Paratropis urku, Tauber & Perafán & Pérez-Miles, 2025

Tauber, Emilia, Perafán, Carlos & Pérez-Miles, Fernando, 2025, Hidden cryptic spiders: Eight new species of Paratropis from Colombia and Ecuador (Araneae, Paratropididae), European Journal of Taxonomy 997, pp. 51-76 : 68-72

Paratropis urku sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:ECA6834A-1490-4F4C-A153-D5B6C1305F1E

Figs 10–13 ; Tables 8–9

Differential diagnosis

Male differs from that of all other species of the genus in the palpal bulb morphology by a shorter embolus, the absence of subapical triangular tooth on the embolus ( Fig. 11 ), and the presence of an abdominal pattern comprising five transverse lighter stripes interrupted by a longitudinal medial band ( Fig. 10C ). Additionally, it differs from other species in the presence of dorsal abdominal spiniform setae, distributed in some transverse rows of few (4–1) setae each ( Fig. 10C ). Females differ from those of all other species in the spermathecae morphology, with two subconical receptacles with wide base, narrow neck and multilobed fundus ( Fig. 12E ).

Etymology

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition taken from Kichwa language refering to Kapak Urku, which means “lord of the mountains”.

Type material

Holotype ECUADOR • ♂; Pichincha, Cayambe; 0°04′53″ N, 78°08′59″ W; 3640 m a.s.l.; 15 Oct. 2011; J. Bustillos leg.; QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028 A.

Paratype ECUADOR • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; 0°04′54″ N, 78°09′00″ W; 3644 m a.s.l.; Oct. 2010; J. Bustillos leg.; QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028B .

Description

Male (holotype QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028A)

Total length 11.29, carapace length 4.99, width 5.11; abdomen length 5.96, width 4.2; chelicerae length 2.44. Color (in alcohol): carapace, and legs reddish dark brown, chelicerae dark brown, abdomen light grayish brown. Carapace: slightly setose, lateral margins with single line of spiniform setae with a single line of curved setae mixed with disperse clubbed setae; striae conspicuous; caput arched, separated from thoracic region by transverse fovea, straight, width 0.84. Eyes and ocular tubercle: tubercle length 0.71, width 0.83, elevated (height 0.58) and forwardly directed, with few setae. Clypeus absent. Anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior recurved. Ocular sizes and interdistances: AME 0.17, ALE 0.24, PME 0.13, PLE 0.14, AME–AME 0.1, AME–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 0.29, PME–PLE 0.06, ALE–PLE 0.09, AME–PME 0.12, ALE–ALE 0.45, PLE–PLE 0.53. Chelicerae: short sparse bristles on dorsal and lateral areas, long fine bristles on ventral and anterior area; basal segment with clubbed plumose setae. Cheliceral furrow with two rows of well-developed teeth, 10/11 and 10/16 teeth on promargin and retromargin, respectively. Labium: length 0.81, width 1.17, with 33 cuspules on anterior edge. Labio-sternal groove with two lateral mounds. Maxillae longer than wide, with the anterior prolateral lobe very elongated, conical; with 46/48 cuspules spaced, largely spread over prolatero-ventral border from the inner edge to anterior lobe. Sternum: length 2.3, width 2.67; three pairs of sigillae, anterior subcircular, median and posterior sigillae oval; anterior and median sigillae marginal,posterior submarginal.Anterior edge of sternum with a semicircular area slightly elevated (joined to labio-sternal groove). Legs: cuticle normal. Leg and palpal segments measurements provided in Table 8 . Bristles, thorn-like setae and spines present. Trichobothria: palp: Ti d6; Ta d6. Leg I: Ti d6; Me d4; Ta d9. Leg II: Ti d6; Me d3; Ta d5. Leg III: Ti d6; Me d3; Ta d6. Leg IV: Ti d4; Me d3; Ta d8. Tarsal pseudoscopula not dense. Claw tufts absent. Tarsal claws: ITC present on leg I; STC with one tooth on all legs. Spination: palp: 0. Leg I: Fe 0; Pa 1pv; Ti 0; Me 0; Ta 0. Leg II: Fe 0; Pa 0; Ti 0; Me 0; Ta 0. Leg III 0. Leg IV 0.

ABDOMEN. Dorsal pattern consisting in five transversal lighter stripes on each side and a longitudinal darker band ( Fig. 10C ). Anterior part of the abdomen with four long setae arranged in a transverse row. Book lung apertures projected, oval, sclerotized. Palp: cymbium with two unequal lobes separated by a sclerotized groove. Palpal bulb pyriform elongated; embolus curved, short, tapering to the apex ( Fig. 11 ). Spinnerets: PMS length 1.02; PLS length 3.9, apical segment digitiform. Basal segment of PLS divided in two unequal cuticle plates.

Female (paratype QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028B)

Total length 12.32, carapace length 4.41, width 4.54; abdomen length 7.87, width 5.01; chelicerae length 2.43. Color (in alcohol): body with soil particles encrusted; carapace, and legs reddish dark brown, chelicerae dark brown, abdomen grayish brown. Carapace: slightly setose, lateral margins with single line of spiniform setae with a single line of curved setae mixed with disperse clubbed setae; striae conspicuous; caput arched, separated from thoracic region by transverse fovea, straight, width 0.68. Eyes and ocular tubercle: tubercle length 1.03, width 0.93, very elevated (height 0.32) and forwardly directed, with few setae. Clypeus absent. Anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior recurved. Ocular sizes and interdistances: AME 0.21, ALE 0.23, PME 0.17, PLE 0.15, AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.06, PME–PME 0.4, PME–PLE 0.6, ALE–PLE 0.15, AME–PME 0.09, ALE–ALE 0.64, PLE–PLE 0.53. Chelicerae: short sparse bristles on dorsal and lateral areas, long fine bristles on ventral and anterior area; basal segment with clubbed plumose setae. Cheliceral furrow with two rows of well-developed teeth, 5/6 and 8/9 teeth on promargin and retromargin, respectively. Labium: length 0.91, width 1.15, with 53 cuspules on anterior edge. Labio-sternal groove with two lateral mounds. Maxillae longer than wide, with the anterior prolateral lobe very elongated, conical; with 39/41 cuspules spaced, largely spread over prolatero-ventral border from the inner edge to anterior lobe. Sternum: length 2.55, width 2.24; three pairs of sigillae, anterior subcircular, median and posterior sigillae oval; anterior and median sigillae marginal,posterior submarginal. Anterior edge of sternum with a semicircular area slightly elevated (joined to labio-sternal groove). Legs: cuticle normal. Leg and palpal segments measurements provided in Table 9 . Leg I clearly thicker than the others. Bristles, thorn-like setae and spines present. Trichobothria: palp: Ti d4; Ta d5. Leg I: Ti d5; Me d4; Ta d4.Leg II: Ti d4; Me d2; Ta d5. Leg III Ti d4; Me d2; Ta d3. Leg IV: Ti d4; Me d3; Ta d5. Tarsal pseudoscopula not dense. Claw tufts absent. Tarsal claws: ITC present on leg I; STC with one tooth on all legs. Spin ation: principally thorn-like setae on all segments. Spines: Palp: Fe 0; Pa 0; Ti 0; Ta 2pv. Leg I: Fe 0; Pa 0; Ti 0; Me 3v, 3pv; Ta 9pv. Leg II: Fe 0; Pa 0; Ti 0;Me 2pv, 1p; Ta 0. Leg III: Fe 0; Pa 0; Ti 0; Me 2pv, 1p; Ta 0. Leg IV: Fe 0; Pa 0; Ti 0; Me 2pv; Ta 0.

ABDOMEN. With four longitudinal dorsal rows of seven small tubercles, each emitting from its apex a plumose, bacilliform seta ( Fig. 12C ). Book lung apertures projected, oval, sclerotized. Two spermathecal subconical receptacles with wide base, narrow neck and multilobed fundus ( Fig. 12E ). Spinnerets: PMS length 0.86; PLS length 2.35, apical segment digitiform. Basal segment of PLS divided in two unequal cuticle plates.

Distribution

Known only from its type locality, Ecuador, Pichincha province, Cayambe ( Fig. 13 ).

Figures

Fig. 10. Paratropis urku sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028A). A. Carapace, dorsal view. B. Sternum, ventral view. C. Abdomen, dorsal view. D. Abdomen, ventral view.

Fig. 11. Paratropis urku sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028A), left palpal bulb. A. Prolateral view. B. Retrolateral view. C. Dorsal view. D. Ventral view.

Fig. 12. Paratropis urku sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (QCAZ, MV-PAR-0028B). A. Carapace, dorsal view. B. Sternum, ventral view.C. Abdomen, dorsal view.D. Abdomen, ventral view.E. Female spermathecae, dorsal view.

Fig. 13. Geographic distribution of the new species of the genus Paratropis Simon, 1889.