Ceratinella Emerton

Cokendolpher, James C., Torrence, Shannon M., Smith, Loren M. & Dupérré, Nadine, 2007, New Linyphiidae spiders associated with playas in the Southern High Plains (Llano Estacado) of Texas (Arachnida: Araneae), Zootaxa 1529, pp. 49-60 : 52

Ceratinella Emerton

Comments.—Members of Ceratinella and Ceraticelus (= Idionella Banks , following Buckle et al. 2001) are very similar to each other in that these species have a dorsal shield or scutum on the abdomen of at least the males.

There are 29 recorded species of Ceratinella globally. Platnick (2007) listed 28 species in Ceratinella ranging across the Holarctic region, and a species from New South Wales. Ubick et al. (2005) recognized 14 from North America. A total of 41 species of Ceraticelus Simon is recorded in North America ( Ubick et al. 2005) and Platnick (2007) catalogued an additional three species from Russia and the northern West Indies.

Previously members of Ceratinella were considered to have the cephalic area unmodified in males, Ceraticelus species have this area unmodified, or with one or two lobes. The Ceratinella cheliceral fang sometimes is shortened and has a double curve, promargin with 0 denticles, retromargin with 0–2 denticles; whereas the Ceraticelus fang is straight, not curved nor shortened. The Ceratinella cheliceral promargin has 4 denticles, retromargin with 2 denticles. TmIV is present in Ceratinella , absent in Ceraticelus . The Ceraticelus formosus group (= Idionella , in part): cephalic region unmodified, dorsal scutum of abdomen extends over anterior of abdomen to contact pedicel; epigastric scutum extends up only to pedicel. Apophysis of pedipalpal tibia extends sideways from mid-tibia, then abruptly right-angled (anteriorly) near tip.

As can be seen by comparing the description of our new species with the character list above, our species is more like Ceraticelus in the cheliceral dentition (having numerous denticles) and TmIV absence, but that group is confused and polyphyletic as is Idionella (see Buckle et al. 2001). We have chosen to include our species in Ceratinella because the pedipalpal morphology appears to match more closely other members of that genus. The pedipalpal embolus is coiled basally; distally with final loop, no break or prong in distal half, distal loop not recurved upon itself at an acute angle (more gently rounded); radical tailpiece elongated and spiraled throughout.