Brachypelma albiceps, POCOCK, 1903

BRACHYPELMA ALBICEPS POCOCK, 1903 View in CoL

( FIGS 2, 5–8, 38)

Eurypelma pallidum F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897: 21 , plate 1, fig. 17 (female misidentified).

Brachypelma albiceps Pocock, 1903: 103 View in CoL (D female). Schmidt (2004: 4, fig. 1) transferred to synonymized generic name. Locht et al. (2005: 108) transferred from Aphonopelma View in CoL . Estrada-Alvarez (2014: 57, fig. 18), female. Teyssié (2015: 266–267), female.

Aphonopelma albiceps ( Pocock, 1903) . Smith (1994: 70, figs 76–82) removed female from synonymy of A. pallidum . Peters (2000: 23, fig. 43), female. Peters (2003: 32, fig. 107), female.

Brachypelmides ruhnaui Schmidt, 1997a: 205 , fig. 1–4 (D male and female). Schmidt (1997b: 19, figs 199– 201), male and female. Locht, Yáñez & Vázquez (1999: 196, fig. 3), male. Peters (2000: 76, figs 250–252), male and female. Peters (2003: 133, figs 542, 545–547), male and female. Schmidt (2003: 137, fig. 207), male and female. Locht et al. (2005: 108) considered it as junior synonym of B. albiceps .

Material examined

Holotype of Brachypelma albiceps : MEXICO: Guerrero: ♀, Venta de Zopilote. No more data ( NHM labelled as BM 1898.12.24.34-37).

Holotype and paratype of Brachypelmides ruhnaui : MEXICO: Estado de MEXICO: 1♂, 1♀, Toluca. Col. Mark Ruhnau ( SMF39013 About SMF ) .

Other material: MEXICO: Guerrero: 1 ♀, no more data, source E. Hijmensen, S. Longhorn ( RUHZ Longhorn DNA sample 2005); 1♂, 1♀, Mpio. Copalillo, Papalutla , 14/X/2008, J. Mendoza (CNAN-Ar003412); 1 ♀, Mpio. Azoyu, El Carrizo VII/2011, A. Alcaraz (CNAN-Ar007850); 2 ♀, Mpio. Tixtla de Guerrero, Zotoltitlan , 23/IX/2012, J. Mendoza, G. Contreras, J. Cruz, D. Ortiz (CNAN-Ar007839, CNAN-Ar007843); 1 juvenile, Mpio. Chilpancingo de los Bravo, Milpillas, 22/IX/2012, J. Mendoza, G. Contreras, J. Cruz, D. Ortiz (CNAN-Ar007852); 1 ♂, Mpio. Arcelia, Teloloapan, 15/IX/1952, col. L. Vazquez (CNAN-Ar003099); 1 ♂, Mpio. Arcelia, Presa Vicente Guerrero, 05/X/1976, (CNAN-Ar003413); 1 ♂, Mpio. Arcelia, Presa Vicente Guerrero, 23/XI/1976, A. Castillo (CNAN-Ar003437); 1 ♂, Mpio. Eduardo Neri, Ahuelican , 03/X/2008, O. Francke, A. Valdez, T. Lopez (CNAN-Ar004128); 1 ♂, Mpio. Eduardo Neri, Venta Vieja, 26/V/1960, (CNAN-Ar004129); 1 ♂, Mpio. Tepecoacuilco, Ahuehuepan, 30/VIII/2009, O. Francke, A. Valdez, T. Lopez, C. Santibañez (CNAN-Ar 004130) . Morelos: 1 ♀, Mpio. Cuernavaca, 21/IX/1959, (CNAN-Ar003082); 1 ♂, Mpio. Tequesquitengo, 24/ IX/1961, Santibañez (CNAN-Ar003113); 1 ♂, Mpio. Amacuzac, Huajintlán, 28/VIII/2009, O. Francke, A. Valdez, C. Santibañez, T. Lopez, (CNAN-Ar010574). Diagnosis

Brachypelma albiceps can be distinguished from all other known Brachypelma species by its coloration, consisting of brown range setae on the carapace and red setae on the opistosoma ( Fig. 8A–B). The shape of the genitalia also differs in both sexes: with the palpal bulb being sharp and tapered ( Fig. 6) and the spermatheca separated and with rounded receptacles ( Fig. 7E–G).

Brachypelma albiceps can be identified by possesing the following character combination: male palpal bulb with sharp embolus curving to dorsal through its length ( Fig. 6E–D), prolateral superior keel very reduced, apical keel developed, wider behind embolus tip ( Fig. 6E–D). Embolus tip directed to retrolateral ( Fig. 6A–B). Embolus similar in length to tegulum ( Fig. 6). Spermatheca separated with semicircular receptacles. Spermathecal baseplate divided, oval; twice wider than its height ( Fig. 7E–G). Carapace of both sexes golden yellow ( Fig. 8A–B).

Redescription

Male (CNAN-Ar003412) ( Figs 5–6): Body length 38.45 (not including chelicerae and spinnerets). Carapace 17.64 length, 16.61 width. Caput not markedly elevated; fovea straight, 3.25 wide ( Fig. 5A). Eyes: anterior eye row procurved, posterior eye row recurved. Eye sizes and interocular distances: AME 0.45; ALE 0.70; PME 0.35; PLE 0.53; AME–AME 0.38; AME–ALE 0.20; PME–PME 0.98; PME–PLE 0.10; ALE–PLE 0.18. Ocular tubercle width 2.23, length 1.98; clypeus lacking ( Fig. 5D). Labium length 2.43, width 2.77; with 95 cuspules. Maxilla inner corner (left–right) with approximately 167–194 cuspules. Cheliceral promargin with (left–right) ten–ten teeth. Sternum length 7.90, width 6.43. Sigilla oval, second and third pairs hardly visible, posterior sigilla once its length from the margin ( Fig. 5B). Leg formula: IV, I, III, II. Length of legs and palpal segments (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus, total): I: 16.68, 8.70, 13.10, 12.76, 8.05, 59.29; II: 14.37, 7.54, 11.35, 11.54, 8.62, 53.42; III: 14.13, 7.07, 10.32, 13.78, 8.85, 54.15; IV: 16.88, 7.68, 14.29, 18.88, 10.60, 68.33. Palp: 10.51, 5.96, 9.53, -, 3.88, 29.88. Spinnerets: PMS, 1.90 long, 1.00 apart; PLS, 2.90 basal, 1.95 middle, 3.25 distal. Tarsi I–IV entirely scopulated. Metatarsus I densely scopulated, II densely scopulated, III scopulated 75% distally, IV scopulated 50% distally. Tibia I with two tibial apophyses normally developed which originate from a common base. Prolateral apophysis with one inner conical spine; retrolateral apophysis almost the same width throughout its length and curved to dorsal on apex ( Fig. 5F–G). Metatarsus I curved ( Fig. 5E). Stridulatory setae: with plumose setae on palp trochanter retrolateral face, and leg I trochanter and femur prolateral face. Chaetotaxy (left side): femora palp 1p; patellae none; tibiae II 2v; III 1r, 2v; IV 1p, 2v; palp 1p, 1v; metatarsi II 2v; III 2p, 6v; IV 2p, 9v, 1r. Palp: embolus tapering and with very reduce spoon-like shape at tip. Embolus slightly twisted to retrolateral. Prolateral superior keel very reduced and thin, prolateral inferior keel absent, apical keel extending to posterior and wider at the embolus tip. The opening of the embolus is on the prolateral side, just behind the opening is located a concavity which delimits the apical keel boundary from the remaining part of the embolus. Tegular apophysis rounded. ( Fig. 6A–D). Urticating setae: types I and III arranged in one dorsoposterior patch, black in colour. Type III are located in an oval dorsomedial area extended to posterior. Type I surrounding the type III area, with intermediates between type III and I in transition areas ( Fig. 5C).

Female (CNAN-Ar003082) ( Fig. 7A–E): Body length 53.61 (not including chelicerae and spinnerets), carapace 23.50 length, 22.40 width. Caput not markedly elevated; fovea procurved, 5.80 wide ( Fig. 7A). Eyes: anterior eye row procurved, posterior eye row recurved. Eye sizes and interocular distances: AME 0.47; ALE 0.50; PME 0.30; PLE 0.40; AME–AME 0.67; AME–ALE 0.33; PME–PME 1.40; PME–PLE 0.15; ALE–PLE 0.43. Ocular tubercle width 2.80, length 2.43; clypeus lacking ( Fig. 7C). Labium length 2.95, width 4.15; with 94 cuspules. Maxilla inner corner (left–right) with approximately 129–130 cuspules ( Fig. 7D). Cheliceral promargin with (left–right) nine–ten teeth (proximal to distal: first–third large, fourth–sixth medium, seventh–eighth large, ninth small; first-third large, fourth small, fifth medium, sixth–tenth large). Sternum length 11.40, width 9.43. Sigilla oval, third pair hardly visible; posterior sigilla once its length from the margin ( Fig. 7B). Leg formula: IV, I, II, III. Length of legs and palpal segments (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus, total): I: 16.52, 10.27, 13.05, 12.26, 8.36, 60.73; II: 15.35, 9.57, 10.94, 10.57, 7.94, 54.37; III: 14.40, 8.49, 9.30, 12.35, 6.92, 51.46; IV: 17.65, 9.00, 12.90, 17.39, 8.79, 65.91. Palp: 12.88, 6.12, 9.16, -, 9.12, 37.28. Spinnerets: PMS, 3.00 long, 3.50 apart; PLS, 4.75 basal, 3.10 middle, 3.65 distal. Tarsi I–IV entirely scopulated. Metatarsi I–II entirely scopulated, III scopulated 75% distally, IV scopulated 50% distally. Stridulatory setae: with claviform stridulating setae on leg I trochanter and femur prolateral face. Chaetotaxy (left side): femora palp 1p; patellae none; tibiae I 2v, II 1p, 4v; III 3v, 1r; IV 3v, 1r; palp 5v, 1r; metatarsi I 1v; II 3v; III 2p, 5v, 1r; IV 13v, 2r. Genitalia: spermatheca separated with semicircular receptacles strongly sclerotized, ventral face smooth. Spermathecal baseplate divided, oval; twice wider than its height. ( Fig. 7E). Urticating setae: types I and III arranged in one dorsoposterior patch, black