Ammotrecha cobinensis Muma 1951

Ammotrecha cobinensis Muma 1951

Ammotrecha cobinensis ►Muma, 1951: 135, figs 302-304; ►Muma, 1970a: 46 (Table l3), 49; ►Muma, 1976: 26; ►Muma 1986: 21; ►Muma, 1987: 21; Vázquez Rojas, 1995: 31; Vázquez Rojas, 1996e: 76; ►Harvey, 2003: 200; ►Brookhart and Brookhart, 2006: 323.

HOLOTYPE: United States. California: Los Angeles County. - Covina, 30 December 1927 (J.C. Chamberlin), 1 male (holotype). Originally deposited in the University of Utah, now at the American Museum of Natural History. [Note: Muma (1951) lists the type locality as "Cobina, California". No such community exists within California. The locality is therefore presumed (Harvey 2001) to be Covina, California, a city within Los Angeles County.]

Original description:
Muma, 1951: 135, figs 302-304:

        "MALE HOLOTYPE: Total length, 9.0 mm. Chelicerae, 0.7 mm. wide and 2.6 mm. long. Propeltidium, 1.9 mm. wide and 1.7 mm. long. Chelicerae, 0.7 mm. wide and 2.6 mm. long. Propeltidium, 1.9 mm. wide and 1.7 mm. long.
         Coloration and markings in alcohol bleached and faded but apparently as follows: chelicerae light yellow; propeltidium light brown, with a narrow yellow median stripe; mesopeltidium, metapeltidium and abdominal tergites light, with a dusky purple median stripe and a pair of dusky submarginal stripes; legs apparently light on all segments; palpi apparently light except on metatarsi and tarsi where some duskiness is visible; eye tubercle dark; malleoli light.
         Dentition typical of Ammotrechinae as shown in figures 302 and 303. Fixed finger not modified and lacking carina. Intermediate tooth of movable finger about equidistant between principal and anterior teeth. Dental group of movable finger occupying about one-fourth the length of the finger. Flagellum as in A. peninsulana (Banks) except it is attached over the first fondal tooth of the mesal row and is not rolled mesally so far, covering less than one-fourth of the mesal surface.
         Palpi clothe d with long and short hairs and a moderate number of cylinder bristles on the tarsi, metatarsi, and tibiae. Metatarsi and tibiae also provided ventrally with eight pairs of stout cylindrical spines.
         Chelicerae nearly four times as long as wide. Propeltidium wider than long by a ratio of 1 to 1.1. Eyes separated by slightly less than one diameter."


[Redrawn from Muma 1951]

SUBSEQUENT ACCOUNTS:
Muma (1970a):

"Males have the legs and palpi pale except for a faint duskiness on the palpal metatarsus and tarsus, unmodified chelicerae, no dorsal carina, and 8 pairs of stout cylindrical spinelike setae on the palpal metatarsus and tibia. Females are unknown."

In Table 13 (diagnostic characters of ammotrechine species), Muma credits this species as having the following features: Tarsus and metatarsus faintly dusky, 8 pairs of spinelike setae on the pedipalp, and an unmodified fixed cheliceral finger.

DISTRIBUTION: United States (California), Mexico (?).

PUBLISHED RECORDS: Known only from the type series.

NOTES: Muma (1951) noted that the holotype is missing all but one first and one third leg, a condition which he considered as preventing its generic placement. He thus chose to describe it "under the genus Ammotrecha, sensu lato." Muma (1970a) stated that the description cannot be considered adequate until undamaged males and females have been described, and further noted that this species was doubtfully placed and is retained in this genus owing to the lack of both fourth legs on the only 2 specimens known. No further information was provided about the second known specimen. Muma (1976) again referenced two collections of this species, indicated that both are males, recorded the distribution as USA (California) and Mexico, but provided no further information about the second specimen. Muma (1986, 1987) stated "Muma (1970) recorded this species from Mexico," again without providing additional data. Vázquez Rojas (1995) included the species in a list of the solifuges of Mexico, but recorded the distribution within Mexico as "?". Brookhart and Brookhart (2006) again noted that the species is known from two males (one from Mexico), and shed no further light on the identity or current location of the second male. They note that the holotype, originally deposited at the University of Utah, is now at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH).

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