Elaver gibarrai Chamé-Vázquez & Jiménez, 2025, spec. nov.
Creators: name: Chamé-Vázquez, David
name: Jiménez, María-Luisa
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Clubionidae
Elaver
Elaver gibarrai

description: Elaver gibarrai spec. nov.
Figs 1–14
Type material. Holotype: 1♂ from MEXICO: Jalisco: [Mpio. La Huerta, Reserva de la Biosfera Chamela-Cuixmala], Estación de Biología Chamela, ‘ Cuenca 4A’ [19.498°N, 105.044°W], fumigation, ?? September 1992, A. Pescador, A. Rodríguez, J.A. Gómez, C. Yen. leg. (CARCIB-Ar-051). Paratypes: same data as for holotype, 1♂, 1♀ (CARCIB-Ar-339); same data as for holotype, except 14 May 1993, 1♀ (CARCIB-Ar-340); same data as preceding, 1♂ (CARCIB-Ar-341); same data as preceding, except 25 February 1993, 1♀ (CARCIB-Ar-355); same data as preceding, except 14 May 1993, A. Pescador, A. Rodríguez, J.A. Gómez, leg., 1♂ (CARCIB-Ar-356).
Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of Guillermo Ibarra Núñez (ECOSUR, Mexico), who has improved the knowledge of Mexican spiders.
Diagnosis. Males of E. gibarrai spec. nov. resemble those of E. mulaiki (Gertsch, 1935) and E. wheeleri (Roewer, 1933) in the flat tegular flap and relatively small RTA, differing by the relatively long median apophysis with basal digitiform projection (Figs 9, 10–13) (median apophysis small and subtriangular in E. mulaiki and E. wheeleri, Saturnino & Bonaldo 2015, figs 252, 253, 256, 257) and by the short and distally truncated RTA with a tiny spike (Figs 10, 14) (RTA distally pointed in E. mulaiki and E. wheeleri, Saturnino & Bonaldo 2015, figs 253, 257). Females of E. gibarrai spec. nov. resemble those of E. placida O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 in having the vulva components occupying the posterior half of epigyne, differing by the lack of the epigynal scape (Figs 5–7) (short scape in E. placida, Saturnino & Bonaldo 2015, figs 304, 305).
Description. Male (Holotype). Coloration (Figs 1–2): Carapace orange, darker anteriorly, paler posteriorly; thoracic groove brownish; chelicerae brownish. Endites and labium pale brownish. Sternum pale yellow with brownish margins. Legs pale orange, femora lighter. Abdomen pale yellow, cardiac mark yellowish, four diffuse broken small lines near anal tubercle. Chelicerae with five promarginal teeth, fourth largest; four retromarginal teeth, separated by their width. Measurements: Total length 4.80. Carapace 2.30 long, 1.60 wide. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.14, ALE 0.14, PME 0.14, PLE 0.12. AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.04, PME–PME 0.22, PME–PLE 0.20, AME–PME 0.10, ALE–PLE 0.04, clypeus AME 0.04, clypeus ALE 0.04. Palp 2.20 (0.79, 0.36, 0.39, 0.66); Leg I 4.60 (1.25, 0.75, 1.10, 1.00, 0.50); II 5.4 (1.50, 0.75, 1.50, 1.10, 0.55); III 3.95 (1.05, 0.45, 0.80, 1.25, 0.40); IV 6.15 (1.85, 0.75, 1.25, 1.85, 0.45). Leg formula. IV-II-I-III. Spination: Palp Fm: d 0-0-2, r 2; Ti p 2-2. Leg. I—Fm d 1-1, Ti v 2-2; Mt v 2-0-0. II—Fm d 1-1-1, r 1,1; Ti v 0-2-2; Mt, v 2-0-0. III—Fm d 1-1-1, p 0-0-1, r 0-0-1; Pt r 1; Ti p 1-1, r 1, v 1-1-2; Mt d 1, p 1-1-1, r 1-1-1, v 2-2-2. IV—Fm d 1-1-1, p 0-0-1, r 0-0-1; Pt r 1; Ti p 1-1, r 1-1, 1-1-2; Mt d 1-1-1, p 0-1-1, r 0-1-1, v 2-2-2.
Palp (Figs 8–14). Femur, cylindrical and long, without apophysis; tibia slender, short, about two-thirds of cymbium length; RTA small and truncated, apex with tiny spike; tegulum oval; tegular flap housing the embolus marginally, bifurcated apically; hyaline conductor concave and broad, part of the distal part of tegular flap; median apophysis sclerotized, relatively long, about three-quarters of tegular flap length, with digitiform basal projection; basal embolar process absent; embolus filiform, with subdistal spine.
Female (Paratype CARCIB-Ar-339). Coloration as in male (Figs 3–4). Abdomen pale yellow. Chelicerae with five promarginal teeth, fourth largest, and five retromarginal teeth, separated by its width. Measurements: Total length 4.60. Carapace 1.65 long, 1.25 wide. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.12, ALE 0.12, PME 0.10, PLE 0.10. AME– AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.04, PME–PME 0.14, PME–PLE 0.12, AME–PME 0.06, ALE–PLE 0.04, clypeus AME 0.04, clypeus ALE 0.04. Palp 1.57 (0.49, 0.23, 0.33, 0.52); Leg I 3.4 (1.05, 0.55, 0.75, 0.60, 0.45); II 3.50 (1.10, 0.60, 0.80, 0.55, 0.45); III 3.20 (1.40, 0.50, 1.00, 1.40, 0.45); IV 4.75 (1.40, 0.50, 1.00, 1.40, 0.45). Leg formula. IV-II-I-III. Spination: Palp Fm: d 0-1-2; Ti p 2-2; Ta r 1 p 2-1, v 2. Leg. I—Fm d 1-1-1, p 0-0-2; Ti v 2-2-0; Mt v 2-0-0. II—Fm d 1-1-1, r 0-0-1; Ti v 2-2-0; Mt v 2-0-0. III—Fm d 1-1-1, p 0-0-1, r 0-0-1; Ti r 1-1, v 0-1-0; Mt p 1-1-1, r 1-1-1, v 2-2-2. IV—Fm d 1-1-1, p 0-0-1, r 0-0-1; Ti p 0-1-1, r 0-1-1, v 0-1-0; Mt d 1-1-1; p-1-1, r 1-1, v 2-2-2.
Epigynum (Figs 5–7): epigynal plate slightly sclerotized; scape absent; atrium somewhat heart-shaped, shallow; copulatory openings located in the posterior atrial rim. Vulva: copulatory ducts very short, tubular; primary spermathecae stalk short, right-angled; primary spermathecae ovoid, contiguous; secondary spermathecae stalk thick, acute-angled; secondary spermathecae elongated; fertilization ducts thin and long (about secondary spermathecae length).
Variation. Males (N=2) Total length 4.50–4.65. Carapace 1.95–2.00 long, 1.35–2.10 wide. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.12–0.14, ALE 0.12–0.14, PME 0.12, PLE 0.10–0.12. AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.02–0.04, PME–PME 0.16–0.18, PME–PLE 0.12, AME–PME 0.06–0.12, ALE–PLE 0.04, clypeus AME 0.04, clypeus ALE 0.04. Palp 1.48–1.87 (0.66, 0.23–0.33, 0.33–0.36, 0.26–0.52. Leg I 3.25–4.10 (1.25, 0.70–0.75, 1.00–1.05, 0.75–0.80, 0.35– 0.55); II 4.90–5.40 (1.20–1.40, 0.70–0.75, 1.20–1.35, 0.85–0.95, 0.50); III 3.40–4.00 (1.00–1.05, 0.50–0.60, 0.75–0.85, 0.80–1.10, 0.35–0.40); IV 5.90 (1.55–1.70, 0.60–0.70, 1.15–1.35, 1.75, 0.45–0.50). Females (N=3) Total length 4.1–5.74. Carapace 1.75–2.00 long, 1.30–1.50 wide. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.12–0.14, ALE 0.12, PME 0.10 PLE 0.10–0.12. AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.04, PME–PME 0.16–0.20, PME–PLE 0.12–0.20, AME–PME 0.04– 0.10, ALE–PLE 0.04–0.08, clypeus AME 0.02–0.06, clypeus ALE 0.02–0.04. Palp 1.25–1.35 (0.36–0.49, 0.16–0.19, 0.23–0.26, 0.29–0.43); Leg I 3.25–4.0 (1.00–1.20, 0.50–0.75, 0.75–0.90, 0.60–0.75, 0.40–0.45); II 3.45–4.05 (0.95–1.25, 0.55–0.60, 0.90–1.05, 0.60–0.75, 0.40–0.45); III 3.10–3.90 (0.95–1.2, 0.40–0.65, 0.55–0.75, 0.80–1.00, 0.30–0.40); IV 4.9–5.85 (1.35–1.75, 0.60–0.65, 1.10–1.25, 1.35–1.70, 0.45–0.50).
Natural history. Most likely this species inhabits the deciduous forest, which is the predominant plant community in the region.
Distribution. This species is only known from the type locality.
Remarks. In females, the epigyne of Elaver gibarrai spec. nov. is markedly distinct, lacking the epigynal scape characteristic of most Elaver species. While E. vieirae Saturnino & Bonaldo, 2015 and E. placida exhibit a short scape, E. placida bears a closer morphological resemblance with Elaver gibarrai spec. nov., possessing copulatory openings in the posterior atrial margin and secondary spermathecae larger than the primary ones. However, E. gibarrai spec. nov. presents a larger atrium with lateral atrial pockets, and the overall shape and position of the vulva components differ substantially. Although the female genitalia are not entirely typical for the genus, the male genitalia of Elaver gibarrai spec. nov. are unambiguous, possessing both median apophysis and tegular flap. Moreover, the embolus is long, filiform, and running behind the retrolateral margin of the tegular flap. However, unlike that other species occurring in Mexico, such as E. calcarata (Kraus, 1955), E. crocota (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896), E. depuncta O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898, E. helenae Saturnino & Bonaldo, 2015, E. mirabilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896), E. texana (Gertsch, 1933), and Elaver tigrina O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898, the tegular flap is not greatly enlarged nor projected (spoon-shaped). As noticed by Saturnino & Bonaldo (2015) species with flat tegular flaps are usually associated with epigyna possessing shallow atrium and short scape. In this regard, Elaver gibarrai spec. nov. can be considered more related to E. mulaiki, E. placida, and E. wheeleri, than to species characterized by a spoon-shaped tegular flap, a deep atrium, and a long scape. However, the new species can be readily distinguished from these and other congeners by the shape and relative length of the median apophysis and RTA.
description: Published as part of Chamé-Vázquez, David & Jiménez, María-Luisa, 2025, A new sac spider of the genus Elaver O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 (Araneae: Clubionidae) from western Mexico, pp. 295-300 in Zootaxa 5618 (2) on pages 296-298, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5618.2.10, http://zenodo.org/record/15217548