Calicynorta bimaculata (Banks, 1893)

Kury, Adriano B. & Medrano, Miguel, 2023, Once upon a time in America: recognition of the species of Libitioides from USA, with comments on other American Cosmetidae (Opiliones, Laniatores), European Journal of Taxonomy 875 (1), pp. 101-141 : 109

[8] California dreaming ( Calicynorta bimaculata )

Banks (1893: 150) described the new species Cynorta bimaculata Banks 1893 from “ California, San Diego”. After inclusion in the genus Eucynortella by Roewer (1912), C. bimaculata was given a genus of its own by Goodnight & Goodnight (1943: 643) – Calicynorta Goodnight & Goodnight, 1943 , the name emphasizing the occurrence in California. They presented an illustration of Banks type. Ten years later, Calicynorta was synonymized with Vonones by Goodnight & Goodnight (1953a, see [9]). Kury (2003) revalidated Calicynorta .

Cokendolpher & Jones (1991: 86) and Cokendolpher (pers. com. to ABK, 1995) doubted California as correct finding locality, since no Cosmetidae has ever been collected anywhere in the USA west of Texas ( Fig. 5 ). Moreover, the label only says “San Jose”, possibly in Costa Rica.

Figures

Fig. 5. Southeastern USA, with the Köppen-Geiger climate regions superimposed, showing the distribution of the American Cosmetidae C.L. Koch, 1839.