Tayshaneta grubbsi, Ledford, Joel, Paquin, Pierre, Cokendolpher, James, Campbell, Josh & Griswold, Charles, 2012

Ledford, Joel, Paquin, Pierre, Cokendolpher, James, Campbell, Josh & Griswold, Charles, 2012, Systematics, conservation and morphology of the spider genus Tayshaneta (Araneae, Leptonetidae) in Central Texas Caves, ZooKeys 167, pp. 1-102 : 27

Tayshaneta grubbsi sp. n. Figs 20 A–C32E41A–F 60

Type data.

Male holotype from Litterbarrel Cave, 5mi. southeast of Comstock, Val Verde County, Texas, 1-September-1974, S. Sweet, M. Reaka, 29.65N, 101.16W, (AMNH).

Etymology.

This species is named in honor of Andy Grubbs, a remarkable collector of several new Tayshaneta species throughout Texas.

Note.

The coloration of this specimen has likely been affected by its preservation conditions.

Diagnosis. Tayshaneta grubbsi can be separated from all Tayshaneta species, except Tayshaneta emeraldae , Tayshaneta fawcetti , Tayshaneta valverdae and Tayshaneta vidrio , by having the following combination of characters: male palpal tarsus divided apically; ventral sclerite short, mesoapically positioned (VS, Fig. 41E); retrolateral sclerite present, pocket-like (RS, Fig. 40A, E). Separated from Tayshaneta emeraldae Tayshaneta fawcetti , Tayshaneta valverdae and Tayshaneta vidrio by the unique oval shape of the embolus (Fig. 41D) and the very short ventral sclerite (VS, Fig. 41E).

Description.

Male (holotype). Body length 1.36, carapace 0.58 long, 0.51 wide, length 1.14 × width. Carapace dark orange-brown, sparsely setose; eyes large, ocular area enclosed in a faint dark pattern (Figs 20 A–C). Legs elongate and thin, femur I 1.8 × carapace length, covered in fine setae and with few scattered spines.Palpal tarsus divided apically; retrolateral tibial spine smooth at its base, length 0.40 × tarsus width (RTS, Fig. 41A). Bulb suboval, length 1.8 × width; embolus oval, with apical fold (E, Fig. 41D), length 1.8 × width. Ventral sclerite short, situated mesoapically (VS, Fig. 41E); retrolateral sclerite pocket-like, weakly invaginated (RS, Figs 41A, E). Abdomen pale yellow, without pattern, 0.81 long, 0.61 wide, covered in fine setae.

Distribution.

Known only from Litterbarrel Cave, Val Verde County, Texas (Fig. 60).