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| Pikelinia floydmuraria Villarreal, Delgado-Santa, González-Gómez, Rodríguez-Castro, Román, Agudelo & García, 2026 |
Abstract
The new synanthropic crevice weaver spider species, from the family Filistatidae, Pikelinia floydmuraria sp. nov. (male and females) is described from the department of Tolima, Colombia. The female internal genitalia of P. fasciata from the Galapagos islands, Ecuador, is described here for the first time. Additional unidentified species of Pikelinia populations were recorded in the departments of Cauca, Quindío, and Risaralda. Dietary analysis of P. floydmuraria sp. nov. (Tolima) and Pikelinia sp. (Armenia) revealed a predominance of Hymenoptera (~35% of prey), followed by Diptera and Coleoptera. This study expands known diversity and trophic ecology of Pikelinia genus.
Key Words: Crevice weaver, food preferences, Galapagos Islands, Neotropic, taxonomy
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| Pikelinia floydmuraria sp. nov., male paratype (MIZA-0105938). A. Habitus, dorsal view; B. Carapace, dorsal view; C. Sternum and coxae, ventral view; D. Left Pedipalp, retrolateral view; E. Left Pedipalp, prolateral view; F. Right leg II, metatarsus and tarsus, prolateral view; G. Right metatarsus II, detail of modified setae, prolateral view; H. Female paratype (CIUQ-026403) Habitus, dorsal view. Photos: Osvaldo Villarreal (A–C; F–G), Leonardo Delgado-Santa (D–H). Scale bars: 1 mm (A, H); 0.5 mm (B, C); 0.25 mm (D, E); 0.1 mm (F, G). |
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| Pikelinia floydmuraria sp. nov., from Tolima. A. Female, habitus; B–D. Male, habitus; E, F. Juvenile, attacking a cockroach on the web. Photos: Julio C. González-Gómez. |
Pikelinia floydmuraria sp. nov.
Diagnosis. Pikelinia floydmuraria sp. nov. is the most similar and morphologically closest species to P. fasciata, sharing a nearly identical male palpal structure and leg II chaetotaxy. Males are distinguished from P. fasciata by the concolor leg pattern (vs. annulate) and the abdominal pattern of an irregular longitudinal central blotch (vs. two anterior pale spots and five transversal bands). Females are differentiated by the spermathecae with long, slender, S-shaped receptacle necks (vs. shorter, stouter, and C-shaped in P. fasciata).
Etymology. The specific epithet “floydmuraria” is a neologism derived from “Floyd” (honoring the band Pink Floyd) and “muraria” (from Latin mūrus, wall), alluding to both the album “The Wall” and the species’ wall-dwelling habitat.
Osvaldo Villarreal, Leonardo Delgado-Santa, Julio C. González-Gómez, Germán A. Rodríguez-Castro, Andrea C. Román, Esteban Agudelo and Luís F. García. 2026. Another Web in the Wall: A New Pikelinia Mello-Leitão, 1946 (Araneae, Filistatidae) from Colombia, with notes on its diet and description of the female genitalia of P. fasciata (Banks, 1902). Zoosystematics and Evolution. 102(1): 357-366. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zse.102.175423 [18 Feb 2026]
