Cyrtognatha serrata Simon, 1897

Dimitrov, Dimitar & Hormiga, Gustavo, 2009, Revision And Cladistic Analysis Of The Orbweaving Spider Genus Cyrtognatha Keyserling, 1881 (Araneae, Tetragnathidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2009 (317), pp. 1-140 : 94-97

Cyrtognatha serrata Simon, 1897 Figures 60, 61

Cyrtognatha serrata Simon, 1897: 870 .

TYPES: Nine syntypes from the St. Vincent Island, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines, Lesser Antilles ; no date or collector data on the label; 3 males, 2 females, and 4 juveniles ( BMNH 1987.9.18.112; examined) .

DIAGNOSIS: Although similar to C. simoni and C. bryantae , the male of C. serrata has a very characteristic apical apophysis of the conductor (fig. 60A, B). In C. serrata the conductor has two sharpened tips of almost the same size separated by a deep incision. In C. serrata the tip of the basal apophysis of the conductor is widened (in C. simoni and C. bryantae it is sharpened) and the embolus does not have the distal laminar fold observed in C. bryantae (fig. 52A, C). Males of C. serrata can be distinguished also by the shape of the paracymbium, which is wider and does not have the well-developed distal rounded widening observed in C. bryantae and C. simoni . Females are diagnosed by the small and cylindrically shaped chamber of the uterus externus (fig. 60D, E).

DESCRIPTION: Male (syntype). Habitus as in figure 61A–D. Carapace brown-yellowish, with a well-marked fovea, darker cephalic region, and darker coloration around the fovea. Abdomen elongated with gray-brownish color and numerous guanine spots, dorsally with two irregular longitudinal lines. Distally each line has a series of five darker markings, and the area between the lines is darker. Proximal and distal tubercles strongly reduced. Spinnerets as in most of the congeneric species are surrounded by darker pigmentation. Total length 4.52. Cephalotho- rax 1.95 long, 1.27 wide, 0.87 high. Abdomen 2.57 long, 1.25 wide, 1.05 high. Sternum yellowish with brown colored labium and endites. Sternum 0.92 long, 0.90 wide. Chelicerae robust, dark brown, and moderately divergent. Cheliceral teeth very strong; dorsal tooth big, close to the fang articulation and curved prolaterally. Fangs very robust with well-developed outgrowth. Chelicerae as in figure 61B. Clypeus height 1.16 times one AME diameter. Eyes nearly the same size surrounded by darker pigmentation. Diameter of the AME 0.12. Distance between AME equal to their diameter; distance between AME and ALE 1.5 AME diameters. Distance between PLE half of their diameter. Legs long with remains from greenish coloration. Femur I 3.87, 1.9 times the length of the cephalothorax. Pedipalp as in figure 60A–C. Palpal tibia length 0.28; cymbium length 0.70.

Female (syntype). Habitus and coloration as in the male except for the better developed proximal elevation of the abdomen. Eyes slightly closer to each other. Distance between AME less than their diameter. Distance between AME and ALE less than 1.5 AME diameters. Chelicerae not divergent and with coloration as the rest of the cephalothorax; only the fangs and the distal edges (including the cheliceral teeth) are darker. Dorsal tooth not developed. Total length 4.30. Cephalothorax 1.75 long, 1.25 wide, 0.87 high. Abdomen 2.55 long, 1.12 wide, 1.07 high. Sternum rounded, slightly longer than wide; 0.92 long, 0.90 wide. Clypeus height 0.53 times one AME diameter. AME diameter 0.10. Femur I 2.50, 1.4 times the length of the cephalothorax. Vulva as in figures 60D, E, 61E.

Variation. Cephalothorax length varies from 1.87 to 1.95 in males (n 5 3) and from 1.75 to 2.05 in females (n 5 2). Total body length in males varies from 4.52 to 4.49 (n 5 3). The second female studied was missing the abdomen, and thus total length could not be calculated for this specimen.

DISTRIBUTION: This species is known only from St. Vincent Island in the Lesser Antilles (fig. 5).