Cynapes, SIMON, 1900

Benjamin, Suresh P., 2004, Taxonomic revision and phylogenetic hypothesis for the jumping spider subfamily Ballinae (Araneae, Salticidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 142 (1), pp. 1-82 : 17-19

CYNAPES SIMON, 1900

Type species: Cynapes wrighti , by original description.

Monophyly and phylogenetic placement: Probably polyphyletic. Based on my cladistic analysis of Ballinae generic relationships, C. canosus should be placed in a new monotypic genus. However, I prefer not to describe a new genus at this stage. The status of Cynapes remains to be tested with rigorous sampling and phylogenetic methods.

Remarks: Prior to the study of Wanless (1979) Cynapes included three species: the type C. wrighti , C. baptizatus and C. canosus . Wanless tentatively transferred C. canosus to Marengo , but gave no reasons for doing so, except for saying that the genitalia were in broad agreement with those of Marengo . However, he mentioned the lack of enlarged tibia I (31). Further, he mentioned characters apomorphic for C. canosus (40-1) and suggested that its generic placement should be reconsidered when more is known of tropical salticids. Details of the genitalia, such as the shape of the subtegulum (1), presence of ec (2), embolus length (5) and lack of enlarged tibia I are all plesiomorphic and thus cannot be used to characterize a genus including C. canosus and Marengo . Moreover, such a transfer of C. canosus to Marengo would add four additional steps to the preferred tree. Wanless (1979, 1984a) suggested that Cynapes might be synonymous with Baviola . However, his hypothesis is not supported in this study.

Diagnosis: Cynapes can be distinguished from other Ballinae genera, except for Sadies , by the presence of a sharply elevated prosoma (20) ( Wanless, 1979: fig. 2b; 1984a: fig. 13b) and the absence of an enlarged tibia I ( Wanless, 1979: figs 1b, 2c, j; 1984a: fig. 13g). It is separated from Baviola by the presence of ec ( Fig. 8A–D ), embolus laying flat on ec (4; Fig. 8A–D ) and an enlarged femur I (30) ( Wanless, 1979: figs 1b, 2c, j; 1984a: fig. 13g), and from Sadies by the presence of cag in Sadies (16; Figs 45C , 46A, B ).

Description: See Wanless (1979, 1984a).

Composition. Three species: Cynapes baptizatus (Butler, 1876) from Rodriguez, C. canosus from Mauritius and C. wrighti (Blackwall, 1877) from the Seychelles.

Distribution: Mauritius, Rodriguez and the Seychelles. Wanless (1984a) mentions its occurrence in Madagascar.

CYNAPES WRIGHTI (BLACKWALL, 1877)

( FIGS 8A, B , 9B , 10A- G )

Salticus wrightii Blackwall, 1877: 2 , pl. 1, fig. 1. 1♂ lectotype (designated by Wanless, 1984a) from the Seychelles, UMO, vial 1778/1 not examined.

Bavia wrighti Simon, 1893: 209 .

Cynapes wrighti Simon, 1901: 471 , figs 533-534 (lapsus calami).

C. wrightii Wanless, 1984: 39 , fig. 13a–g.

Diagnosis: The male of C. wrighti can be distinguished from that of C. canosus by a pear-shaped subtegulum that does not extend above the tibia ( Fig. 8A, B ), and from that of C. baptizatus by the stout rta ( Fig. 8B ; Wanless, 1979: fig. 1c, h). The female can be distinguished from that of C. canosus by the presence of a narrow epigynal septum in the latter ( Fig. 9A ). Wanless (1979) proposed that the position of tracheal slits can be used to distinguish C. wrighti from C. baptizatus : a short distance away from the anterior spinnerets in C. wrighti and just in front of the anterior spinnerets in C. baptizatus .

TAXONOMY AND PHYLOGENY OF BALLINAE 19

Description: See Wanless (1984a).

Distribution: The Seychelles.

Other material examined: SEYCHELLES: Mahé Nord, Beau Vallon: 1♂, 12.6.1972, MRAC, MT 143 174; Mahé Sud, Anse á la Mouche: 1♂ 1♀, 30.6.1972, MRAC, MT 143.455 .

CYNAPES CANOSUS SIMON, 1900

( FIGS 8C, D , 9A )

Cynapes canosus Simon, 1900: 393 . 1♂ 1♀, lectotype ( MNHN 2353 ), examined.

Marengo canosus Wanless, 1979: 70 , fig. 2a–k. Designation of lectotypes.

Diagnosis: The male of C. canosus can be distinguished from that of all the other species of the genus by the presence of a subtegulum that extends above the tibia ( Fig. 8C, D ), the female by the presence of a narrow epigynal septum ( Fig. 9A ).

Description: See Wanless (1979).

Distribution: Mauritius.

Other material examined: None.

Figures

Figure 8. Male palp. A, B, Cynapes wrighti (MRAC 143.455). A, ventral view and B, retrolateral view of male palp. C, D, C. canosus (MHNH 20353). C, ventral view and D, retrolateral view of right male palp. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

Figure 9. Female genitalia of Cynapes spp. Epigynum, ventral view A, C. canosus (MHNH 20353). B, C. wrighti (MRAC 143.455). Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

Figure 10. ESEM, Cynapes wrighti (MRAC 143.455). A–C, prosoma, dorsal view. D-G, tibia of right leg I, lateral view. Scale bars = 5 Mm (G); 10 Mm (A, C, E); 30 Mm (B, F); 50 Mm (D).

Figure 45. Sadies spp. A-F, S. fulgida from Mahe, Seychelles (male: MRAC 159.955; female: MRAC 143.086). A, left male palp, ventral view. B, same, retrolateral view. C, epigynum, ventral view. D, habitus, lateral view. E, leg I, lateral view. F, habitus, ventral view. G, S. trifasciata, retrolateral view of left male palp. H, S. seychellensis, retrolateral view of left male palp. Scale bars = 0.1 mm (C); 0.2 mm (A, B, G, H); 2.0 mm (D-F).

Figure 46. Female genitalia of Sadies fulgida from Mahe, Seychelles (MRAC 143.086). A, ventral view. B dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.