Roddenberryus spock, Sánchez-Ruiz & Bonaldo, 2023

Sánchez-Ruiz, Alexander & Bonaldo, Alexandre B., 2023, Strange new spiders: on Roddenberryus, a new and unusual caponiid genus (Araneae, Caponiidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 891 (1), pp. 1-25 : 15-17

Roddenberryus spock gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:11257DCE-FB67-4CB0-85C8-434809B67888

Figs 9A–I , 10A–B , 11C–D , 15

Diagnosis

Roddenberryus spock gen. et sp. nov. resembles R. mccoy gen. et sp. nov., R. pelegrina gen. nov. and R. sargi gen. nov. by having invaginations in the margins of the clypeus ( Fig. 9D ), but can be distinguished by its larger size and by having several adesmatic joints occupying almost the entire tarsi and almost a half of the metatarsi ( Fig. 9H ). Additionally, members of R. spock gen. et sp. nov. lack a dense tuft of black setae on the apical part of tibia.

Etymology

The specific name refers to the fictional character S’Chn T’Gai Spock, a Vulcan/Human hybrid from the Star Trek universe, who served aboard the starship USS Enterprise as the chief science officer, played in the original series by American actor Leonard Nimoy.

Type material

Holotype MEXICO • ♀; Quintana Roo, Othon, Ruinas Kohunlinch ; 18°25′09″ N, 88°47′24″ W; 8 Mar. 1985; W. Lopez, Formen and P. Blanco leg.; CNAN 9523 .

Paratype

MEXICO • ♀; Campeche, Calakmul ; 18°07′21″ N, 89°47′00″ W; 24 Jul. 1998; F. Alvarez and J.L. Castelo leg.; CNAN .

Description

Male

Unknown.

Female (holotype, Fig. 9A–I )

Carapace orange, with invaginations on clypeal margin ( Fig. 9D ). Chelicerae, palps, endites, labium, sternum, legs, coxae and trochanters orange ( Fig. 9E ). Abdomen pale gray, without dorsal pattern ( Fig. 9A ). Anal tubercle and spinnerets lighter than abdomen ( Fig. 9G ). Total length 21.2. Carapace 10.9 long, 8.4 wide. Sternum 8.3 long, 6.6 wide. Leg measurements: I: 6.8; II: 6.7; III: 6.0; IV: 7.05. External genital area with strongly sclerotized anterior and posterior plate, straight epigastric furrow ( Figs 9F , 11F ). Internal genitalia with transversal posterior receptacle with conspicuous, median concave projection on distal margin; behind posterior receptacle a presumed membranous uterus externo ( Fig. 10A ); anteromedian receptacle formed by tube-shaped membranous base and sac-like membranous structure ( Figs 10A–B , 11D ).

Distribution

Known only from Campeche and Quintana Roo in Mexico ( Fig. 15 ).

Figures

Fig. 9. Roddenberryus spock gen. et sp. nov., ♀, holotype (CNAN 9523). A. Habitus, dorsal view.B. Left palp, prolateral view, black arrow showing prolateral pick. C. Left palp, retrolateral view. D. Habitus, ventral view. E. Cephalothorax, ventral view. F. External genital area, ventral view. G. Spinnerets, ventral view. H. Left leg I, prolateral view. I. Left leg IV, prolateral view. Scale bars: A, D–F = 1.0 mm; B–C, G–I = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 10. Micrographs of internal female genitalia of Roddenberryus spock gen. et sp. nov., ♀, paratype (CNAN). A. Dorsal view. B. Posterior oblique view.

Fig. 11. Female genitalia. A‒B. Roddenberryus kirk gen. et sp. nov., ♀ (INBIO 4407645). A. External genital area, ventral view. B. Internal genitalia, dorsal view. C‒D. Roddenberryus spock gen. et sp. nov., ♀, paratype (CNAN). C. External genital area, ventral view. D. Internal genitalia, dorsal view. E‒F. Roddenberryus sargi (Pickard-Cambridge, 1899) gen. nov., ♀ (INBIO). E. External genital area, ventral view. F. Internal genitalia, dorsal view. Scale bars: A‒B = 0.5 mm; C‒F = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 15. Distribution map of Roddenberryus kirk gen. et sp. nov. (circles), R. mccoy gen. et sp. nov. (triangle), R. spock gen. et sp. nov. (heart), R. sargi (Pickard-Cambridge, 1899) comb. nov. (square) and R. pelegrina (Bryant, 1940) comb. nov. (star).