Nesticus stygius Gertsch, 1984

Hedin, Marshal & Milne, Marc A., 2023, New species in old mountains: integrative taxonomy reveals ten new species and extensive short-range endemism in Nesticus spiders (Araneae, Nesticidae) from the southern Appalachian Mountains, ZooKeys 1145, pp. 1-130 : 1

Nesticus stygius Gertsch, 1984

Fig. 2A, B

Nesticus stygius Gertsch, 1984: 36, figs 170-172; Hedin and Dellinger 2005: 8, figs 11, 12.

Material examined.

New collections from type locality: USA - Tennessee, Overton Co. • ♂, 3♀; Obe Lee Cave , N of Monterey; 11 Oct. 1993; M. Hedin, C. Phillips leg.; Non type material: - Overton Co. • ♂, 1 imm; East Water Supply Cave, TOV15; 13 Jul. 2013; M.L. Niemiller, K.D. Kendall leg.; MLN 13-036; • 7♀; Raven Bluff Cave , NW of Allons; 26 Sep. 1992; M. Hedin, S. O’Kane leg.; • 2♂, ♀; Raven Bluff Cave ; 1 Oct. 1991; M. Hedin, K. Crandall, A. Gerber leg.; • ♀; Raven Bluff Cave ; 28 Aug. 2005; M. Hedin, R. Keith, J. Starrett, S. Thomas leg.; MCH 05_101; • 4♀, 1 imm; Raven Bluff Cave , TOV28; 3 Sep. 2017; M.L. Niemiller, N. Mann leg.; MLN 17-008.6; • ♀, 1 imm; Webb Cave , TOV39; 1 Oct. 2017; N.S. Gladstone, E.T. Carter, L. Hayter leg.; NSG 17-TOV39.17 .

Diagnosis.

Morphological diagnosis as in Hedin and Dellinger (2005).

Distribution.

This highly troglomorphic taxon is only known from a few caves on the western margin of the Cumberland Plateau in Overton County, north-central Tennessee (Fig. 8 ; Hedin and Dellinger 2005: fig. 1).

Figures

Figure 2. Graphical overview of terminology used to describe genitalic morphology. Tennessee, Overton Co., Obe Lee Cave, Nesticus stygius, ♂ MCH specimen # 1882 palp ventral (A), dorsal (B) C North Carolina, Haywood Co., near Steestachee Bald overlook, N. silvanus, MCH specimen # 1145, ♂ palp dorsal D North Carolina, Rutherford Co., Moonshiner's Cave, N. brimleyi, MCH 99 _ 014, ♂ paracymbium medial E North Carolina, Clay Co., Big Tuni Creek, MCH 02 _ 171, epigynum ventral F North Carolina, Henderson Co., W of Bat Cave, MCH 07 _ 134, epigynum ventral G North Carolina, Buncombe Co., SW of Cane River Gap, MCH 01 _ 167, epigynum dorsal.

Figure 8. Distribution of the Nesticus archeri group, including Nesticus archeri, N. pecki, N. jemisinae, N. cressleri, and N. stygius. State boundaries and major cities shown for geographic context. Dashed lines circumscribe the distributions of N. pecki and N. stygius.