Masteria papallacta Duperre & Tapia 2021, new species

Masteria papallacta Dupérré & Tapia, new species

Figs 8A, B, 9A–D, 10 A, B, 11A, 20E, F, 22C. map. 1.

Type material. Male holotype and female allotype from Napo Province, Ecuador, Páramo de Papallacta, site 3 (- 00.281881 -78.137040) 4020m, 1–8 Mar. 2020, pitfall, E.E. Tapia, N. Dupérré, A.A. Tapia (QCAZ). Paratypes: 4♀ same data as the holotype (ZMH-A00014698, A00014699, QCAZ).

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality Páramo de Papallacta.

Diagnosis. Males resemble M. jatunsacha n. sp., and M. chalupas n. sp. but can be distinguished from both species by the straight embolus (Fig. 9C), that is twisted in the two other species (Figs 3C, 7C). Females are distinguished from all species by their small, tortuous ental lobes (Fig. 11A).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length: 2.74; carapace length: 1.35; carapace width: 1.08; abdomen length: 1.39. Carapace light brown without obvious reticulation in the cephalic groove and pars thoracica, covered with long setae (Fig. 8A). Chelicerae yellow; promargin with 12 teeth and ~12 smaller mesobasal teeth. Endites yellow without cuspules. Labium yellow without cuspules. Sternum yellow, covered with setae (Fig. 8B). Eyes: six eyes grouped; AME absent; ALE oval; PLE the largest, oval; PME the smallest, oval; posterior row recurved (Figs 8A, 20E). Abdomen elongated, grayish covered with long setae (Fig. 8A). Spinnerets: PLS 0.97 (0.36/0.29/0.32). Legs coloration uniformly pale yellow. Leg formula 4123; leg measurements: I 3.65 (1.02/0.56/0.79/0.67/0.61); II 2.85 (0.81/0.48/0.55/0.55/0.46); III 2.69 (0.82/0.33/0.53/0.49/0.52); IV 3.84 (1.07/0.43/0.90/0.79/0.65). Leg spination: I: no spines observed; II: femur d1-1; patella v1, p1; tibia v1-1, p1; metatarsus v1-1; III: femur d1-1-1; patella p1, v2ap; tibia d1-1, v2-2, p1-1, r1-1; metatarsus d1-2, v2-3ap, p1, r1-1; IV: femur d1-1-1; patella p1, v1ap, r1; tibia d1, v1-2ap, p1-1-1, r1-1, metatarsus d1, v2-2-2ap, p1-1, r1-1-1. Tibia I: P1 absent; P2 with an apical strong, curved spine; P3 with two apical spines (Fig. 22C). Metatarsus I with small pointed basal spine (Fig. 22C). Palpal tibia 1.7x the length of cymbium, 2.3x longer than wide, with 28 spines grouped in U on retrolateral side, (Fig. 9B, C); cymbium 2x longer than wide, with four apical spines; palpal bulb elongated-oval, embolus short, straight, strongly sclerotized (Fig. 9C).

Female (allotype): Total length: 4.47; carapace length: 1.96; carapace width: 1.57; abdomen length: 2.51. Coloration as in male (Fig. 10A, B). Chelicerae yellow; promargin with 10 teeth and ~16 smaller mesobasal teeth. Endites yellow without cuspules. Labium yellow without cuspules. Sternum yellow, covered with long setae (Fig. 10B). Eyes: six eyes grouped; AME absent; ALE oval; PLE the largest, oval; PME the smallest, oval; posterior almost straight (Fig. 20F). Abdomen elongated, uniformly beige, covered with setae (Fig. 10B). Spinnerets: PLS 0.97 (0.56/0.43/0.50). Legs coloration uniformly pale yellow. Leg formula 4123; leg measurements: I 4.44 (1.28/0. 74/1.03/0.76/0.63); II 3.63 (1.05/0.59/0.69/0.71/0.59); III 3.73 (1.17/0.44/0.70/0.76/0.66); IV 5.16 (1.47/0.61/1.24/ 1.06/0.78). Leg spination: I: d1-1-1-1-1; patella v1, tibiae v1-1; II: femur d1-1-1-1; patella v2ap, p1; tibia v1-1, p1; metatarsus v1-1-1, p1; III: femur d1-1-1; patella d1-2, p1, v1ap; tibia d1-1, v2-2, p1-1, r1-1; metatarsus d1-2, v1-1- 2ap, p1, r1-1; IV: femur d1-1-1; patella pd1, v2ap, r1; tibia d1-1, v1-2-2ap, p1-1-1, r1-1, metatarsus d1, v2-1-1ap, p1-1, r1-1-1. Palpal claw with ~20 teeth. Genitalia: unilobed spermathecae with short, oval ectal lobes (EcL), ental lobes tortuous (EnL); spermathecae bases wide; glandular region with large glands closely spaced on the spermathecae bases (Fig. 11A).

Distribution. Ecuador: only found at the type locality.

Natural History. Specimens were collected by pitfall at high elevation (4020m) in an evergreen shrubland and grassland of the Andean Páramo (Salgado et al. 2013).