Nesticus georgia Gertsch, 1984

Fig. 51A-C

Nesticus georgia Gertsch, 1984: 39, figs 156-158, 164-166.

Material examined.

Type material: Holotype: USA - Georgia, Dade Co. • ♂ holotype; Sitton's Cave , near Trenton; 28 Nov. 1952, E.J. Kuenzler leg.; AMNH. New collections from type locality: - Dade Co. • ♂, ♀; Sitton's Cave , 1 mi E of Trenton; 30 Sep. 1991; M. Hedin, K. Crandall leg.; • 2♂, 3♀; Sitton’s Cave; 23 Sep. 1992; M. Hedin, S. O’Kane leg.

Diagnosis.

Nearly eyeless, long-legged taxon. Male palp most similar to that of Nesticus lula, but with a spatulate tegular apophysis and details of the distal edge of the paracymbial ventral process with a sclerotized process projecting dorsally (Fig. 51A). Ventral epigynum very close to similarly troglomorphic N. lula, difficult to separate based on epigynal morphology alone (compare Fig. 51B, C to Zigler and Milne 2022: figs 2, 3). Both N. georgia and N. lula are also similar in overall epigynal morphology to the more distantly related (but geographically proximate) N. barri (Fig. 48C).

Distribution and natural history.

Known only from a handful of limestone caves from three adjacent counties in northwest Georgia (Fig. 49; Hedin and Dellinger 2005: fig. 1; Carver et al. 2016: fig. 2). Reeves (1999) summarized natural history information (microhabitat preference, fecundity, prey items, etc.) for topotypic Nesticus georgia .