Vonones sayi (Simon, 1879)

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 : 104-105

[2] The Texan caramel cosmetid ( sayi )

Almost half a century after the description of Gonyleptes ornatum, Horatio Wood (1868) recorded this species from Texas. Wood’s redescription is clear enough to make evident it was an entirely different species, unarmed, “dark ferruginous” or light coffee colored with a pair of large diffuse “nearly black spots” on the posterior part of abdominal scutum ( Fig. 2b ).

Eleven years later, Simon (1879) noticed that this “ Gonyleptes ornatum ” of Wood was a misidentification of a yet undescribed species. He strangely enough named this new species Cynorta sayi , in homage to Say (when the standard practice would have been to call it “ woodi ” after the person who did the misidentification). Simon also transferred both American cosmetids to the genus Cynorta C.L. Koch, 1839 , erected 40 years earlier for Brazilian species.

Figures

Fig. 2.Libitioides spp. from USA, in vivo. a. L. ornata (Say, 1821) (morph A), ♂ and ♀, Florida, Orange, Orlando Wetlands Park (©Mary Keim). b. L. sayi (Simon, 1879) (morph B, “clean”), ♂, Texas, Sherman Co. (©Kate Farkas). c. L. sayi (morph C, “depressa”), ♂, Texas, Kleberg Co., Padre Island National Seashore (©Meghan Cassidy). d. L. albolineata (Sørensen, 1884) (typical morph D), ♂, Georgia, Fulton Co. (©E. Christina Butler). Photos are somewhat cropped.All images used here under written permission.