Buninotus niger Maldonado Capriles, 1981

Figs 1–5, 6–8, 9–15

Type material examined.

Buninotus niger . Female holotype: [printed label:] Panama-Chiriqui / Fortuna, 1050 m. / 8 44 ' N; 82 15 ' W, / [handwritten:]? 2 [printed:] - [handwritten:] July [printed:] - 197 [handwritten:] 7 / Henk Wolda // [handwritten label:] Buninotus / niger [in red:] TYPE / 1978 Maldonado // [printed red label:] HOLOTYPE // [printed label:] [at left side:] USNM _ ENT [at right side:] QR CODE / UCR_ENT 00008023 ; Female paratype: [printed label:] Panama-Chiriqui / Fortuna, 1050 m. / 8 44 ' N; 82 15 ' W, / [handwritten:] 10 [printed:] - [handwritten:] Nov [printed:] - 197 [handwritten:] 6 / Henk Wolda // [handwritten:] Buninotus / niger / Maldonado / [printed:] det. J. Maldonado C. [handwritten:] 81 // [printed label:] Drake Colln ex / J. Maldonado C. / Coll. 1996 // [printed red faded label:] PARATYPE // [printed label:] USNMENT / QR CODE / 01918179 (NMNH) .

Maldonado Capriles (1981) described B. niger based on two females from Panama (Figs 1 – 7, 9–14). It seems like the definition of the species coloration was primarily based on the holotype, which is deep blackish and aligns with other details recorded by Maldonado Capriles (1981) (Figs 1 – 7). In contrast, the paratype exhibits a general pale-brownish coloration that does not match the aforementioned description (Figs 9–14).

Castro-Huertas (2023) examined four females of Buninotus from Panama, also identified them as B. niger, and noted a dark-brownish general coloration.

Comments.

The holotype of B. niger exhibits a characteristic not observed in any other specimen of Buninotus so far: a deep blackish, piceous general coloration (Figs 1 – 6). In contrast, all other specimens of Buninotus display a general brownish coloration (Castro-Huertas et al. 2023; Figs 16–20), including the paratype of B. niger (Figs 9, 13). Additionally, the spiniform setae of the femur [only the left one was present when examined] are longer (Fig. 1) than those of the paratype (Fig. 9). Therefore, it is hypothesized here that the paratype of B. niger belongs to a different species than that of the holotype. In this case, the specimens identified by Castro-Huertas et al. (2023) as B. niger probably belong to this undescribed species. Finding more specimens, preferably including males, may help in confirming or disproving the hypothesis made here.

Distribution.

Panama.