Brignolia cubana, Platnick & Dupérré, 2011

Platnick, Norman I. & Dupérré, Nadine, 2011, The Goblin Spider Genus Brignolia (Araneae, Oonopidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (349), pp. 1-131 : 9-14

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1206/771.1

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D562FB7D-1219-FFCA-71AA-FB1C0AFDFB45

treatment provided by

Tatiana

scientific name

Brignolia cubana
status

 

Brignolia Dumitresco and Georgesco View in CoL View at ENA

Brignolia Dumitresco and Georgesco, 1983: 107 (type species originally designated only via the heading ‘‘ Brignolia cubana n. g. n. sp.’’).

Lisna Saaristo, 2001: 342 (type species by original designation Gamasomorpha trichinalis Benoit ). NEW SYNONYMY.

Aridella Saaristo, 2002: 19 View in CoL View Cited Treatment (type species by original designation Aridella bowleri Saaristo ). NEW SYNONYMY.

NOTE: It could be argued that Brignolia Dumitresco and Georgesco (1983) View in CoL is not an available name, because the original description does not specify a type species for the genus, and Article 13.3 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature requires that genus-group names published after 1930 include an original designation of the type species. Since its original description, B. cubana View in CoL has been universally considered to be the type species of Brignolia View in CoL ; it was so listed, for example, in the Zoological Record for 1983 (Anon., 1985) and in the catalog by Platnick (1989).

Unfortunately, Dumitresco and Georgesco seem to have had rather limited understanding of the type concept. For example, in 1983, those authors proposed a new subfamily, Pseudogamasomorphinae, to contain just the genera Triaeris and Ischnothyreus ; there is no genus named Pseudogamasomorpha, and Dumitresco and Georgesco (1983: 103, 114) also failed to indicate which of their two included genera they intended to be the type genus of their new subfamily. Similarly, Dumitrescu and Georgescu (1987: 98; the same authors, just using a different English spelling of their surnames) proposed a new genus Prodysderina , in which they placed two of Simon’s species, again without specifying either one as the type species.

In the case of Brignolia , the discussion they presented of their new species B. cubana included a conjecture that the species resembles one described from Sri Lanka as Gamasomorpha nigripalpis by Simon (1893b), and they even indicated (1983: 107) that ‘‘Ainsi, l’ancienne espèce G. nigripalpis devient Brignolia nigripalpis (Simon) .’’ Because that transfer was made in running text, and the paper had no abstract or other mention of the action, it seems to have been overlooked by all subsequent workers.

Although the original description of Brignolia does not include an unambiguous designation of a type species, there is a heading (‘‘ Brignolia cubana n. g. n. sp.’’) of the sort identified by Article 13.4 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. That article states that ‘‘The combined description or definition of a new nominal genus or subgenus and a single included new nominal species, if marked by ‘‘gen. nov., sp. nov.’’ or an equivalent expression, is deemed to confer availability on each name under Article 13.1.1.’’ The Brignolia example demonstrates that this wording was carefully chosen. If the article had been limited simply to the combined description of a new genus and a single included species, then Brignolia would clearly be unavailable, since a second species was included. But the wording is instead ‘‘and a single included new ’’ species (emphasis added), and Dumitresco and Georgesco included only a single new species in their genus.

There is little doubt that Dumitresco and Georgesco based their concept of Brignolia on B. cubana ; indeed, it is highly unlikely that they ever examined any specimens of Gamasomorpha nigripalpis . Given that the wording of Article 13.4 was apparently intended to cover cases of this type, and that Dumitresco and Georgesco apparently intended B. cubana to be the type species, we accept Brignolia Dumitresco and Georgesco (1983) as an available name.

Should others disagree, the authorship and availability of the name would devolve to the next subsequent publication that specifies the type species and includes diagnostic information or a bibliographic reference to the diagnostic information supplied by Dumitresco and Georgesco (1983). Although Article 69.1.2 allows subsequent designations of type species (for genus-group names established before 1931) to be made in literaturerecording publications, Article 14 does not allow anonymous publications like the Zoological Record (Anon., 1985) to make nomenclatural acts available. The authorship and date of Brignolia would therefore devolve to Platnick (1989: 148), and the name would still have priority over both Lisna and Aridella .

DIAGNOSIS: Males are most likely to be confused with those of Ischnothyreus , because of their heavily sclerotized, darkened palps, but lack the conspicuous anterior leg spines found in that genus; they can easily be separated from those of Opopaea and Epectris by the normal palpal patellae, which are not enlarged and are basally, rather than subbasally, connected to the palpal femur. Females are most likely to be confused with those of Opopaea and Epectris , and we know of no somatic characters that consistently separate members of these genera. We suspect that the presence of a posterior tube in the female genitalia separates Brignolia from Opopaea , but the accuracy of that hypothesis will be strongly tested by forthcoming revisions of the highly speciose and widespread genus Opopaea .

DESCRIPTION: Total length of males 1.1– 2.2, of females 1.3–2.4. Carapace usually pale orange to orange-brown, rarely darker, males sometimes with dark brown egg-shaped patches behind eyes; sternum and mouthparts pale orange to orange-brown; abdominal scuta pale orange to orange-brown, soft portions of abdomen white, without color pattern; legs yellow to pale orange; palps of females yellow to pale orange, of males dark red-brown. CEPHALOTHORAX: Carapace ovoid in dorsal view (figs. 17, 50), pars cephalica slightly or strongly (figs. 18, 51) elevated, anteriorly narrowed to 0.49 times its maximum width or less, with angular posterolateral corners (figs. 23, 56), posterolateral edge with or without pits; posterior margin not bulging below posterior rim, anterolateral corners with strongly sclerotized, triangular extension, posterolateral surface without spikes, surface of elevated portion of pars cephalica smooth (figs. 19, 52), sides striated (figs. 20, 53), thorax without depressions, fovea absent, without radiating rows of pits; lateral margin straight, rebordered, without denticles; posterior margin rounded (figs. 22, 55) or squared; plumose setae near posterior margin of pars thoracica absent; nonmarginal pars cephalica setae dark, needlelike, scattered; nonmarginal pars thoracica setae dark, needlelike; marginal setae dark, needlelike. Clypeus margin strongly rebordered, in front view either straight, slightly sinuous, or slightly downcurved at sides (fig. 54), vertical in lateral view, high, ALE separated from edge of carapace by their radius or more; setae present, dark, needlelike; median projection (figs. 2, 21) present only in males of B. parumpunctata . Chilum absent. Eyes six, well developed, usually subequal in size, rarely with ALE largest; usually ALE oval, PME squared, PLE oval; ALE usually separated by their radius to their diameter, ALE-PLE separated by less than ALE radius, PME usually touching throughout most of their length, separated from PLE by less than PME radius; posterior eye row usually slightly recurved (rarely straight) from above, slightly procurved from front. Sternum longer than wide, coloration uniform, fused to carapace, with radial furrows between coxae I–II, II–III, III–IV (figs. 27, 59), those furrows sometimes consisting of rows of small pits, radial furrow opposite coxae III absent; cuticle smooth but surface sometimes with small or large pits covering most of surface except near midline, sickle-shaped structures absent, without posterior hump but posterior margin extending posteriorly beyond anterior edges of coxae IV as single extension, sometimes with strong posterior ridge, which may bear enlarged tubercles (only strong ridges noted in species descriptions); lateral margin with infracoxal grooves, grooves with anterior and posterior openings; distance between coxae approximately equal; extensions of precoxal triangles present, lateral margins unmodified; setae sparse, dark, needlelike, densest laterally, originating from pits in species with pits; hair tufts absent; anterior margin of males with slight, continuous transverse groove, with median concavity only in male B. bowleri and B. sinharaja . Chelicerae slightly divergent, anterior face unmodified; without teeth on promargin or retromargin (figs. 25, 26, 57, 58); fangs without toothlike projections, directed medially, shape normal, without prominent basal process, tip unmodified; setae dark, needlelike, evenly scattered; paturon inner margin with scattered setae, distal region unmodified, posterior surface unmodified, promargin with row of flattened setae, inner margin unmodified, laminate groove present. Labium triangular, anterior margin indented at middle; with six or more setae on anterior margin, subdistal portion with unmodified setae, fused to sternum (figs. 28, 60), usually same as sternum in sclerotization. Endites distally not excavated, serrula present in single row (figs. 29, 30, 61, 62), those of males more strongly sclerotized than sternum, anteromedian tip with stout projection, projection usually bearing two sensillae, posteromedian part unmodified. Female palp without claw or spines (figs. 63, 64), tarsus unmodified, tibia with three trichobothria (fig. 65), patella without prolateral row of ridges. ABDOMEN: Ovoid, without long posterior extension, rounded posteriorly, interscutal membrane without rows of small sclerotized platelets. Supposed book lung covers small, ovoid, protuberant, without setae, anterolateral edge unmodified. Posterior spiracles connected by groove. Pedicel tube short, scutum not extending far dorsal of pedicel, matted setae on anterior ventral abdomen in pedicel area absent, cuticular outgrowths near pedicel absent; pedicel tube usually with small, dorsolateral, triangular extensions (figs. 36, 68, but those extensions lost in B. cobre , B. trichinalis , B. nigripalpis , B. ambigua , B. palawan , and B. elongata , enlarged in B. bengal and B. sukna ), with deep ventral notch in B. cardamom , B. kumily , B. valparai , B. nilgiri , B. kodaik , B. jog , B. karnataka , B. bengal , and B. sukna ; soft portions of abdomen with setae. Dorsal scutum strongly sclerotized, without color pattern, usually covering full length of abdomen, usually with no soft tissue visible from above, not fused to epigastric scutum, anterior half without projecting denticles; middle surface, sides punctate. Epigastric scutum strongly sclerotized, surrounding pedicel, not protruding, small lateral sclerites absent, without anterolateral joints in females; plumose hairs present dorsal and lateral of pedicel; scuto-pedicel region with one or two transverse ridges, primary ridge (figs. 35, 67) varying from straight to deeply W-shaped. Postepigastric scutum strongly sclerotized, long, semicircular, covering nearly full length of postepigastric area, fused to epigastric scutum in males, anterior margin unmodified, with short posteriorly directed lateral apodemes. Spinnerets (scanned only in B. parumpunctata , figs. 37, 73): ALS with one major ampullate spigot and two piriform gland spigots (figs. 38, 74), PMS with single spigot in males (fig. 39), two spigots in females (fig. 75), PLS with two spigots in males (fig. 40), four spigots in females (fig. 76). Spinneret scutum present, incomplete ring with fringe of long setae; supraanal scutum absent. Dorsal setae dark, needlelike; epigastric setae uniform, dark, needlelike; postepigastric setae dark, needlelike; dense patch of setae anterior to spinnerets absent. Colulus absent. LEGS: Without color pattern; femur IV not thickened, same size as femora I–III, patella plus tibia I shorter than carapace, tibia I unmodified, tibia IV specialized hairs on ventral apex present, tibia IV ventral scopula absent, metatarsi I, II mesoapical comb absent, metatarsi III, IV ventral scopula absent. Leg spines absent. Superior claws with few large, proximally situated teeth on lateral surfaces, more numerous, smaller, more basally situated teeth on medial surfaces, without inferior claw (figs. 24, 45–48, 81–84). Trichobothria bases longitudinally narrowed, aperture internal texture not gratelike (fig. 72). Tarsal organ of legs I, II, palp with three sensillae (figs. 41, 42, 49, 66, 77, 78), of legs III, IV with two sensillae (figs. 43, 44, 79,80). GENITALIA: Male epigastric region with sperm pore small, oval, situated at level of anterior spiracles, rebordered (fig. 34); furrow without V -shaped insertions, without setae. Palp minute, strongly sclerotized, right and left palps symmetrical; embolus dark, prolateral excavation absent; trochanter normal size, with ventral projection that can be low, rounded or long, narrow (figs. 31, 32); femur without posteriorly rounded lateral dilation, attaching to patella basally, often unusually small; patella not enlarged, often sharply bent, without prolateral row of ridges, setae unmodified; tibia usually shorter than patella; cymbium narrow in dorsal view, completely fused with bulb, no seam visible, not extending beyond distal tip of bulb, plumose setae absent, without stout setae, without distal patch of setae; bulb more than twice as long as cymbium, slender, with dorsal or retrodorsal depression (fig. 33). Female postepigastric area sometimes with external modifications (fig. 69); internal genitalia with anterior, short, wide, T-shaped sclerite and posterior tube (figs. 70, 71).

DISTRIBUTION: Pantropical; in the New World, found from Mexico, Florida, and the West Indies south to Brazil ; in the Old World , found from West Africa to South Asia, the Indo-Pacific region, and Australia, but much of this broad distribution is due to the anomalously pantropical distribution of the type species, which we presume is synanthropic .

SYNONYMY: Arguments for regarding Lisna and Aridella as junior synonyms are presented in detail in the Introduction.

KEY TO SPECIES OF BRIGNOLIA View in CoL View at ENA

1.

Males with median clypeal enlargement extending over base of chelicerae (figs. 2, 21) and palpal bulb with curled dorsal projection forming complete circle (figs. 9– 16); female postepigastric region with elevat- ed disk resembling upside-down tulip (figs. 69, 93).......... B. parumpunctata

– Males without median clypeal enlargement; dorsal projection on palpal bulb otherwise (if rounded, not forming complete circle, figs. 277–280); female postepigastric region without elevated disk............... 2

2. Pars cephalica only slightly elevated, pars thoracica sloping gradually to posterior margin (figs. 101, 148).............. 3

– Pars cephalica strongly elevated, pars thoracica sloping steeply (figs. 196, 247)...... 15

3. Males (those of B. ankhu View in CoL , B. mapha View in CoL , B. suthep View in CoL , and B. palawan View in CoL unknown)...... 4

– Females (those of B. ambigua unknown)... 8

4. Median portion of sternum with elaborate setae (figs. 98, 115, 116)..... B. dasysterna View in CoL

– Median portion of sternum with ordinary setae only....................... 5

5. Distal portion of palpal bulb relatively small, much lower than cymbium (figs. 150–160); Florida and West Indies. ...... B. cobre View in CoL

– Distal portion of palpal bulb relatively large, as high as cymbium (as in figs. 303–306, 311, 312); Sri Lanka and India........... 6

6. Base of palpal bulb with triangular projection (figs. 307, 316)................... 7

– Base of palpal bulb without triangular projection................ B. ambigua

7. Tip of palpal bulb directed ventrally (figs. 303–306)............. B. rothorum View in CoL

– Tip of palpal bulb directed dorsally (figs. 803, 804)................... B. nigripalpis

8. Postepigastric region with anteriorly directed projection originating near posterior spiracular groove (figs. 331, 629, 639, 820)..... 9

– Postepigastric region without such a projection........................... 12

9. Postepigastric region with anteriorly directed projection triangular (figs. 331, 629, 820).. .............................. 10

– Postepigastric region with anteriorly directed projection forming low arch (fig. 639)............................. B. suthep View in CoL

10. Postepigastric region with posteriorly direct- ed projection originating near posterior margin of epigastric furrow (fig. 331); India......................... B. rothorum View in CoL

– Postepigastric region without such a projection........................... 11

11. Anteriorly directed projection on postepigastric region relatively small (fig. 820)........................... B. nigripalpis

– Anteriorly directed projection on postepigastric region relatively large (fig. 629)............................... B. mapha View in CoL

12. Postepigastric region with posteriorly directed projection originating near posterior margin of epigastric furrow (fig. 619)..... B. ankhu View in CoL

– Postepigastric region without such a projection........................... 13

13. Posterior tube of female genitalia extending posteriorly, distally narrow (figs. 136–141, 689, 690)....................... 14

– Posterior tube of female genitalia extending dorsally, distally enlarged (figs. 184–189)............................ B. cobr e

14. Postepigastric region with procurved ridge situated anteriorly to posterior spiracular groove (figs. 689, 690); Philippines.............................. B. palawan View in CoL

Postepigastric region without such a ridge (figs. 136–141) ; Florida ..... B. dasysterna View in CoL

15. Posterior carapace margin rounded (figs. 192, 216, 271, 287).................... 16

– Posterior carapace margin squared (figs. 226, 242, 335, 369).................... 17

16. Palpal bulb with distinct distal lobe (figs. 199, 204); epigastric region with long scape (figs. 220–223); Mauritius and Seychelles, possibly Sri Lanka........ B. trichinalis

– Palpal bulb with rounded dorsal projection (figs. 277–280); epigastric region without scape (figs. 293, 294); Sri Lanka............................... B. ratnapura View in CoL

17. Pedicel tube with deep, narrow ventral notch (figs. 351, 352, 356, 357, 372, 389, 390).. 18

– Pedicel tube with ventral margin entire (fig. 328) or at most a shallow notch (fig. 646)........................ 30

18. Transverse ridge on epigastric scutum above pedicel with enlarged tubercles reaching to anterolateral triangles on pedicel tube (figs. 547, 571, 575); northern India and Nepal.......................... 19

– Transverse ridge on epigastric scutum above pedicel with tubercles smaller, not reaching to pedicel triangles (figs. 351, 389); southern India.......................... 20

19. Distal portion of palpal bulb relatively short, with ridged, translucent dorsal projection (figs. 533–539); females unknown................................ B. bengal View in CoL

– Distal portion of palpal bulb relatively long (figs. 560–564); females with short, dorsally directed posterior genitalic tube (fig. 586)............................. B. sukna View in CoL

20. Males (those of B. karnataka View in CoL unknown).. 21

– Females (those of B. valparai View in CoL and B. jog View in CoL unknown)....................... 26

21. Palpal bulb relatively long, with distinct, narrowed ‘‘neck’’ (figs. 375, 507)...... 22

– Palpal bulb relatively short, thick (figs. 341, 409)........................... 23

22. Palpal bulb narrowed at tip (figs. 375–378)......................... B. kumily View in CoL

– Palpal bulb widened at tip (figs. 506–509)............................. B. jog View in CoL

23. Palpal bulb with dorsal lobe long, low (figs. 411, 452, 480)................ 24

– Palpal bulb with dorsal lobe short, high (figs. 341–344)............ B. cardamom View in CoL

24. Dorsal margin of palpal bulb distinctly incised (figs. 409, 411)........ B. valparai View in CoL

– Dorsal margin of palpal bulb not incised (figs. 452, 480)................... 25

25. Tip of palpal bulb incised near dorsal margin (fig. 483).................. B. kodaik View in CoL

– Tip of palpal bulb incised near ventral margin (fig. 455)................... B. nilgiri View in CoL

26. Postepigastric region with ridge or triangle originating near posterior spiracular groove (figs. 365, 468, 496)................ 27

– Postepigastric region without modifications originating near posterior spiracular groove (figs. 399, 523)................... 29

27. Postepigastric region with triangle originating near posterior spiracular groove (figs. 365, 468)........................... 28

– Postepigastric region with ridge originating near posterior spiracular groove (fig. 496)............................. B. kodaik View in CoL

28. Postepigastric region with triangle originating near posterior spiracular groove relatively wide (fig. 365)............ B. cardamom View in CoL

– Postepigastric region with triangle originating near posterior spiracular groove relatively narrow (fig. 468)............. B. nilgiri View in CoL

29. Postepigastric region with large, triangular sclerotization extending from posterior margin of epigastric groove (fig. 523).............................. B. karnataka View in CoL

– Postepigastric region without sclerotization extending from posterior margin of epigastric groove (fig. 399)............ B. kumily View in CoL

30. Posterior margin of carapace with conspicuous, distinctly widened, lateral sclerotizations (figs. 242, 643)................... 32

– Posterior margin of carapace uniform in width (figs. 427, 653)............... 31

31. Dorsal lobe on palpal bulb with rounded margin (fig. 437); females unknown; southern India................... B. kaikatty View in CoL

– Dorsal lobe on palpal bulb with angular margin (fig. 663); females unknown; Thailand................... B. chumphae View in CoL

32. Lateral sclerotizations in posterior margin of carapace triangular (figs. 242, 671)..... 33

– Lateral sclerotizations in posterior margin of carapace diamond shaped (figs. 226, 589, 643)........................... 37

33.

Triangular sclerotizations in posterior margin of carapace relatively short (figs. 242, 727).. ................................ 34 –

Triangular sclerotizations in posterior margin of carapace relatively long (figs. 671, 693, 763)........................... 35 34.

Male palpal bulb enormously elongated (fig. 738); female genitalia reaching almost to tip of postepigastric scutum (fig. 754); Borneo.................. B. elongata View in CoL

Male palpal bulb normal (fig. 250); female genitalia confined to anterior third of postepigastric scutum (fig. 264); Sri Lanka.......................... B. sinharaja 35. View in CoL

Posterolateral corners of carapace with enlarg- ed tubercles (figs. 767, 779, 791).... B. kapit – View in CoL

Posterolateral corners of carapace without such tubercles (figs. 675, 697, 709)..... 36 36.

Triangular sclerotizations in posterior margin of carapace curved, reaching almost to pedicel (fig. 671); Vietnam................................ B. schwendingeri – View in CoL

Triangular sclerotizations in posterior margin of carapace straight, shorter (figs. 693, 717); Borneo.................... B. gading View in CoL 37.

Posterior margin of pars cephalica with distinct horns (figs. 641–643, 647)... B. diablo View in CoL

Posterior margin of pars cephalica without such horns (figs. 230, 593)........... 38 38.

Tip of palpal bulb directed dorsally (figs. 234, 235); females unknown; Seychelles............................... B. bowleri – Tip of palpal bulb directed distally (figs. 597, 598); females unknown; northern India and Nepal..................... B. assam View in CoL

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Oonopidae

Genus

Brignolia

Loc

Brignolia cubana

Platnick, Norman I. & Dupérré, Nadine 2011
2011
Loc

Aridella

Saaristo, M. I. 2002: 19
2002
Loc

Lisna

Saaristo, M. I. 2001: 342
2001
Darwin Core Archive (for parent article) View in SIBiLS Plain XML RDF