Cybaeodes magnus, Ribera & de Mas, 2015

Ribera, Carles & Mas, Eva De, 2015, Description of three new troglobiontic species of Cybaeodes (Araneae, Liocranidae) endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, Zootaxa 3957 (3), pp. 313-323 : 321-322

Cybaeodes magnus n. sp.

Figs. 1 , 9 – 10 , 19 – 20, 22

Cybaeodes liocraninus ( Simon, 1913) (missidentification) Fage 1931: 209.

Type material. Holotype: 1 ♀ from Cova del Somo, municipality of Castell de Castells, Alacant, Spain, Zaragoza leg., 17.III.1979, (CRBA-UB 74-1839) . Paratypes: 1 ♀ from Cova de la Punta de Benimaquia, municipality of Denia, Alcoi, Alacant, Spain. Jordá leg., 18.VI.1968, (CRBA-UB 43-1071) ; 1 ♀ same locality, Sendra & Zaragoza leg., 1-VII-84. (CRBA-UB 85-2124) .

Etymology. The species epithet “ magnus ” refers to the size of this species; it is the largest species of Cybaeodes currently known.

Diagnosis. Male unknown. Females of this species can be recognized by the shape and size of the two strongly sclerotized semicircular lateral lobes ( Figs. 9 , 19 ), and by the anterior epigynal rim. The insemination ducts resemble those of C. dosaguas n. sp. ( Fig 8 ), the most similar species, but those are thicker and less coiled in C. magnus ( Fig. 10 ) (see Diagnosis of C. dosaguas ).

Note: Fage (1931: 209) identified some juvenile specimens from Cova de la Punta de Benimaquia as Brachyanillus liocraninus Simon, 1913 , species described from a cave in Argelia and based on two juveniles specimens as well ( Bosselaers 2009: 49). Certainly it is a misidentification (see Discussion below).

Description of the female (holotype). Coloration: Prosoma yellowish brown, fovea brownish. Chelicera the same color as the carapace but slightly darker. Appendages pale yellowish brown, the apical segments slightly darker. Opisthosoma yellowish. Prosoma: Longer than wide in dorsal view. Fovea clearly visible, radial grooves scarcely marked ( Fig. 20 ). Eyes greatly reduced to small, completely unpigmented lenses except the MA, which retain a slight pigmentation ( Fig. 22 ). Eye size (diameter) LP 0.07, MP 0.05, LA 0.08, MA 0.05. Appendages: Robust chelicerae with dense pilosity on inner side. Long and robust fangs. Promargin with three teeth in basal position, middle tooth largest. Retromargin with two small teeth on apical position. Labium slightly longer than wide. Endites with same morphology as C. indalo n. sp. Long legs with deeply notched trochanters. Tarsal claws with five teeth and five pairs of tenent hairs on the tarsal tips. Leg formula: 4123. Opisthosoma: With a slight pubescence on the dorsal part. Spinnerets cylindrical, the anterior ones slightly shorter and thicker, separated at the base by a distance approximately equal to spinneret diameter. Epigyne ( Figs. 9 , 19 ): Oval genital area bounded at upper part by a sclerotized anterior rim. Two oval lobes strongly sclerotized, located in the center of the genital area. The two lobes show two small sclerotised pits located in the lateral margins. Vulva ( Fig. 10 ): Thick and recurved insemination ducts located at the center of the vulva, reaching the spermatheca within two sclerotized helmet-shaped structures. Measurements: PL = 3.42; PW = 2.69; OL = 4.79; OW = 2.44; total body length = 8.21.

Leg spination.

Habitat and distribution. Cybaeodes magnus n. sp. has been recorded in two caves 20 km apart ( Fig. 1 ): Cueva del Somo in Castell de Castells (38.717181N, 0.151488W, 810 m asl.) and Cueva de la Punta de Benimaquia in Denia (38.821817N, 0.063930E, 163 m asl.).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of the genus Cybaeodes in the western Mediterranean.

FIGURES 2 – 10. Cybaeodes indalo n. sp. 2: Epigynum ventral view, 3: Vulva dorsal view, 4: male palp dorsal view, 5: male palp ventral view, 6: male palp retrolateral view. Cybaeodes dosaguas n. sp. 7: Epigynum ventral view, 8: Vulva dorsal view. Cybaeodes magnus n. sp. 9: Epigynum ventral view, 10: Vulva dorsal view.

FIGURES 17 – 22. Cybaeodes dosaguas n. sp. 17: Epigynum ventral view, 18: female habitus. Cybaeodes magnus n. sp. 19: Epigynum ventral view, 20: female habitus. 21: Cybaeodes mallorcensis epigynum ventral view. 22: Cybaeodes magnus n. sp. Eyes frontal view.