Scytodes mingusi, Iost & Alayón & Rheims, 2025

Iost, Flora M., Alayón, Giraldo & Rheims, Cristina A., 2025, On the Antillean spiders of the genus Scytodes Latreille, 1804 (Araneae, Scytodidae), Zootaxa 5728 (3), pp. 496-530 : 518

Scytodes mingusi sp. nov.

Figs 87–94 , 100–105 , 136 .

Type material: Holotype: ♂, PUERTO RICO: Río Grande Municipality: El Yunque National Forest, Cueva Mantilla , 18.3090ºN, 65.7750ºW, 512 mts., 9 September 2012, Team CarBio leg., USNM783525 , PR031 ( NMNH) . Paratypes: PUERTO RICO: Río Grande Municipality: 1 ♀, same collection data as for holotype, USNM783519 ( NMNH) ; Arecibo Municipality: 1 ♀, Río Abajo, Cueva Maria Soto , 18.3340ºN, 66.7070ºW, 307 mts., 18 March 2012, Team CarBio leg., USNM786789 , Caves 005 ( NMNH) ; Ciales Municipality: 1 ♀, Guayanilla, Cueva Vientos , 18.3290ºN, 66.5240ºW, 274 mts., 10 February 2012, Team CarBio leg., USNM786645 , Caves 003 ( NMNH) ; Camuy Municipality: 1 ♀, Cueva Agrobel , 18.4190ºN, 66.8320ºW, 186 mts., 23 June 2012, Team CarBio leg., USNM786689 , PR035 ( NMNH).

Additional material examined. PUERTO RICO: Río Grande Municipality: 1 ♀, El Yunque National Forest, Cueva Mantilla , 18.3090ºN, 65.7750ºW, 512 mts., 9 September 2012, Team CarBio leg., USNM783519 , PR031 ( NMNH); 1 ♀, same collection data as for previous specimen, USNM783518 ( NMNH) ; 1 ♀, same collection data as for previous specimen, USNM783527 ( NMNH) ; 1 ♀, same collection data as for previous specimen, USNM783526 ( NMNH) ; 2 ♀, 5 juvs., same collection data as for previous specimen ( NMNH) ; Ciales Municipality: 1 ♀, Guayanilla, Cueva Vientos , 18.3290ºN, 66.5240ºW, 274 mts., 10 February 2012, Team CarBio leg., USNM786646 , Caves 003 ( NMNH) ; 1 ♀, same collection data as for previous specimen, USNM786649 ( NMNH) .

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym honoring the late American jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus ( 22 April 1922 – 5 January 1979), known for his innovative contributions to modern jazz, blending elements of gospel, classical, and free jazz, and for his role as a bandleader and advocate for creative expression.

Diagnosis. Males of S. mingusi sp. nov. resemble those S. cubensis ( Figs 16–18 , 61, 62 ), S. joniae sp. nov. ( Figs 73, 74 , 97, 98 ), S. noeli (Alayón, 1992: fig. 3), S. reinhardti sp. nov. ( Figs 112, 113 , 128, 129 ) and S. robertoi ( Alayón, 1977: fig. 2C) by the palp with a piriform bulb and a slender, tapering embolus. They are distinguished from the latter species by the embolus thicker at base and filiform at tip ( Figs 89, 90 , 100, 101 ) (vs. embolus filiform throughout in the other species). Females of S. mingusi sp. nov. resemble those of S. harrisoni sp. nov. (41, 55, 56) in having a vulva with short and straight IS. They differ from the latter species by having the genitalia with triangular positioning ridges, only slightly wider than long ( Fig. 93 ) (vs. sickle-shaped and more than four times wider than long in S. harrisoni sp. nov.) and by the PS with a median coil and a widened rounded tip ( Figs 94 , 102–105 ) (vs. PS straight and with the same width throughout in S. harrisoni sp. nov.).

Description. Male (USNM783525, holotype): prosoma golden yellow with dark brown markings; chelicerae pale yellow with reddish-brown outlines; legs pale yellow with dark brown markings along the articulations; labium dark brown with two pale oval-shaped markings; endites pale yellow with dark brown markings covering the surface; sternum pale yellow with abundant dark brown markings along the edges; opisthosoma grayish-yellow with rippled brown markings ( Figs 87, 88 ). Measurements: total length 4.4; prosoma: 2.3 long, 2.0 wide; sternum: 1.2 long, 0.9 wide; labium 0.4 long, 0.3 wide; opisthosoma: 2.0 long, 1.4 wide; eye diameters: PME 0.17; ALE 0.17; PLE 0.17; legs I: - (-, 0.6, 5.8, rest of leg absent); II: 13.8 (4.3, 0.6, 3.7, 4.4, 0.8); III: leg absent; IV: leg absent. Palp: cymbium with two apical spines, bulb with a median constriction and one near the embolus; embolus slightly shorter than bulb ( Figs 89, 90 , 100, 101 ). Palp measurements: tibia 0.45, cymbium 0.78, bulb 0.67.

Female ( paratype, USNM786645): prosoma pale golden yellow, with scattered brown markings and some along the edges; chelicerae pale yellow with brownish-golden outlines; legs pale yellow with plentiful brown markings; labium pale yellow with few brown markings; endites pale yellow with grayish-brown outlines; sternum pale golden yellow with abundant brown markings; opisthosoma grayish-yellow with scattered brown dots ( Figs 91, 92 ). Measurements: Total length 5.4; prosoma: 3.0 long; 2.6 wide; sternum: 1.6 long; 1.2 wide; labium: 0.3 long; 0.4 wide; opisthosoma: 2.4 long; 1.7 wide; eye diameters: PME 0.15; ALE 0.15; PLE 0.15; legs (1243): I: − (5.2, 0.7, 5.6, 5.3, absent); II: 16.7 (5.0; 0.7; 5.0; 5.1; 0.9); III: 10.6 (3.2, 0.7, 2.7, 3.2, 0.8); IV: 13.8 (4.5, 0.7, 3.5, 4.1, 1.0). Female genitalia: positioning ridges separated from each other by almost ten times their width; fovea short, postero-laterad ( Fig. 93 ). Vulva: IS anteriad; OS slightly wider than long, distally rounded and covered with large pores; PS, slightly longer than IS, straight, mediad ( Fig. 94 ).

Variation. Females (n=10): total length 4.6−8.0; prosoma length 2.2−3.9; femur I length 3.5−5.2.

Distribution. Known from the municipalities of Ciales, Arecibo and Río Grande in Puerto Rico ( Fig. 136 ).

Figures

FIGURES 87–94. Scytodes mingusi sp. nov. 87–90 male (USNM783525) 87, 88 habitus (18 dorsal, 88 prosoma, ventral); 89, 90 left palp (89 prolateral, 90 retrolateral); 91–94 female 91, 92 (USNM783526) habitus (91 dorsal, 92 prosoma ventral); 93, 94 (USNM783518) genitalia (93 ventral, 94 vulva, dorsal). Scale bars: 87, 88, 91, 92 = 1.0 mm; 89, 90, 93, 94 = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 95–105. 95–98 Scytodes joniae sp. nov. 95, 96 female, vulva, dorsal (95 USNM782490, 96 USNM784365); 97, 98 male (USNM782341), left palp (97 prolateral, 98 retrolateral); 99 Scytodes jimmorrisoni sp. nov., female, vulva, dorsal (USNM392951); 100–105 Scytodes mingusi sp. nov. 100, 101 male (USNM783525), left palp (100 prolateral, 101 retrolateral); 102–105 female, vulva, dorsal (102 USNM783526, 103 USNM786689, 104 USNM786649, 105 USNM786789). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 135–138. Geografic distribution maps for Scytodes spp. 135 (S. blanda Bryant, S. coltrainei sp. nov., S. cubensis Alayón, S darlingtoni Alayón); 136 (S. harrisoni sp. nov., S. jimmorrisoni sp. nov., S. joniae sp. nov., S. mingusi sp. nov.); 137 (S. nicksae sp. nov., S. reinhardti sp. nov., S. ritae sp. nov., S. sabbath sp. nov.); 138 (S. fusca Walckenaer, S. longipes Lucas).

FIGURES 14–22. Scytodes cubensis Alayón. 14–18 male (USNM782692) 14, 15 habitus (14 dorsal, 15 ventral, prosoma); 16–18 left palp (16 prolateral, 17 retrolateral, 18 dorsal) 19–21 female 19, 20 (USNM784548) habitus (19 dorsal, 20 ventral, prosoma); 21, 22 (USNM783136) genitalia (21 ventral, 22 vulva, dorsal). Scale bars: 15, 15, 19, 20 = 1.0 mm; 16–18, 21, 22 = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 61–70. Scytodes cubensis Alayón. 61, 62 male (USNM784798), left palp (61 prolateral, 62 retrolateral); 63–70 female, vulva, dorsal 63 (CarBio00003984A); 64 (CarBio00003416); 65 (CarBio00006197A); 66 (USNM784369); 67 (CarBio00003781); 68 (USNM785349); 69 (USNM784761); 70 (USNM786974). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 71–78. Scytodes joniae sp. nov. 71–74 male (USNM782341) 71, 72 habitus (71 dorsal, 72 prosoma, ventral); 73, 74 left palp (73 prolateral, 74 retrolateral); 75–78 female (USNM 785538) 75,76 habitus (75 dorsal, 76 prosoma, ventral); 77, 78 (USNM 785252) genitalia (77 ventral, 78 vulva, dorsal). Scale bars: 71, 72, 75, 76 = 1 mm; 73, 74, 77, 78 = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 110–117. Scytodes reinhardti sp. nov. 110–113 male (USNM786788) 110, 111 habitus (110 dorsal, 111 prosoma, ventral); 112, 113 left palp (112 prolateral, 113 retrolateral); 114–117 female (USNM 782150) 114, 115 habitus (114 dorsal, 115 prosoma, ventral); 116, 117 (USNM 782173) genitalia (116 ventral, 117 vulva, dorsal). Scale bars: 110, 111, 114, 115 = 1.0 mm; 112, 113, 116, 117 = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 126–134. 126 Scytodes longipes Lucas (USNM786759) female, genitalia, ventral; 127 Scytodes nicksae sp. nov. (CarBio0004491A) female, vulva, dorsal; 128–132 Scytodes reinhardti sp. nov. 128, 129 male (USNM786788) left palp (128 prolateral, 129 retrolateral); 130–132 female, vulva, dorsal (130 USNM784746, 131 USNM786648, 132 USNM786780); 133 Scytodes sabbath sp. nov. (CarBio00000046A) female, vulva, dorsal; 134 Scytodes ritae sp. nov. (CarBio 00000459A), female, vulva, dorsal. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.