Bioacoustics of Esophyllas vetteri

Description. Holotype male . Total length ~1.2. Carapace : length 0.54, width 0.41, tannish-yellow, more faded toward posterior and toward top of cephalic lobe, margin with narrow encircling black band, lightly infuscated behind cephalic lobe, AME and LE groups, and PME encircled in black; pars thoracica, lower edge of pars cephalica, and clypeus with fine squamate microsculpture ( Fig 17 ), cuticular pores present but not abundant ( Figs 17, 18 ); egg shaped in dorsal view, narrower in front ( Fig 2 ), prosomal pit ( Fig 1 ) subequal to AME diameter, cephalic sulci most easily viewed from above ( Fig 2 ), cephalic height 0.35, anterior setae near apex of lobe directed anteroventrally, clypeus 0.25 X cephalic height, single recurved seta below AME, cephalic width 0.20, cephalic width/carapace width 0.49. Chelicerae : yellowish-orange, 4 promarginal teeth and 2 retomarginal denticles; stridulating striae ridged ( Fig 13 ), cuticular plectra at base of palpal femur on medial face. Eyes : ALE largest ~1.2 X PME diameter, PME further from each other than from contiguous LE group, AME smallest, close together, both eye rows recurved with line through center of PMEs extending across anterior border of ALE (dorsal view). Sternum & pedicel : sternum lighter than carapace, narrowly infuscated around margin, length 0.33, width 0.30, widest between coxae I & II, extended broadly between coxae IV, posterior width subequal to width of coxa IV, ventral surface highly convex, with sparse recumbent setae directed toward center; pedicel with sternite and pleurites separated by membrane at least distally. Abdomen : pattern consisting of eight chevron-shaped or recurved gray-black to black bands ( Fig 5 : generalized abdominal pattern), densely covered with caudally directed decumbent setae; epigastric plates over booklungs with grooved stridulatory striae ( Figs 14 ), cuticular plectra on distal retrolateral corners of hind coxae. Legs : leg formula IV-I-II-III, length femur I 0.39, leg lengths I–IV: 1.30, 1.18, 1.02, 1.36, respectively, leg I length/carapace length 2.41, TiI l/d 5.2, TmI 0.31. Pedipalp : femur only slightly longer than cymbium, length 0.23, 0.19, respectively, and ~0.6 X length femur I, patella slightly over half as long as femur, tibia with single attenuate apophysis nearly twice as long as basal width, apex black, acutely reflexed, forming sharp-tipped barb, barb directed ventrally with very slight ectal twist ( Figs 7–9 : PTA), trichobothria: 0 prolateral, 1 retrolateral ( Fig 8 ). Bulb : J-shaped paracymbium relatively large and strongly curved ( Fig 8 : P), dorsal triangular projection just basad hooked terminus, ~10 stout, short setae on wide basal portion; orientation of tegulum to subtegulum is distal so axis of spiraled seminal duct is proximal to distal ( Fig 10 : SD); through mesal aspect of apically flattened tegulum sperm duct bisinuate ( Fig 7 : T, SD), duct entering radix on mesal side at notch where short somewhat quadrate tailpiece angles off mesally ( Figs 6 , 16 : SD, R TP), short embolus heavily sclerotized, black and parallel sided, spirally ridged and grooved terminus bent and tapered apically to ejaculatory opening at tip ( Fig 16 : E); suprategulum sclerotized, distal suprategular apophysis terminating as spear-like structure with subapical triangular projection ( Fig 8 : DSA); membrane attached only to mesal face of distal suprategular apophysis ( Figs 6 , 16 : M, DSA). Allotype female. Total length ~1.40. Carapace : length 0.56, width 0.38, general coloration and other markings ( Fig 4 ) and microsculpture ( Fig 17 ) as in holotype , profile ( Fig 3 : typical profile), row of 4 forward directed setae along midline posteriad PME, single recurved seta below AME. Chelicerae : coloration as in holotype , chelicerae and fangs well developed, fangs equipped with 5 promarginal teeth, 3 (left) and 2 (right) retromarginal denticles; ridged stridulatory striae slightly weaker than in holotype ( Fig 19 ). Eyes : ALE largest, ~1.4 X PME diameter, both eye rows recurved with line through center of PMEs extending between LE (dorsal view), otherwise as in holotype . Sternum & pedicel : length 0.35, width 0.30; pedicel with sternite and pleurites separated by membrane, otherwise as in holotype . Abdomen : pattern as in holotype ( Fig 5 : generalized abdominal pattern). Legs : leg formula as in holotype , femur I length 0.41, leg lengths I–IV: 1.30, 1.18, 1.04, 1.45, respectively, leg I length/carapace length 2.32, TiI l/d 4.6, TmI 0.36. Epigynum : distinctly wider than long, dorsal plate triangular in shape ( Fig 11 : DP, VP); spermathecae circular, separated by less than the diameter of one, posterior margin at level of anterior margin of dorsal plate, copulatory openings in very shallow depressions at anterior margin of dorsal plate at junction of dorsal and ventral plates ( Fig 11 : S, DP, CO, VP); from copulatory openings ducts travel dorsally then curve apicoventrally to level of spermathecal center, then loop and enter spermathecae mesally ( Fig 12 ; CD, S); posterior orientation of fertilization duct ( Fig 12 : FD). Variation. Males (n=14). Total length ~1.10–1.25; coloration of carapace, chelicerae, sternum, and appendages varies greatly in shade but generally appears as a admixture of tan, light yellow, and light orange (tannish-yellow to orangish-yellow) with dark narrow margin and often light infuscation just behind lobe, legs often more pale than various parts of cephalothorax. Carapace : length 0.52–0.59 (mean 0.54), width 0.38–0.44 (mean 0.41), apex of cephalic lobe often slightly lighter than remainder of carapace, cephalic height 0.30–0.36, cephalic width 0.17–0.21 (over cephalic pit between outer margins of dorsal sulci), cephalic width/carapace width 0.40–0.51, clypeal height 0.20–0.26 X cephalic height; profile of carapace varies slightly ( Fig 1 : generalized profile), midline row of procurved setae posterior of cephalic pit varying in number, often missing (presumed broken off). Chelicerae : 3–5 promarginal teeth (4 most common, 1–3 retromarginal denticles (2 most common). Abdomen : banding pattern fairly consistent ( Fig 5 for generalized pattern), width of bands varying either reducing or expanding pale regions between bands, base pale but often infuscated above and below pedicel. Legs : TiI l/d 4.7–5.2, TmI 0.31–0.38; tibial spines of legs I & II very small and occasionally lacking (presumed to be broken off). Pedipalp : palpal femur length/femur I length 0.53–0.61 (mean 0.58). Bulb : paracymbial setae varying in number, usually ±10. Females (n=14). Total length ~1.15–1.60; coloration of carapace, chelicerae, sternum, and appendages as in males. Carapace : length 0.53–0.59 (mean 0.57), width 0.38–0.41 (mean 0.39), cephalic height 0.20–0.25, clypeus height 0.24–0.34 X cephalic height; dorsal profile line varies slightly ( Fig 3 : generalized profile). Chelicerae : 4–6 promarginal teeth (5 most common, 4 common), 2–3 retromarginal denticles (equally common). Abdomen : pattern variation as in males. Legs : TiI l/d 4.3–4.8, TmI 0.31–0.39; tibial spines of legs I & II stronger than in males, less frequently missing. Epigynum : spermathecae round to slightly elliptical, varying slightly in distance between mesal margins; posterior corners of furrow between dorsal and ventral plates generally acute (very narrowly rounded) but infrequently more broadly rounded.