Epeirotypus kwakwa, Labarque & Piacentini & Pons & Hormiga & Arnedo & Ramírez, 2025

Epeirotypus kwakwa sp. nov.

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Figs 1 View Fig , 14–15 View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

Males and females of Epeirotypus kwakwa sp. nov. resemble those of Epeirotypus chavarria by the ovoid opisthosoma lacking lateral posterior tubercles ( Figs 14A–C View Fig , 15A–C View Fig ; Coddington 1986: figs 56– 57), common in the other species of the genus, but E. kwakwa can be distinguished by an olive-green pattern on the dorsum of the opisthosoma that resembles the number eight ( Figs 14A View Fig , 15A View Fig ), whereas E. chavarria have the opisthosoma off-white ( Coddington 1986: figs 56–57). Females of E. kwakwa can also be distinguished by the vulval bifid sclerotized septum forming a squared angle posteriorly ( Fig. 15D View Fig ), whereas E. chavarria have the bifid septum forming a rectangle ( Coddington 1986: fig. 60).

Etymology

The specific name is derived from ‘kwä, kwä’ which means ‘eight’ in the Ngäbere language, currently spoken by the Ngäbe native people of Panama, and refers to the dorsal coloration pattern of the opisthosoma forming the number eight.

Type material

Holotype

PANAMA – Chiriquí Province • ♂; Reserva Forestal Fortuna , Quebrada Honda , one-hectare PANCODING inventory; 8.750083° N, 82.239083° W; 1135 m a.s.l.; 7–12 Jun. 2007; M. Arnedo, D. Dimitrov, G. Hormiga, F. Labarque and M. Ramírez leg.; voucher code SFU2NCH029; DNA barcode SPIPA403-10 ; MIUP.

GoogleMaps

Paratypes

PANAMA – Chiriquí Province • 1 ♂; same data as for holotype; voucher code SFD1D8R010; preparation codes FML-00687, LNP-00270; DNA code epes1120; GenBank code PX096942 ; MACNAr 28996 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; voucher code SFD1NBL015; preparation codes FML-00697, LNP-00267; DNA code epes1058; GenBank code PX096940 ; MACN-Ar 28995 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; voucher code SFD1DAR018; DNA code epes1166; GenBank code PX096941 ; MCZ GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; voucher code SFC1N8H018; DNA barcode SPIPA404-10 ; MCZ GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; voucher code SFC1NCD018; DNA barcode SPIPA400-10 ; MCZ. GoogleMaps

Other material

PANAMA – Chiriquí Province • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; voucher code SFD1NCD016; DNA barcode SPIPA402-10 ; MACN-Ar 28993 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; voucher code SFU1N7H029; DNA barcode SPIPA401-10 ; MACN-Ar 28994 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; voucher code SFC1NAR016; DNA code epes1168; GenBank code PX096944 ; CRBA GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; voucher code SFU1NCD030; DNA code epes1167; GenBank code PX096943 ; CRBA GoogleMaps • 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; MCZ GoogleMaps • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; MIUP GoogleMaps • 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; MACN-Ar 28992 GoogleMaps • 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; CRBA. GoogleMaps

Description

Male ( paratype MACN-Ar 28996)

Total length 1.53. Prosoma: length 1.19, width 0.76, height 0.78. Sternum: length 0.43, width 0.37. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.08, PME 0.09, AME–PME 0.10. Opisthosoma: length 1.25, width 0.85, height 0.94; without tubercles. Leg formula: 1243. Dorsal shield of prosoma dark olive-green laterally, yellowish-white centrally forming irregular band ( Fig. 14A–B View Fig ). Dorsum of ocular area yellowish-white ( Fig. 14A View Fig ). Thoracic area of prosoma laterally higher ( Fig. 14B View Fig ; see “shoulders” in Coddington 1986). Sternum greenish-yellow with olive-green borders ( Fig. 14C View Fig ). Dorsum of opisthosoma olive-green with three pairs of whitish-gray patches laterally, all fused, and two middle whitish-gray patches ( Fig. 14A–B View Fig ). Epiandrium, booklung cover, tracheal spiracle, spinneret field and behind anal tubercle olive-green, surrounded by whitish-gray area ( Fig. 14C View Fig ). Legs I–II darker than III–IV, femora yellowish-white, patella, tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi orange ( Fig. 14A–C View Fig ). Palp: paracymbium wider than long, tegulum retrolaterally massive, tegular spur rounded, median apophysis rounded, distally notched, with projection extending distally, conductor reduced, partially covering embolus, embolus long, bulky and distally acute ( Fig. 14D–F View Fig ).

Female ( paratype MACN-Ar 28995)

Total length 2.59. Prosoma: length 1.01, width 0.72, height 0.59. Sternum: length 0.46, width 0.39. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.08, PME 0.10, AME–PME 0.09. Opisthosoma: length 1.74, width 1.55, height 1.37. Leg formula: 1243. Coloration olive-greener than male ( Fig. 15A–C View Fig ). Sternum with two olive-green patches close to sternal pits ( Fig. 15C View Fig ). Spinneret field surrounded by olive-green line ( Fig. 15B–C View Fig ). Epigynal plate olive-green ( Fig. 15C View Fig ), domed, with transverse groove, central pit deep ( Fig. 15C View Fig ). Vulva: copulatory ducts massive, proximally with patch of gland ducts dorsally, heavily sclerotized distally inserting dorsolaterally posteriorly into spermathecae, spermathecae anteriorly sharp, sclerotized, and connate (i.e., fused one above the other), fertilization ducts sclerotized, relative small, emerging dorsally posteriorly from spermathecae, curving anteriorly to meet uterus externus ( Fig. 15D View Fig ).

Records and biology

Records are limited to collections made at 1135 m a.s.l. in premontane rainforest from Reserva Forestal Fortuna ( Fig. 1 View Fig ). Males and females have been collected mostly at night by looking down, although some specimens were also collected at night by looking up and cryptic techniques, and others during the day by looking down.