Selenops souliga, Crews, Sarah C., 2011

Crews, Sarah C., 2011, A revision of the spider genus Selenops Latreille, 1819 (Arachnida, Araneae, Selenopidae) in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, ZooKeys 105, pp. 1-182 : 104-107

Selenops souliga sp. n. Figs 147 –150192– 193205Map 9

Type material.

Holotype female, Emilio Wilson Estate, St. Maarten, 18°02'32.7"N, 63°03'53.1"W, ~ 22m, 20.II.2007, S. Crews, B.M. Nisbeth, on palms, buildings at night, SCC07_026 (EME sel_711). Paratypes: Male, St. Maarten, southeast side of island, trail from Back Bay to Geneve Bay, 18°00.929'N, 63°01.840'W, ~25 m, 13.XI.2004, S. Crews, under debris on ground, SCC04_068 (EME sel_119).

Other material examined.

ANGUILLA: Blowing Point: 18°10'18.0"N, 63°05'28.7"W, sea level, 13.II.2007, S. Crews, R. Connor, under bark of sea grape, SCC07_018, 1♀, 1p♂, 1 imm. (CAS sel_705-707); Long Bay: Long Bay Beach, 18°11'29.3"N, 63°07'49.7"W, sea level, 13.II.2007, S. Crews, R. Connor, under rocks, on seagrape, in Agave along beach, SCC07_015, 1♀, 4 imm. (EME sel_698-702). Shoal Bay West: 18°09'52.8"N, 63°09'21.3"W, sea level, 13.II.2007, S. Crews, R. Connor, on palm frond guarding egg sac, SCC07_016, 1♀ (CAS sel_697). The Cove: 18°10'14.1"N, 63°07'52.6"W, sea level, 13.II.2007, S. Crews, R. Connor, under bark of sea grape, under rocks, SCC07_017, 1♀, 1 imm. (EME sel_703-704). Windward Point: 18°16'18.2"N, 62°58'05.3"W, sea level-13 m, 12.II.2007, S. Crews, R. Connor, under stone, SCC07_014, 1 imm. (CAS sel_696). SABA: Giles Quarter Trail: 1 km up, 17.6151°N, 63.2432°W, 13 m, 12.III.2008, under rocks, J. Slowik, 1p♂, 1 imm. (EME sel_1021-1022). ST. MAARTEN: Emilio Wilson Park: same data as holotype, 1♀, 3 imm. (CAS sel_715-717). Mullet Bay: Mullet Bay Resort, 18°02'48.0"N, 63°07'29.7"W, ~31 m, 21.II.2007, S. Crews, B.M. Nisbeth, under bark, debris on ground, SCC07_027, 1♂, 3♀, 13 imm. (CAS sel_712-713, 718-730). Back Bay: same data as paratype, 1♀, 1♂, 3 imm. (EME sel_116, 120-121, 708-710). Upper Princess Quarter: 18°01'48.0"N, 63°02'08.0"W, ~32 m, 21.II.2007, S. Crews, B.M. Nisbeth, under bark of dry, dead trees on hillside, SCC07_028, 2 imm. (EME sel_731-732).

Etymology.

The specific epithet comes from the indigenous word Souliga, for the island of St. Maarten, the type locality. It is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Females can be separated from all others by the median field of the epigynum, which is heart-shaped, and the huge spermathecae (Figs 147-148). Males can be differentiated from other species by the extremely dorsoventrally flattened palpus and the very small RTA (Figs 149-150).

Description.

Paratype male: Color:carapace orange-brown, duskier laterally, white setae on sides and in cephalic area; sternum pale yellow; chelicerae orange-brown, with some dusky markings; maxillae pale yellow; labium pale yellow; abdomen dorsally brownish-grey darkening distally, markings similar to female, though not as pronounced distally, chevrons posteriorly, and festoon prominent; ventrally light grey; legs yellowish, becoming slightly darker distally, faint annulations present. Carapace: 0.90 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER slightly recurved; PER recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye diameters, AME 0.18, ALE 0.08, PME 0.20, PLE 0.38; interdistances AME-PME 0.03, PME-ALE 0.80, ALE-PLE 0.30. PME-PME 0.98. ALE-ALE 1.45; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.35, PLE-PLE 1.60; clypeus 0.08 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with stout setae medially and anteriorly; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:1.07 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Legs:leg I only slightly shorter than leg II; leg formula unknown (at least one leg missing); leg II longest; scopulae present on distal end of all 4 tarsi; tarsi I-IV with strong claw tufts; claws pr claw per foot slightly toothed; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti d 0 –1– 0, pr 1 –0– 1, rl 1 –0– 1, v 2 –2– 2; Mt pr 1 –0– 0, v 2-2, rl 1 –0– 0; leg II, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti pr 1 –0– 1, d 0 –1– 0, rl 1 –0– 1, v 2 –2– 2; Mt pr 1 –1– 0, rl 1 –0– 0, v 2-2; leg IV, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti pr 1 –0– 1, v 2 –2– 0, rl 1 –0– 1; Mt pr 0 –1– 0, rl 1 –0– 0, v 2-2. Abdomen:without tufts of setae. Pedipalp:Fm, spination d 0 –1– 4; cymbium oval, angled, truncate posterolaterally, extremely dorsoventrally flattened in lateral view; conductor T-shaped, arising from center of bulb on long stalk with laterally directed rounded projection, conductor attached laterally, tapered, pointed retrolaterally; embolus long, slender, beginning at 4 o'clock, terminating at 1 o'clock; MA long, finger-like, hooked distally; RTA small, with 2 branches, dorsal branch directed laterally, rounded distally in lateral view, ventral apophysis truncate distally, with small, basal, thornlike projection; RTA barely reaching cymbium in ventral view (Figs 149-150). Dimensions: Total length 6.10. Carapace length 3.00, width 3.35. Sternum length 1.60, width 1.50. Abdomen length 3.10, width 2.30. Pedipalp: Fm 0.80, Pt 0.30, Ti 0.25, Ta 0.75, total 2.10. Leg I: Fm 3.75, Pt 1.50, Ti 4.25, Mt 4.00, Ta 1.75, total 15.25. Leg II: Fm 4.50, Pt 1.65, Ti 4.00, Mt 4.50, Ta 1.75, total 16.04. Leg III: Missing. Leg IV: Fm 4.00, Pt 1.00, Ti 3.50, Mt 3.75, Ta 1.50, total 13.75.

Holotype female: Color:carapace light brown with darker marks laterally and mediolaterally, very dark around eyes; sternum light yellow-orange-brown, darker around border; chelicerae brown, dusky markings anteromedially, terminating medially; maxillae light yellow-brown, lightening to white distally; labium light brown lightening distally; abdomen dorsally overall brownish-orange, darker medially, lanceolate stripe, with 3 chevrons extending laterally to darker areas, occurring in the upper 1/3rd of the abdomen, the middle, and the lower 1/3rd, with a sinuous line posteriorly, festoon prominent; ventrally dusky yellow-grey, no markings; legs light brownish-orange, darkening distally, annulations prominent, black streak on anterolateral face of femora I and II. Carapace: 0.90 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER nearly straight; PER slightly recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye diameters, AME 0.13, ALE 0.03, PME 0.20, PLE 0.35; interdistances AME-PME 0.03, PME-ALE 0.13, ALE-PLE 0.38. PME-PME 0.98. ALE-ALE 1.68; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.38, PLE-PLE 1.75; clypeus 0.09 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:as long as broad, posteriorly indented. Legs:leg I only slightly shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 3241; scopulae present on all 4 tarsi and metatarsi and tibiae I and II; tarsi I-IV with strong claw tufts; pr claw per foot slightly toothed; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti d 0, v 2 –2– 2; Mt v 2-2; leg II, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –0– 1; Ti v 2 –2– 2; Mt v 2-2; leg III, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti v 2 –2– 0; Mt v 2-2; leg IV, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0 –0– 1; Ti v 2 –2– 0; Mt v 2-2. Abdomen:with terminal setal tufts. Pedipalp:claw with 8 teeth. Epigyne:median field large nearly heart-shaped opening, genital openings occurring at posterior margin of 'heart', epigynal pockets absent; internally, spermathecae huge, very heavily sclerotized, with 2 pair of coiled ducts locatedterminally, fertilization ducts located posteriorly, directed anteriorly, posterodorsal fold absent (Figs 147-148). Dimensions: Total length 6.60. Carapace length 3.10, width 3.45. Sternum length 1.75, width 1.75. Abdomen length 3.50, width 3.00. Pedipalp: Fm 0.70, Pt 0.25, Ti 0.30, Ta 1.00, total 2.25. Leg I: Fm 3.50, Pt 1.50, Ti 3.00, Mt 2.60, Ta 1.00, total 11.60. Leg II: Fm 4.00, Pt 1.60, Ti 3.50, Mt 2.00, Ta 1.00, total 12.10. Leg III: Fm 4.00, Pt 1.50, Ti 3.00, Mt 2.90, Ta 1.90, total 13.30. Leg IV: Fm 3.90, Pt 1.00, Ti 3.00, Mt 2.80, Ta 1.00, total 11.70.

Natural history.

This species has been found under bark, under debris on the ground, under rocks, in the bases of tropical plants, on buildings, fences, and tree trunks at night (Figs 192, 205). The female guards the white, disc-shaped egg sac (Fig. 193).

Distribution.

Found in the northern Lesser Antilles on the islands of Anguilla, St. Maarten, and Saba (Map 9).