Cubanops, Sánchez-Ruiz & Platnick & Dupérré, 2010

Sánchez-Ruiz, Alexander, Platnick, Norman I. & Dupérré, Nadine, 2010, A New Genus of the Spider Family Caponiidae (Araneae, Haplogynae) from the West Indies, American Museum Novitates 2010 (3705), pp. 1-44 : 3-5

Cubanops , new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Nops ludovicorum Alayón (1976) .

ETYMOLOGY: The generic name refers to the presence of the type species, previously misidentified as a member of Nops , in Cuba, and is masculine in gender .

DIAGNOSIS: Members of the genus can be separated from species of the previously known caponiid genera as follows: from the caponiine genera Caponia Simon (1887) , Caponina Simon (1891) , Diploglena Purcell (1904) , Calponia Platnick (1993) , Notnops Platnick (1994b) , Taintnops Platnick (1994b) , Tisentnops Platnick (1994b) , Laoponia Platnick and Jäger (2008) , and Iraponia Kranz-Baltensperger et al. (2009) by the presence of subsegmented tarsi; from Nops MacLeay (1839) by having normal, rather than greatly elongated and dorsally reflexed, inferior claws; from Nopsides Chamberlin (1924) by the presence of only two eyes; from Orthonops Chamberlin (1924) and Tarsonops Chamberlin (1924) by having a distinctly patterned carapace, a widened labium, and bisegmented metatarsi IV; and from the similarly patterned Nyetnops Platnick and Lise (2007) by having a translucent ventral keel on the anterior metatarsi and a translucent extension of the membrane separating the anterior metatarsi and tarsi.

DESCRIPTION: Small caponiids with two eyes (figs. 68, 69, 108, 109). Carapace broadly oval, widest at front of coxa II, anteriorly narrowed to less than half its maximum width (figs. 70, 110), pars cephalica slightly depressed behind ocular area (figs. 71, 111), without elevations extending toward coxae, pars thoracica short, sloping; surface of pars cephalica with scattered pits, surface of pars thoracica granulate; few dorsally directed strong bristles on clypeus (figs. 72, 107); scattered needlelike hairs most numerous around carapace margins; thoracic groove almost obsolete. Anterior median eyes dark, situated on slightly elevated tubercle, separated by about two-thirds their diameter, set back from anterior margin of clypeus by about twice their diameter, surrounded by oval ring of black pigment. Cheliceral paturon with scattered, long, weak bristles (figs. 78, 120); base of fang unmodified; median lamina long, with sharply pointed anteromedian tip (figs. 80, 81, 122, 123) contiguous with medially extended membranous lobe; lateral surface with stridulatory ridges (figs. 79, 121), pick on prolateral side of palpal femur, situated near proximal end of segment (figs. 102, 103, 146, 147). Endites broadly convergent along midline (but not touching), distally rounded, medially narrowed, covered with scattered long setae, with strong distal serrula consisting of single tooth row (figs. 76, 77, 119). Labium much wider than long (figs. 74, 117), separated from sternum by depressed groove, with distinct medial invagination at tip, covered with few scattered setae; labrum with numerous long setae (figs. 75, 118). Sternum about as wide as long, surface with few weak pits and numerous stiff setae (figs. 73, 116), without radial furrows between coxae, not fused to carapace; cephalothoracic membranes with three very weakly sclerotized epimeric sclerites above coxae I, II, and III plus IV; long triangular sclerites extend from sternum between coxae I and II, II and III, and III and IV, shorter triangles extending to each coxa. Leg formula 4123; legs without spines; femora elongate, metatarsi I–III entire (figs. 86, 124, 130), metatarsus IV and tarsi I–IV divided into two subsegments (figs. 87, 131); distal half of metatarsi I and II with translucent ventral keel (figs. 82, 83, 125, 126, 129), membranes separating metatarsi and tarsi I and II with translucent ventral extension (figs. 84, 85, 127, 128); tarsi with three claws; paired claws with five or six teeth (figs. 92–95, 132–136), distal teeth largest; unpaired claw shorter than paired ones, without teeth. Sense organs scanned only in C. alayoni ; tibiae, metatarsi, and tarsi with trichobothria in single row, bases ridged (figs. 106, 137); tarsal organ exposed, highly elaborate (figs. 88–91, 112–115); female palpal tarsus elongated, without claw, prolateral and ventral surfaces densely covered with strong setae, distodorsal surface with patch of shortened setae (figs. 144, 145). Abdomen with only slightly sclerotized epigastric and postepigastric scuta; epigastric region slightly protruding, lightly sclerotized, with two pairs of respiratory spiracles clustered around epigastric groove; anterior spiracles leading to wide, short tracheal trunk ending in numerous long tracheoles (fig. 138), posterior spiracles leading to two large tracheal trunks extending anteriorly into cephalothorax, plus single, much narrower trunk extending posteriorly for most of abdominal length and few short, small tracheoles extending posteriorly; six spinnerets (scanned only in C. alayoni ), in typical caponiid arrangement (figs. 96, 140, Platnick et al., 1991: 56), in males, anterior laterals with single, presumably major ampullate gland spigot (fig. 97), posterior medians with two spigots (fig. 98), posterior laterals with two spigots (fig. 99); in females, anterior laterals with one major ampullate gland and two piriform gland spigots (fig. 141), posterior medians with large, flattened minor ampullate gland spigot and two aciniform gland spigots (fig. 142), posterior laterals with three spigots (fig. 143). Male palpal patella and tibia short, tibia excavated ventrally; cymbium elongated, not swollen, prolateral surface densely covered with strong setae (figs. 100, 101), distodorsal surface with patch of shortened setae (fig. 105); bulb stout, globose, originating near base of cymbium; embolus with elaborate tip (figs. 8–9, 104). Female genitalic area with postepigastric scutum wide, oval (figs. 14, 30). Internal female genitalia consisting of triangular, anteriorly directed receptaculum with sclerotized anterior margin closely followed anteriorly by membranous sac (figs. 138, 139).

DISTRIBUTION: Bahama Islands (Bimini, Andros), Cuba, and Hispaniola (map 1); probably also Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

MAP 1. Records of Cubanops species. Black triangle, C. bimini ; black circles: C. ludovicorum ; black squares: C. armasi ; white triangle: C. darlingtoni ; black and white square: C. andersoni ; black and white triangle: C. juragua ; white squares: C. alayoni ; black and white circle: C. granpiedra ; white circle: C. terueli ; circle with cross: C. tortuguilla ; square with cross: C. vega .