Bythocrotus crypticus, Zhang, Jun-Xia & Maddison, Wayne P., 2012

Zhang, Jun-Xia & Maddison, Wayne P., 2012, New euophryine jumping spiders from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryinae), Zootaxa 3476, pp. 1-54 : 23-25

Bythocrotus crypticus sp. nov.

Figs 101 – 113

Type material. Holotype: male, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Barahona: Parque Nacional Sierra Martín García, 18.424° N, 71.112° W, elev. 170 m, 21 July 2009, coll. W. Maddison, G. B. Edwards, J. Zhang, G. Ruiz, WPM#09- 0 49 (UBC-SEM AR00049). Paratypes: 1 female, same data as holotype (UBC-SEM AR00050); 3 females and 3 males in two vials, same data as holotype; 1 male, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Barahona: Parque Nacional Sierra Martín García, 18.417° N, 71.109° W, elev. 200 m, 13 July 2009, coll. W. Maddison, G. B. Edwards, J. Zhang, G. Ruiz, WPM#09-030.

Etymology. Latin adjective crypticus , referring to the camouflaging color pattern.

Diagnosis. Differs from Bythocrotus cephalotes (Simon) (see Bryant 1943; Galiano 1963) in the presence of a process at the distal end of the cymbium (Figs 109 – 110), the narrower palpal bulb (Fig. 109) and the smaller window of the epigynum (Fig. 112).

Description. Male ( holotype, UBC-SEM AR00049). Carapace length 2.9 (variation 2.3 – 2.9, n=4); abdomen length 3.0. Chelicera (Fig. 111): dark red brown; promargin with one bicuspid tooth and retromargin with one tooth. Palp (Figs 109 – 110): dark yellow brown; cymbium narrow, with a process at tip. Retrolateral tibial apophysis finger-like. Tibia with a prolateral spur and ten stout macrosetae (variation 8 – 11 stout macrosetae, n=4). First leg with three pairs of ventral macrosetae on tibia and two pairs on metatarsus. Measurements of legs: I 6.8, II 5.4, III 5.8, IV 5.7. Color in alcohol (Fig. 107): carapace dark brown, with white scales at lateral margins; abdomen gray brown, with light brown speckles; legs dark brown to light yellow brown.

Female ( paratype, UBC-SEM AR00050). Carapace length 2.8 (variation 2.0 – 2.8, n=4); abdomen length 3.0. Chelicera: red brown; promargin with one bicuspid tooth and retromargin with one tooth. First leg with three pairs of ventral macrosetae on tibia and two pairs on metatarsus. Measurements of legs: I 5.8, II 5.1, III 5.7, IV 5.5. Epigynum (Figs 112 – 113): window with very narrow median septum; opening to copulatory duct at posterior end of window. Copulatory ducts very short; secondary spermathecae smaller, primary spermathecae larger and spherical. Color in alcohol (Fig. 108): carapace with no distinct lateral marginal white stripes; abdomen brown with light brown and dark brown markings; legs light yellow brown to dark brown.

Natural history. Specimens were collected by beating tree branches with many small Tillandsia -like bromeliads, in desert savannah.

Figures 101–106. Bythocrotus crypticus sp. nov. 101 – 104 male paratype; 105 – 106 female paratype. Figures 101 – 106 are copyright © 2012 W. P. Maddison, released under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 3.0 license.

Figures 107–113. Bythocrotus crypticus sp. nov. 107 male paratype, dorsal view; 108 female paratype, dorsal view; 109 male left palp, ventral view; 110 male left palp, prolateral view; 111 male left chelicera, back view; 112 epigynum, ventral view; 113 cleared epigynum, dorsal view. Scale bars: 107 – 108, 1.0 mm; 109 – 113, 0.2 mm.