Bioacoustics of Ceraticelus artemisiae

Description. Holotype male. Total length ~1.55. Carapace : length 0.79; width 0.60, light brownishyellowish orange with narrow marginal black or dusky border, upper portion of cephalic region lighter in color, pars thoracica with fine reticulate microsculpture, without cervical constriction, carapace rapidly rising in relatively flat incline to level between coxae II & III, then in low convex arc to base of cephalic lobe. Cephalic region : lobe wide and low, rising convexly in steep arc to highest point posterior of PME, convexly descending to flattened area just anterior to PME, concavely descending below most anterior convex point to clypeal border (refer to Fig 17 ); setae on each side between AME and PME directed medially; cephalic height 0.41, cephalic width 0.36, cephalic width/carapace width 0.61, clypeal height 0.24. Eyes : AER recurved, PER very slightly recurved, PME separated by ~2.4 diameters, PME–PLE 1.2X PME diameter, PME, PLE, and ALE subequal in size, laterals contiguous, AME smallest, separated by ~0.5 diameters, positioned in middle of flattened region of lobe, black rings surrounding eyes. Chelicerae : relatively weak, outer margin slightly concave, cheliceral stridulatory stiae present but weakly developed (refer to Fig 16 ), fangs well developed, 5 promarginal teeth, 2nd largest, 3 retromarginal denticles. Sternum and pedicel : as in C. phylax males. Abdomen : setiferous dorsal scutum yellowish orange, narrower than abdomen, covering approximately 65 percent of length, more or less bilobed posteriorly (abnormal condition); setal bases surrounded by diminutive sclerites; two oblique and three transverse dark stripes present, connecting ventrolaterally on posterior half of abdomen, not connecting dorsally (refer to Fig 19 ), oblique stripes visible through scutum, transverse stripes distad of posterior edge of scutum, non-patterned membranous parts pale yellowish white; all ventral sclerites yellowish orange, epigastric scutum heavily sclerotized widely surrounding pedicel, not divided as in female, laterally extending slightly distad of epigastric furrow, posterolateral edges curving mesally, epigastric stridulatory striae and cuticular plectra (refer to Fig 15 ) as in C. phylax ; inframammillary sclerite more weakly sclerotized, confined to ventral surface; non-sclerotized central region of venter pale yellowish white, only very lateral portions darkened. Legs : coloration yellowish-white, leg I length 1.82, leg II length 1.74, leg III length 1.40, leg IV length 1.80, femur I slightly shorter than carapace width, LLI/CW 3.08, tibia I longer than metatarsus I, TiI l/d 6.1, tibial spines absent, TmI 0.51, TmIV absent. Palps : patella and femur as in C. phylax but respectively shorter, length patella 0.26, length femur 0.32; tibia with apophysis (refer to Fig 21 ) very similar to that of C. phylax except proximal two setae on anterior surface of proximal shaft of apophysis separated by about length of each; tibial trichobothria not detected. Palpal bulb : cymbium with small dorsolateral-subbasal angular projection (refer to Figs 21, 22 : Cap), not as broad mesolaterally as in C. phylax but also with single transverse row of laterally curving setae, otherwise nearly identical; paracymbium (refer to Figs 14 , 22, 23 : P) as in C. phylax , also with paracymbial membrane and scale-like structure (refer to Figs 14 , 23 : Pm, Psc). Conformation of palpal bulb nearly identical to that of C. phylax except for the less expansive, less longitudinally rugose tegular sclerite and much shorter distal finger (refer to Figs 21, 22 : Tscl, fg, respectively). Allotype female. Total length ~1.50. Carapace : length 0.69, width 0.57, color and dusky marginal band as in male, with very slight cervical constriction, rising most abruptly posteriorly at flat incline to level between coxae II & III then to highest point just behind PME, in profile outline slightly flattening in posterior cephalic region before rise toward PME, pars thoracica with fine reticulate micosculpture, cephalic height 0.29, ocular width/carapace width 0.51, clypeal height 0.15. Eyes : PME ~1.0 diameter apart, PME and ALE subequal in size, PLE slightly smaller, PEs contiguous, AME smallest, ~0.3 diameters apart, black rings around eyes, eye region not darkened as in C. phylax , AER straight, PER very slightly recurved. Chelicerae : more stout than in male, stridulatory striae not detected, 5 promarginal teeth, 3 retromarginal denticles. Sternum and pedicel : as in holotype . Legs : coloration as in holotype , leg I length 1.78, leg II length 1.68, leg III length 1.41, leg IV length 1.80, femur I slightly shorter than carapace width, LLI/CW 3.12, tibia I longer than metatarsus I, TiI l/d 5.6, tibial spines absent, TmI 0.59, TmIV absent. Abdomen : dark markings more pronounced than in male, six distinguishable bands darker and much more broadly developed, especially oblique bands (refer to Fig 25 ), all bands broadly converging laterally; imbricated stridulatory striae (refer to Fig15 ) and cuticular stridulatory plectra as in holotype ; coloration and arrangement of abdominal sclerites as in C. phylax females except epigastric plates over book lungs darker than remainder of epigastric sclerite. Epigynum : (refer to Fig 26 ; compare to Fig 8 ) very similar to that of C. phylax , convolution of copulatory tubes identical (refer to Fig 28 ; compare to Fig 10 ), with laterally positioned spermathecae directed anterolaterally and both mesal and lateral loops extending anterior to level of spermathecal apex (refer to Fig 26 ). Variation. Males (n=18). Total length ~1.50–1.85. Carapace : length 0.69–0.83 (mean 0.75), width 0.54– 0.63 (mean 0.58), in profile ( Fig 17 ) from base to base of lobe varying only slightly in convex contour. Cephalic region : upper portion of cephalic lobe often slightly lighter in color than the rest of carapace, cephalic height 0.37–0.46, cephalic width 0.32–0.42, cephalic width/carapace width 0.57–0.69 (mean 0.64), clypeal height 0.20–0.26; setae below AME usually directed anteriad to anterodorsad. Eyes : both AER and PER straight to slightly recurved, PME–PME ~2.0–3.0 diameters apart, PME–PLE ~1.0–1.5X PME diameter, PME, PLE, and ALE subequal in size, lateral eyes contiguous, AME smallest, subcontiguous to separated by ~0.75 diameters. Chelicerae : equipped with 3–5 promarginal teeth, 5 most common and 2–4 retromarginal denticles, 4 least common, stridulatory striae (striae detectable on cleared chelicerae at 400X magnification under transmitted light) very weakly developed ( Fig 16 ), probably nonfunctional; palpal plectra not detected. Abdomen : as in C. phylax , dorsal scutum varying greatly in shape and degree of development in both width and length but always present; dark patterned markings usually lighter and less broadly developed than in female, usually 5-7 bands present, often very faint, less often not visible; epigastric plates over book lungs often darker than remainder of scutum; imbricated stridulatory striae ( Fig 15 ) and coxa IV plectra as in C. phylax . Legs : leg I more often longer than, occasionally equal to, and rarely shorter than leg IV, LFI/CW 0.93– 1.00 (femur I and CW equal in one male), LLI/CW 3.08–3.39, tibia I longer than metatarsus I, TiI l/d ~6.0– 7.0, tibial spines absent, TmI 0.50–0.60, TmIV absent. Palps : patella long, slightly shorter than femur but more robust, both segments shorter than in C. phylax , length patella 0.23–0.31, length femur 0.29–0.36, tibia short, horizontal portion of tibial apophysis to beginning of bend usually more or less parallel sided ( Fig 21 ) but occasionally posterior surface slightly bulging proximally, proximal two setae on anterior surface of horizontal portion of shaft varying in position but usually separated by approximately their length; tibial trichobothria not detected. Palpal bulb : distal finger of tegular sclerite (fg: Figs 20, 22 ) varying in degree of development but short in comparison to that of P. p h y l a x (fg: Figs 3, 5 ). Females (n=18). Total length ~1.45–1.80. Carapace : length 0.63–0.74 (mean 0.69), width 0.52–0.60 (mean 0.57), in profile ( Fig 24 ) rising most abruptly posteriorly at relatively straight incline to level between coxae II & III then gradually to highest point just behind PME, outline relatively straight to slightly concave just anteriad steep rise, cephalic height 0.27–0.33, ocular width/carapace width 0.47–0.53 (mean 0.51), clypeal height 0.12–0.17. Eyes : AER straight, PER straight to very slightly recurved, PME–PME ~0.7–1.3 diameters apart, PME–PLE ~0.4–0.8X PME diameter, PME and ALE usually subequal, PLE usually very slightly smaller, occasionally PME and lateral eyes subequal, lateral eyes contiguous, PME smallest, subcontiguous to separated by 0.75X AME diameter. Chelicerae : stridulatory striae not detected (cleared chelicerae at 400X magnification), 3–5 promarginal teeth, 5 most common, 2–4 retromarginal denticles, 3 most common. Abdomen : pattern as described for allotype but often broken into to six or seven bands ( Fig 25 ), most anterior oblique band broadest and usually converging more ventrally than other bands, occasionally not converging, bands sometimes indistinct due to more pronounced lateral convergence, occasionally pattern indistinct or rarely absent (possibly an effect of preservation); epigastric plates over book lungs occasionally darker than remainder of sclerite. Legs and palps : length leg I usually less than, occasionally greater than or equal to length leg IV (16/18, 1/18, 1/ 18 females , respectively), LLI/CW 2.95– 3.32, LFI/CW 0.87–0.97, tibia I longer than metatarsus I, TiI l/d 5.3–6.1, tibial spines absent, TmI 0.46–0.61, TmIV absent, palpal tibia with 2 trichbothria. Epigynum : very similar to that of C. phylax (duct convolution identical) except mesal loop of the copulatory ducts always extending anteriad level of spermathecal apex (CD, S: Figs 26, 28 ), lateral loop either at the same level (CD: Fig 28 ) or anteriad level of the spermathecal apex.