Coras Simon, 1898: 258

WANG, XIN-PING, 2002, A Generic-Level Revision Of The Spider Subfamily Coelotinae (Araneae, Amaurobiidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2002 (269), pp. 1-150 : 55-61

Coras Simon, 1898: 258 . – Roewer, 1954: 58; –

Brignoli, 1983: 474; – Platnick, 1989: 424; –

Platnick, 1993: 574; – Platnick, 1997: 666.

TYPE SPECIES: Tegenaria medicinalis

Hentz, 1821, by original designation.

DIAGNOSIS: Easily recognized by the large AME (larger than ALE) (fig. 147), combined with the anteriorly wide apart, posteriorly converging lateral atrial margins and the anterolaterally situated epigynal teeth of females (figs. 137–142) and by the presence of tegular carina in males (figs. 143–146).

DESCRIPTION: See description of type species (below).

DISTRIBUTION: Eastern North America, from Nova Scotia to Florida (map 5).

COMPOSITION: Seventeen species are currently included. Some species show strong intraspecific variations in the genitalia of both sexes. A number of synonyms may exist.

The Chinese species C. rugosus Wang, Peng and Kim, 1996 and C. globasus Wang, Peng and Kim, 1996 are apparently not Coras species , and are only temporarily listed here.

1. Coras aerialis Muma, 1946 : male holotype and female paratype from Maryland, in AMNH, examined.

2. Coras alabama Muma, 1946 : male holotype and female paratype from Alabama, in AMNH, examined.

3. Coras angularis Muma, 1944 : male holotype and female paratype from Maryland, in AMNH, examined.

4. Coras cavernorum Barrows, 1940 : female holotype from Waynesville, North Carolina, in OSU, examined.

5. Coras crescentis Muma 1944 : female holotype from Dans Rock, Maryland, in AMNH, examined.

6. Coras furcatus Muma, 1946 : male holotype and female paratype from Pensacola, Florida, in AMNH, examined.

7. Coras globasus Wang, Peng and Kim, 1996 : female holotype from Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China, in HBI, examined.

8. Coras juvenilis ( Keyserling, 1881) : female juvenile types from Haunted Cave, Kentucky, in MCZ, examined. Males and females from eastern North America examined.

9. Coras kisatchie Muma, 1946 : male holotype and female paratype from Louisiana, in AMNH, examined.

10. Coras lamellosus ( Keyserling, 1887) : types (not designated) not examined. Males and females from eastern North America, in AMNH, examined.

11. Coras medicinalis ( Hentz, 1821) : types (not designated) not examined. Males and females from eastern North America, in AMNH, examined.

12. Coras montanus (Emerton, 1890) : types (not designated) not examined. Males and females from eastern North America, in AMNH, examined.

13. Coras parallelis Muma, 1944 : female holotype from Princess Anne, Maryland, in AMNH, examined.

14. Coras perplexus Muma, 1946 : male holotype, male and female paratype from Mississippi, in AMNH, examined.

15. Coras rugosus Wang, Peng and Kim, 1996 : female holotype from Chenbu, Hunan, China, in HBI, examined.

16. Coras taugynus Chamberlin, 1925 : fe­ male holotype and paratype from North Caronila (in MCZ), male and female paratypes from Alabama, in AMNH examined.

17. Coras tennesseensis Muma, 1946 : male holotype and female paratype from Tennessee, in AMNH, examined.

Coras medicinalis (Hentz) Figures 137–157

Tegenaria medicinalis Hentz, 1821: 53 , T. 5, fig. 1. – Hentz, 1847: 462, T. 24, fig. 21; – Hentz, 1867: 107, fig. 110; – Emerton, 1902: 99, figs. 233–240, 244.

Clubiona medicinalis: Walckenaer, 1837: 607 .

Tegenaria nemorensis Walckenaer, 1842: 10 .

Coelotes urbanus Keyserling, 1887: 467 , T. 6, fig. 31.

Coras medicinalis: Simon, 1898: 258 , fig. 250; – Comstock, 1912: 592, fig. 672; – Chamberlin, 1925: 122; – Comstock, 1940: 610, fig. 672; –

141. Epigynum. 142. Epigynum.

Muma, 1943: 41, pl. XII, fig. 1; – Muma, 1946: 4, figs. 1–3, 21–24; – Kaston, 1948: 28, figs. 900–902, 914, 915; – Gering, 1953: 37, fig. 61 – Roth, 1982: 7, 8, figs. 35, 36; – Roth, 1985: B1–7, figs. 35, 36; – Roth, 1994: 53, figs. 35, 36.

Coras montanus: Roth and Brame, 1972: 27 , fig. 35 (female, misidentified).

Coras juvenilis: Roth and Brame, 1972: 27 , fig. 38 (male, misidentified).

DIAGNOSIS: Females of this species can be distinguished from C. furcatus only by the presence of semicircular markings on the epigynal plate and from C. parallelis by the position of the lateral atrial margins (figs. 137, 139, 141). Males can be recognized by the short, nonbifid patellar apophysis (fig. 144).

DESCRIPTION: Total length about 6.00– 13.0, with considerable variation among individuals of the same species ( Muma, 1946). From front, anterior eye row more or less straight, posterior row procurved; eye sizes and arrangements: AME largest, ALE subequal or slightly larger than PLE, PME smallest; AME may be separated by roughly their radius, AME­ALE close together and subequal to ALE­PLE, PME­PLE about 1.20–1.50 PME diameter, PME­PME slightly shorter than PME­PLE. Clypeal height about AME diameter, covered with long, strong setae; chilum divided, hairless, long (fig. 147). Chelicerae with three promarginal and three retromarginal teeth (fig. 148). Labium subequal in width and length or slightly wider, slightly notched distally.

Tarsal organ situated close to distal end of tarsus, slightly anterior of most distal trichobothrium (figs. 149–151). Apex of ALS with 2 major ampullate gland spigots (MAP), 25– 40 piriform gland spigots in both sexes; PMS with 1 or 2 minor ampullate gland spigots (mAP) and 40–45 aciniform gland spigots (AC) in both sexes, 2 cylindrical gland spigots (CY) in female; PLS with about 65 aciniform gland spigots in both sexes and 2 cylindrical gland spigots in female (figs. 152– 157).

Epigynum with epigynal teeth short; lateral atrial margins wider apart anteriorly, convergent posteriorly; copulatory ducts short; spermathecal heads slightly elongated; spermathecal stalks large, strongly convolut­ ed; spermathecal bases relatively small, strongly convoluted (figs. 137–142). Male palp with one patellar apophysis; retrolateral tibial surface strongly modified with lobes and concavity; RTA long, occupying most of tibia, with distal end slightly extended be­ yond tibia; lateral tibial apophysis small; prolateral tibia with three strong setae; cymbial furrow moderately long, with distinct dorsal edge; tegular sclerite with prolateral apophysis; conductor long, slender, with paraconductor between conductor and conductor dorsal apophysis; conductor dorsal apophysis strong; conductor lamella moderately developed; embolus basal in origin, moderately long, linear; median apophysis spoonlike, with extended distal end but not sharply pointed; tegular carina (the apophysis on te­ details, see generic revision by Platnick and Wang, in prep.).

DISTRIBUTION: East coast of United States from Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, to Florida.

Figures

Figs. 137, 138. Coras medicinalis (Hentz), female. 137. Epigynum. 138. Vulva.

Figs. 139–142. Coras medicinalis (Hentz), female, showing variation. 139. Epigynum. 140. Vulva.

Figs. 143, 144. Coras medicinalis (Hentz), male palp. 143. Ventral view. 144. Retrolateral view, showing conductor dorsal apophysis.

Figs. 145–148. Coras medicinalis (Hentz). 145. Male palp, prolateral view. 146. Male palp, retrolateral view. 147. Carapace, front view. 148. Chelicera, ventral view.

Figs. 149–151. Coras medicinalis (Hentz), female. 149. Tarsus, showing position of tarsal organ (double arrows) and the distalmost trichobothrium (single arrow). 150. Trichobothrium. 151. Tarsal organ.