Aptostichus elisabethae Bond 2012

Specimen preparation and condition. Specimen collected from pitfall trap, preserved in 80% EtOH. Coloration faded. Pedipalp, leg I left side removed, stored in vial with specimen. General coloration. Carapace, chelicerae, dark red 2.5YR 3/6. Abdomen very pale brown 10YR 7/4, lacking dorsal markings (Fig. 292). Cephalothorax. Carapace 3.84 long, 3.32 wide, glabrous; stout black bristles along fringe; surface smooth, pars cephalica elevated. Fringe, posterior margin with black bristles. Foveal groove deep, recurved. Eyes on low mound. AER slightly procurved, PER slightly recurved. PME’s smaller in diameter than AME’s. Sternum moderately setose, STRl 1.94, STRw 1.84. Posterior sternal sigilla moderate in size, widely separated, anterior sigilla pairs small, oval, marginal. Chelicerae with distinct anterior tooth row comprising 3 teeth, posterior margin with patch of small denticles. Palpal endites and labium lack cuspules, LBw 0.60, LBl 0.43. Rastellum consists of 10 stout spines not on prominent mound. Abdomen. Setose, heavy black setae intermingled with fine black setae. Legs. Leg I: 3.84, 3.24, 2.38, 1.52, 1.25; leg IV: 3.45, 2.05. Tarsi curved; tarsus I with light pseudosegmentation. Very light (sparse) tarsal scopulae on all legs, light scopulae on metatarsus I, II. Tarsus I with single, slightly staggered row of 9 trichobothria. Leg I spination pattern illustrated in Figures 293, 294, 296; TSp 14, TSr 4, TSrd 0. Pedipalp. Articles stout, with distinct patch of distal prolateral tibial spines (Fig. 295). PTw 0.75, PTl 1.53, Bl 0.68. Embolus broad, tapering sharply toward tip, lacking serrations. Variation (10). Cl 3.75-4.69, 4.03±0.08; Cw 3.06-4.00, 3.29±0.08; STRl 1.83-2.37, 2.00±0.05; STRw 1.68-2.10, 1.82±0.04; LBw 0.53-0.62, 0.58±0.01; LBl 0.38-0.44, 0.41±0.01; leg I: 3.75-4.25, 3.87±0.05; 3.06-3.38, 3.14±0.03; 2.25-2.58, 2.35±0.03; 1.46-1.68, 1.52±0.02; 1.20-1.35, 1.25±0.01; leg IV: 3.27-3.81, 3.43±0.05; 1.86-2.38, 2.04±0.04; PTl 1.32-1.59, 1.43±0.03; PTw 0.68-0.84, 0.74±0.02; Bl 0.62-0.69, 0.65±0.01; TSp 8-16, 11.90±0.75; TSr 3-10, 6.2±0.61; TSrd 0-0, 0±0.

Aptostichus elisabethae is known from Mojave Desert habitat at two localities in San Bernardino and Inyo Counties (Map 33). Based on limited pitfall trap data males appear to disperse November-February. The habitat and terrain at the type locality, Pisgah Crater, is the most extreme I encountered for any Aptostichus species. The Pisgah Crater locality is the site of a young volcanic cinder cone from which basaltic lava flows once extended for a considerable distance out from the vent source (Fig. 6). Female burrows, during winter months are visible by way of small soil mounds at the burrow entrance. Like other species, we presume that these mounds are formed when individuals extend their burrows during the rainy reason. Despite observing a number of “mounds” at the type locality during one collecting expedition in January of 1997, I was only able to collect two specimens from their burrows. Burrows were deep (15–20 cm) and unusually complicated with numerous side chambers and long horizontal below ground extensions that were often >10cm in length.