Nops blandus ( Bryant, 1942 )

Sánchez-Ruiz, Alexander & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2018, A revision of the Neotropical spider genus Nops MacLeay (Araneae: Caponiidae) with the first phylogenetic hypothesis for the Nopinae genera, Zootaxa 4427 (1), pp. 1-121 : 22-25

Nops blandus ( Bryant, 1942)

Figures 9G‒I ; 10A‒G

Caponina blanda Bryant, 1942: 328 , fig.17. Male holotype from Christiansted (17°44′37″N, 64°42′54″W), St. Croix , U. S. Virgin Island, H. A. Beatty ( MCZ 20539; examined).

Nops blandus: Chickering, 1967: 4 , fig. 1 (all specimens except male from Haiti MCZ 128296). Sánchez– Ruiz, 2005: 26, fig. 3 (all specimens except those from Dominican Republic IBSP 166393, 166394 and MNHNSD 0 9.1445 herein included in Nops hispaniola Sánchez –Ruiz, Brescovit & Alayón). Wunderlich, 1988: 66, fig. 80. Sánchez–Ruiz et al., 2015: 44, figs 1–6, 25–36, 77, 81.

Nops virginicus Sánchez – Ruiz, 2010: 23, figs 1–2. Male holotype from Little Saint James , 13.xi.1966, Island Project Staff, University of Puerto Rico ( BSC 656 ; examined). New Synonymy.

Additional material examined. U. S. VIRGIN ISLANDS: Saint John: Lameshur bay , at Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station ( VIERS) (18°19′18″N, 64°43′22″W) , iii.1984, W.B. Muchmore, 3♂ ( FSCA). Lameshur bay (18°19′N, 64°43′W) , 23.ii.1984, W.B. Muchmore, 1♀ 2 immatures ( FSCA). Ditto , 10.iii.1984, W.B. Muchmore, 1♂ 1♀ ( FSCA). Ditto , 4.v.1984, W.B. Muchmore, 1♀ ( FSCA). Little Lameshur bay , iii.1984, W.B. Muchmore, 1♀ ( FSCA). Saint John (18°19′N, 64°44′W) , vii.1966, A.M. Chickering, 2♂ (palp for SEM), 4♀ 12 immatures ( MCZ 128295 ). Ditto , iii.1964, A.M. Chickering, 1♀ 2 immatures (MCZ 1 28243). Ditto, 11.vii.1974, reef bay trail, W.B. Muchmore, 1♀ ( AMNH). Coral Bay , near Butler ′s house (18°20′N, 64°42′W), 22.vii.1975, W.B. Muchmore, 1 immature ( AMNH). Ditto , 4.v.1984, W.B. Muchmore, 5 immatures ( FSCA). Ditto , 9.iii.1984, W.B. Muchmore, litter rocks, 1♂ 1♀ 4 immatures ( FSCA). Europa Bay (18°19′N, 64°43′W) , iii.1984, W.B. Muchmore, pitfall trap in woodland, 2♀ 2 immature ( FSCA). Ditto , iii‒v.1984, W.B. Muchmore, pitfall trap, 5♂ 1 immature ( FSCA). Yawzi Point (18°18′56″N, 64°43′32″W) , iii‒v.1 984, W.B. Muchmore, pitfall trap, 1♂ (FSCA). Saint Thomas: vii.1966, A.M. Chickering, 4 immatures (MCZ 12 8242). ii.1964, A.M. Chickering, 1♀ 2 immatures ( MCZ 128244 ). BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS : Virgin Gorda: 18.viii.1966, A. Chickering, 2♂ (left palp for SEM) 1♀ 3 immature (MCZ 128298).

Diagnosis. Nops blandus resemble similar congener Nops finisfurvus ( Fig. 15C‒D ) by having a short and weakly curved embolus in males and a wide invagination on receptaculum of female genitalia, but can be distinguished by having a widest embolar base ( Fig. 9H, J ), and the invagination on receptaculum is only one time the wide of the lobes ( Fig. 10G ), in N. finisfurvus is three or four times widest ( Fig. 15G ).

Description. Male and female described by Sánchez‒Ruiz et al. (2015). Adding the following: Males and females with abdominal pattern as in figure 6I; posterior unpaired claws elongated and dorsally reflexed; and PLS longer than PMS. Females with external genital area with strongly sclerotized anterior plate, strongly sclerotized lep and remarkable ess ( Fig. 10F ). Internal genitalia with a wide invagination on receptaculum and uterus externus with a wide base ( Fig. 10G ).

Variation. Males from Virgin Gorda Island have the base of embolus slightly wider. Males and females from Lameshur, Saint John have slight differences in genitalia, size and coloration compared with other Saint John specimens. Male from Little Saint James (BSC 656) have embolus narrower and slight differences in median part compared with males from Saint John.

Distribution. Known only from British and U. S. Virgin Islands ( Fig. 8E ).

Figures

FIGURE 8. A–D Nops agnarssoni Sánchez–Ruiz, Brescovit & Alayón, male (holotype). A habitus, dorsal view. B habitus, ventral view. C left palp, retrolateral view. D left palp, prolateral view. E distribution of Nops agnarssoni Sánchez–Ruiz, Brescovit & Alayón (square), Nops blandus (Bryant) (circles) and Nops finisfurvus Sánchez–Ruiz, Brescovit & Alayón (stars). Scale bars: 2 mm (A–B), 0.5 mm (C–D).

FIGURE 9. A–F Nops agnarssoni Sánchez–Ruiz, Brescovit & Alayón, male (paratype); G–L Nops blandus (Bryant), male (MCZ 128295). A left leg IV, retrolateral view. B pretarsal claws on left leg IV, anterior oblique view. C left palp, retrolateral view. D tip of embolus, ventral oblique view. E tip of embolus, retrolateral view. F stridulatory pick from palpal femur, prolateral view. G pretarsal claws on left leg IV, anterior oblique view. H left palp, prolateral view. I stridulatory pick from palpal femur, prolateral view. J embolus, prolateral view. K embolus, ventral oblique view. L tip of embolus, ventral oblique view. Abbreviations: CwL—claw lever, ete—embolar tip extensions.

FIGURE 10. Nops blandus (Bryant); A–D. male (Saint John: MCZ 128295); E–I. female (Saint John: MCZ 128295). A habitus, dorsal view. B left palp, prolateral view. C left palp, ventral view. D left palp, retrolateral view. E habitus, dorsal view. F external genital area, ventral view. G internal genitalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: ap—anterior plate, ess—sclerotization around spiracles, lep—lateral extension of posterior plate, pp—posterior plate, re—posterior receptaculum, ue—uterus externus. Scale bars: 2 mm (A, E), 0.5 mm (B–D, F–G).

FIGURE 15. Nops finisfurvus Sánchez–Ruiz, Brescovit & Alayón; A–D male (holotype); E–G female (paratype). A habitus, dorsal view. B habitus, ventral view. C left palp, prolateral view. D left palp, retrolateral view. E habitus, dorsal view. F external genital area, ventral view. G internal genitalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: ap—anterior plate, ess—external sclerotization around spiracles, lep—lateral extensions of posterior plate, pp—posterior plate, re—posterior receptaculum, ue—uterus externus. Scale bars: 2 mm (A, B, E), 0.5 mm (C–D, E–F).