Paradysderina, Platnick & Dupérré, 2011

Platnick, Norman I. & Dupérré, Nadine, 2011, The Andean Goblin Spiders Of The New Genera Paradysderina And Semidysderina (Araneae, Oonopidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (364), pp. 1-121 : 5-8

Paradysderina , new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Paradysderina watrousi , new species.

ETYMOLOGY: The generic name refers to the similarities to Dysderina and is feminine in gender.

DIAGNOSIS: Members of this genus resemble those of Scaphidysderina and Semidysderina (and differ from all other members of the Dysderina complex) in having the dorsal scutum of females either greatly reduced (in the case of P. fusiscuta , fig. 522) or entirely absent. They differ from those of Scaphidysderina by having the sternal surface flat, rather than highly crenulated, and from those of Semidysderina in lacking a groove connecting the posterior spiracles. The male embolus varies greatly among species, but the female genitalia resemble those of Semidysderina in having a distinctive, elevated anterior ridge at the front of the genital atrium (fig. 82).

DESCRIPTION: Total length of males 1.3– 2.3, of females 1.4–2.7. Coloration typically carapace orange-brown, without pattern; sternum and mouthparts orange, sternum without pattern; abdominal scuta orange, abdominal soft portions white, without pattern; legs yellow, without pattern (exceptions mentioned in species diagnoses). Cephalothorax: Carapace broadly oval in dorsal view (figs. 1, 41), anteriorly narrowed to between 0.5 and 0.75 times its maximum width, pars cephalica strongly elevated in lateral view (figs. 2, 42), anterolateral corners without extension or projections, pars thoracica with rounded posterolateral corners, without depressions or radiating rows of pits, posterolateral edge without pits, posterior margin not bulging below posterior rim, posterolateral surface without spikes; elevat- ed portion of pars cephalica granulate (but granules sometimes very low, producing reticulate appearance under light microscopy, noted as ‘‘appears reticulate’’ in species descriptions), sides strongly granulate; fovea absent, lateral margin straight, rebordered, without denticles projecting past lateral margin in dorsal view; plumose setae near posterior margin of pars thoracica absent; nonmarginal pars cephalica and pars thoracica setae light, needlelike, scattered; marginal setae light, needlelike. Clypeus margin strongly rebordered, sinuous in front view (figs. 3, 43), vertical in lateral view, high, ALE separated from edge of carapace by their radius or more, median projection absent (except for fused chilum), some males with pair of anteriorly directed projections (figs. 545, 604, 609, 610, 643, 644); setae light, needlelike. Chilum undivided, fused to clypeus, with seam. Eyes six, well developed, all subequal, ALE oval, PME squared, PLE oval; posterior eye row slightly recurved from above, slightly procurved from front; ALE usually separated by their radius to diameter (rarely by their diameter or more), ALE-PLE separated by less than ALE radius, PME touching throughout most of their length, PLE-PME separated by less than PME radius. Sternum wider than long, not fused to carapace, surface flat rather than highly crenulated, median concavity and hair tufts absent, with radial furrows between coxae I– II, II–III, III–IV, furrows usually with tiny pits, rarely with tiny granules, radial furrow opposite coxae III absent; aside from furrows, surface finely rugose (figs. 15, 57), without pits, microsculpture present everywhere but front, sickle-shaped structures absent, anterior margin with continuous transverse groove, posterior margin extending posteriorly beyond anterior edges of coxae IV as single extension but without posterior hump, anterior corner unmodified, lateral margin with infracoxal grooves and anterior and posterior openings, distance between coxae approximately equal, extensions of precoxal triangles absent, lateral margins with bridges to coxae; setae sparse, dark, needlelike, densest laterally, originating from surface. Chelicerae slightly divergent (fig. 4), anterior face with swelling; males usually with one promarginal tooth, females usually with one promarginal and one retromarginal tooth (fig. 44); fang without toothlike projections, directed medially, shape normal, without prominent basal process, tip unmodified (figs. 5, 45); setae light, needlelike, densest medially; paturon inner margin with pairs of enlarged setae, distal region unmodified, posterior surface unmodified, anterior surface frequently with modifications in males, promargin with row of flattened setae, inner margin unmodified, laminate groove absent. Labium triangular, not fused to sternum (fig. 46), anterior margin indented at middle, same as sternum in sclerotization, with six or more setae on anterior margin, subdistal portion with unmodified setae. Endites same as sternum in sclerotization, those of males distally excavated, with separate ventral and dorsal processes (figs. 6, 7) anteriorly, posterior part unmodified; serrula present in single row in females (fig. 48), apparently reduced to two teeth in males, one situated at about onethird of length of median setal row, second situated more basally, near median margin of endite; proximalmost seta of row widened, without distal fringe (fig. 7). Labrum with triangular median protrusion (figs. 8, 47). Female palp without claw or spines (figs. 59, 60); patella without prolateral row of ridges; tibia with three trichobothria (fig. 61), tarsus unmodified. Abdomen: Ovoid, without long posterior extension, rounded posteriorly, interscutal membrane rows of small sclerotized platelets absent. Book lung covers large, ovoid, without setae, anterolateral edge unmodified; neither anterior nor posterior spiracles connected by groove (figs. 16, 63). Pedicel tube medium, ribbed, scutopedicel region unmodified, scutum extending far dorsal of pedicel, plumose hairs absent, matted setae on anterior ventral abdomen in pedicel area absent, cuticular outgrowths near pedicel absent. Dorsal scutum present in males, strongly sclerotized, not fused to epigastric scutum, middle surface smooth, sides smooth, anterior half without projecting denticles; dorsal scutum present in females only in P. fusiscuta , where small, fused to epigastric scutum (fig. 522). Epigastric scutum strongly sclerotized, surrounding pedicel, not protruding, small lateral sclerites absent, without lateral joints in females. Postepigastric scutum strongly sclerotized, anterior margin unmodified, with short posteriorly directed lateral apodemes; in males almost semicircular to elongated, extending to about three-fourths of abdomen length, fused to epigastric scutum, in females, short, often but not always fused to epigastric scutum. Spinneret scutum absent; supraanal scutum absent. Abdominal dorsal, epigastric, and postepigastric setae dark, needlelike; frontal epigastric area setae not thickened; dense patch of setae anterior to spinnerets absent; interscutal membrane with setae. Colulus present, tiny, with pair of setae. Anterior lateral spinnerets bisegmented, pos- terior medians unisegmented, posterior laterals bisegmented (figs. 33, 37); spigots scanned only in P. watrousi , anterior laterals with one major ampullate gland spigot plus four piriform gland spigots in both male (fig. 34) and female (fig. 38); posterior medians with one minor ampullate gland spigot plus two aciniform gland spigots in male (fig. 35), six in female (fig. 39); posterior laterals with one minor ampullate gland spigot plus three aciniform gland spigots in male (fig. 36), 10 in female (fig. 40). Legs: Femur IV not thickened, same size as femora I–III, patella plus tibia I shorter than carapace, tibia I unmodified, tibia IV ventral scopula and specialized hairs on ventral apex absent, metatarsi I, II mesoapical comb absent, metatarsi III, IV ventral scopula absent. Leg spines present on femur I (and sometimes II); anterior tibiae and metatarsi with several pairs of very long spines (figs. 29, 30, 65, 66), legs III, IV without spines (figs. 31, 32). Tarsi without inferior claw. Superior claws with four or five large teeth on median and lateral surfaces (figs. 17–24, 49–56). Trichobothrial base with numerous parallel ridges (fig. 58). Tarsal organ with three sensillae on legs I, II (figs. 25, 26, 67, 68), two on legs III, IV, palp (figs. 14, 27, 28, 62, 69, 70). Genitalia: Male epigastric region with sperm pore small, oval, situated at level of posterior spiracles, rebordered, furrow without Ω- shaped insertions, without setae (fig. 16). Male palp of normal size, not strongly sclerotized, right and left palps sometimes asymmetrical, proximal segments pale orange, cymbium and bulb yellow; embolus dark, prolateral excavation absent, bifid, with elaborate projections; trochanter minute, unmodified; femur of normal size, two or more times as long as trochanter, without posteriorly rounded lateral dilation, attaching to patella basally; patella shorter than femur, not enlarged, without prolateral row of ridges, setae unmodified; tibia with three trichobothria (fig. 13); cymbium ovoid in dorsal view, completely fused with bulb, no seam visible (figs. 9, 10), not extending beyond distal tip of bulb, plumose setae absent, without stout setae or distal patch of setae; bulb elongated, 1–1.5 times as long as cymbium, stout, embolus highly variable, often ornamented with microsculpture (figs. 11, 12). Female genitalia with strong apodemes (fig. 71), atrium with elevated anterior ridge and rebordered posterior margin (fig. 64); anteri- or genitalic projection typically with fine, toothlike extensions (fig. 72).

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from the Andean nations ( Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia), except that one species ( P. loreto ) extends from Amazonian Peru into far western Amazonas, Brazil; found on both slopes of the Andes, at a wide range of elevations (100–3367 m).