Selenops geraldinae Corronca, 1996

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 : 12-15

Selenops geraldinae Corronca, 1996 Figs 7-10177Map 2

Selenops geraldinae Corronca 1996: 95, Figs 9-10 (♂ holotype from Mara, Venezuela (CAS, not available for examination).

Selenops geraldinae Corronca, 1998: 134, Figs 19-20 (♂).

Selenops willinki Corronca, 1998: 146, Figs 70-71 (♀ only, misidentification).

Note.

The holotype of Selenops geraldinae Corronca is stated to be deposited in the CAS ( Corronca 1996: 95), but the specimen has not arrived at CAS. Nevertheless, the description and illustrations are adequate to recognize as this species the specimens described and listed below.

Material examined.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Gaspar Grande Island: Chaguaramas, trails above Bay View Resort, 10°39'46.5"N, 61°38'58.0"W, ~ 3-40 m, 12.VII.2005, SCC05_037, 4♂, 1♀, 4 imm. (EME sel_224-229, 237, 241, 254, 257, 260). Huevos Island: 10°41'28.3"N, 61°42'55.0"W, sea level, 13.VII.2005, S. Crews, F. (Max) Clunis, under palm frond on trunk, on top of previously hatched egg sac, SCC05_039, 1♂ (CAS sel_239). Monos Island: South Sea, 10°40'54.2"N, 61°41'21.6"W, sea level, 13.VII.2005, S. Crews, F. (Max) Clunis, under bark, SCC05_038, 1♂, 4 imm. (CAS sel_244, 247-250). Chacachacare Island: 10°41'24.2"N, 61°44'53.7"W, 13.VII.2005, S. Crews, F. (Max) Clunis, under pile of rocks in front of abandoned house, SCC05_040, 1 imm. (CAS sel_246). St. George County: Point Cord Road near Trinidad military base, off Chaguaramas Main Road, 10°40'47.1"N, 61°37'30.9"W, ~13 m, 11.VII.2005, S. Crews, C. Chaboo, SCC05_035, 6 imm. (CAS sel_218-223). VENEZUELA: Bolívar: Guri, South of Puerto Ordaz, ex: FIT, 3-15.VII.1998, H. & A. Howden, fairly wet forest, mostly lowland evergreen, 1♂ (AMNH).

Diagnosis.

Males of this species can be distinguished from others by the small, finger-like MA directed distally, located distally on the palpal bulb (Figs 7-8). Females of Selenops geraldinae can be separated from others by the large central, lateral extending depression of the epigynum, lateral lobes that come together medially and diverge laterally (Figs 9-10).

Remarks.

The male of Selenops geraldinae was described by Corronca (1996). In Trinidad and several small nearby islands, I collected several males of Selenops geraldinae and only with females of what Corronca (1998) had previously described as Selenops willinki . Along with this natural history data, molecular genetic data ( Crews and Gillespie 2010) confirmed that these males and females were conspecific, exclusive of any other nearby specimens (e.g., from Tobago).

In Corronca (1998), the records of Selenops geraldinae are given as Mara and Bolívar, Venezuela. They are shown on the map as being in Zulia, near Lago Maracaibo, in the east of the country. However, there are also localities with the same names in the western part of Venezuela. As these specimens have not been examined, it is unclear where exactly they are from. I have shown the distribution following Corronca (1998).

Description.

Male (sel_224). Color: carapace yellowish-orange, duskier on edge, around border of cephalic area; sternum pale yellow; chelicerae yellow, dusky u-shaped markings terminating halfway down; maxillae pale yellow; labium pale yellow; abdomen dorsally dusky yellow, some spots medially, darker laterally and posteriorly, festoon present; ventrally pale yellow, no markings; legs yellowish-orange, annulations not visible. Carapace: 1.03 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER slightly recurved; PER recurved; PME larger than AME, PME same as PLE, ALE smallest; eye diameters, AME 0.18, ALE 0.05, PME 0.23, PLE 0.23; interdistances AME-PME 0.03, PME-ALE 0.08, ALE-PLE 0.28. PME-PME 0.88. ALE-ALE 1.38; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.28, PLE-PLE 1.50; clypeus 0.13 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with stout setae medially and anteriorly; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:1.33 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Legs:leg I=leg IV, but only slightly shorter than leg II; leg formula 21=43; scopulae present on distal end of all 4 tarsi; tarsi I-IV with strong claw tufts; pr claw per foot slightly toothed; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti pr 0 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 0, rl 1 –0– 1, v 2 –2– 2; Mt pr 1 –1– 0, rl 1 –1– 0, v 2-2; leg II, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti pr 0 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 0, rl 1 –0– 1, v 2 –2– 2; Mt pr 1 –1– 0, v 2-2, rl 1 –1– 0; leg III, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti pr 1 –0– 1, rl 1 –0– 1, v 2-2; Mt pr 1 –1– 0, rl 1 –1– 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 1 –0– 1, rl 1 –1– 0, v 2-2. Abdomen:with terminal setal tufts. Pedipalp:Fm, spination dorsal 0 –1– 4; cymbium triangular in ventral view, angled posterolaterally, setae scattered, denser toward tip; conductor arising in center of bulb, quadrate, distally sinuous; embolus long, slender, arising at 3 o'clock ending at 10 o'clock, tapering distally; MA finger-like, slender, slightly hooked at tip, located at 2 o'clock, directed ventrally; RTA with single apophysis with 2 processes, the dorsal process wide,quadrangular, the ventral process narrower,rounded, barely reaching cymbium in ventral view (Figs 7-8). Dimensions: Total length 6.60. Carapace length 3.60, width 3.50. Sternum length 2.00, width 1.50. Abdomen length 3.00, width 2.00. Pedipalp: Fm 1.50, Pt 0.35, Ti 0.75, Ta 1.15, total 3.70. Leg I: Fm 3.50, Pt 1.50, Ti 3.00, Mt 2.90, Ta 1.60, total 12.50. Leg II: Fm 4.00, Pt 1.30, Ti 3.00, Mt 3.00, Ta 1.60, total 12.90. Leg III: Fm 4.00, Pt 1.00, Ti 3.00, Mt 2.80, Ta 1.30, total 12.00. Leg IV: Fm 4.00, Pt 1.00, Ti 3.00, Mt 3.00, Ta 1.50, total 12.50.

Female (sel_225): Color:carapace light yellow with dusky marks around edges, medially, mediolaterally and around the border of the cephalic area; sternum pale yellow; chelicerae yellow, dusky u-shaped markings present, terminating halfway down; maxillae pale yellow; labium pale yellow; abdomen dorsally cream to yellow, darkening laterally and distally, lanceolate stripe, widening in the middle, making a chevron pattern that extends caudally, several dusky patches laterally, festoon present; ventrally light grey; legs yellowish, faint annulations on femora, patellae and tibiae, duskier patches on metatarsi and tibiae retrolaterally on legs, particularly prominent on legs III and IV. Carapace: 0.99 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER slightly recurved; PER lightly recurved; PME larger than AME, PME same as PLE, ALE smallest; eye diameters, AME 0.13, ALE 0.05, PME 0.25, PLE 0.25; interdistances AME-PME 0.08, PME-ALE 0.16, ALE-PLE 0.30. PME-PME 0.96. ALE-ALE 1.60; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.35, PLE-PLE 1.78; clypeus 0.10 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with stout setae medially and anteriorly; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:0.98 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Legs:leg I only slightly shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 2431; scopulae present on all 4 tarsi, metatarsi and tibia 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 0 –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 0 –0– 1; Ti v 2 –2– 2; Mt v 2-2; leg III, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl, 0 –0– 1; Ti v 1 –1– 0; Mt v 2-1; leg IV, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0 –0– 1; Ti v 1-1; Mt v 2-1. Abdomen:with terminal tufts of setae. Pedipalp:claw present with 9 teeth. Epigyne:lateral lobes distinct, coming together medially, then separating, central depression present, genital openings located medially behind lateral lobes, epigynal pockets present; internally, small po sterodorsal fold covering part of internal ducts (Figs 9-10). Dimensions: Total length 7.45. Carapace length 3.75, width 3.80. Sternum length 1.80, width 1.75. Abdomen length 3.70, width 3.10. Pedipalp: Fm 1.80, Pt 0.50, Ti 0.50, Ta 1.00, total 3.80. Leg I: femur 3.50, patella 1.50, Ti 2.75, Mt 2.00, Ta 1.00, total 10.75. Leg II: Fm 3.80, Pt 1.50, Ti 3.50, Mt 2.50, Ta 1.00, total 12.30. Leg III: Fm 3.87, Pt 1.25, Ti 3.00, Mt 2.00, Ta 1.00, total 11.12. Leg IV: Fm 3.75, Pt 1.00, Ti 3.00, Mt 2.50, Ta 1.00, total 11.25.

Natural history.

Found under bark of Bursera , guava, and bay, on palms, and on bromeliads, as well as under rocks in wet and dry forests. The female guards her white, disc-shaped egg sac (Fig. 178).

Distribution.

Mara and Bolívar in Venezuela, as well as Trinidad, including Gaspar Grande, Monos, Huevos and Chacachacare Islands (Map 2).