About Micrathena pichincha Levi, 1985
Micrathena pichincha was first described by Levi in 1985. For female individuals of this species, the abdomen has distinct black and white markings, and many small light spots cover the underside of the abdomen. The abdomen bears short, thick spines, where the first pair of spines is longer than the second pair. The total body length of a female is 10.7 mm; the carapace is 3.9 mm long and 3.1 mm wide. Male individuals have a trapezoidal abdomen with three pairs of humps, and the second pair of these humps is notably large. Males are considerably smaller than females, with a total body length of 6.0 mm, and a carapace that is 2.5 mm long and 1.6 mm wide. This species can be distinguished from other members of the M. sexspinosa group by two traits: it lacks pockets on the anterior slope of the bulge, and it has no median lobe of the bulge that overhangs the posterior. Females can be further separated from females of other related species by the long grooves or pockets on the anterior of the epigynum, which are positioned on each side of a relatively small median lobe. This species is distributed in north-central Ecuador, specifically in Pichincha Province. It has been recorded from multiple locations, including areas around Santo Domingo, Tandayapa, and Quito.
