Selenops scitus Muma, 1953

Crews, Sarah C., 2011, A revision of the spider genus Selenops Latreille, 1819 (Arachnida, Araneae, Selenopidae) in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, ZooKeys 105, pp. 1-182 : 40-42

Selenops scitus Muma, 1953 Figs 47-50Map 5

Selenops scitus Muma 1953: 19, Fig. 32 (♀, examined).

Selenops scitus : Valdez-Mondragón 2010: 53, Figs 12-18 (♂).

Type material.

Holotype female: Mexcala, Guerrero, México, VIII.1946, C.J. Goodnight (AMNH, examined).

Other material examined.

MÉXICO: Guerrero: Mexcala, 2.VII.1941, L.I. Davis, 1♀ (AMNH); Oaxaca: 22 miles west of Puerto Escondido, palm forest, on low shrubs and fallen fronds, 1♂ (CAS).

Diagnosis.

Females can be separated from others by the lateral lobes which have the appearance of being fused and are pinched medially, and internally, the spermathecae are large and round, with two long, finger-like anteriorly directed processes (Figs 47-48). Males can be separated from other species by the large MA, located at 3 o'clock, the inconspicuous conductor, and the laterally angled cymbium (Figs 49-50).

Description.

Male: Color:carapace orange-brown, some dusky markings medially and laterally; sternum pale yellow; chelicerae orange-brown, with some dusky markings; maxillae dusky yellow-brown, lightening distally; labium grey-brown, lightening distally; abdomen dorsally yellow-brown with dark specks, faded; ventrally pale yellow, no markings; legs light orange-brown, annulations present, mottling on anterolateral faces of femora. Carapace: 0.99 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER slightly recurved; PER recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye diameters, AME 0.13, ALE 0.05, PME 0.3, PLE 0.38; interdistances AME-PME 0.05, PME-ALE 0.14, ALE-PLE 0.33. PME-PME 0.88, ALE- ALE 1.58; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.28, PLE-PLE 1.58; clypeus 0.13 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with stout setae medially and anteriorly; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:as long as broad, posteriorly indented. Legs: leg formula 42,3=1; scopulae present on distal end of all 4 tarsi; tarsi I-IV with strong claw tufts; pr claw toothed, rl claw with fewer teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti d 1 –1– 0, pr 1 –0– 1, rl 1 –0– 1, v 2 –2– 2; Mt pr 1 –1– 0, v 2 –2– 0, rl 1 –0– 0; leg II, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti pr 1 –0– 1, rl 1 –0– 1, v 2 –2– 2; Mt pr 1 –0– 0, v 2-2, rl 1 –1– 0; leg III, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti pr 1 –0– 1, rl 1 –0– 1, v 2-2; Mt pr 1 –0– 0, rl 1 –0– 0, v 2-1; leg IV, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti pr 1 –0– 1, rl 1 –1– 1, v 2 –2– 2; Mt pr 1 –0– 0, rl 1 –0– 0, v 2-2. Abdomen:without terminal setal tufts. Pedipalp:Fm spination d 0 –1– 4; Cymbium oval in ventral view, angled posterolaterally; basal cymbial process absent; scopulae scattered, denser distally; conductor arises laterally and distally, angular distally; embolus very long, curved around the margin of the cymbium, originating at 5 o'clock, ending at 1 o' clock; MA with a short stout, slightly rounded base with long, hooked, finger-like process, truncate distally, MA arising at 3 o'clock, directed distally; RTA with 2 processes, both about the same size, lateral apophysis indented on distal margin and quadrangular, ventral process rounded distally; RTA barely reaching cymbium in ventral view (Figs 49-50). Dimensions: Total length 7.43. Carapace length 3.35, width 3.40. Sternum length 1.65, width 1.65. Abdomen length 4.08, width 2.23. Pedipalp: Fm 1.00, Pt 0.25, Ti 0.40, Ta 1.00, total 2.65. Leg I: Fm 3.75, Pt 1.35, Ti 3.65, Mt 3.65, Ta 1.75, total 14.15. Leg II: Fm 4.00, Pt 1.00, Ti 3.75, Mt 3.75, Ta 1.75, total 14.25. Leg III: Fm 4.00, Pt 1.00, Ti 3.65, Mt 3.75, Ta 1.75, total 14.15. Leg IV: Fm 5.00, Pt 5.00, Ti 1.00, Mt 4.00, Ta 1.90, total 16.9.

Holotype female:Color:carapace brown, darker laterally with white setae; sternum yellow-brown; chelicerae brown, darker laterally; maxillae brown, lightening distally; labium brown, lightening distally; abdomen damaged, grey-brown with some darker flecks, damage precludes visualization of patterns; legs light brown with darker annulations. Carapace:0.90 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, shallow. Eyes: AER nearly straight; PER recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye diameters, AME 0.10, ALE 0.08, PME 0.20, PLE 0.28; interdistances AME-PME 0.03, PME-ALE 0.08, ALE-PLE 0.40. PME-PME 0.80. ALE-ALE 1.45; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.30, PLE-PLE 1.48; clypeus 0.05 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:as long as broad, posteriorly indented. Legs:leg formula 4321; scopulae present on distal end of all 4 tarsi; tarsus I-IV with strong claw tufts; pr claw toothed, rl claws with fewer teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti v 2 –2– 2; Mt v 2-2; II, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 0; Ti v 2 –2– 2; Mt v 2-2; III, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; IV, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti v 1-1; Mt v 2-2 Abdomen:without terminal setal tufts. Pedipalp:claw with ca.10 teeth. Epigyne:lateral lobes appearing fused medially, pinched forming an anterior u-shape and a posterior arch, genital openings located anteriorly; internally, ducts located medially, nearly touching, extending laterally, spe rmathecae large and round, with long anteriorly directed finger-like processes located medially, fertilization ducts located posterolaterally, directed anteriorly, posterodorsal fold absent (Figs 47-48). Dimensions: Total length 5.65. Carapace length 2.70, width 3.00. Sternum length 1.40, width 1.00. Abdomen length 2.95, width 2.60. Pedipalp: Fm 0.65, Pt 0.25, Ti 0.20, Ta 0.75, total 1.85. Leg I: Fm 2.75, Pt 0.90, Ti 2.00, Mt 1.75, Ta 0.70, total 8.10. Leg II: Fm 3.80, Pt 1.00, Ti 2.30, Mt 2.00, Ta 1.00, total 10.10. Leg III: Fm 3.00, Pt 0.80, Ti 2.50, Mt 2.50, Ta 0.90, total 9.70. Leg IV: Fm 3.00, Pt 0.80, Ti 2.50, Mt and Ta missing.

Natural history.

Collected in deciduous thorn scrub ( Valdez-Mondragón 2010), as well as in a coastal palm forest on the ground in fallen fronds.

Distribution.

Southern México from Guerrero to Oaxaca (Map 5).