Melychiopharis peruviana Eskov & Marusik 2024, new species
Creators: name: Dupérré, Nadine
name: Tapia, Elicio
name: Marusik, Yuri
name: Eskov, Kirill
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Araneidae
Melychiopharis
Melychiopharis peruviana

description: Melychiopharis peruviana Eskov & Marusik new species
Figs 8–11, map 1.
Type material. Holotype ♂: Peru, Junin Prov., Calabaza, 11°30’33”S, 74°50’35”W, 2500 m, could forest, in epiphytes, 19.IX.2017, K. Eskov (ZMMU). Paratype: 1♀, same data as holotype (ZMMU).
Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun apposition derived from Peru, where the species was collected.
Diagnosis. Males and females are differentiated from M.cynips by the tuberculate anterior part of the opisthosoma (Figs 8A, 9A), absent in the latter (see Santos et al. 2005: fig. 1); from M. bibendum and M. komischetier by their dark orange-brown opisthosoma with pale marks anteriorly and laterally (Fig. 8A) vs. M. bibendum with a large central brown spot and two posterior marginal black spots (see Brescovit et al. 2011: fig. 1); in M. komischetier the opisthosoma is orange with five black marks (Fig. 1A) and in M. davincii the opisthosoma is completely blackish-brown (Fig. 6A). Females are distinguished from M. komischetier by their internal genitalia with rounded spermathecae (Fig. 10D), elongated (2x longer than wide) in the latter (Fig. 3D).
Description. Male (holotype): Measurements. Total length: 2.59; carapace 1.10 long; carapace 0.75 wide; abdomen 1.49 long. Coloration in ethanol: prosoma dark reddish-orange, flat (Fig. 8A). Sternum reddish-brown, longer than wide, rugose (Fig. 8B). Labium reddish-orange. Endites reddish-orange. Eyes: AME: 0.08; ALE: 0.07; PLE: 0.07; PME: 0.06; eyes distances: AME-AME: 0.10, AME-LE: 0.1, PME-PME: 0.12. Clypeus: 0.14 high. Chelicerae: orange, promargin with two small teeth, retromargin not observed. Legs. Coxae white, femora basally light orange, remaining segments orange (Figs 8A, B). Legs measurements: I: 2.84 (0.98/0.26/0.63/0.62/0.35); II: 2.46 (0.88/0.25/0.53/0.48/0.32); III: 1.82 (0.59/0.20/0.39/0.41/0.23); IV: 2.33 (0.79/0.23/0.55/0.51/0.25). Tibia and metatarsi without spines; metatarsi I, II with one trichobothrium, and III, IV with two trichobothria. Opisthosoma: orange-brown, dorsally with large reticulate scutum with black markings (Fig. 8A); ventrally with large reticulate epigastric sclerite, encompassing, book lungs (Fig. 8B), anteriorly modified with deep with setal pits; with median basal scutum not fused to spinnerets scutum; spinnerets scutum incomplete (Fig. 8B). Genitalia: palpal tibia short, with two retrolateral and one dorsal trichobothria (Fig. 10B). Cymbium with moderate excavation (Fig. 8E); paracymbium small, T-shaped, lacking setae (Fig. 10B). Tegulum large and striated; median apophysis with wide membranous base, long end and small with rugose, oval proximal; embolus long and filiform, with large semi-membranous; conductor wide, triangular (Figs 10A, B).
Female (paratype): Measurements. Total length: 2.83; carapace 1.12 long; carapace 0.74 wide; abdomen 1.71 long. Prosoma: same as male (Fig. 9A). Eyes: 8 eyes of equal size (Fig. 9A); AME: 0.07; ALE: 0.06; PLE: 0.08; PME: 0.06; eyes distances: AME-AME: 0.09, AME-LE: 0.1, PME-PME: 0.11. Clypeus: 0.15 high. Chelicerae. Same as male. Legs. Same as male. Legs measurements: I: 2.40 (0.69/0.23/0.58/0.58/0.32); II: 2.13 (0.63/0.23/0.52 /0.45/0.30); III: 1.69 (0.54/0.20/0.33/0.37/0.25); IV: 2.30 (0.70/0.28/0.54/0.51/0.27). Opisthosoma: brown-orange, with two small apical, reticulate median scutum, one large medial sclerite, two small basal reticulate scutum; four large latero-medial sclerites and two small latero-basal scutum; ventrally with large reticulate epigastric scuta, encompassing book lungs and anteriorly modified with deep with deep setal pits (Fig. 9D); with medium basal sclerite not fused to spinnerets scutum, spinnerets scutum incomplete (Fig. 9D). Genitalia: epigyne with copulatory openings situated on anterior corners of median depression; large spermathecae visible through integument (Figs 9D, 10C). Internal genitalia: copulatory ducts long, twisted, initially enlarged than narrowing before joining spermathecae; spermathecae rounded, touching; fertilization ducts short (Fig. 10D).
Distribution. Peru, Junin Province (Map 1).
Natural History. Specimens were collected in the cloud forest in epiphytes.
description: Published as part of Dupérré, Nadine, Tapia, Elicio, Marusik, Yuri & Eskov, Kirill, 2024, Three new species of Melychiopharis (Araneae, Araneidae) from Ecuador and Peru, pp. 75-90 in Zootaxa 5555 (1) on pages 84-88, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5555.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/14508556