Califorctenus cacachilensis Jimenez, Berrian, Polotow & Palacios-Cardiel, 2017, new species
Creators: name: Jimenez, María Luisa
name: Berrian, James Edwin
name: Polotow, Daniele
name: Palacios-Cardiel, Carlos
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Ctenidae
Califorctenus
Califorctenus cacachilensis

description: Califorctenus cacachilensis new species
Figures 3–6
Holotype. Male: MEXICO: Baja California Sur, Municipality of La Paz, Sierra de las Cacachilas, Los Pisos (24°07’19” N, 110°03’49”W, 551 m. a.s.l.). 19. X.2014, C. Palacios and J. Maya (CARCIB 0027).
Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.
Diagnosis. By the characters of the genus.
Description. Male (holotype). Coloration. Carapace brown covered with setae and with scattered dark marks. Chelicerae the same color as the carapace, with numerous long and stiff setae in front face, red condyles and stridulatory file occupy almost the internal face (Fig. 4B). Promargin of chelicerae with three teeth, the median almost twice as high as the laterals; retromargin with four similar sized teeth and one, two or none intermarginal denticles present between retrolateral teeth (Figs. 3E, 4A). Endites (1.5/2.7) brown, darker on mesal face. Labium (1.3/1.4) dark brown. Sternum (3.6/4.3) dirty yellow with black setae. Legs slightly darker than the carapace but the tarsi dark brown. Opistosoma dirty yellow covered with numerous dorsal, erect black and yellow hyaline setae, venter dark. Spinnerets dirty yellow with dark setae and black setae in their apical part. Habitus: Total length 23.1; carapace length 11.9, width 9.8; clypeus high 0.3. Eyes diameter: AME 0.4, ALE 0.5, PME 0.7, PLE 0.6, AME- AME 0 2, AME-ALE 0.3, PME-PME 0.3, PME-PLE 0.5, AME-PLE 1.0, AME-PME 0.1. MOQ, front width 2.5, back width 3.1. Leg lengths: I-femur 12.5/patella 4.9/tibia13.0/metatarsus11.1/tarsus 5.5/total 47.0; II 11.9/4.8/ 12.3/9.9/4.9/43.8; III 11.1/4.9/8.4/9.2/4.8/38.4; IV 13.8/5.0/12.9/14.6/5.6/51.9. Legs spination: Femur I d1-1-1, p1- 1-1-1, r1-1-1-1, v0; tibia I d0, p1-1, r1-1, v2-2 -2-2-2; metatarsus I d0, p1-1, r1-1, v2-2 -2. Femur II d1-1-1, p1-1-1- 1-1, r1-1-1-1, v0; tibia II d0, p1, r1-1, v2-2 -2-2-2; metatarso II d0, p1-1, r1-1-1, v2-2 -2. Femur III d1-1-1, p1-1-1- 1-1, r1-1-1-1, v0; tibia III d1, p1-1, r1-1-1, v2-2 -2-2; metatarsus III d0, p1-1-1, r1-1-1, v2-2 -2. Femur IV d1-1-1, p1-1-1, r1-1-1,v0; tibia IV d1-1-1, p1-1, r1-1, v2-2 -2; metatarsus IV d0, p1-1-1, r1-1-1-, v2-2 -2-2. Leg formula: 4- 1-2-3.
Allotype. Female (CARCIB 0156). With ocular area darker and without black marks, with hyaline, thick and long setae between the eyes, chelicerae with many thick hyaline setae, promargin with three teeth and retromargin with four teeth and one intermarginal denticle. Endites (2.2/3.7), labium (2.1/2.5) and sternum (5.1/5.7) as in the male. Legs with two claws with two or three teeth. Pedipalp claw with eight pairs of teeth (Fig. 4 E-F). Opisthosoma with two small dorsal sclerites. Habitus. Total length 27.0, carapace length 14.4, wide 11.9; clypeus length1.1. Eyes diameter: AME 0.5, ALE 0.5, PME 0.8, PLE 0.6, AME-AME 0.2, AME-ALE 0.8, PME-PME 0.4,PME, PLE 0.9, AME-PLE 1.2, AME-PME 0.4, MOQ, front width 3.1, back with 3.8. Leg lengths: I-13.8/6.2/ 13.1/10.3/4.6/48.0; II-12.3/6.3/11.9/9.4/4.0/43.9; III-11.3/5.0/8.9/7.6/4.4/37.2; IV-13.1/5.4/12.5/13.4/4.8/49.2.Legs spination: Femur I d1-1-1, p1-1-1, r1-1-1-1, v0; tibia I d0, p0, r0, v2-2 -2-2-2; metatarso I d0, p0, r0, v2-2 -2. Femur II d1-1-1, p1-1-1-1, r1-1-1-1, v0; tibia II d0, p0, r0, v2-2 -2-2-2; metatarsus II d0, p0, r0, v2-2 -2. Femur III d1-1-1, p1-1-1-1, r1-1-1-1, v0; tibia III d1-1-1,p1-1, r1-1, v2-2 -2; metatarsus III d1, p1-1-1, r1-1-1, v2-2 -2. Femur IV d1-1- 1, p1-1-1, r1, v0; tibia IV d1-1-1, p1-1, r1-1, v2-2 -2; metatarsus IV d0, p1-1-1, r1-1-1, v1-1 -1. Leg formula: 4-1-2- 3.
Variation. Male and females specimens present similar coloration as the types. Chelicerae in some males (CARCIB 0157-0160, 0204) with one or no denticles in retromargin, legs with two claws, each with two to five teeth. Total body length in males (n=3): 16.9-18.5, length 9.6-10.0, wide 7.8-8.1, clypeus high 0.3-0.4. Leg length: I-7.5–10.9/2.6–4.6/7.8–12.1/7.0–10.0/3.9–4.8/28.8–42.4; II 9.9–10.0/4.1–4.8/9.4–10.0/8.3–8.8/3.8–4.4/35.5–38.0; III 9.3–9.6/3.6–3.8/7.3–7.4/6.4–7.6/3.5–3.8/30.7–31.9; IV11.5–11.9/3.8–4.4/10.2–11.5/12.4–13.3/4.5–4.8/42.4– 45.9. Total body length in females (n=1): 24.6, carapace length 13.1, wide 9.9, clypeus high 0.9. Leg lengths: I- 11.5/6.2/13.1/10.3/4.6/45.7; II 11.3/5.5/7.3/8.5/3.8/36.4; III 10.0/4.3/10.9/8.6/4.1/37.9; IV 1 2.9/4.9/11.2/12.0/4.6/ 45.6.
Paratypes: MEXICO: Baja California Sur: Municipality of La Paz, Sierra de las Cacachilas, Los Pisos, (24°12’40” N, 110°06’52” W, 545 m. a.s.l.). 19. X.2014, C. Palacios and J. Maya, one female (CARCIB 0157); same locality, 16. X.2014, J. H. Valdéz-Villavicencio, C.R. Mahrdt, B.D. Hollingsworth & M. A. Stepek, one male (CARCIB 1058); same locality (24.12’21”N, 110°06’35”W, 568.14 m). 16. X.2014, M.A. Wall & J. E. Berrian, one male (CARCIB 0204). Municipality of Los Cabos, Biosphere Reserve Sierra La Laguna, Boca de la Sierra (23°38’59”N, 119°81’91”W, 311.4m 17.XI-2014) J. H. Valdéz-Villavicencio, C.R. Mahrdt, B.D. Hollingsworth & M. A, Stepek, one male (CARCIB 1059); same locality and collectors, one female (CARCIB 0160). Municipality of La Paz, Biosphere Reserve Sierra La Laguna, Arroyo La Junta, Casa Verde mines (23o39'31"N, 110o5'18"W, 529m. a.s.l.), 7.XII.2015, M.A. Wall & J.E. Berrian, one male (SDNHM 072696), and one immature (SDNHM 072705); Municipality of La Paz, Biosphere Reserve Sierra La Laguna, Arroyo La Junta, Rancho Pareicitos (23o39'48"N, 110o4'53"W, 477m. a.s.l.), 4.XII.2015, M.A. Wall & J.E. Berrian, one immature (SDNHM 072598); Municipality of La Paz, Biosphere Reserve Sierra La Laguna, Arroyo La Junta, Casa Verde camp (23o39'36"N, 110o5'25"W, 530m. a.s.l.), 5.XII.2015, M.A. Wall & J.E. Berrian, one male (SDNHM 072696).
Remarks. Live specimens have brown carapace and legs with numerous grey setae, opisthosoma covered with yellow and white setae (Fig. 3 A–B).
Natural history. Califorctenus cacachilensis sp. nov. is primarily a cavernicolous spider, as most specimens were collected or observed in mine shafts. The first specimens, however, were discovered in October 2013 in a grotto carved into a bluff by spring water flow at Rancho Las Canoas in the Sierra de Las Cacachilas. Two specimens were collected from a crevice in a split boulder in the grotto's ceiling. Most of the remaining specimens were collected in an abandoned mine shaft at Los Pisos in the Sierra Cacachilas where individuals were observed on the upper mine walls and ceiling. Other shaft occupants included Loxosceles baja Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 (Baja recluse spider) on shaft floor and lower walls, Pholcidae (cellar spiders), Blattodea (roaches) on shaft walls, Anaxyrus punctatus Baird & Girard, 1852 (red spotted toad), Petrosaurus thalassinus (Cope, 1863) (San Lucan banded rock lizard), and resident bats.
During a survey in the Arroyo La Junta area of the Biosphere Reserve Sierra La Laguna in December 2015, a second population of C. cacachilensis sp. nov. was discovered in three shallow abandoned mine shafts as well as in a small concrete-lined basin with a corrugated metal cover at a small ranch.
The habitat type surrounding the mines and other localities is Arid Tropical Forest and localities range between 529 m and 568 m in elevation, with mean annual temperature 25–27°C and mean annual precipitation 130–150 mm. The peak activity period for arthropods in Arid Tropical Forest tends to be in the fall during and immediately after monsoonal rains. Though active Califorctenus individuals have been observed through the year, most adult specimens have been found during the fall trips. Females reared to maturity produced egg sacs during fall months and in both cases died within about two weeks after laying. Females anchored their egg sac to a corner or to one side of their terrarium (Fig. 3C). Unfortunately, in both cases the development of eggs was not completed because they were dried out and hardened or spoiled.
Distribution. Known only from the Sierra de Las Cacachilas near La Paz and the eastern and northern areas of the Biosphere Reserve Sierra La Laguna.
Discussion. The results indicate that C. cacachilensis, from Mexico, is closely related to three other genera: the Afrotropical Thoriosa and Trogloctenus and the Australasian Amauropelma, in a well-supported clade (Fig. 1A), although without resolution of the internal clades in the strict consensus. This clade belongs to Cteninae, a large subfamily of Ctenidae spiders, with worldwide distribution. Califorctenus presents at least one character that could relate this genus to Acantheinae, another Ctenidae subfamily: the presence of four cheliceral teeth, with the basal one distant from the remaining three. Nevertheless, the reciprocal illumination of all the other characters indicated that the teeth distribution is probably just a reversion to a primitive state and the most parsimonious result is its position within Cteninae.
Califorctenus, Amauropelma, Thoriosa and Trogloctenus share a very similar epigynal morphology. In contrast, the male palp of Califorctenus presents several characteristics that can relate it to other Cteninae genera other than to this clade, as the absence of cymbial apophysis, absence of a membranous tegular projection and elongated median apophysis. This set of characteristics can be the reason for the basal positon of Califorctenus among this clade (Figs 1 B–D). Another noteworthy characteristic among these genera is that both Califorctenus and Trogloctenus are subterraneous dwellers, living in both natural cavities and caves, as well in human-made mines or constructions.
description: Published as part of Jimenez, María Luisa, Berrian, James Edwin, Polotow, Daniele & Palacios-Cardiel, Carlos, 2017, Description of Califorctenus (Cteninae, Ctenidae, Araneae), a new spider genus from Mexico, pp. 97-108 in Zootaxa 4238 (1) on pages 102-106, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4238.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/345040