Nops finisfurvus, Sánchez, Alexander, Brescovit, Antonio D. & Alayón, Giraldo, 2015

Sánchez, Alexander, Brescovit, Antonio D. & Alayón, Giraldo, 2015, Four new caponiids species (Araneae, Caponiidae) from the West Indies and redescription of Nops blandus (Bryant), Zootaxa 3972 (1), pp. 43-64 : 52-55

Nops finisfurvus new species

Figures 7–12, 44–56, 79, 83

Types. Male holotype from Fallen Jerusalem Island (18° 24' 58.0" N, 64° 27' 8.0" W), 24.v.1966, Project Island Staff, University of Puerto Rico, deposited in AMNH. Female paratype from Peter Island, 6.vii.1965, Project Island staff, University of Puerto Rico, deposited in AMNH.

Additional material examined. BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: Little Jost Van Dyke (18° 27' 13" N, 64° 43' 19" W), 27.vii.1965, Project Island Staff, University of Puerto Rico, 1♀ ( AMNH). East Seal Dog (18° 30' 24" N, 64° 25' 56" W), 7.vi.1966, Project Island Staff, University of Puerto Rico, 1♀ imm. ( AMNH). Peter Island (18° 21' 6" N, 64° 34' 9" W), 6.vii.1965, Project Island Staff, University of Puerto Rico, 1♀ imm. ( AMNH). Virgin Gorda Mountains (18° 28' 52.9" N, 64° 24' 21.7" W), Virgin Gorda Island, 26.vi.1966, Project Island Staff, University of Puerto Rico, 1♂ ( AMNH). PUERTO RICO: Culebra Island, near Dewey (18° 18' 9" N, 65° 18' 12" W), 10.viii.1965, Island Project Staff, University of Puerto Rico, 1♀ imm. ( AMNH).

Etymology. The specific name is a Latin combination of the words finis (=end) and furvus (=dark), referring to the dark coloration at the distal part of abdomen ( Figs 54–61 ).

Diagnosis. Males and females can be distinguished from other congeners by the distal part of abdomen distinctly darker than basal and median part. Males with a pear–shaped bulb ( Figs. 44–46 ) and the tip with two projetions, one greater than the other ( Figs. 10, 12 ). Females with a thin and convex anterior margin of receptaculum, and a small membranous sac ( Figs. 52 , 83 ).

Description. Male (holotype): Carapace immaculate dark orange, elongated oval with a black and slightly elevated ocular tubercle ( Fig. 48 ); pars cephalica not elevated, pars thoracica slight sloping posteriorly ( Fig. 47 ), thoracic groove absent. Two black, oval eyes of equal size, separated by about two–thirds their diameter.

Chelicerae orange. Endites orange except for anterior tips due a white membranous projection, wide, convergent but not touching, with middle part wider than the distal and proximal and forming an obtuse angle of about 120 degrees ( Fig. 50 ), covered with scattered long setae. Labium orange, broad, fused to sternum along obsolete posterior groove, rounded and reborded in apical part ( Fig. 50 ). Sternum orange, darker at the edge, oval, surface with fine reticular lines with few weak pits and numerous stiff setae around the edge ( Fig. 50 ). Coxae orange. Legs orange, formula 4123; metatarsi entire, anteriors with a median translucent ventral longitudinal keel and with a distal, translucent ventral extension of membrane between anterior tarsi and metatarsi; all tarsi subsegmented, with three claws, unpaired claw elongated and dorsally reflexed in anterior legs, without teeth. Trichobothria present on metatarsi and tarsi in a single row. Palp with tibia excavated ventrally; cymbium elongated rounded (Fig. 7), ventral surface densely covered with strong setae, and an oval pad of fine chemoreceptor hairs on dorsal distal part ( Fig. 11 ), with a pear shaped bulb ( Figs. 44–46 ); embolus weakly curved ( Fig. 9 ), distinctly shorter than tibial length, on a base shorter than tibia width ( Figs. 44, 46 ), tip of embolus with two projetions, one greater than the other ( Figs. 10, 12 ). Abdomen light gray dorsally, with a darker area at distal part ( Figs. 47–49 ). Spinnerets dark gray, six, in typical caponiid arrangement. Total length 7.40. Carapace 3.50 long, 2.70 wide. Eyes 0.16 major diameter, 0.09 minor diameter. Leg measurements: I: femur 8.90/ patella 1.80/ tibia 9.90/ metatarsus 9.70/ tarsus 1.70; II: 9.40/ 1.70/ 9.90/ 9.80/ 1.90; III: 7.90/ 1.80/ 8.80/ 9.40/ 1.60; IV: 8.80/ 1.70/ 9.80/ 9.70/ 1.70. Sternum 1.80 long, 1.40 wide. Palpal tibia 1.50 long, 0.90 wide.

Female (paratype): Carapace, chelicerae, labium, legs, coxae, endites and sternum as in the male ( Figs 53–55 ). Abdomen as in the male ( Figs. 53–54 ). Anterior plate (ap) strongly sclerotized, almost reaching proximal part of abdomen ( Fig. 51 ); external sclerotization of spiracles (ess) darker, large, anteriorly starting from anterior spiracles (as), with a pronounced peak anteriorly directed, extending posteriorly more than the width of posterior spiracles (ps) and ending beyond interior edge of posterior spiracles ( Figs 51 , 83 ). Internal genitalia with a thin, convex and sclerotized anterior margin of receptaculum (amr), and a short membranous sac (ms) ( Figs. 52 , 83 ). Spinnerets gray, six, in typical caponiid arrangement ( Fig. 56 ). Total length 8.10. Carapace 3.10 long, 2.80 wide. Eyes 0.17 major diameter, 0.09 minor diameter. Leg measurements: I: femur 9.00/ patella 2.10/ tibia 7.30/ metatarsus 7.00/ tarsus 2.30; II: 8.90/ 1.40/ 7.50/ 7.60/ 1.80; III: 7.60/ 1.40/ 7.50/ 7.60/ 1.60; IV: 8.00/ 1.40/ 9.40/ 9.30/ 1.70. Sternum 1.90 long, 1.50 wide. Palpal tibia 1.30 long, 0.80 wide.

Variation. Male (n=3): Total length 6.80−7.40, carapace 3.30−3.50 long, femur I 8.60−8.90 long. Palpal tibia 1.20−1.50 long, 0.40−0.90 wide. Female (n=3): Total length 7.20−8.10, carapace 2.60−3.10 long, femur I 8.40−9.00. Palpal tibia 0.60−1.00 long, 1.10−1.30 wide.

Distribution. British Virgin Islands and Culebra Island ( Fig. 84 ).

Figures

FIGURES 51 – 56. Nops finisfurvus n. sp., female paratype. 51. Genital plate, ventral view. 52. Internal genitalia, dorsal view. 53. Habitus, lateral view. 54. Habitus, dorsal view. 55. Habitus, ventral view. 56. Spinnerets, ventral view. Scale line 0.5 mm. Abbreviations: anterior plate (ap), posterior plate (pp), lateral extensions of posterior plate (lep), external sclerotization around spiracles (ess), membranous sac (ms) and anterior margin of receptaculum (amr).

FIGURES 57 – 63. Nops hispaniola n. sp., male holotype. 57 – 59. Left palp. 57. Prolateral view. 58. Ventral view. 59. Retrolateral view. 60. Habitus, lateral view. 61. Habitus, dorsal view. 62. Habitus, ventral view. 63. Sternum and endites, ventral view. Scale line 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 44 – 50. Nops finisfurvus n. sp., male holotype. 44 – 46. Left palp. 44. Prolateral view. 45. Ventral view. 46. Retrolateral view. 47. Habitus, lateral view. 48. Habitus, dorsal view. 49. Habitus, ventral view. 50. Sternum and endites, ventral view. Scale line 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Nops finisfurvus n. sp., male left palp. 13 – 16. Cubanops luquillo n. sp., male left leg IV. 9. Embolus, prolateral view. 10. Tip of embolus, prolateral view, arrows point at projetions. 11. Palp, dorsal view. 12. Tip of embolus, distal view. 13. Retrolateral view, arrows point at false sutures on tarsus and metatarsus, respectively. 14. Tarsal claws, retrolateral view. 15. Join of tarsus and metatarsus, retrolateral view. 16. False suture on metatarsus, retrolateral view.

FIGURES 81 – 83. Line drawings of internal female genitalia of Nops species. 81. Nops blandus (Bryant). 82. Nops hispaniola n. sp. 83. Nops finisfurvus n. sp. Scale line 0.5 mm. Abbreviations: anterior plate (ap), posterior plate (pp), lateral extensions of posterior plate (lep), external sclerotization around spiracles (ess), membranous sac (ms), anterior margin of receptaculum (amr), anterior spiracles (as) and posterior spiracles (ps).

FIGURES 84 – 85. Distribution maps. 84. Distribution in Puerto Rico and Virgin Island of Nops blandus (Bryant) (black circles), Nops agnarssoni n. sp. (black rhombus), Nops finisfurvus n. sp. (black squares) and Cubanops luquillo n. sp. (black triangle). 85. Distribution in Haiti and Dominican Republic of Nops hispaniola n. sp. (black circles).