Brachypelma baumgarteni, SMITH, 1993

Mendoza, Jorge & Francke, Oscar, 2020, Systematic revision of Mexican threatened tarantulas Brachypelma (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Theraphosinae), with a description of a new genus, and implications on the conservation, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 188, pp. 82-147 : 103-107

BRACHYPELMA BAUMGARTENI SMITH, 1993

( FIGS 2, 14–17, 37A–D, 38)

Brachypelma baumgarteni Smith, 1993: 15 , figs 1–10 (D male); Smith (1994: 163, figs 875–883), male; Teyssié (2015: 269, fig. 1), female. Misidentified by Peters (2000: 66, figs 214–215), male and Peters (2003: 114, figs 457, 460), male, the species shown in the figures is an adult male of Brachypelma hamorii Tesmoingt, Cleton & Verdez, 1997 not B. baumgarteni .

104 J. MENDOZA and O. FRANCKE

Material examined

Holotype of Brachypelma baumgarteni : MEXICO: Michoacán: ♂, Sierra Madre del Sur , M. Baumgarten (BMNH-1999-122).

Other material: MEXICO: Michoacán: 1 ♂, Carretera La Mira-Arteaga , 09/IX/2012, without collector (CNAN-Ar003597) ; 2 ♀, Mpio. Lázaro Cárdenas, Los Amates 11/XII/2013, J. Mendoza (CNAN-Ar007149) (CNAN-Ar007150) ; 1 ♀, Mpio. Lázaro Cárdenas, Puente Chuquiapan , 10/ XII/2013 J. Mendoza (CNAN-Ar007151) ; 1 ♂, Mpio. Lázaro Cárdenas, Los Coyotes , 8/XII/2016, J. Mendoza, R. Ramírez (CNAN-Ar010588) .

Diagnosis

Brachypelma baumgarteni can be distinguished from all other known Brachypelma species by the coloration of the legs with deep orange flame-shape on patellae with yellowish around, tibia and metatarsus with similar yellowish colour ( Fig. 37A–D). It also differs in the shape of genitalia in both sexes with palpal bulb slightly curved to dorsal ( Fig. 15C–D), embolus shorter than tegulum and broader at apex ( Fig. 15A–B). The prolateral superior keel broad and short, slightly directed retrolaterally ( Fig. 15A, C). Apical keel thin, extending more than the length of prolateral superior keel ( Fig. 15B). Also differs by the spermatheca ventral face smooth, with spermathecal baseplate oblong ( Fig. 16E–G).

Brachypelma baumgarteni is identified by possesing the following character combination: male palpal bulb slightly curved to dorsal with a narrow spoon-shape at apex, prolateral superior keel short, thin and directed retrolaterally; apical keel short and thin, larger than prolateral superior keel. Embolus tip slightly directed to retrolateral. Embolus compact and thin, shorter in length than tegulum ( Fig. 15A–D). Spermatheca fused trapezoidal, with a single receptacle strongly sclerotized. Spermathecal baseplate divided, more separated below; oblong and three times wider than its height ( Fig. 16E–G). Both sexes possess a yellowish longitudinal line just at metatarsi middle, this is better seen on legs I and IV ( Fig. 32A–D).

Description

Male (CNAN-Ar010588) ( Figs 14, 15, 17A): Body length 49.63 (not including chelicerae and spinnerets), carapace 22.59 length, 21.54 width. Caput not markedly elevated; fovea recurved, 3.75 wide ( Fig. 14A). Eyes: anterior eye row procurved, posterior eye row recurved. Eye sizes and interocular distances: AME 0.40; ALE 0.43; PME 0.33; PLE 0.70; AME–AME 0.40; AME–ALE 0.20; PME–PME 0.97; PME–PLE 0.10; ALE–PLE 0.23. Ocular tubercle width 2.50, length 2.13; clypeus 0.17 ( Fig 14D). Labium length 2.57, width 2.90; with 80 cuspules. Maxilla inner corner with approximately 179 (left) and 148 (right) cuspules. Cheliceral promargin with ten (left) and ten (right) teeth (proximal to distal: first-third large, fourth medium, fifth large, sixth small, seventh–tenth large). Sternum length 9.60, width 7.68. Sigilla oval, second and third pairs hardly visible, posterior pair twice its length from the margin ( Fig. 14B). Leg formula: IV, I, II, III. Length of legs and palpal segments (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus, total): I: 19.29, 9.87, 14.70, 16.21, 9.97, 70.04; II: 17.52, 9.79, 12.35, 13.39, 9.91, 62.96; III: 16.15, 9.13, 11.83, 15.25, 9.01, 61.37; IV:18.92, 9.99, 15.38, 19.99, 11.10, 75.38. Palp: 11.95, 7.32, 11.26, -, 5.20, 35.73. Spinnerets: PMS, 2.90 long, 1.45 apart; PLS, 4.10 basal, 2.95 middle, 4.15 distal. Tarsi I – IV entirely scopulated. Metatarsus I entirely scopulated, II scopulated 75%, III scopulated 60% distally, IV scopulated 30% distally. Tibia I with two tibial apophyses normally developed, which originate from a common base. Prolateral apophysis with inner spine half its length; retrolateral apophysis same width throughout its length, apex slightly curved to prolateral ( Fig. 14F–G). Metatarsus I curved ( Fig. 14E). Stridulatory setae: with plumose setae on palp coxa and trochanter retrolateral face; leg I trochanter and femur prolateral face. Chaetotaxy (left side): femora I 1p; II 1 p; palp 1p; patellae none; tibiae I 2p; II 3 p, 4v; III 3 p, 5v, 1r; IV 4 v, 1r; palp 2p, 1v; metatarsi I 3v; II 4 v; III 3 p, 6v, 2r; IV 3 p, 12v, 2r. Palp: embolus with narrow spoon-shape, slightly curved to dorsal. Embolus short and flat at base. Prolateral superior keel short, thin and directed retrolaterally. Apical keel short and thin, larger than prolateral superior. Both keels fusioned at apex and extended retrolatrally forming a well defined concave area on retrolateral. Opening of the embolus is on the prolateral side, just behind the opening is located a concavity which delimits the apical keel boundary from the remaining part of the embolus. Embolus apex slightly curved to retrolateral ( Fig. 15A–D). Urticating setae: types I and III arranged in one dorsoposterior patch, black in colour. Type III are located in an oval dorsomedial area extended to posterior. Type I surround the type III area, with intermediates between type III and I in transition areas ( Fig. 14C). Colour pattern: in live specimens, adult males with carapace rust colour (pantone 167c) with the border lightest. Chelicerae dorsally Del rio colour (pantone 4735c); ventral coxae, labium, maxillae and sternum brownish black; abdomen dorsally black with sparse light terra di siena setae (pantone 472c), ventrally brownish black. Legs and palpi: femora black, patellae with a proximal dorsomedial signal tomato red (pantone 485c) flame-shape area, distodorsal paramedian tierra di siena setae with some long setae laterally of the same colour; tibiae raw sienna (pantone 722c) with some sparse setae from same colour and metatarsi corvette colour (pantone 720c) with mandys pink (pantone 473c) longitudinal line just at metatarsi centre; tarsi black ( Fig. 17A) .

Female (CNAN-Ar007150) ( Figs 16, 17B, 37A–D): Body length 65.97 (not including chelicerae and spinnerets), carapace 25.67 length, 23.57 width. Caput not markedly elevated; fovea recurved, 5.10 wide ( Fig. 16A). Eyes: anterior eye row procurved, posterior eye row recurved. Eye sizes and interocular distances: AME 0.53; ALE 0.60; PME 0.50; PLE 0.53; AME–AME 0.50; AME–ALE 0.20; PME–PME 1.30; PME–PLE 0.13; ALE–PLE 0.27. Ocular tubercle width 2.53, length 2.47; clypeus 0.47 ( Fig. 16C). Labium length 2.85, width 3.85; with 128 cuspules. Maxilla inner corner with approximately 211 (left)–225 (right) cuspules ( Fig. 16D). Cheliceral promargin with eight (left)–nine (right) teeth (all big). Sternum length 11.40, width 10.22. Sigilla oval, second and third pairs hardly visible; posterior pair once and half its length from the margin ( Fig. 16B). Leg formula: IV, I, II, III. Length of legs and palpal segments (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus, total): I: 17.88, 11.25, 14.47, 13.15, 9.50, 66.25; II: 15.64, 10.49, 12.88, 12.58, 10.71, 62.30; III: 14.61, 10.10, 11.01, 15.58, 9.52, 60.82; IV: 18.60. 10.16, 14.66, 19.72, 10.71, 73.85. Palp: 13.08, 8.25, 10.37, -, 10.14, 41.84. Spinnerets: PMS, 2.50 long, 1.65 apart; PLS, 4.05 basal, 3.10 middle, 4.15 distal. Tarsi I – IV entirely scopulated. Metatarsi I and II entirely scopulated, III scopulated 75% distally, IV scopulated 50% distally. Stridulatory setae with claviform stridulating setae on palp trochanter and femur retrolateral face; leg I coxa, trochanter and femur prolateral face. Chaetotaxy (left side): femora I 1p; II 1 p; palp 1p; patellae none; tibiae palp 1p, 6v; I 3v; II 4 v; III 1 p, 4v, 1r; IV 1 p, 3v, 1r; metatarsi I 2v; II 4 v; III 2 p, 5v, 1r; IV 13 v, 2r. Genitalia: fused trapezoidal spermatheca with a single receptacle strongly sclerotized, ventral face looks smooth. Three times wider than its height. Spermatheca baseplate divided, oblong, almost as high as one-third the width of its base. Baseplate division very narrow and poorly sclerotized in the basal half ( Fig. 16E). Variation: young or juveniles can present the superior edge slightly inward in middle. Baseplate division can vary in length, and some specimens can look more sclerotized ( Fig. 16F, G). Urticating setae: types I and III arranged in one dorsoposterior patch, black in colour. Type III are located in an oval dorsomedial area extended to posterior. Type I surround the type III area, with intermediates between types III and I in transition areas. Colour pattern: in live specimens, adult females with two carapace patterns: (1) provincial pink (pantone 4685c) around the border and black (pantone 426c) in dorsomedial, juveniles or subadults same pattern ( Fig. 17B); (2) Tuscany (pantone 7522c) around the border and extended behind the fovea, with black pearl (pantone black 6c) from the fovea to caput ( Fig. 17C); chelicerae dorsally manatee (pantone 5285c) with two oriental pink (pantone 7521c) cheliceral bands; ventral coxae, labium, maxillae and sternum black pearl; abdomen dorsally black pearl (pantone black 6c) with rosy brown (pantone 5005c) setae, ventrally black pearl. Legs and palpi: femora black pearl, patellae with a proximal dorsomedial cinnabar (pantone 7597c) flame-shape area, distodorsal paramedian spanish white (pantone 4685c) setae with some long setae laterally of the same colour; tibiae eunry (pantone 4735c) with some sparse setae from same colour and metatarsi hemp (pantone 8021c) with mandys pink (pantone 473c) longitudinal line just at metatarsi centre; tarsi black ( Fig. 17A–D) .

Distribution and habitat: Brachypelma baumgarteni is known only from Michoacán on the Sierra Madre del Sur Region ( Figs 2, 38), where it occurs in deciduous forests ( Fig. 17D). It is a fossorial species whose modified or self-excavated burrows, can be found between large tree roots amongst large trees. Burrows do not have any silk around the entrance.