Cybaeus wilsonia Bennett, 2021

Bennett, Robb, Copley, Claudia & Copley, Darren, 2021, Cybaeus (Araneae: Cybaeidae) in the Nearctic: the devius and tardatus species groups of the Californian clade, Zootaxa 5026 (4), pp. 451-479 : 460-462

Cybaeus wilsonia Bennett spec. nov.

Figs 17–19 , 23–25 , 28 , 31–32

Type material. U.S.A.: California: Holotype male. Tulare County, Wilsonia, Kings Canyon National Park , 13.ix.1959, W.J. Gertsch & V.D. Roth ( AMNH) . Paratypes. Tulare. 3♀, Wilsonia, Kings Canyon National Park , 13.ix.1959, W.J. Gertsch & V.D. Roth ( AMNH) .

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

Diagnosis. The male of C. wilsonia spec. nov. is unlikely to be confused with the males of C. bilectus spec. nov. or C. bryoncavus spec. nov., the other members of the devius species group with known males. The male of C. wilsonia spec. nov. is diagnosed by the narrow elongate distal arm of the tegular apophysis (length about 2.5 times width) ( Fig. 24 ) and the laterally projecting patellar apophysis which is about as long as the width of the patella, somewhat concave dorsally, and has about 15 peg setae scattered dorsally about the distal half ( Figs 23 , 28 ).

The female of C. wilsonia spec. nov. is diagnosed by the form and configuration of the vulval components ( Figs 18–19 ) and is only likely to be confused with the females of C. devius or C. echo spec. nov. Distinguishing the females of these three species is discussed under C. devius .

Description. Tibia I ventral macrosetae 2-1p-2-1p-0. Femora very lightly banded or unbanded.

Male: (n=1). Embolus ( Fig. 24 ) relatively broad and ribbon-like, about twice the thickness of the emboli in males of C. bilectus spec. nov. and C. bryoncavus spec. nov. Proximal arm of tegular apophysis ( Figs 24–25 , 30 ) simple, elongate, acuminate, basally swollen.

Measurements (n=1). CL 2.13, CW 1.68, SL 1.12, SW 1.08.

Female: (n=3). See note under description of C. devius . Atrium ( Figs 17–18 ) very small, about 1/4 width of vulva. Spermathecal heads exit vulval ducts ventrally posterior to region enclosed by copulatory ducts, dorsolaterally deflected ( Figs 18–19 ).

Measurements (n=3). CL 1.95, 2.08, 2.30; CW 1.38, 1.43, 1.63; SL 1.01, 1.07, 1.18; SW 1.00, 1.04, 1.11.

Distribution and natural history. ( Fig. 32 ). Known only from the type locality on the western slopes of the southern Sierra Nevada in Kings Canyon National Park in Tulare County. All known specimens were collected in September.

Figures

FIGURE 32. Distributions of Cybaeus bilectus spec. nov., C. bryoncavus spec. nov., C. devius, C. echo spec. nov., and C. wilsonia spec. nov. AZ—Arizona, CA—California, ID—Idaho, OR—Oregon, NV—Nevada, UT—Utah, WA—Washington. California county names capitalized.

FIGURES 14–19. Cybaeus spp., females, copulatory organ (14–16 C. devius, holotype; 17–19 C. wilsonia spec. nov., from Wilsonia, California). 14, 17 Epigynum, ventral. 15–16, 18–19 Vulva (15, 18 ventral, 16, 19 dorsal). BG—Bennett’s gland, HS—head of spermatheca. Unlabelled solid arrows indicate basal lightly sclerotized sections of copulatory ducts which envelop apical more heavily sclerotized sections (indicated by unlabelled dashed arrows).

FIGURES 23–25. Cybaeus wilsonia spec. nov., holotype male, left palpus. 23 Patella and tibia, dorsal. 24–25 Genital bulb (24 ventral, 25 retrolateral). CY—cymbium, DA—distal arm of tegular apophysis, E—embolus. Unlabelled arrows indicate length and width of DA (Fig. 24) and swollen base of proximal arm of tegular apophysis (Fig. 25).

FIGURES 26–28. Cybaeus spp. males, left palpus, patellar apophysis, dorsal (26 C. bilectus spec. nov., from Double Bunk Meadows, California, 27 C. bryoncavus spec. nov., holotype, 28 C. wilsonia spec. nov., holotype). Arrows indicate diagnostic characters (26 concave distal margin; 28 concave dorsal surface).

FIGURES 29–31. Cybaeus spp. males, left palpus, proximal arm of tegular apophysis, ventral (29 C. bilectus spec. nov., from Double Bunk Meadows, California, 30 C. bryoncavus spec. nov., holotype, 31 C. wilsonia spec. nov., holotype). Arrows indicate diagnostic characters (29 bluntly hooked tip, 30 inconspicuous basal projection).