Selenops minutus F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900

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 : 33-36

Selenops minutus F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 Figs 37-40Map 5

Selenops minutus F.O. Pickard-Cambridge 1900: 118, pl. 8, Figs 19-20 (♂, ♀, examined).

Selenops minutes Muma 1953: 38: Figs 64-65 (♂, ♀).

Type material.

Holotype male: Guatemala, Godman and Salvin (BMNH, examined). Paratypes: Female, same data as holotype (BMNH).

Diagnosis.

This species can be distinguished from others by a combination of characters, including the overall small size, elaborately patterned abdomen, and genitalic characteristics. In males, these characters are the embolus, which has a round base that tapers abruptly and is very narrow throughout its length, and the RTA, which is claw like laterally (Figs 37-38). In the females, the epigynum has posterolateral lobes that nearly come into contact medially, and oval spermathecae atop long ducts (Figs 39-40).

Remarks.

Muma (1953) placed this species with Selenops micropalpus and Selenops banksi , stating that the embolus and long palpal tibia from the illustrations of F. O. Pickard-Cambridge (1900) were of the same type. Muma (1953) was unable to examine the actual specimens. The illustrations of F. O. P-Cambridge (1900), however, do not show a long palpal tibia, or an embolus similar to that of Selenops banksi or Selenops micropalpus . F. O. Pickard-Cambridge (1900) also mentioned that none of the females were adults, yet he illustrated an adult. After close examination of the specimens, I do not believe this species to be aligned with Selenops micropalpus or Selenops banksi , but rather with other species found in México and Guatemala. Unfortunately, this species has not been collected for over 150 years and its precise range is unknown, as the label says only 'Guatemala.'

This species is listed by Nentwig et al. (1993) as being found in Panamá. This is because Banks (1929) included this in his list of spiders from Panamá, rather than based on a collection made by the former authors. Banks (1929) included no figure of this spider in his publication, and the spider has not been found in any collection examined. I regard Panamá as an erroneous locality for this species.

Description.

Holotype male:Color:carapace orange-brown; sternum orange-brown; chelicerae orange-brown; maxillae orange-brown; labium orange-brown, lightening toward the distal edge; abdomen dorsally yellowish, remnants of lanceolate, foliate pattern, chevrons extending to lateral margins, occurring about halfway down the length of the abdomen, lots of white; type is old and faded, cannot confirm or deny presence of festoon, however, looks as though it is present in illustrations (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge 1900); ventrally cream-colored, dark laterally and posteriorly; legs orangeish, annulations barely visible, markings on anterolateral faces of femora and tibiae. Carapace 0.92 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER slightly recurved; PER recurved; PME same size as AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye diameters, AME 0.10, ALE 0.03, PME 0.10, PLE 0.18; interdistances AME-PME 0.02, PME-ALE 0.80, ALE-PLE 0.19, PME-PME 0.55, ALE-ALE 0.88; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.22, PLE-PLE 0.98; clypeus 0.03 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 wide, posteriorly indented. Legs:leg formula unknown (at least one leg missing); scopulae present on distal end of all 4 tarsi; tarsi I-IV with strong claw tufts; pr claw per foot slightly toothed; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti pr 0 –0– 1, v 1 –2–2– 2; Mt rl 1 –0– 0, ventral 2-2; leg II, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 2 –2– 2; Mt v 2-2; leg III, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0. Abdomen:without terminal setal tufts. Pedipalp:Fm, spination d 0 –1– 4; cymbium oval in ventral view, angled posterolaterally margin; basal cymbial process absent; scopulae scattered, denser toward tip; conductor curved laterally and medially, medially a stalk arising from center of bulb, directed laterally at a right angle, extending past the margin of bulb; embolus short, large, round base, tapering abruptly to very narrow, extending straight anteriorly, instead of curving around the perimeter of the cymbium, beginning at 6 o'clock ending at 11; MA small, triangular, with a long base, slightly curved distally forming a very small hook, arising at 3 o'clock, directed distally; RTA barely reaching cymbium in ventral view, with 2 branches, lateral branch narrow, claw-like, ventral branch oblong, rounded distally (Figs 37-38). Dimensions: Total length 4.47. Carapace length 2.08, width 2.30. Sternum length 1.50, width 1.50. Abdomen length 2.40, width 2.08. Pedipalp: Fm 0.50, Pt 0.25, Ti 0.25, Ta 0.50, total 1.50.

Paratype female:Color:carapace light orange; sternum light yellowish to orange brown, darker around border; chelicerae dusky yellow; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale yellow-brown; abdomen dorsally yellowish, remnants of lanceolate, foliate pattern, chevrons extending laterally about halfway down length of abdomen, lots of white, type is old and faded, cannot confirm or deny presence of festoon, but it looks as though it is present in illustrations (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900); ventrally cream-colored; legs orangeish, annulations barely still visible, markings on anterolateral faces of femora and tibiae. Carapace: 0.91 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 0.08, ALE 0.03, PME 0.17, PLE 0.19; interdistances AME-PME 0.07, PME-ALE 0.95, ALE-PLE 0.25. PME-PME 0.68, ALE-ALE 1.18; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.30, PLE-PLE 1.35; clypeus 0.03 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:scopulae present on distal end of all 4 tarsi; tarsi I-IV with strong claw tufts; pr claw per foot slightly toothed; leg II, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 2 –2– 2; Mt v 2-2; leg III, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0; leg IV, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1. Abdomen: without terminal setal tufts. Pedipalp:claw with 8 teeth. Epigyne:posterolateral lobes, widening medially, not touching medially, genital openings located along anterior margins of posterolateral lobes; internally, ducts twist once, extending to oval spermathecae anteriorly, and lengthening posteriorly to laterally directed fertilization ducts, posterodorsal fold absent (Figs 39-40). Dimensions: Total length 6.28. Carapace length 3.00, width 3.29. Sternum length 1.50, width 1.50. Abdomen length 3.28, width 4.00. Pedipalp: Fm 0.60, Pt 0.25, Ti 0.50, Ta 0.75, total 2.10. Leg I: Fm 4.00, Pt 1.00, Ti 3.75, Mt 2.75, Ta 1.00, total 12.50 Leg II: Missing. Leg III: Missing. Leg IV: Missing.

Natural history.

No data.

Distribution.

All that is known is that the species is found in Guatemala, which may have had different borders at the time the collection was made (Map 5).