Coryssocnemis tarsocurvipes ( González-Sponga, 2003 )

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 49-50

Coryssocnemis tarsocurvipes ( González-Sponga, 2003)

Figs 141–148 , 1037

Carupania tarsocurvipes González-Sponga, 2003: 92 , figs 1a–j.

Coryssocnemis tarsocurvipes – Huber 2009: 68.

Coryssocnemis simla (misidentification) – Astrin et al. 2006: 444 (see Notes below).

Notes

This species is morphologically almost indistinguishable from C. simla Huber, 2000 from Trinidad. In a previous molecular study ( Astrin et al. 2006) the Venezuelan specimens from Cascada del Chorro listed below were tentatively considered conspecific with C. simla even though P-distances were unusually high for within species comparisons. Morphological reanalysis confirms the high similarity but here we follow the conservative approach in Huber (2009) in maintaining C. tarsocurvipes as a valid species until a more detailed species limit analysis is available.

The specimens in the paratype vials below include C. tarsocurvipes and C. monagas Huber, 2000 and originate from two neighboring localities: Playa Pui Pui and Playa Medina. It is unclear if both species were found at both localities, or if each species was found at only one of the two places. The juvenile paratypes were separated from the adult specimens because they might belong to any of the two species.

Diagnosis

Almost identical to C. simla (see Diagnosis in Huber 2000: 248); distinguished from C. simla by apparently consistently narrower ventral process on tip of procursus (arrow in Fig. 142 ; compare with Huber 2000: figs 984, 988); male chelicerae ( Fig. 143 ) and genital bulb ( Fig. 141 ) appear identical. Ventral tube-like pockets of uterus externus (arrows in Fig. 147 ) possibly closer together than in C. simla , but this character is variable within C. simla (just as other characters of the female genitalia in both ‘species’, Figs 145–154 ), requiring study of larger samples.

Type material

VENEZUELA – Sucre • ♂ holotype, MIZA 105634 ( MAGS 1009 ), near Carupano (“alrededores de Carúpano, rio Chaure, Macarapana”) [10.658° N, 63.246° W], Dec. 1986 (X.E. Moya); examined • 8 ♂♂, 15 ♀♀ paratypes, MIZA 105677 ( MAGS 1436 ), and 19 juv. paratypes, MIZA 105818 (separated from MAGS 1436 ), Playa Pui Pui [10.698° N, 62.968° W] and Playa Medina [10.715° N, 63.010° W] (“ Playa Puipui y Playa Medina ”), at sea level, 7 Jan. 1999 (A.R. Delgado, M. García, M.A. González S., M.A. González D.); examined .

Other material examined

VENEZUELA – Sucre • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, ZFMK (Ar 21851), and 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven02/100-50], Cascada el Chorro (10.392° N, 63.633° W), ~ 160 m a.s.l., near ground at river, 30 Nov. 2002 (B.A. Huber).

Distribution

Known from several localities in the Venezuelan state Sucre (Fig. 1037).

Figures

Figs 141–142. Coryssocnemis tarsocurvipes (González-Sponga, 2003); paratype from Sucre, “Playa Puipui y Playa Medina”, MIZA 105677 (MAGS 1436); left male pedipalp, prolateral and retrolateral views (arrow: ventral process on tip of procursus). Scale line: 0.5 mm.

Figs 143–145. Coryssocnemis tarsocurvipes (González-Sponga, 2003); paratypes from Sucre, “Playa Puipui y Playa Medina”, MIZA 105677 (MAGS 1436). 143. Male prosoma, oblique frontal view. 144– 145. Epigynum, lateral and ventral views. Scale lines: 0.5 mm.

Figs 146–154. Coryssocnemis Simon, 1893; epigyna, ventral views and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views (arrows: ventral tube-like pockets). 146–148. C. tarsocurvipes (González-Sponga, 2003); from Sucre, Cascada El Chorro (ZFMK Ar 21851). 149–154. C. simla Huber, 2000; from Trinidad, Arima Valley, Simla (ZFMK), small and large female specimens. Scale line (for all epigyna): 0.5 mm.