Tarsonops ariguanabo ( Alayón, 1986 ) Alayon, 1986

Ruiz, Alexander Sánchez & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2015, On the taxonomic placement of the Cuban spider Nops ariguanabo Alayón and the description of a new Mexican Tarsonops (Araneae, Caponiidae), Zootaxa 3914 (2), pp. 131-143 : 132-139

Tarsonops ariguanabo ( Alayón, 1986) new combination

Figures 1–36

Nops ariguanabo Alayón, 1986: 2 , fig.1, table 1 (male holotype and female paratype from San Antonio de los Baños, La Habana, Cuba, vi.1982, S. González, were deposited in Arachnological collections of Grupo Espeleológico Jose H. Pazos, San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba (GEJP), now in MNHNCu, examined).

Additional material examined. CUBA: La Habana: San Antonio de los Baños, (inside a house), 26.viii.1985, G. Alayón, 1♂ (MNHNCu). 25.iv.1988, A. Posada, 1♀ ( IBSP 166237 for SEM). 1.iv.1995, J. Alayón, 1juv (MNHNCu). PANAMA: Panama City: Naos Island – Tunnels, 20 m asl, vii.1990, W. Eberhard, 1♂ ( MCZ 68529).

Diagnosis. Males and females differ from those of T. irataylori by having a ventral translucent keel on the anterior metatarsi and a translucent extension of the membrane between the anterior metatarsi and tarsi (figs. 7–9); from T. clavis and T. sectipes by having femur I more than three times longer than wide (fig. 10); and from T. coronilla n. sp., T. sternalis and T. systematicus by having five false sutures on the anterior metatarsi and three false sutures on the anterior tarsi (figs. 8, 9).

Redescription. Male (holotype): Carapace light yellowish orange, broad, almost subcircular, only gradually narrowed anterior of eyes (fig. 35), surface with fine reticular lines, pars cephalica slightly depressed, pars thoracica short, strongly sloping posteriorly (fig. 30); thoracic groove inconspicuous; clypeus with few dorsally directed strong bristles. Two oval eyes on slightly elevated black ocular tubercle separated by about two–thirds their diameter. Chelicerae yellowish orange. Endites yellowish orange, broadly convergent, but not touching (fig. 31). Labium yellowish orange, triangular, fused to sternum along posterior groove, with distinct invaginations on both sides of the base (fig. 31). Sternum light yellow, about as wide as long, surface with fine reticular lines, with few weak pits, numerous stiff setae on a darker edge (fig. 31). Coxae light orange. Legs yellowish orange; femur I elongate, almost four times longer than wide; anterior legs with ventral translucent keel on anterior metatarsi, translucent extension of membrane between anterior metatarsi and tarsi; trichobothria present on metatarsi and tarsi. All tarsi and metatarsi with false sutures in middle part; anterior tarsi with three false sutures, anterior metatarsi with five, posterior tarsi with four, posterior metatarsi with six. Tarsi with three claws; inferior claw shorter than paired ones, distinctly protruding from onychium. Male palp with cymbium pointed, bulb subspherical, with retrolateral groove which divides partially one third (fig. 34); embolus thin, pointed, weakly curved upward on lateral position (figs. 33, 34), sinuous ventrally (fig. 32). Abdomen dorsally immaculate light gray (fig.

35). Spinnerets light gray, six, in typical caponiid arrangement. Total length 3.8. Carapace 1.6 long, 1.3 wide. Two eyes of equal size, 0.1 major diameter, 0.07 minor diameter. Leg measurements: I: femur 3.0/ patella 1.6/ tibia 2.5/ metatarsus 2.6/ tarsus 1.1; II: 3.2/ 1.1/ 2.8/ 2.8/ 1.5; III: 2.7/ 1.3/ 2.0/ 2.5/ 1.5; IV: 3.5/ 1.5/ 3.1/ 3.1/ 2.1. Leg formula: 4321. Sternum 2.2 long, 1.9 wide. Palpal tibia 1.0 long, 0.7 wide.

Female (IBSP 166237): Coloration as in male. Carapace, eyes, thoracic groove as in male Chelicerae with scattered long bristles on anterior margin (figs. 2, 5); base of fang unmodified; surface of fang with fine horizontal lines (fig. 6), lateral surface of chelicerae with stridulatory ridges (fig. 5). Endites as in male (fig. 2), with strong distal serrula consisting of single tooth row (fig. 6). Labium as in male (fig. 4). Sternum as in male (figs. 3, 26). Femur I elongate, almost four times longer than wide (fig. 10); other anterior legs modification as in male (figs. 7–9). Tarsal organ exposed, with pronounced marginal ridges (fig. 20); trichobothria present on metatarsi and tarsi, their bases with semicircular rim bearing slight longitudinal ridges (figs. 15, 16), tarsus IV with five trichobothria, arranged along dorsal midline (fig. 18). All tarsi and metatarsi with false sutures in middle part; anterior tarsi with three false sutures (fig. 9), anterior metatarsi with five (fig. 8), posterior tarsi with four, posterior metatarsi with six. Tarsi with three claws; paired superior claws with nine pairs of teeth, most distal of which are largest (figs. 11, 13, 17), inferior claw shorter than paired ones, distinctly protruding from onychium, with four teeth just on anterior legs (figs. 11–14), on posterior legs without teeth (fig. 17), onychium projected in anterior legs (figs. 11–14). External genitalia with sclerotized plate as in figure 27; internal genitalia with thin, concave sclerotized anterior margin as in figure 29, membranous receptaculum formed by median, short, straight duct directed dorsally leading to spherical sac, then to sinuous duct ending in wider tip (figs. 28, 29). Spinnerets six, in typical caponiid arrangement (fig. 21), anterior laterals with single, major ampullate gland spigot (fig. 23), posterior medians and laterals with six spigots each (fig. 22, 24). Total length 5.7. Carapace 2.2 long, 2.0 wide. Two oval eyes of equal size, 0.2 major diameter, 0.08 minor diameter. Leg measurements: I: femur 2.5/ patella 1.1/ tibia 2.0/ metatarsus 1.6/ tarsus 3.9; II: 2.6/ 1.1/ 2.3/ 2.6/ 1.1; III: 2.4/ 1.1/ 1.9/ 2.4/ 1.1; IV: 3.1/ 1.2/ 2.6/ 3.0/ 1.4. Leg formula: 4321. Sternum 1.7 long, 1.2 wide. Palpal tibia 1.2 long, 0.8 wide.

Variation. Male (n=3): total length 3.4−3.8; carapace 1.2−1.6 long, 1.0−1.3 wide; femur I 2.5−3.0 long, 0.4−0.5 wide; palpal tibia 0.7−1.0 long; palpal tarsus 0.75−0.65 long. Female (n=2): total length 5.0−5.7; carapace 2.1−2.2 long, 1.8−2.0 wide; femur I 2.3−2.5 long, 0.5−0.55 wide; palpal tibia 1.0−1.2 long; palpal tarsus 0.85−0.75 long.

Natural history. Specimens from the type locality were collected inside houses; while the male from Panama was collected in a dry environment.

Distribution. Cuba and Panama.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Tarsonops ariguanabo n. comb., female. 1. Prosoma, lateral view. 2. Labium and endites, ventral view. 3. Prosoma, ventral view. 4. Labium, ventral view. 5. Chelicerae, oblique view. 6. Serrula, ventral view. 7. Leg I, lateral view; 8. Metatarsus and tarsus of leg I, lateral view.

FIGURES 9 – 16. Tarsonops ariguanabo n. comb., female. 9. Tarsus I, lateral view. 10. Femur I, lateral view. 11. Tarsal claws of leg I, lateral view. 12. Distinct projection on onychium of leg I, ventral view. 13. Tarsal claw of leg II, lateral view. 14. Unpaired claw of leg II, lateral view. 15. Trichobothrial base from metatarsus II, dorsal view. 16. Trichobothrial base from metatarsus IV, dorsal view.

FIGURES 17 – 24. Tarsonops ariguanabo n. comb., female. 17. Tarsal claws of leg IV, lateral view. 18. Tarsus of leg IV, lateral oblique view. 19. Metatarsus of leg IV, lateral view. 20. Tarsal organ of leg II, dorsal view. 21. Spinnerets, distal view. 22. Posterior median spinnerets, distal view. 23. Anterior lateral spinnerets, distal view. 24. Posterior lateral spinnerets, distal view.

FIGURES 25 – 29. Tarsonops ariguanabo n. comb., female paratype. 25. Lateral view. 26. Sternum, ventral view. 27. External genital area, ventral view. 28. Internal genitalia, ventral view. 29. Internal genitalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: amr: anterior margin of receptaculum; d: duct; s: sac; t: trachea. Scale line: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 30 – 34. Tarsonops ariguanabo n. comb., male holotype. 30. Lateral view. 31. Sternum, ventral view. 32. Left palp, ventral view. 33. Left palp, prolateral view. 34. Left palp, retrolateral view. Scale line: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 35 – 36. Tarsonops ariguanabo n. comb. 35. Male holotype, dorsal view. 36. Female paratype, dorsal view. 37 - 38. Tarsonops coronilla n. sp. 37. Male holotype, dorsal view. 38. Female paratype, dorsal view. Scale line: 0.5 mm.