Episinus jimmyi Chavari & Brescovit, 2014, new species
Creators: name: Chavari, João Lucas
name: Brescovit, Antonio D.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Theridiidae
Episinus
Episinus jimmyi

description: Episinus jimmyi new species
Figs 1–20
Types. Male holotype from Parque Natural Regional El Vínculo (3°50’19”N, 76°18’20”W) Buga, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, 09.X.2008, J.C. García leg., deposited in ICN 7524; Paratypes with the same data as holotype except date: 2 males, 26 Aug 2008 (ICN 7526); 10 Oct 2008 (IBSP 165076) and 3 females, 28 Aug 2008 (ICN 7525); 26 Aug 2008 (ICN 7527); 9 Oct 2008 (IBSP 165077).
Other material examined. COLOMBIA: Valle del Cauca: Buga: Parque Natural Regional El Vínculo (3°50’19”N, 76°18’20”W), Aug–Oct 2008, J.C. García leg., 5♂ 8♀ 2 juv. (IBSP 165078–165085).
Etymology. The species is in honor of Jimmy Cabra García, the Colombian arachnologist that collected all specimens.
Diagnosis. Males of Episinus jimmyi n. sp. are similar to those of E. crysus Buckup & Marques, 1992 by the presence of dorsal nipple-like projections on the abdomen and the conductor apophysis (see Buckup & Marques, 1992, fig. 8), but the embolus base is shorter (Figs. 5, 10). Females resemble E. pyrus Levi, 1964 in the presence of dorsal nipple-like projections on the abdomen and the presence of a transverse lip in the epigynum (see Levi, 1964, figs 34–36), but can be distinguished by the transverse lip situated anteriorly to the spermathecae (Figs. 8, 9, 15) and fertilization ducts directed downwards (Figs. 9, 15, 17).
Description. Male (Holotype): Total length 0.77. Carapace 0.32 long, 0.3 wide, yellow-white. Sternum 0.30 long, 0.28 wide, yellow-white. Abdomen 0.45 long, 0.50 wide, yellow, with nipple-like projections and white spots dorsally (Figs 1, 2) and yellow-white ventrally. Eyes red and subequal in size, about 0.07 diameter (Fig. 1). Clypeus height about 1.0 times AME diameter. Legs I, total length 2.5, femur 0.67, patella 0.22, tibia 0.62, metatarsus 0.57, tarsus 0.42; II 1.87/0.65/0.17/0.40/0.35/0.30; III 1.23/0.47/0.12/0.27/0.17/0.20; IV 1.94/0.62/0.20/ 0.45/0.40/0.27. Legs yellow-white, patella IV red (Fig. 1). Tarsal organ capsulated with rounded orifice (Fig. 12). Trichobothrial socket rounded, with elevated border (Fig. 13). Palp: conductor with two apophyses and fused basally to the embolus (Fig. 10). Median apophysis between the TTA and cymbium (Fig. 11). Ejaculatory duct originating in subtegulum, close to petiole (Fig. 7). TTA curved over the conductor (Fig. 6).
Female (Paratype) (ICN 7525). Total length 1.22. Carapace 0.50 long, 0.84 wide, yellow-white with slightly dark spots dorsally and yellow-white ventrally. Sternum 0.30 long, 0.32 wide, yellow-white. Abdomen 0.84 long, 0.72 wide, yellow with white spots, dorsal region dusky, with five red nipple-like projections (Figs 3, 4). Eyes subequal in size about 0.08 diameter. Clypeus height about 1.0 times AME diameter. Legs I, total length 2.78, femur 0.82, patella 0.24, tibia 0.68, metatarsus 0.60, tarsus 0.44; II 1.74/0.48/0.22/0.36/0.38/0.30; III 1.14/0.28/ 0.10/0.36/0.20/0.20; IV 1.62/0.44/0.20/0.40/0.38/0.20. Legs yellow-white, patella IV red (Figs. 3, 4). Tarsus and metatarsus with curved chemosensory setae irregularly distributed (Fig. 18). Third claw long, slender and curved at tip, with one short tooth (Fig. 20), paired claws without teeth (Fig. 19). Epigynum: epigynal plate semicircular, grooved posteriorly, with small and rounded copulatory pores (Fig. 14); copulatory duct short and in the basal region of the spermathecae (Figs. 8, 9); spermathecae oval with a group of glandular pores in the apical region (Figs. 8, 9, 15, 16), fertilization ducts curved (Figs. 9, 15, 17)
Natural history. The specimens were collected manually at night in grasses, riparian forest, secondary forest and bamboo forests.
Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Southwestern Colombia.
description: Published as part of Chavari, João Lucas & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2014, The first species of the spider genus Episinus in Colombia (Araneae, Theridiidae), pp. 145-150 in Zootaxa 3846 (1) on pages 146-148, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.1.9, http://zenodo.org/record/226838