Aamunops kalebi sp. nov.

Figures 1–32

Type material. Holotype 1♁: MEXICO: Chiapas: Villaflores, Reserva de la Biósfera La Sepultura, Cerro Tres Picos [16.196222°N, 93.607944°W, 2100 m a.s.l.], cloud forest, pit-fall trapping, leg. K. Zárate Gálvez, C.A. Pérez Bonifáz, G. Salinas Pérez & M.A. Lorena Acuña, 14.III.2008 – 26.IV.2008 (CARCIB-Ar-033).

Paratypes: same data as for holotype, except (2460 m a.s.l.), montane shrubland, 1♁ (CARCIB-Ar-0216); same data as for preceding, 1 immature (CARCIB-Ar-0219); same data as for preceding, except 1♁ CARCIB-Ar-0218); same data as for preceding, except 1♁ (CARCIB-Ar-0217); same data as for preceding, except 16.XI.2007 – 13.XII.2007, 1♀ (CARCIB-Ar-0215).

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honor of Kaleb Zárate, one of the collectors of the holotype.

Diagnosis. Males of Aamunops kalebi sp. nov. resemble those of A. noono by having a short embolus, whose length does not reach the palpal tibia length, but can be distinguished by having an additional process, the embolar process, which is as long and sinuous as the embolus (Figs 14–18, 21–26). Females can be distinguished from their congeners by the squarish-shaped median projection in the base of the anteromedian receptacle (Figs 19–20).

Description. Male (Holotype, CARCIB-Ar-033). Carapace, chelicerae, endites, labium, sternum, and legs pale orange, but endites and sternum with darker margins (Figs 1, 3, 5). Opisthosoma dorsum and venter light yellow (Figs 2, 4, 6). Legs I–II with crista occupying almost half or more of the ventral surface (Figs 10–11); paired claws with five teeth, distal tooth longest. Palp: tibia slightly excavated ventrally, with a distal prolateral brush composed of nine setae (Fig. 27); cymbium elongated (Figs 14–16), densely covered with long setae, apical surface with a chemoreceptor patch of short, fine setae (Figs 14, 16). Bulb spherical, arise from the proximo-ventral region of cymbium (Figs 14–18, 21–23); sinuous embolus shorter than palpal tibia length; sinuous embolar process as long as the embolus but thin (Figs 14–18, 21–26). Sperm duct opening, displaced from the tip (arrow in Figs 24–25), near the tiny hyaline process. Measurements: Total length 4.60. Carapace 1.85 long, 1.45 wide. Sternum 1.20 long, 0.90 wide. Legs: I 4.65 (1.50, 0.75, 1.20, 0.75, 0.45), II 4.05 (1.15, 0.60, 1.05, 0.75, 0.50), III 3.60 (1.10, 0.50, 0.75, 0.75, 0.50), IV 6.05 (1.75, 0.75, 1.30, 1.50, 0.75). Leg formula 4123.

Female (Paratype, CARCIB-Ar-0215). Coloration as in male (Figs 8–9). Crista long, almost covering all the metatarsus length (Figs 12–13, 30–31), wider on leg I than in leg II. Paired claws with five teeth (Figs 30–31). Internal genitalia with horizontal sclerotized bars; anteriomedian receptacle formed by a squarish-shaped median sclerotized projection that protrudes to the broad, membranous base and then to the hyaline sac-like structure (Figs 19–20); posterior invagination about the same size as the median projection. Measurements: Total length 6.50. Carapace 2.50 long, 1.75 wide. Sternum 1.60 long, 1.20 wide. Legs: I 5.45 (1.75, 0.9, 1.30, 0.95, 0.55), II 4.95 (1.65, 0.85, 1.15, 0.85, 0.45), III 4.50 (1.30, 0.75, 0.95, 0.95, 0.55), IV 6.35 (1.90, 0.80, 1.30, 1.60, 0.75). Leg formula 4123.

Variation: Males (N=3): total length 4.50–4.75; carapace 1.85–2.00 long, 1.40–1.50 wide. Sternum 1.20–1.25 long, 0.95–1.00 wide. Legs: I 4.50–4.70 (1.5, 0.75–0.85, 1.00–1.05, 0.75–0.90, 0.45–0.50), II 4.05–4.35 (1.10–1.40, 0.75–0.80, 1.00, 0.75, 0.45–0.50), III 3.45–4.10 (1.00–1.15, 0.5, 0.75–0.80, 0.75–1.10, 0.50), IV 5.85–6.05 (1.65– 1.75, 0.60–0.75, 1.30–1.35, 1.50–1.55, 0.70–0.75).

Natural history. Specimens of A. kalebi sp. nov. were collected in a cloud forest and montane shrubland of the Reserva de la Biósfera La Sepultura at 2,100 –2,460 m a.s.l. in Chiapas. Other species of Aamunops have been collected in tropical wet forest in San Andres Tuxtla, at 172–217 m a.s.l., and the leaf litter of oak forest and tropical wet forest of Atotonilco and Xamaticpac in Coacalco at 1,700 –2,388 m a.s.l., all these localities in Veracruz, Mexico (Galán-Sánchez & Álvarez-Padilla 2022).

Distribution. This species is only known from the type locality, at Cerro Tres Picos, Chiapas, Mexico. For the known distribution of all Aamunops species see Fig. 51.

Remarks. The female specimen analyzed of A. kalebi sp. nov. had the opisthosoma crushed and is in poor condition. Although the female genitalia is mostly complete and well preserved, the membranous sac-like of the anteromedian receptacle is broken. The sac of this species may be as large as in other species of the genus. Besides the males of A. kalebi sp. nov. (Figs 24–25), the Asian Laoponia saetosa Platnick & Jäger, 2008 also has the opening displaced from the tip (see Liu et al. 2019: figs 5D, G).