Neostasina taino, Rheims & Alayón, 2016

Rheims, Cristina Anne & Alayón, Giraldo, 2016, Neostasina gen. nov., a new genus of huntsman spiders from the Neotropical region (Araneae, Sparassidae, Sparianthinae), Zootaxa 4079 (3), pp. 301-344 : 338-339

Neostasina taino sp. nov.

Figs 5−6 , 136−142 , Map 2

Type material: Holotype: ♂, Dominican Republic, La Altagracia, San Rafael, Parque Nacional del Este [18°20’N; 68°37’W], 7 June 2012, Team CarBio leg. ( NMNH).

Paratypes: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Altagracia: 1♀, 3 juveniles, same vial as holotype ( NMNH) ; 4♀, 9 juveniles, same data as holotype ( NMNH) ; 2♀, Beach Trail to Cueva del Puente (18°19’N, 68°48’W), 5 June 2012, Team CarBio leg. ( NMNH) ; 1♀, 1 juvenile, 6 June 2012, Team CarBio leg. (NMNH). PUERTO RICO: Rio Grande: 1♂, El Yunque ( Big Trees Trail , outside cave) (18°18’N, 65°46’W), 8 June 2012, Team CarBio leg. ( NMNH).

Etymology. The specific name is a noun and refers to one of the major indigenous ethnic groups inhabiting the Caribbean.

Diagnosis. Males of N. taino sp. nov. are distinguished from those of the other species of the genus by the palp with vRTA absent, median apophysis with strongly pointed tip, and embolus bifid, with subdistal pointed projection ( Figs 137−139 ). Females resemble those of N. lucea sp. nov. ( Fig. 96 ) in the anterior rim recurved and median septum pentagonal ( Fig. 140 ). They are distinguished from this species by the anterior rim medially pointed (rounded in the other species) by the anterior margin of the median septum straight (V-shaped in the other species) and by the absence of a posterior median protrusion ( Fig. 140 ) (present in N. lucea ).

Description. Male (NMNH, holotype): Prosoma orange, slightly darker at eye area, with thin black lines extending along and between thoracic striae. Fovea and eye borders black. Chelicerae orange. Pedipalps yellow. Legs yellow with black marks at the base of spines. Femora ventrally mottled with black spots. Sternum pale yellow with pale orange margins. Endites pale yellow, distally cream colored. Labium orange, distally pale yellow. Opisthosoma cream colored; dorsally with black pattern of irregular marks laterally and on anterior half and chevron-like marks on posterior half ( Fig. 5 ). Total length 7.8. Prosoma: 3.9 long, 3.4 wide. Opisthosoma: 3.9 long, 2.5 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.25, 0.22, 0.15, 0.21; interdistances: 0.17, 0.18, 0.31, 0.27, 0.14, 0.05. Legs (2143): I: 15.7 (4.2, 2.0, 4.2, 4.2, 1.1); II: 16.2 (4.5, 2.1, 4.2, 4.4, 1.0); III: 12.5 (3.8, 1.6, 2.9, 3.4, 0.8); IV: 15.6 (4.5, 1.7, 3.5, 4.8, 1.1). Palp: VTA elongate, retrolateral; dRTA conical, ventrally curved in retrolateral view; median apophysis arising from tegulum at 3 o’clock position; conductor with the same width throughout its entire length; TBC large, conical, two times longer than wide; embolus arising from tegulum at 9 o’clock position; TBE single with subdistal ventral pointed projection and dorsal groove, flanked by distal keel, to accommodate the embolus ( Figs 136−139 ).

Female (NMNH, paratype): Coloration pattern as in male ( Fig. 6 ). Total length 6.5. Prosoma: 3.1 long, 2.9 wide. Opisthosoma: 3.4 long, 2.1 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.19, 0.17, 0.12, 0.19; interdistances: 0.20, 0.23, 0.34, 0.39; 0.19, 0.11. Legs (4213): I: 10.5 (3.1, 1.5, 2.8, 2.5, 0.6); II: 10.7 (3.2, 1.6, 2.7, 2.6, 0.6); III: 8.8 (2.9, 1.3, 2.0, 2.0, 0.6); IV: 10.8 (3.2, 1.3, 2.6, 3.0, 0.7). Epigyne: epigynal field roughly rectangular, longer than wide ( Fig. 139 ). Vulva: glandular projections short rounded with wide base; spermathecae packed within oblong sclerotized structure, slightly narrower close to fertilization ducts; internal ducts with anterior and additional median twist ( Figs 141−142 ).

Variation. Males (n = 2): total length 6.3−7.8; prosoma length 3.4−3.9; femur I length 3.7−4.2. Females (n = 7): total length 6.5−11.0; prosoma length 3.1−4.0; femur I length 2.9−3.5.

Distribution. Known from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico (Map 2).

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 6. Habitus, dorsal view. 1 − 2 Neostasina amalie sp. nov. (1 male, 2 female); 3 − 4 Neostasina bicolor (Banks) comb. nov. (3 male, 4 female); 5 − 6 Neostasina taino sp. nov. (5 male, 6 female). Scale lines: 2 mm.

FIGURES 136 − 142. Neostasina taino sp. nov. 136 − 139 Male, left palp (136 prolateral, 137 ventral, 138 retrolateral, 139 detail of embolus and TBE); 140 − 142 Female (140 epigyne, 141 vulva, 142 schematic course of internal duct system). adt = additional twist of spermathecae; ar = anterior rim of epigyne; at = anterior twist of spermathecae; CD = copulatory duct; dRTA = dorsal branch of RTA; E = embolus; esp = subdistal projection of embolus; FD = fertilization duct; GP = glandular projection; TBC = tegular projection at base of conductor; TBE = tegular projection at base of embolus; tk = dorsal keel of TBE; VTA = ventral tibial apophysis. Scale lines: 1 mm.

FIGURES 96 − 98. Neostasina lucea sp. nov., female (96 epigyne, 97 vulva, 98 schematic course of internal duct system). CD = copulatory duct; FD = fertilization duct; GP = glandular projection; mpt = median posterior protrusion. Scale line: 1 mm.