Cicurina (Cicurella) serena Gertsch 1992

Paquin, Pierre & Dupérré, Nadine, 2009, of 60 troglobitic species of the subgenus Cicurella (Araneae: Dictynidae), and a first visual assessment of their distribution, Zootaxa 2002, pp. 1-67 : 43

Cicurina (Cicurella) serena Gertsch 1992

( Figs 96–97, 135)

Cicurina serena Gertsch 1992: 105 , figs 109–110 (description of female). — Jackman 1997: 162.

HOLOTYPE female: “ Texas; Picture Cave No.1, on Fred Mason Ranch, 23 mi. N.W. Uvalde, at bottom of vertical entrance shaft. November 3, 1962 ”. Label 2: “ Texas; Picture Cave #1, 23 mi. N.W. Uvalde, W100.12; N29.30, November 3, 1962, James Reddell coll”. Examined ( AMNH).

Description. Female holotype

Total length: 3.60; carapace length: 1.62; carapace width: 1.17; opisthosoma length 1.98. Eyes absent. Cheliceral promargin right side with 3 teeth (1 large, 2 left) side likewise; retromargin right side with 6 denticles (3 large, 3 small), left side likewise. Leg I: total length: 5.10; femur: 1.45; patella: 0.50; tibia: 1.20; metatarsus: 1.20; tarsus: 0.75; leg IV: total length: 6.15; femur: 1.60; patella: 0.55; tibia: 1.45; metatarsus: 1.65; tarsus: 0.90. Tarsal claw IV: 0.15. Epigynum length: 0.336. Epigynal ventral plate with long transverse slit, bearing medial, shallow, inverted U-shaped indentation; atrium rectangular, almost completely intruded by rounded dorsal plate, atrial aperture small; bursa particularly enlarged, not fused; copulatory ducts touching at midpoint, reaching top of primary lobe apex; copulatory ducts constriction located medially; primary pores not visible; stalk short, straight, obliquely directed, joining the primary lobe at the aperture of the dictynoid pore; dictynoid pore rounded; primary lobe bean-shaped; secondary lobe absent; fertilization canal long, externally positioned from the dictynoid pore; fertilization duct medially attached to the primary lobe base.

Distribution. Reported from two caves: North Well Cave and Picture Cave No. 1 (type locality) (Uvalde County, Texas, Fig. 135).

Remarks. Male unknown. The specimen in the holotype vial of Cicurina serena was not dissected. This implies that Gertsch did not illustrate the holotype in his paper ( Figs 109–110) because a dissection is necessary to provide the dorsal view of his figure 110. Likely, he illustrated and described the specimen from North Well Cave – erroneously labeled as Cicurina pablo holotype – which matches the illustrations that he dissected Cicurina epigynum (without a specimen), which does not belong in Cicurella . The specimen from North Well Cave could not be located and examined to confirm the occurrence of Cicurina (Cicurella) serena in that cave. However, the locality is included in Fig. 135 based on Gertsch’s (1992) record and indicated by an open symbol.