Seven new species of the enigmatic spider genus Paratropis Simon, 1889 (Mygalomorphae, Paratropididae) from Ecuador Author Dupérré, Nadine Museum of Nature Hamburg, Zoology, Leibniz-Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Center for Taxonomy and Morphology, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany. & Research Associate, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, U. S. A. Author Tapia, Elicio Museum of Nature Hamburg, Zoology, Leibniz-Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Center for Taxonomy and Morphology, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany. text Zootaxa 2024 2024-10-10 5519 4 451 486 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5519.4.1 journal article 304417 10.11646/zootaxa.5519.4.1 d2f13ee2-c472-4616-88bd-7eaf486a0e45 1175-5326 13916138 1434ADD6-A021-4DFB-8471-D834438F8682 Paratropis kapak new species Figures 12–15 , 29C , Map 1 Type material. Female holotype from Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas province , Santo Domingo ( 00°25’33’’S 79°42’22’’W )[–00.421444° –79.704554°] 800m , 10Nov.2013 ,ex.parque Carolina, J. Romero , ECFN7244 ( QCAZ ). Paratype : 1 ♂ , same data as holotype, ECFN 7243 ( QCAZ ); 1 ♂ , Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas province , Santo Domingo , 500 m , 26 XI. 1994 , E. Suarez , ECFN 7245 ( QCAZ ); 1♀ , Santo Domingo ( 00°15’08’’S 79°10’11’’W ), [–00.252152° –79.169687°], 500 m , 29.12.2006 , V. Aguirre , ECFN 7242 ( QCAZ ); 1♀ Santo Domingo , Parque El Esfuerzo ( –00.23852° –79.23001° ), 2 Nov. 2019 , P. Chavez , ECFN 7240 ( QCAZ ). Etymology. The specific epithet is non-Latin adjective (invariable) taken from Kichwa language meaning “large” referring to the large size of the species. Diagnosis. Females of this species most resemble those of P. pukallucha sp. nov. and P. esmeraldas sp. nov. , and are differentiated by their smaller carapace length, x 7.27, n =3, while x 9.30, n= 3 and 8.62 mm respectively in the latter, and from both species by their strongly constricted spermathecae ( Fig. 13C–E ); while slightly constricted ( Fig. 8C–E ) in P. pukallucha sp. nov. and, spermathecae are not constricted in P. esmeraldas sp. nov. ( Fig. 2C ). Males are distinguished from those of P. esmeraldas sp. nov. by their straight carapace margin ( Fig. 14A ), deeply notched in the latter ( Fig. 4A ), from both species by their subtegulum with notch and bent embolus tip ( Fig. 15B, E ); while the subtegulum is not notched and the embolus tip is curved in P. esmeraldas sp. nov. ( Fig. 5D ) and embolus with straight tip in P. pukallucha sp. nov. ( Fig. 11B, E ). Description. (Female holotype ). Total length: 16.73; carapace length: 8.18; carapace width: 7.31; abdomen length: 8.54. CEPHALOTHORAX: Carapace orange, caput arched; fovea, straight ( Fig. 12A ). Chelicerae orange, promargin 13 teeth, retromargin 9 teeth. Labium sub-rectangular, 86 cuspules anteriorly ( Fig. 13B ). Maxillae longer than wide, anterior prolateral lobe elongated, conical; 58 cuspules spread over the ventral surface; outer margin with 56 spinules ( Fig. 13B ). Sternum length 3.03; width 4.09, oval; three pairs of oval sigilla ( Fig. 13B ). EYES: Eight eyes on tubercle, elevated, height 0.71; AME: 0.31; ALE: 0.31: PLE:0.29; PME: 0.13; PME–PME 0.64. ABDOMEN: Dorsally dark gray, slightly encrusted with soil, with six to seven transverse rows of spatulate setae; laterally gray fewer and smaller spatulate setae; ventrally light gray without spatulate setae. LEGS: Uniformly orange, very lightly encrusted with soil particles. Macrosetae ventrally on tibia, metatarsi and tarsi II–IV. Spinules on leg I ventrally, tibia: 26, metatarsus: 30, tarsus: 16; tarsal scopula absent. FIGURE 12. Paratropis kapak sp. n o v. female holotype. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm. Trichobothria: palpal tarsus: 9; tarsus I: 12, II: 11, III: 10, IV: 11; metatarsus I: 5, II: 4, III: 4, IV: 5. Leg measurements: I 20.62 (6.31/2.70/5.48/3.88/2.25); II 15.90 (4.65/2.12/3.92/3.33/1.88); III 13.88 (3.96/1.86/2.80/3.2 1/2.04); IV 21.05 (5.97/2.29/5.30/4.89/2.60); leg formula 4123. Tarsus I third claw present; tarsi II–IV without third claw; all paired claws with one tooth. GENITALIA: Two long spermathecae (2.8x longer than wide), spermathecal heads with strong constriction; spermathecal heads oval, longer than wide; stalk sinuous ( Fig. 13C–E ). FIGURE 13. Paratropis kapak sp. nov. female holotype. A. Carapace, dorsal view. B. Sternum and endites, ventral view. C. Spermathecae, dorsal view (holotype). D. Spermathecae, dorsal view (ECFN 7242). E. Spermathecae, dorsal view (ECFN 7240). Scale bars: A, B = 1.0 mm; C–E = 0.5 mm. FIGURE 14. Paratropis kapak sp. nov. male paratype. A. Habitus, dorsal view (arrow points to carapace shallow margin). B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Palp, prolateral view. D. Palp, retrolateral view. Scale bars: A, B = 1.0 mm; C, D = 0.5 mm. FIGURE 15. Paratropis kapak sp. nov. A. Male paratype, bulb prolateral view. B. Male paratype, bulb ventral view. C. Male paratype, bulb retrolateral view. D. Male (ECFN 7245) bulb prolateral view. E. Male (ECFN 7245) bulb ventral view. F. Male (ECFN 7245) bulb prolateral view. Scale bars: A–F = 0.5 mm. Male ( paratype ECFN 7243): Total length: 14.91; carapace length: 7.54; carapace width: 7.36; abdomen length: 7.37. CEPHALOTHORAX: Carapace dark reddish, caput arched; fovea, straight ( Fig. 14A ). Chelicerae dark reddish; promargin 14 teeth, retromargin 15 teeth. Labium sub-rectangular, 85 cuspules anteriorly ( Fig. 14B ). Maxillae longer than wide, anterior prolateral lobe elongated, conical; 47 cuspules spread over ventral surface; outer margin with 50 spinules ( Fig. 14B ). Sternum length 3.19; width 3.94, oval; three pairs of oval ( Fig. 14B ). EYES: Eight eyes on tubercle, height 1.2; AME: 0.35; ALE: 0.35; PLE: 0.26; PME: 0.15; PME–PME: 0.66. ABDOMEN: Dorsally dark gray with median beige mark, encrusted with soil, with six transverse rows of spatulate setae; laterally dark gray encrusted with soil, with smaller spatulate setae, ventrally beige, lightly encrusted with soil without spatulate setae ( Fig. 14A, B ). LEGS: Uniformly dark orange-brown, lightly encrusted with soil particles. Macrosetae ventrally on tibia, metatarsi and tarsi II–IV. Spinules on leg I ventrally: tibia 0; metatarsus 6, tarsus 0; tibia with low conical process ( Fig. 29C ); apical scopula on tarsi I–III. Trichobothria: palpal tib: drl 4, dpl 5; tarsus I: 10, II: 12, III: 9, IV: 11/12; metatarsus I: 5, II: 5, III: 4, IV: 5. Legs measurements: I 26.51 (7.80/2.98/6.87/5.90/2.94); II 20. 69 (5.96/2.09/5.05/5.2/2.43); III 18.77 (5.18/2.02/4.18/4.92/2.47); IV 25.16 (6.89/2.31/6.11/6.75/3.10); leg formula 1432. Tarsus I third claw present; tarsi II–IV without third claw; all paired claws with one tooth. GENITALIA: Palpal: tibia 2.74 length, 1.30 width; bulb + embolus length 2.95, bulb 0.92 width. Subtegulum with notch in ventral view ( Fig. 15B, E ); bulb rounded with deep constriction; embolus straight; embolus tip bent ( Fig. 15A–F ). Distribution. Known from Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas province ( Map 1 ). Natural History . Specimens were collected at 484 m in foothill evergreen forest of the Occidental Cordillera of the Andes (BsPn01) ( Guevara & Morales 2013a ). Variation. Female (ECFN 7242) carapace length: 7.46; abdomen length: 10.08; (ECFN 7240) carapace length: 6.19; abdomen length: 6.02. Female body length: 12.21–17.54, x 15.40, n= 3. Male (ECFN 7245) carapace length: 6.25; abdomen length: 5.56. Male body length: 11.81–14.91, x 13.36, n= 2.