Diminutella cortina, Rheims, Cristina Anne & Alayon, Giraldo, 2018

Rheims, Cristina Anne & Alayon, Giraldo, 2018, A new genus of minute Sparianthinae spiders from the Caribbean (Araneae, Sparassidae), ZooKeys 742, pp. 13-22 : 16-20

Diminutella cortina sp. n. Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Types.

Holotype ♂: CUBA, Pinar del Rio, San Diego de los Baños [22°38'N, 83°22'W], Hacienda Cortina, September 1985, G. Alayón leg. (NMNH 4637A). Paratypes: 1♀ (NMNH 5570A), 1♂ and 2♀, (MNHNCu), same collection data as holotype.

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the type locality of the species, Hacienda Cortina.

Diagnosis.

Diminutella cortina sp. n. is distinguished from those of the remaining Neotropical Sparianthinae genera by the male palp with large hyaline, layered, laminar conductor resting within retrolateral cymbial depression (Figs 4C, 5C) and by the female vulva with long copulatory ducts arising from posteriorly located openings, coiling around the duct leading to the blind ending projection and the part of the copulatory duct leading to the posteriorly situated spermathecae (Figs 4 E–F, 5E).

Description.

Male (holotype). Prosoma orange with pale brown margins, thin dark brown line along lateral margins of cephalic region and fovea and faint brown reticulated pattern extending posteriorly from behind posterior eyes to thoracic region. Eye borders black (Fig. 1A). Chelicerae, legs and palps orange. Labium and endites pale yellow with pale orange base. Sternum pale yellow with slightly darker margins. Opisthosoma cream colored. Dorsally with brown pattern of longish marks laterally and around cardiac mark and posterior median chevron-like marks down posterior half (Fig. 1A). Ventrally with faint brown, elongated marks laterally and few scattered brown spots. Spinnerets yellowish cream colored. Total length 4.4. Prosoma: 2.0 long, 1.8 wide; cephalic region slightly higher than thoracic region, gradually flattening posteriorly; fovea conspicuous on posterior third of prosoma. Eyes: eight eyes arranged in two rows, the anterior slightly recurved, the posterior straight; AME as large as ALE and equidistant; PME smaller than PLE and equidistant (Figs 1 A–B); diameters: 0.12, 0.12, 0.10, 0.13; interdistances: 0.08, 0.08, 0.16, 0.16, 0.09, 0.06. Clypeus low, less than AME diameter. Chelicerae with three promarginal teeth, the basal one smallest, and two retromarginal denticles; intermarginal denticles absent; one single strong setae at the base of fang (Fig. 2A). Labium slightly longer than wide. Endites converging anteriorly, with dense scopulae on internal margin. Serrula with a single row of denticles (Fig. 2B). Sternum as long as wide, slightly projected between coxae IV. Legs laterigrade, 4213; trochanter smooth (Fig. 3A); metatarsi I–IV distally with dorsal trilobate membrane with median hook much smaller than lateral projections (Fig. 2D); tarsi and distal half of metatarsi scopulate; trichobothria present on dorsal tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi, arranged in several rows that converge to a single row at the posterior end of tarsi and metatarsi; bothrium with crescent plate, with 2-3 grooves, projected over a smooth basal plate (Fig. 3B); tarsal organ capsulate with oval opening (Fig. 3C), located dorsally at the distal end of tarsi (Fig. 3D); tarsi with claw tufts and a pair of pectinate claws with four very slightly curved teeth (Fig. 3D); measurements: I: 5.9 (1.7, 0.8, 1.5, 1.4, 0.5); II: 6.6 (1.9, 1.0, 1.7, 1.5, 0.5); III: 5.2 (1.7, 0.7, 1.0, 1.4, 0.4); IV: 6.8 (1.9, 0.8, 1.7, 1.8, 0.6); spination: femora I–III: p1-1-1, d0-1-1, r1-1-1; femur IV: p1-1-1; d0-1-1; r0-0-1; tibiae I–IV p1-0-1; d0-0-1; r1-0-1; v2-2-2; metatarsi I–II: p1-1-0; r1-1-0; v2-0-0; metatarsus III: p1-2-1; r1-1-1; v2-2-0; metatarsus IV: p1-1-1, r1-1-1, v2-2-0. Metatarsus III–IV with ventral distal preening combs. Opisthosoma: 2.3 long, 1.4 wide. Six spinnerets: ALS contiguous, conical and bi-segmented. Basal segment elongate and cylindrical, distal segment short and truncated. PMS conical and short. PLS conical and bi-segmented. Basal segment elongate and cylindrical, distal segment short and truncated. Palp: tibia slightly longer than patella with one prolateral spine proximally; VTA present, situated medially; RTA with vRTA rectangular in ventral view, distally laminar and dRTA spoon-shaped with small prong-like projection at base; cymbium rounded with subdistal dorsal scopula; subtegulum visible retrolaterally in ventral view, with 5-6 anneli; tegulum C-shaped; embolus long, filiform with large bulbous base, arising from tegulum at 1:30 o’clock position; tegular projection at base of embolus hyaline, with two lobes, the posterior fan-like and laminar and the anterior conical, arising from the bulbous base of the embolus; median apophysis cup-shaped, with margin strongly indented medially, arising from tegulum at 1 o’clock position (Figs 4 A–C, 5 A–C); spination: femur: p0-0-1; d0-1-2; r0-0-1; tibia p0-1.

Female (Paratype, NMNH 5570A). Coloration pattern generally darker than in male. Prosoma brown with dark brown pattern as in male (Fig. 1B). Chelicerae brown. Legs and palps pale brown labium and endites pale orange, distally translucent white. Sternum orange with brown margins. Opisthosoma yellowish cream colored with same brown pattern as in male (Fig. 1B). Spinnerets as in male. Total length 4.1. Prosoma: 1.8 long, 1.8 wide. Opisthosoma: 2.1 long, 1.4 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.12, 0.13, 0.10, 0.12; interdistances: 0.09, 014, 0.20, 0.20, 0.09, 0.06. Legs (2143): I: 5.0 (1.5, 0.8, 1.3, 1.0, 0.4); II: 5.6 (1.8, 0.9, 1.3, 1.2, 0.4); III: 4.9 (1.6, 0.8, 1.1, 1.0, 0.4); IV: 6.5 (1.8, 0.8, 1.8, 1.6, 0.5); femora I–III: p1-1-1, d0-1-1, r1-1-1; tibiae I–III: v2-2-2; tibia IV: p1-0-1; d0-0-1; r1-0-1; v1p-2-2; metatarsi I–II: v2-0-0; metatarsus III: p0-1-0; v2-0-0; metatarsus IV: p1-1-1; r1-1-1; v2-2-0. Female palps with single, pectinate claw, with three teeth (Fig. 2C); spination: femur p0-0-1; d0-1-2; tibia: p2-1, d1-0; r1-1; tarsus: p2-1; r1-1. Epigyne: divided into median septum and lateral lobes; epigynal field as long as wide; median septum small, as wide as long with posterior margin procurved; lateral lobes with large triangular projections (Figs 4D, 5D). Vulva: copulatory ducts long and coiled; blind ending appendage globose, adjacent to spermathecae, arising from copulatory duct; spermathecae globose; fertilization ducts laterad (Figs 4 E–F, 5E).

Variation.

Males (n = 2): total length 4.2-4.4; prosoma length 2.0-2.1. Females (n = 4): total length 3.5-4.4; prosoma length 1.7-2.0; femur I length 1.4-1.6.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality.