Nops agnarssoni, 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 : 45-52

Nops agnarssoni , new species

Figures 37–43 , 78

Nops blandus: Armas, 2010: 60 (misidentification, only male paratype).

Types. Male holotype from Isla Caja de Muertos, Puerto Rico (17° 53' 15.7" N, 66° 31' 37.2" W); 24.vii.2010. L.F. Armas & A. Perez–Asso, deposited in IBSP 166240. Male paratype, same data as holotype, deposited in IBSP 166241.

Etymology. The specific name is a patronymic in honor of Ingi Agnarsson, for his help and support during fieldwork in Puerto Rico looking for caponiids.

Diagnosis. Males of Nops agnarssoni n. sp. resemble those of Nops blandus ( Figs. 25–27 , 77 ) and Nops finisfurvus n. sp. ( Figs. 44–46 , 79 ) by having a curved embolus; but it can be distinguished by its middle part strongly curved and a weakly sinuous tip ( Figs. 37–39 , 78 ).

Description. Male (holotype): Carapace dark orange, elongated oval with a black and slightly elevated ocular tubercle ( Figs. 40, 41 ); pars cephalica not elevated, pars thoracica slightly sloping posteriorly ( Fig. 40 ), 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. 43 ), covered with scattered long setae. Labium orange, broad, fused to sternum along obsolete posterior groove, rounded and reborded in apical part ( Fig. 43 ). Sternum orange, darker at the edge, oval, surface with fine reticular lines with few weak pits and numerous stiff setae around the edge ( Fig. 43 ). Coxae light 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, paired claws with 5 teeth, unpaired claw elongated and dorsally reflexed in all legs, without teeth. Trichobothria present on metatarsi and tarsi in a single row. Palp with tibia excavated ventrally; cymbium elongated rounded, ventral surface densely covered with strong setae, with globose oval bulb ( Figs. 37–39 ), embolus strongly curved at middle part, distinctly shorter than tibial length, on a base of the same size as the width of the tibia, and a weakly sinuous tip ( Figs. 37–39 ). Abdomen grayish green dorsally with fine light gray lines forming a pattern ( Fig. 41 ), lighter ventrally, but darker in distal part around spinnerets, with only slightly sclerotized epigastric and postepigastric scuta ( Fig. 42 ). Spinnerets light gray, six, in typical caponiid arrangement. Total length 6.50. Carapace 3.40 long, 2.80 wide. Eyes 0.10 major diameter, 0.06 minor diameter. Leg measurements: I: femur 8.60/ patella 1.90/ tibia 9.90/ metatarsus 9.90/ tarsus 1.80; II: 8.70/ 1.30/ 10.40/ 10.10/ 1.30; III: 7.80/ 1.50/ 7.60/ 10.80/ 1.20; IV: 8.50/ 1.70/ 9.70/ 9.90/ 1.80. Sternum 1.90 long, 1.60 wide. Palpal tibia 1.40 long, 0.70 wide.

Female: Unknown.

Distribution: Known only from the type locality in Puerto Rico ( Fig. 84 ).

Figures

FIGURES 37 – 43. Nops agnarssoni n. sp., male holotype. 37 – 39. Left palp. 37. Prolateral view. 38. Ventral view. 39. Retrolateral view. 40. Habitus, lateral view. 41. Habitus, dorsal view. 42. Habitus, ventral view. 43. Sternum and endites, ventral view. Scale line 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 77 – 80. Line drawings of male genitalia of Nops species. 77. Nops blandus (Bryant). 78. Nops agnarssoni n. sp. 79. Nops finisfurvus n. sp. 80. Nops hispaniola n. sp. Scale line 0.5 mm. Abbreviations: bulb (b), embolus (e), embolar tip (ti), embolar base (ba) and anterior curvature (c).

FIGURES 25 – 31. Nops blandus (Bryant), male. 25 – 27. Left palp. 25. Prolateral view. 26. Ventral view. 27. Retrolateral view. 28. Habitus, lateral view. 29. Habitus, dorsal view. 30. Habitus, ventral view. 31. Sternum and endites, ventral view. Scale line 0.5 mm. Abbreviations: bulb (b), embolus (e) and anterior curvature (c).

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 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).