Thiodina nicoleti Roewer, 1951

Bustamante, Abel A., Maddison, Wayne P. & Ruiz, Gustavo R. S., 2015, The jumping spider genus Thiodina Simon, 1900 reinterpreted, and revalidation of Colonus F. O. P-Cambridge, 1901 and Nilakantha Peckham & Peckham, 1901 (Araneae: Salticidae: Amycoida), Zootaxa 4012 (1), pp. 181-190 : 183-186

Thiodina nicoleti Roewer, 1951

Figs 1–17, 30

Attus elegans Nicolet, 1849: 367 , pl. Araneídas 3, figs 2, 2a–c (syntypes from Chile; see comments below) [species name preoccupied by primary homonym Attus elegans Hentz, 1846 (presently Tutelina elegans )]; Ramírez 1989: 8. Thiodina elegans: Simon 1900: 392 (type species designation); Simon 1901: 459.

Thiodina nicoleti Roewer 1951: 450 (replacement name; maintained to meet ICZN articles 53.3 and 60.3); World Spider Catalog 2015.

Type material. Types of this species remained lost for many years, but were found in the collection of the Muséum National d´Histoire Naturelle ( MNHN 4187), Paris ( Ramírez 1989), along with several other salticid type specimens described by Nicolet. Ruiz & Brescovit (2008) revised Nicolet’s types, but were unable to examine type specimens of Attus elegans Nicolet , which were on loan at the time. In a more recent attempt to examine those types, we learned that the MNHN does not have the types of Attus elegans (E.-A. Leguin, pers. comm.). Their records indicate that the specimens were last sent to Robert J. Wolff, in 1989. As Dr. Wolff does not have any record of the specimens or their location (R. Wolff, pers. comm.), they can be considered destroyed or irretrievably lost ( ICZN article 75.3.4).

Since no name-bearing type specimen is believed to be extant and a name-bearing type is necessary to anchor this species name objectively, we herein designate a neotype: a male from outside Parque Nacional Fray Jorge, near Coquimbo (30.7°S, 71.7°W), Provincia de Limarí, Chile, VI.2008, E. Hernández leg., deposited in the Museo de Zoología de la Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile (MZUC-UCCC 43660), a recognized scientific institution that maintains a research collection with proper facilities for preserving name-bearing types ( ICZN article 75.3.7).

The neotype was chosen based on type locality ( ICZN article 75.3.6), and comparisons of leg proportion and color pattern between our male and the original description (see Nicolet 1849, pl. 3, fig. 2; ICNZ articles 75.3.2 and 75.3.5). While we might be wrong on precisely what T. nicoleti is, we have no uncertainty about what T. nicoleti is not: it is not related to species presently considered “thiodinines”. Therefore, it is important to settle the matter by designating the neotype.

Note. While we might have chosen to petition the ICZN to change the designation of the type species of Thiodina in order to preserve current usage, the current usage is not extensive, and is mostly restricted to one region (southern North America). We are concerned that the case of Thiodina is no more compelling than many others that will probably come to light as salticid systematics becomes better understood. To preserve our current sense of Thiodina , and apply the same standards to other cases, may open the door to too-frequent abandonment of the principle of priority.

Diagnosis. See generic diagnosis.

Description of male neotype (MZUC -UCCC 43660) (ICZN article 75.3.3). Total length: 2.73. Carapace 1.39 long, 1.04 wide, 0.57 high. Ocular quadrangle 1.04 long. Anterior eye row 0.9 wide and posterior 1.0 wide. Chelicera small, with three promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth ( Fig. 10 ). Length of femur: I 0.96, II 0.75, III 0.65, IV 0.90; patella + tibia: I 1.24, II 0.84, III 0.74, IV 1.04; metatarsus + tarsus: I 0.93, II 0.68, III 0.72, IV 0.90. Leg formula: 1423 ( Figs 14-17 ). Leg spination: femur I d0-1-1, p1di; II d0-1-1; III d0-0-1, p1di; IV d1-1- 1; patella I–IV 0; tibia I v2-2 -2; II p0-1-0, v1 r-1r-0; III p0-1-0, r0-1-0, v1 pdi; IV r0-1-0, v1 pdi; metatarsus I v2-2; II p1di, v2-2; III p2di, r2di, v1 pdi; IV p2di, r2di, v1 pdi. Palp: tibia short, retroventral tibial apophysis squared, RTA thin, with the tip curved pointing to dorsum of cymbium; cymbium shoe-shaped; bulb spherical; embolus fixed to tegulum, arising proximally; embolus tip curved, probably resting on ventral portion of cymbium tip ( Figs 6–7 , 11– 13 ). Carapace brown; intestinal diverticula and AME retinae seen through translucent tegument ( Fig. 1 ); some white scales around AME; thoracic region with no conspicuous fovea, but with dark striation extending from center to borders ( Figs 1, 4 ); clypeus low. Chelicera orange, basal article with spine-like setae on developed bases, and an excavation on the inner side ( Figs 4, 5 , 9 ). Labium, endites and sternum light brown ( Fig. 3 ). Legs yellow, except for leg I, dorsally and ventrally yellow, laterally (both sides) dark on distal patella, tibia and metatarsus. Abdomen dorsally white with three dark brown longitudinal stripes, ventrally dark brown ( Figs 1, 3 ). Spinnerets light brown.

Female (based on Nicolet’s original description). Color pattern on both carapace and abdomen as males ( Fig. 8 ). Leg formula: 4123 ( Fig. 30 ). No information on epigyne is known, but if this species follows the typical epigynal pattern seen in related genera, spermathecae will be located in the anterior portion of epigyne.

Distribution. Known only from Northern Chile.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Thiodina nicoleti. 1 – 7 male neotype. 1 dorsal view, 2 left leg I, prolateral view, 3 ventral view, 4 carapace, anterolateral view, 5 right chelicera, frontal view, 6 left palp, ventral view, 7 same, retrolateral view. 8 reproduction of the original illustration by Nicolet (female).

FIGURES 9 – 13. Thiodina nicoleti, male neotype. 9 face and chelicerae, frontal view, 10 cheliceral teeth, ventral view, 11 left palp, ventral view, 12 same, retrolateral view, 13 same, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 14 – 30. Comparison of leg length between Thiodina and Colonus. 14 – 17 Thiodina nicoleti, male neotype (legs 1234, respectively); 18 – 21 Colonus germaini new comb., male (legs 1234, respectively); 22 – 25 Colonus hesperus new comb., male (legs 1234, respectively); 26 – 29 Colonus hesperus, female (legs 1234, respectively); 30 Thiodina nicoleti, female, reproduction of the original illustration (bars represent legs 1234 from top to bottom).