Cybaeus gidneyi Bennett, 2009

Bennett, Robb, Copley, Claudia & Copley, Darren, 2022, The Californian clade of Cybaeus (Araneae: Cybaeidae) in the Nearctic: the septatus species group and three unplaced species, Zootaxa 5100 (2), pp. 189-223 : 210

Cybaeus gidneyi Bennett

Figs 63–68 , 72–77 , 86

Cybaeus gidneyi Bennett in Copley et al. 2009: 395, figs 16, 102–111, 113. World Spider Catalog 2021.

Type material examined. U.S.A.: Oregon: Holotype male. Curry County, two miles north of Brookings, 31.ix.1959, V.D. Roth ( CAS) . Paratypes. Specimens and locality data in Copley et al. 2009 .

Other material examined. U.S.A.: California: Humboldt . 2♀, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, along Hwy. 101 , 30.vi.2006, J. Ledford & S. Synhorst ( CAS); 2♂, Slide Creek , 7.4 mi. W of Hwy. 96, Six Rivers National Forest , 2400′, 9.ix.1992, D. Ubick & J. Boutin ( CAS). Other non-paratype specimens and locality data in Copley et al. 2009 .

Diagnosis. As with many species of Californian clade Cybaeus , most specimens of C. gidneyi are pale spiders with unbanded leg segments and an unpatterned abdomen (one female examined has a very lightly patterned abdomen).

The male of C. gidneyi is distinguished from other pale species of Californian clade Cybaeus with unbanded leg segments and an unpatterned abdomen by a combination of characters of the palpal patella, tibia, and genital bulb. The patellar apophysis ( Figs 63–64 , 67 ) is antero-laterally directed and elongate (apophysis length is about twice its width and about equal to the width of the patella) with 14–20 peg setae concentrated primarily around the tip of the apophysis and some along its proximal dorsal edge. The retrolateral tibial apophysis ( Fig. 63 ) is carinate and nearly as long as the tibia. The embolus ( Fig. 65 ) is long and slender and forms a compound curve. The tegular apophysis ( Figs 65–68 ) is slender basally; the distal arm of the tegular apophysis is relatively straight, elongate and slender (length about twice width), and has a rounded tip; the proximal arm of the tegular apophysis is enlarged basally but narrows abruptly to an antero-ventrally directed and slightly twisted acuminate tip.

The female of C. gidneyi is distinguished from other pale species of Californian clade Cybaeus with unbanded leg segments and an unpatterned abdomen by a combination of characters of the epigynal atrium and the vulval copulatory ducts and spermathecal stalks. The epigynum ( Figs 72, 75 ) features a pair of small, curved posteromedially located atrial openings. Each copulatory duct ( Figs 73, 76 ) proceeds from its associated atrial opening towards the posterior midline of the vulva then turns anteriorly and expands into a large bulb-like structure before turning posteriorly at the anterior margin of the vulva and narrowing as it approaches the spermathecal head. Each spermathecal stalk ( Figs 74, 77 ) is relatively short and simple and proceeds anteriorly a short distance from the spermathecal head before turning posteriorly to approach and join with the small, rounded spermathecal base in the vicinity of the Bennett’s gland.

Description. As in diagnosis. For other descriptive characters see Copley et al. 2009.

Distribution and natural history. Extreme southwestern Oregon south to Humboldt County, California ( Fig. 86 ). Cybaeus gidneyi appears to be associated with redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens [Lamb. ex D. Don] Endl.) forests. Males have been collected in September.

Figures

FIGURES 63–66. Cybaeus gidneyi, male from Brookings, Oregon, left palpus. 63 Tibia and distal tip of patella, retrolateral. 64 Tibia and patella, dorsal. 65–66 Genital bulb (65 ventral, 66 retrolateral). CY—cymbium, DA—distal arm of tegular apophysis, E—embolus, PA—proximal arm of tegular apophysis, PTA—patellar apophysis, RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis.

FIGURES 67–71. Cybaeus spp., males from Oregon (67–68 C. gidneyi from Brookings, 69 C. irreverens spec. nov. from Benton/Lincoln County line, 70–71 holotype of C. irreverens spec. nov.) left palpus. 67, 69 Patella, tibia, and genital bulb, ventral. 68, 70–71 Proximal arm of tegular apophysis (68, 71 ventral, 70 retrolateral). DA—distal arm of tegular apophysis, E—embolus, PA—proximal arm of tegular apophysis, PTA—patellar apophysis, RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis.

FIGURES 72–77. Cybaeus gidneyi, females (72–74 from Brookings Oregon, 75–77 from Orica, California), copulatory organ. 72, 75 Epigynum, ventral. 73–74, 76–77 Vulva (73, 76 ventral, 74, 77 dorsal). AT—Atrial opening, BG—Bennett’s gland, CD—copulatory duct, HS—head of spermatheca.

FIGURES 85–87. Distributions of unplaced Californian clade Cybaeus spp. (85 C. cribelloides, 86 C. gidneyi, 87 C. irreverens spec. nov.) AZ—Arizona, CA—California, ID—Idaho, OR—Oregon, NV—Nevada, UT—Utah, WA—Washington. California and Oregon county names capitalized.