Loxosceles caribbaea Gertsch, 1958

Ruiz, Alexander Sánchez & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2013, The genus Loxosceles Heineken & Lowe (Araneae: Sicariidae) in Cuba and Hispaniola, West Indies, Zootaxa 3731 (2), pp. 212-222 : 213

Loxosceles caribbaea Gertsch, 1958

Figs. 1−8 , 41−42

Drymusa nubila: Lutz, 1915: 80 .

Loxosceles rufescens: Petrunkevitch, 1929: 108 , figs. 92−96.

Loxosceles caribbaea: Gertsch, 1958: 15 , figs.15, 54−56, 78−79 (Male holotype and female paratype from Corozal, Puerto Rico, deposited in AMNH, not examined); Gertsch & Ennik, 1983: 340, figs. 19, 295−298, 318−323; Perez, 1997: 8, fig. 1 a −b.

Diagnosis. Specimens of L. caribbaea resemble those of L. cubana by the length of the palpal tibiae in the male palp, but can be distinguished by a curved embolus longer than the width of the bulb in males (figs. 1−2) and by the receptacles of epigynum with two lobes, of which the inner one is coming out from the outer one and is enlarged at end, both lobes on a short base ( Figs. 41−42 ).

Description. Male and female described by Gertsch (1958) and redescribed by Gertsch & Ennik (1983). Carapace, male palp, and female genitalia in figures 1−4; 7−8, 41−42. Palpal tarsus of female slender ( Figs. 5−6 ).

Variation. Male (n=10): Total length 5−6.5, carapace 2.3−3 long, femur I 4.6−7 long. Palpal tibia 0.8−0.95 long, 0.4−0.45 wide. Female (n=10): total length 5.1−8.5, carapace 2.1−3.1 long, femur I 4 −5.8. Palpal tibia 0.6−1 long, 0.2−0.25 wide. Palpal tarsus 0.7−1.05 long.

Material examined. CUBA: Guantánamo: Baracoa, Nibujón, Cueva Grande de El Recreo (20°30'45.25"N, 74°39'12.67"W), walls of cave, R. Teruel, March 5, 1998 (BSC286, 1♂ 1♀ 1juv). Baracoa, Nibujón, Cueva Chica de El Recreo (20°30'47.77"N, 74°39'12.45"W), walls of cave, R. Teruel, March 6, 1998 (IBSP164690, 10 ♂ 8 ♀ 19juv). Yara −Majayara, Cueva del Agua, under rocks, F. Cala, June 15, 2012 (IBSP164698, 1♀ 3juv). Santiago de Cuba: Reserva Ecológica Siboney −Juticí, Cueva de los Majaes (19°57'44.97"N, 75°43'3.94"W), R. Teruel, March 25, 2000 (IBSP164693, 2♂ 1♀). Reserva Ecológica Siboney −Juticí (19°57'43.84"N, 75°43'1.41"W), A. Sánchez, March 24, 1998 (IBSP164694, 2♂ 5♀ 1juv). Reserva Ecológica Siboney −Juticí, Cueva Atabex (19°57'41.65"N, 75°42'59.54"W), under rocks, R. Teruel & E.B del Castillo, March 19, 1998 (BSC283, 1♀). Reserva Ecológica Siboney −Juticí,Cueva de la Virgen (19°57'40.05"N, 75°42'55.50"W), under rocks, A. Sánchez, Jan. 19, 1997 (IBSP164696, 1♂). Reserva Ecológica Siboney −Juticí, Cueva de las Golondrinas (19°57'42.80"N, 75°42'52.74"W), under rocks, A. Sánchez, April 1, 2000 (IBSP164697, 1♀). Tercer Frente, La Poza, under rocks, R. Teruel, Aug. 2, 2000 (IBSP164695, 2♀). Ciego de Avila: Loma de Cunagua (22°5'31.20"N, 78°27'7.20"W), under rocks, T.M. Rodriguez, July 31, 2012, (IBSP164689, 2♀ 1juv). Pinar del Río: Guanacahabibes, Cueva de las Perlas (21°5'38.64"N, 84°28'32.52"W), under rocks, A. Sánchez, May 19, 2007 (IBSP164691, 2♀). Cueva de las Perlas (21°5'38.64"N, 84°28'32.52"W), under rocks, A. Fong, May 18, 1998 (IBSP164692, 2♀ 1juv).

Distribution. Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 8. Loxosceles caribbaea Gertsch, 1958. 1 − 4 Male. 1 palp, prolateral view; 2 palp, retrolateral view; 3 prosoma, dorsal view; 4 prosoma, lateral view. 5 − 8 Female. 5 palp, prolateral view; 6 palp, retrolateral view; 7 prosoma, dorsal view; 8 prosoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 39 − 44. Female internal genitalia, dorsal view (left), ventral view (right). 39 − 40 Loxosceles cubana Gertsch, 1958. 41 − 42 Loxosceles caribbaea Gertsch, 1958. 43 − 44 Loxosceles taino Gertsch & Ennik, 1983.