Ummidia sukuhpaya, Cubas-Rodríguez & Brown & Sherwood, 2024

Ummidia sukuhpaya sp. nov.

Type material.— Holotype ♂ ( IBSP 345210 ), found in the vicinity of the Brandon Hill bat cave, region of Pumpkin Hill, Isla de Útila, Islas de la Bahía , 17 March 2018, leg. T.W. Brown; paratype ♀ ( IBSP 345211 ) found in the vicinity of the bat cave, Pumpkin Hill , Isla de Útila, Islas de la Bahía , 17 March 2018, leg. A.M. Cubas-Rodríguez and T.W Brown.

Diagnosis.— Males of Ummidia sukuhpaya sp. nov. most closely resemble Ummidia hondurena but differ by the presence of a single spine on the prolateral face of patella I (6 spines in U. hondurena ), 17 spines on the retrolateral face of metatarsus I (9 spines in U. hondurena ), 22 spines on the prolateral face of tibia I (26 in U. hondurena ), 31 spines on retrolateral face of tibia I (29 in U. hondurena ), and by the pronounced retrolateral curvature of the apical half of the embolus when the palpal bulb is viewed ventrally (almost no curvature in U. hondurena ). Ummidia sukuhpaya sp. nov. is differentiated from Ummidia yojoa by absence of a retrolateral tarsal brush on tarsus IV (present in U. yojoa ), presence of spines on the prolateral face of tibia I (absent in U. yojoa ) and presence of 17 spines on the retrolateral face of tibia I (3 in U. yojoa ). Females can be distinguished from U. hondurena by the absence of a basal extension on the receptacle neck, directly below the respective lobe (present in U. hondurena ). The female of U. yojoa is unknown and cannot be compared.

Etymology.— The specific epithet “sukuhpaya ” is derived from the Pech language, where ‘sukuh’ means “catch the one who flees” and ‘paya’ refers to the first indigenous people of the Bay Islands, Honduras. This epithet reflects the predatory nature of this trapdoor spider species, also honouring the cultural heritage of the Honduran Pech community, whose ancestral lands include the region where this species was found.

Description of holotype male.— Total length including chelicerae: 17.6. Carapace: length 7.9, width 6.4. Caput: highly raised. ALE> AME, AME> PLE, PLE> PME. Fovea: deep, procurved. Chelicera: length 3.3, width 1.7. Abdomen: length 7.4, width 4.9. Maxilla: 1.7 long, with 14/17 (left/ right) maxillary cuspules. Labium: length 1.0, width 0.6, with 4 labial cuspules. Sternum: length 3.7, width 3.3, with two pairs of sigillae. Lengths of legs and palpal segments: see table 1. Tarsi I–IV with pseudoscopula present, sparsely distributed on tarsi III and IV, denser on tarsi I and II. Metatarsi without pseudoscopula. Spination: patellae I v2, r1, II v3, III r1, tibia I r22, p31, tibia II v15, r2, p11, II v3, r3, p15, IV v2, metatarsus I v2, r6, p16, II v17, r6, p7, III d8, v7, r3, p4, IV v19, r5, p7, tarsus I v2, r11, p10. II r10, p16. III: v7, p10, r18, IV p12. Femur III: aspinose, completely smooth. Palpal tibia: elongate and strongly incrassate, with an abundance of trichobothria ( Fig. 2C View Figure 2 ). Palpal bulb with elongate and tapering embolus, curved upwards, longer than base of bulb ( Figs. 2D–G View Figure 2 ). Colour (in alcohol): dorsal region and legs overall reddish-brown, abdomen dark brown ( Figs. 1A–D View Figure 1 ).

Description of paratype female.— Total length including chelicerae: 20.4. Carapace: length 7.5, width 6.2. Caput: highly raised. ALE> AME, AME> PLE, PLE> PME. Fovea: deep, procurved. Chelicera: length 4.0, width 2.0. Abdomen: length 10.2, width 8.5. Maxilla: 1.9 long, with 36/44 (left/ right) maxillary cuspules. Labium: length 0.9, width 0.7, with 8 labial cuspules. Sternum: length 4.5, width 3.4, with two pairs of sigillae. Lengths of legs and palpal segments: see table 2. Tarsi I–IV with pseudoscopula present, dense on I–II, sparsely distributed on III–IV. Metatarsi without pseudoscopula. Spination: patella III d4, tibia I r14, p17, II v7, r28, p22, III d7, v1, r2, p1, metatarsus v5, r23, p24, II v3, r17, p25, III v5, r4, IV v5, r2, tarsus I v5, r15, p5, II v3, r16, p15, III d9, v2, p2, IV d1, v3, r3. Spermathecae with two receptacles, each with a single lobe at apex, rounded, giving overall P-shape to receptacle, basal half of lobes sclerotised ( Figs. 3B–D View Figure 3 ). Colour (in alcohol): as in male ( Figs. 1E–H View Figure 1 , 3A View Figure 3 ).

Habitat.— The species occurs only in dry terrestrial habitats on Útila (AMC-R and TWB pers. obs.), with observations so far restricted to the northeastern region of the island near Pumpkin Hill. This area is notable as it encompasses the highest altitudinal gradient on Útila (maximum known altitude 74 metres above sea level), where the majority of Útila’s hardwood forest is located. It appears likely the species is restricted to soil types that are not prone to seasonal flooding or regular disturbance. Therefore, it may be absent from the remaining portions of the island consisting of waterlogged mangrove, neotropical savanna habitat, sandy coastline, and pastural agricultural lands. We also uncovered evidence that this species may occur within the entrances of nearby caves, and likely can, within reason, adapt its burrow structure to include available construction substrates or attach onto flagstones (see below).

Natural history.— Males were found wandering in March (holotype) and April (non-types, uncollected, AMC-R and TWB pers. obs.). The burrow of the paratype female ( Figs. 4A–B, D View Figure 4 ) was located on 10 April 2018 within a patch of broadleaf/palm forest at Pumpkin Hill and is characterized by dark, shaded, clayey soil surrounded by leaf litter (depth 20 mm). The burrow was found near the base of a large tree ( Fig. 5 View Figure 5 ). The burrow was dug at an angle of <45°and had a shallow length of 44 mm and an internal width of 14 mm. It was lined with dense white silk and closed at the entrance by a tightly fitting, oval, wafer-like, silk-hinged trapdoor; the door measured 14.1 mm high and 16.8 mm wide. Of note, the walls of the basal chamber are smoothly cemented with a paste presumably formed from mud, then coated with a layer of fine white silk; the silk in the basal quarter is sparsely coated compared to the densely laid silk at the trap entrance and on the tunnel roof. A second active female burrow was located on a cleared raised ledge next to a dirt road leading to Pumpkin Hill, however following an unexpected heavy rain overnight neither that individual nor the burrow could be described in further detail afterwards.

On 21 July 2018, a third, albeit abandoned and semi-degraded, burrow ( Figs. 4B–C View Figure 4 ) was found approximately 10 metres inside Pumpkin Hill Cave, located adjacent to the Kanahau Útila Research and Conservation Facility. Within the burrow, exuvial remains of an adult female carapace (6 mm long) with chelicerae were present, along with a discarded, hatched egg sac ( Fig. 4C View Figure 4 ), which contained remnant exuviae of immatures (see below). The burrow was formed from loose detritus and guano-based material, discretely placed at an acute angle within a porous cave wall. Its trapdoor was flush with the rock surface and opened vertically. The excavated trap measured 35 mm deep, with a width of 13 mm. The entrance was sparsely lined with silk; The inner tunnel was composed mainly of smoothed mud and silk, widening to form a pocket at the base. The trapdoor cover was firm, wafer-shaped and oval, measuring 12.8 mm high, and 15.5 mm wide. No adults or juveniles have since been located in the cave (AMC-R and T. Brown, personal observation).

The outer coating of the egg sac collected from within the burrow (see above) was spun from fine white silk, that formed a large deflated globular-shaped pocket, 10mm in diameter. The outside layer was interwoven and camouflaged using a heavy dusting of fine detritus and seed-shaped particulates sourced from surrounding cave guano; the internal coating of this outer layer is clean and finely spun. The innermost layer of the egg sac (i.e. which originally contains the eggs) is also constructed from white silk, smooth and purse-like, with a clear seam round the edge, 8 mm in diameter overall. It now shows a semi-deflated form due to the presence of three small exit holes, clearly made by spiderlings upon their emergence. The exuviae of at least 50 spiderlings were present in the cavity between the inner and outer layers of the egg sac. The prior successful use of the burrow as a reproduction site may explain its subsequent abandonment.

Distribution.— Known only from the type locality, Útila Island, Honduras ( Fig. 5 View Figure 5 ).

Remarks.— Ummidia sukuhpaya sp. nov. represents the third species known from Honduras. The two species previously known from the country were described from the mainland, and despite being relatively closely distributed to each other, are vastly morphologically different ( Godwin, Bond, 2021). The discovery of the new species described here also represents the first record of Ummidia from the Honduran Bay Islands group. Given the abundant short-range endemism found in other species of the genus ( Godwin and Bond, 2021), we highly suspect U. sukuhpaya sp. nov. is endemic to Útila. Indeed, it appears to be even further restricted only to the higher elevations on Útila, where the hardwood forest occurs (see above). Substantial deforestation and development has occurred around the type locality since its discovery in 2018. This species is thus likely to be of conservation concern, and further studies are required to understand what its conservation needs may be, and what measures it may require to sustain its population(s).