Spinepeira erwini, Díaz-Guevara & Dupérré, 2025

Díaz-Guevara, David R. & Dupérré, Nadine, 2025, A web of canopy discoveries part I (Araneae: Araneidae). New astonishing species of orb-weaving spiders from Ecuador and the first country record of Pozonia Schenkel, 1953, Zootaxa 5660 (4), pp. 587-595 : 589-591

Spinepeira erwini new species

( Figure 2 )

Type material. ♀ holotype from ECUADOR, Orellana province: Tiputini Biodiversity Station , 220 m, 0.63194 °S, 76.14416 °W, 01 October 2000, Col. T. Erwin, M. Pimienta, A. Troya & M. Santacruz ( MEPN-INV 49162 ) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of Terry Erwin, an impressive researcher who passed away in 2020. In recognition of his devotion to canopy invertebrate research and its massive biodiversity surveys in Ecuador, thanks to whom canopy arachnid research in the country can be possible today.

Diagnosis. The female of Spinepeira erwini sp. nov. can be easily differentiated from Spinepeira schlingeri by the combination of the following characteristics: abdomen with anterior median tubercle that exceeds the length of the cephalothorax, a pair of dorsal projections with a pointed ending (vs. truncated ending in S. schlingeri ), and wider and more prominent posterior median tubercles ( Fig. 2A ); ventral abdominal black mark entire wider than long ( Fig. 2B ) whereas ventral abdominal black mark broken and longer than wide in the latter ( Fig. 1B ); scape with parallel side in Spinepeira erwini sp. nov. ( Fig. 2D ) while side convergent in Spinepeira schlingeri ( Fig. 1D ).

Description. Female (Holotype): Total length 4.97; prosoma 1.85; opisthosoma 5.21; anterior median tubercle 2.64; posterior median tubercles 0.68; abdominal projections 1.82. AME length: 0.11; ALE 0.07; PME 0.16; PLE 0.07. Eyes interdistances: AME-AME 0.09; AME-ALE 0.22; PME-PME 0.1; PME-PLE 0.22; ALE-PLE 0.02.

Leg measurements. Total (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus): I: 8.69 (2.68, 0.95, 2.27, 2.00, 0.79); II: 7.33

(2.39, 0.85, 1.69, 1.75, 0.65); III: 3.92 (1.19, 0.48, 0.79, 0.91, 0.55); IV: 6.02 (1.64, 0.64, 1.59, 1.44, 0.71).

Carapace orange with a blackish mark in the middle ( Fig. 2A, C ). Chelicerae yellow, promargin with four teeth, retromargin with three teeth. Sternum black, longer than wide. Labium black, endites yellow ( Fig. 2B ).

Abdomen dorsally orange-yellow, covered with pale-yellowish setae, yellow and long median tubercle which exceeds the length of the prosoma, two pointed, long, and thin dorsal projections, two posterior yellowish median tubercles with scattered black marks between them, a hump-like structure pointed forward (in lateral view) and a smaller and yellowish posterior projection ( Figs 2 A-C). Ventrally with a big black mark between the epigynum and the spinnerets and four smaller white patches between the big black mark and the spinnerets ( Fig. 2B ). Legs orange, covered with thin and creamy setae with some spines ( Figs 2 A-C). The femur of legs I and II is orange-black with a thick black line retrolaterally ( Fig. 2C ). Epigynum with short apically rounded scape, sides parallel ( Figs 2D, E ), internal genitalia with two large, oval spermathecae almost touching medially, fertilization duct short and curved ( Fig. 2E ).

Male. Unknown

Distribution. Only known from the type locality in Orellana province ( Fig. 5A ).

Natural history. The only known specimen was collected by fogging the canopy in the Ecuadorian Amazonian region.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Spinepeira schlingeri Levi, 1995 A, Female holotype habitus, dorsal view. B, same ventral view. C, same lateral view. D, epigynum ventral view. Scale bars A–C = 1.0 mm; D = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Spinepeira erwini sp. nov. A, Female holotype habitus, dorsal view. B, same ventral view. C, same lateral view. D, epigynum ventral view. E, same posterior view cleared. Scale bar A–C = 1.0 mm; D–E = 0.1mm. Abbreviations: S, Spermathecae; FD, Fertilization duct.

FIGURE 5. A, Geographical records of the newly described species and records of Araneidae from the Ecuadorian Amazon canopy.