Tayshaneta coeca (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942)

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 : 21-22

Tayshaneta coeca (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942) Figs 15 A–F36A–F 52E58

Leptoneta coeca Chamberlin and Ivie 1942: 10; Gertsch 1974: 170.

Neoleptoneta coeca (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942): Brignoli 1977: 216; Platnick 1986: 7; Cokendolpher, 2004: 64.

Tayshaneta coeca (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942): Ledford et al. 2011.

Type data.

Male holotype from Heidrich’s Cave, New Braunfels, 20-June-1938, Comal County, Texas, 20-June-1938, 29.70N, 98.10W, (AMNH, formerly in the University of Utah collection, examined).

Notes.

Heidrich’s Cave was the name used by Chamberlin and Ivie (1942) for Brehmmer Cave in the original description of the species ( Reddell and Cokendolpher 2004). Gertsch (1974) considered specimens from Natural Bridge Caverns as conspecific with Tayshaneta coeca , however, no illustrations or diagnostic details were provided. Female specimens from Natural Bridges Caverns show similar somatic morphology and genitalia, but cannot be confidently determined in the absence of associated males. While male specimens are reported in Gertsch (1974) they were not located in collections. Given its proximity to the type locality and morphological similarity the specimens are tentatively maintained as conspecific. In several cases, specimens of Tayshaneta devia were difficult to separate from Tayshaneta coeca except by the fine details of the retrolateral tibial spine and embolus. Given the geographic disjunction between populations in Comal and Williamson Counties, additional sampling is required in these area, especially on the surface, in order to refine species limits.

Other material examined.

USA: Texas: Comal County: Brehmmer Cave (= Heidrich’s Cave), 5mi. W. of New Braunfels, 19-March-1960, W. Gertsch, W. Ivie, Schrammel, 29.70N, 98.10W, 1♂, 1 ♀, (AMNH); Coreth Bat Cave, 28-October-1995, J. Reddell, M. Reyes, 1♂, 1 ♀, 1 juv., (TMM); Coreth Bat Cave, 28-October-1995, J. Reddell, M. Reyes, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, (TTU); Guadeloupe River, 19-November-2004, P. Paquin, 29.81N, 98.17W, 3 ♀, (CASC); Natural Bridge Caverns, 13mi. W. of New Braunfels, 23-February-1963, O. Knox, J. Reddell, M. Reyes, 29.70N, 98.10W, 1 ♀, (TMM); Natural Bridge Caverns, 13mi. W. of New Braunfels, 13-July-1963, J. Reddell, 29.70N, 98.10W, 2 ♀, 3 juvs, (TMM); Natural Bridge Caverns, 13mi. W. New of Braunfels, 23-September-1989, O. Knox, J. Reddell, M. Reyes, 29.70N, 98.10W, 1 ♀, (TMM); Natural Bridge Caverns, 13mi. W. of New Braunfels, 1-March-1990, O. Knox, J. Reddell, M. Reyes, 29.70N, 98.10W, 1 ♀, (TTU); 7mi. W. of New Braunfels, 27-January-1995, A. Grubbs, 3 ♂, 2 ♀, 1 juv. (TMM); Hays County: Freeman Crawl, 8-August-2009, P. Sprouse, 1 juv., (TMM); Hackberry Cave, 7-May-2009, P. Sprouse, 30.01N, 97.94W, 1 ♂, 3 juvs, (TMM); Hackberry Cave, 13-October-2009, P. Sprouse, 30.01N, 97.94W, 2 ♂, 2 ♀, 2 juvs, (TMM); McCarty Cave, 14-October-2009, P. Sprouse, 29.85N, 97.99W, 1 ♀, 1 juv., (TMM); McGlothlin Sink, 26-May-1989, A. Grubbs, J. Reddell, M. Reyes, 29.92N, 97.94W, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 4 juvs, (TMM); Root Beard Cave, 14-March-2005, P. Paquin, 29.97N, 97.98W, 2 ♂, (CASC); Root Beard Cave, 7-June-2009, P. Sprouse, 29.97N, 97.98W, 2 ♂, 1 juv., (TMM); Wiseman’s Sink No. 2, 10mi. W. of San Marcos, 22-April-1995, A. Grubbs, 29.97N, 97.98W, 2 ♀, 4 juvs, (TMM); Wiseman’s Sink, 28-April-1995, A. Grubbs, 29.97N, 97.98W, 1 ♂, (TMM); Wiseman’s Sink, 30-April-1995, A. Grubbs, 29.97N, 97.98W, 4 ♀, 1 juv., (TMM).

Diagnosis.

Tayshaneta coeca can be separated from other Tayshaneta species that lack a ventral sclerite, except Tayshaneta archambaulti and Tayshaneta devia , by having a short retrolateral tibial spine, occupying less than 0.5 × the length of the palpal tarsus (RTS, Fig. 36F) and a rectangular embolus that lacks sculpture along its margin (E, Fig. 36D). Separated from Tayshaneta devia by having a retrolateral tibial spine with sculpture along its entire length (RTS, Fig. 36C, F) and from Tayshaneta archambaulti by the distinctive shape of the embolus (E, Fig. 36D).

Description.

Complete description in Gertsch (1974: 170-171). Habitus of male and female in Figs 15 A–F, scanning electron micrographs of male palp in Figs 36 A–F and female genitalia in Fig. 52E.

Distribution.

Caves and surface localities in Hays and Comal Counties (Fig. 58).