situated on scape apex; posterior quarter of epigynal plate striated. Vulva . Copulatory ducts tubiform, slender, and long, directed anteriorly then arched laterally toward receptacles; sclerotized capsules elongated, longitudinal, situated laterally at scape base; receptacles hyaline and globose; blind appendix reniform, restricted to posterior third of the epigynal length ( Figs 28–30 ).

Natural history. Specimens of this species were found under a boulder in a scrubland area in Sonora in March 2022.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 76 ).

Figures

FIGURE 76. Distribution of Oecobius species based on records from the current paper, Shear (1970), and Jiménez & Llinas (2005).

FIGURES 21–30. Oecobius yaqui spec. nov. 21. male habitus, dorsal; 22. same, ventral; 23. female habitus, dorsal; 24. same, ventral; 25. male palp, prolateral; 26. same, ventral; 27. same, retrolateral; 28. epigyne, ventral; 29. cleared epigyne, ventral; 30. same, dorsal. Scale bars 21–24: 1.0 mm; 25–27: 0.30 mm; 28–30: 0.10 mm. Abbreviations: BA—blind appendix; C— conductor; CD—copulatory ducts; CO—copulatory openings; E—embolus; FD—fertilization ducts; K—sclerotized capsule; R—receptacle; RA—radical apophysis; TA—terminal apophysis.

FIGURES 31–40. Oecobius yoreme spec. nov. 31. male habitus, dorsal; 32. same, ventral; 33. female habitus, dorsal; 34. same, ventral; 35. male palp, prolateral; 36. same, ventral; 37. same, retrolateral; 38. epigyne, ventral; 39. cleared epigyne, ventral; 40. same, dorsal. White arrows point grooves of the terminal apophysis in Figs. 35, 36. Scale bars 31–34: 1.0 mm; 35–37: 0.30 mm; 38–40: 0.10 mm. Abbreviations: BA—blind appendix; C—conductor; CD—copulatory ducts; CO—copulatory openings; E— embolus; FD—fertilization ducts; K—sclerotized capsule; R—receptacle; RA—radical apophysis; TA—terminal apophysis.

FIGURES 41–50. Oecobius hoffmannae. 41. male habitus, dorsal; 42. same, ventral; 43. female habitus, dorsal; 44. same, ventral; 45. male palp, prolateral; 46. same, ventral; 47. same, retrolateral; 48. epigyne, ventral; 49. cleared epigyne, ventral; 50. same, dorsal. Scale bars 41–44: 1.0 mm; 45–47: 0.30 mm; 48–50: 0.10 mm. Abbreviations: BA—blind appendix; C— conductor; CD—copulatory ducts; CO—copulatory openings; E—embolus; FD—fertilization ducts; K—sclerotized capsule; R—receptacle; RA—radical apophysis; TA—terminal apophysis.