Darkoneta quetzal Ledford & Griswold, 2010, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ledford, Joel M.
name: Griswold, Charles E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Leptonetidae
Darkoneta
Darkoneta quetzal

description: Darkoneta quetzal, sp. nov.
(Figs. 11–17, 29–30, 34, 57–64, 85–90, 112)
Type material. Male holotype from Sierra de Las Minas, 9 km North of San Lorenzo, Dep. Zacapa, Guatemala (AMNH).
Other material examined. Guatemala: Dep. Zacapa, Sierra de Las Minas, 9 km North of San Lorenzo, 17.xi.1986, E. Lindquist, 3 females, 2 males (AMNH).
Diagnosis. Separated from all Darkoneta species except D. stridulans (Figs. 79–84) by having males with a posterior stridulatory mechanism on the carapace and abdomen (Figs. 29–30). Separated from D. stridulans by details of the male palpal bulb, including: a prolaterally bent embolus extending no more than 2/3 the length of the tarsus (E, Figs. 86, 89) and a broad, sharply pointed prolateral sclerite (PRS, Figs. 86, 89).
Description. Male (holotype)
Total length 0.9. Specimen pale orange, darker around carapace margins and gradually lighter towards fovea.
Carapace 0.47 long, 0.36 wide, height at fovea 0.50 x carapace width; clypeus 0.08 high, chelicerae 0.22 long. Ocular area 0.05 long, 0.09 wide. Sternum 0.34 long, 0.28 wide; labium 0.05 long, 0.08 wide; palpal coxae 0.15 long, 0.08 wide.
Legs covered in fine setae. Leg formula I, IV, II, III. Measurements (Femur + Patella + Tibia + Metatarsus + Tarsus = [Total]): I: 0.43 + 0.15 + 0.39 + 0.30 + 0.25 = [1.52]; II: 0.36 + 0.14 + 0.29 + 0.27 + 0.23 = [1.29]; III: 0.30 + 0.12 + 0.23 + 0.24 + 0.21 = [1.10]; IV: 0.43 + 0.14 + 0.37 + 0.30 + 0.24= [1.48]; pedipalpus: 0.18 + 0.08 + 0.11 + 0.19 = [0.56]. Femur I 1.19 x carapace width, palpal femur 0.5 x carapace width.
Palpal bulb 0.11 long, 0.09 wide. Prolateral sclerite broad, triangular and with a retrolateral bend; median sclerite procurved and sharply tapering retrolaterally; retrolateral sclerite similar to median sclerite and sharply tapering retrolaterally; embolus short, thin, and tapering apically.
Abdomen pale, without pattern, 0.43 long, 0.31 wide.
79. Retrolateral; 80. Ventral; 81. Prolateral; 82. Bulb, retrolateral; 83. Accessory sclerites, ventral; 84. Accessory sclerites, ventral. E, embolus; MS, median sclerite; PRS, prolateral sclerite; RLS, retrolateral sclerite.
Female (paratype)
Total length 0.93. Coloration and markings identical to male.
Carapace 0.44 long, 0.36 wide, height at fovea 0.61 × carapace width; clypeus 0.8 high, chelicerae 0.23 long. Ocular area 0.06 long, 0.10 wide. Sternum 0.29 long, 0.23 wide; labium 0.5 long, 0.8 wide; palpal coxae 0.18 long, 0.10 wide.
Leg measurements (Femur + Patella + Tibia + Metatarsus + Tarsus = [Total]): I: 0.41 + 0.14 + 0.30 + 0.23 + 0.21 = [1.29]; II: 0.31 + 0.11 + 0.24 + 0.21 + 0.21 = [1.29]; III: 0.27 + 0.14 + 0.31 + 0.20 + 0.17 = [1.09]; IV: 0.38 + 0.15 + 0.32 + 0.25 + 0.21 = [1.31]; pedipalpus: 0.16 + 0.06 + 0.11 + 0.17 = [0.5]. Femur I 1.13 x carapace width, palpal femur 0.44 x carapace width.
Abdomen pale, without pattern, 0.49 long, 0.37 wide. Spermathecae as long as wide (Fig. 112).
Variation (n = 2). Total length 0.93–1.10; carapace length 1.22–1.24 × carapace width; OAL 0.55–0.60 × OAW; length femur I 1.05–1.14 × carapace width, palpal femur 0.44–0.49 × carapace width.
Etymology. This species is named for Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent diety worshipped throughout Mesoamerica as the patron god of knowledge and learning; also the quetzal, the national symbol of Guatemala.
Distribution. Known only from the type locality in the Sierra de Las Minas, Guatemala.
description: Published as part of Ledford, Joel M. & Griswold, Charles E., 2010, A study of the subfamily Archoleptonetinae (Araneae, Leptonetidae) with a review of the morphology and relationships for the Leptonetidae, pp. 1-32 in Zootaxa 2391 on pages 17-26, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.193866