Figure 35 d–f; Map 3
Type. Holotype female: MEXICO: Chihuahua: Municipality of Namiquipa, Cañón Prieto, 29°22′0″N, 106°37′59.9″W, around 1115 m, 30.VI.1947, W.J. Gertsch, deposited at AMNH.
Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.
Diagnosis. Novalena prieta differs from N. plata and N. rothi in having the primary spermathecae strongly curved (Fig. 35 e).
Description. Female (holotype): Carapace orange. Chelicerae reddish, condyles orange. Endites orange. Labium light brown with white tip. Sternum light brown with median yellow band. Legs with femur and tarsus yellow, the rest reddish, dim black spots on coxa, trochanter, and metatarsus. Three black rings on femur and two on tibia. Opisthosoma light brown with an anterior black spot, two lateral orange band, foliage, and several lateral black spots. Posterior spinnerets with black spots. Total length 6.5. Carapace length 3, width 2, cephalic region width 0.95, ocular region width 0.67. Eye diameter: AME, PME and PLE 0.13, ALE 0.17. Distance between eyes: AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.06, AME-PME 0.16, ALE-PLE 0.04, ALE-ALE 0.25, PME-PME 0.1, PME-PLE 0.08. Clypeus height 0.17. Chelicerae with three retromarginal teeth; basal segment length 1.21, fang length 0.55. Labium almost as long as wide (0.33/0.36). Endites almost straight (distance at their base compared at their tips 0.36/0.27). Sternum longer than wide (1.52/1.19). Opisthosoma longer than wide (4/2.38). Anterior spinnerets separated by less their basal diameter (0.13/0.29), posterior spinnerets with distal segment shorter than basal segment (0.42/0.52). Leg lengths: I—femur 2.24/ patella-tibia 2.81/ metatarsus 2/ tarsus 1.29; II—2.14/ 2.52/ 1.95/ 1.24; III—2.05/ 2.38/ 2.05/ 1.24; IV—2.76/ 3.43/ 3.14/ 1.52. Spination: Femur dorsal I—1-1 -2/ II—1-1 -2/ III—1- 1 -2/ IV—1-1 -2; patella I—dorsal 1-1/ prolateral 1/ retrolateral 0; II—1-1 / 1/ 0; III—1-1 / 1/ 1; IV—1-1 / 1/ 1; tibia I—dorsal 1-1-0/ ventral 2-2-2/ prolateral 1-1-0/ retrolateral 0; II—1-1 -0/ 1-1-2/ 1-1-0/ 0; III—1-1 -0/ 1-1-2/ 1-1-0/ 1-1-0; IV—1-1 -0/ 1-1-2/ 1-1-0/ 1-1-0; metatarsus I—0/ 2-2-2/ 1-1-0/ 0; II—0/ 2-2-1/ 1-1-0/ 1-0-0; III—2-2 -2/ 2-2- 2/ 1-1-1/ 1-0-0; IV—2-2 -2/ 2-2-2/ 1-0-0/ 1-1-0. Number of trichobothria: I—2, II—2, III—3, IV—3. Dorsal spines on pedipalp femur: 2. Prolateral spines on tibia: 1-2. Epigynal plate wider than long (0.88/0.39); atrium in shallow depression with lateral margins forming a small spiral that surrounds the copulatory openings; ventrally directed sclerotized spurs, separated by more their basal width (Fig. 35 d, f). Internal genitalia: copulatory ducts straight, primary spermathecae strongly curved separated by their width, secondary spermathecae elongated (Fig. 35 e).
Male. Unknown.
Variation. Body length 6.25–6.5; patella-tibia I length 2.63–2.81 (n = 2). Spots more evident in paratype.
Additional material examined. Paratype: MEXICO: Chihuahua: Municipality of Farías, San José Babícora, 4.IX.1947, W.J. Gertsch, 1 ♀ (AMNH).
Distribution. MEXICO: Chihuahua (Map 3).