Selenops gracilis Muma, 1953

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 : 21-23

Selenops gracilis Muma, 1953 Figs 21-24Map 5

Selenops gracilis Muma 1953: 10, Figs 12-14 (♂, ♀, examined).

Type material.

Holotype male: Ayotzinapa, Guerrero, México, 11.I.1941, (AMNH, examined). Paratypes: Female, Taxco, Guerrero, México, IV.1946, L. Isaacs (AMNH, examined).

Other material examined.

MÉXICO: Michoacan: Jiquilpan, 19°59' N, 102°41' W, 9.V.1963, W.J. Gertsch and W. Ivie, ♀s, imm. (AMNH); Janitzio, 13.X.1940, J.A. de Villar, 3♀ (AMNH); Guerrero: Taxco, X.1945, L. Isaacs, 2♀ (AMNH); Taxco, 5.VI.1943, F.H. Pough, 1♀ (AMNH); Arcelia, Campo Morado, 2♀ (CNAN sel_1014-1015).

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Selenops mexicanus , Selenops malinalxochitl , Selenops ecuadorensis and Selenops aztecus . Males can be easily distinguished by a very short embolus which arises from behind a larger sclerite, and also by the long, distally rounded RTA, (Figs 21-22). Females can be distinguished from other species by a hyaline median septum that goes behind a slightly m-shaped posterior area with lateral indentations, coming to a point medially, and internally, having laterally directed, non-branching internal ducts, with fertilization ducts located and directed laterally, and a rectangular posterodorsal fold (Figs 23-24).

Remarks.

There is some variation in the external female copulatory organs. In all specimens viewed thus far, the posterormedial margin is always pointed, and internally, the ducts are all identical, unbranched, with an identically shaped rectangular posterodorsal fold.

Description.

Holotype male: Color:carapace orange-brown; sternum dusky yellow, darker around border; chelicerae dark red-brown; maxillae brown-yellow, lighter distally; labium orange-brown, lightening toward the distal edge; abdomen dorsally tan to cream with faint anterior lateral u-shaped markings and two w-shaped caudal lines, laterocaudal festoon present; legs orange-brown, markings indistinct; Carapace: 0.93 times longer than broad. Eyes:AER nearly straight; PER recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye diameters, AME 0.25, ALE 0.10, PME 0.28, PLE 0.40; interdistances AME-PME 0.15, PME-ALE 0.10, ALE-PLE 0.55. PME-PME 1.30. ALE-ALE 2.13; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.43, PLE-PLE 2.40; clypeus 0.13 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:1.38 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Legs:leg I only slightly shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 2341; scopulae present on distal end of all 4 tarsi; tarsi I-IV with strong claw tufts; pr claw toothed, rl claw with fewer teeth; spination: Leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Leg II, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Leg III, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; 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 v 2-2. Abdomen:without terminal setal tufts. Pedipalp:Fm, spination d 0 –1– 4; cymbium oval in ventral view, slightly angled posterolaterally; conductor quadrate, arising distally; embolus very short, blunt, beginning at 9 o'clock, terminating at 10 o'clock; MA located at 3 o'clock, directed ventrally, with two branches, one bent distally, the other pointed distally; RTA with two branches, ventral apophysis angular, curving toward cymbium, small, dorsal process very long, sinuous in lateral view, distally rounded; RTA extending at least ½ length of cymbium in ventral view (Figs 21-22). Dimensions: Total length 10.63. Carapace length 5.00 width 5.40. Sternum length 2.75, width 2.99. Abdomen length 5.63, width 4.15. Pedipalp: Fm 1.25, Pt 0.40, Ti 0.75, Ta 1.40, total 3.70. Leg I: Fm 6.00, Pt 2.00, Ti, Mt and Ta missing. Leg II: Fm 6.75, Pt 2.40, Ti, Mt and Ta missing. Leg III: Fm 7.00, Pt 1.75, Ti, Mt and Ta missing. Leg IV: Fm 7.00, Pt 1.75, Ti 5.8, Mt 5.75, Ta 2.00, total 22.30.

Paratype female: Color:carapace (paratype) dark red-brown, (recent) brown to orange-brown, darker in cephalic area, with white setae, and darker patches; sternum (paratype) orange-brown, darker at border, (recent) pale yellow, slightly darker around border; chelicerae (paratype) dark red-brown, (recent) dark brown to red-brown; maxillae (paratype) red-brown lightening distally, (recent) light brown lightening distally; labium (paratype) red-brown, lightening distally, (recent) orange-brown, dusky on sides, lightening distally; abdomen dorsally (paratype) tan to light brown, seemingly discolored medially dark laterocaudal festoon present, (recent) cream to tan background with two darker u-shaped marks anterolaterally and two w-shaped marks posteriorly, lots of dark flecks; ventrally dusky orange-grey; legs (paratype) dusky orange, markings no longer distinct, (recent) dark double bands on femur I, lighter on other legs, fused on tibiae and metatarsi, half of each segment is very dark and very light, tarsi dark, lighter part of each leg yellowish. Carapce: 0.92 times longer than broad. Eyes:AER nearly straight; PER recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye diameters, AME 0.28, ALE 0.13, PME 0.33, PLE 0.50; interdistances AME-PME 0.13, PME-ALE 0.55, ALE-PLE 0.43. PME-PME 1.70. ALE-ALE 3.03; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.70, PLE-PLE 3.23; 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 formula 2413; scopulae present on tarsi of all legs and metatarsi of legs I and II; tarsi I-IV with strong claw tufts; both claws with same number of teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –0– 1; Ti d 0, v 2 –2– 2; Mt v 2-2; II, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –0– 1; Ti v 2 –2– 2; Mt v 2-2; III, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –0– 1; Ti v 2 –2– 0; Mt v 2-2; IV, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0 –0– 1; Ti v 2 –2– 0; Mt v 1-1. Abdomen:without terminal setal tufts. Pedipalp:claw with 13 teeth. Epigyne:lateral lobes indistinct, hyaline median field with quadrate septum, terminating behind posterior sclerotized m-shaped area, with lateral ridges and indentations, pointed medially, genital openings located posterolaterally at sides of septum, internally, ducts are simple, unbranched and directed laterally, with fertilization ducts located and directed laterally, posterodorsal fold present, strongly sclerotized, quadrate, completely covering internal ducts (Figs 23-24). Dimensions: Total length 12.30. Carapace length 6.10, width 6.60. Sternum length 2.75, width 2.75. Abdomen length 6.20, width 4.65. Pedipalp: Fm 1.75, Pt 0.90, Ti 1.00, Ta 1.80, total 5.45. Leg I: Fm 6.00, Pt 2.75, Ti 5.75, Mt 4.75, Ta 1.75, total 21.00. Leg II: Fm 9.00, Pt 3.00, Ti 7.00, Mt 5.50, Ta 1.80, total 26.30. Leg III: Fm 8.00, Pt 1.90, Ti 5.00, Mt 3.80, Ta 1.60, total 20.30. Leg IV: Fm 7.00, Pt 2.25, Ti 6.50, Mt 5.00, Ta 1.70, total 22.45.

Natural history.

No data.

Distribution.

South central México, from Michoacan to Guerrero (Map 5).