Curicaberis eberhardi, Rheims, Cristina A., 2015

Rheims, Cristina A., 2015, Curicaberis, a new genus of Sparassidae from North and Central America (Araneae, Sparassidae, Sparassinae), Zootaxa 4012 (3), pp. 401-446 : 420-421

Curicaberis eberhardi sp. nov.

Figs 41−44, Map 2

Type material. Holotype: ♂, Chamela [19°31’N, 105°04’W], Jalisco , Mexico, September 1989, W. Eberhard leg. ( MCZ 99591). Paratypes: 1♀, same locality and collector as holotype, September 1988 ( MCZ 99588); 1♂, Estación Biológica de Chamela [19°29’N, 105°02’W], Chamela , Jalisco , Mexico, August 1992, W. Eberhard leg. ( MCZ 99590).

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honor of Dr. William Eberhard who collected the type specimens.

Diagnosis. Males of C. eberhardi sp. nov. are easily distinguished from those of the other species of the genus by the palp with vRTA2 represented by a bunch of strong setae (Figs 41−42). Females resemble those of C. chiapas sp. nov. and C. elpunto sp. nov. by the epigyne with median septum with lateral protrusions and a median, longitudinal protrusion (Figs 33, 43, 47: lp, mp). They are distinguished from these species by the median septum at least two times wider than long, with posterior margin surpassing the epigastric furrow by almost the entire length of the septum and median protrusion long, covering the entire length of the septum (Fig. 43).

Description. Male (holotype): Prosoma pale brown, slightly darker at eye area and along fovea and thoracic striae. Chelicerae pale brown. Legs and pedipalps orange. Labium and endites orange, distally yellow. Sternum yellow with pale orange margins. Opisthosoma brownish-yellow, dorsally with long, median, brown mark on anterior half and four median, brown chevrons on posterior half, ventrally with longitudinal, median brown stripe. Total length 11.3. Prosoma: 5.9 long, 5.4 wide. Opisthosoma: 5.5 long, 3.6 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.40, 0.36, 0.24, 0.32; interdistances: 0.24, 0.10, 0.50, 0.44, 0.24, 0.16. Legs (2143): I: 30.7 (8.0, 3.2, 8.2, 8.7, 2.6); II: 33.2 (9.2, 3.0, 9.0, 9.1, 2.9); III: 22.9 (6.7, 2.6, 5.7, 5.9, 2.0); IV: 26.9 (7.9, 2.6, 6.8, 7.4, 2.2). Palp: dRTA long. vRTA1 long, gutter-shaped and bifid at tip (best seen in ventral view). Subtegulum visible at 9:30 o’clock position. Embolus long, with large triangular base, subdistally narrowed, arising medially from tegulum. Conductor distally widened (Figs 41−42).

Female (MCZ 99588): Coloration pattern as in male. Total length 15.1. Prosoma: 6.0 long, 5.7 wide. Opisthosoma: 8.6 long, 5.0 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.40, 0.34, 0.26, 0.32; interdistances: 0.26, 0.16, 0.46, 0.52, 0.30, 0.26. Legs: I: 28.6 (8.0, 3.1, 7.6, 7.5, 2.4); II: 32.2 (9.1, 3.4, 8.7, 8.5, 2.5); III: (6.5, 2.6, 5.1, metatarsus and tarsus absent); IV: 24.8 (7.5, 2.6, 6.2, 6.5, 2.0). Epigyne: epigynal field longer than wide, roughly triangular (Fig. 43). Vulva: copulatory ducts slightly longer than half the spermathecae length. Spermathecae large, oval. Basal part of fertilization ducts slender, less than one-fourth copulatory duct width, distal part antero-laterad (Fig. 44).

Variation. Males (n = 2): total length 10.9–11.3; prosoma length 5.4–5.9; femur I length 8.0–8.3. Distribution. Only known from the type locality in the state of Jalisco , Mexico (Map 2).

FIGURES 41−44. Curicaberis eberhardi sp. nov. 41− 42 male, left palp (41 ventral, 42 retrolateral); 43− 44 female (43 epigyne, ventral view, 44 vulva, dorsal view). C = conductor; CD = copulatory duct; dRTA = dorsal branch of RTA; E = embolus; FD = fertilization duct; GP = glandular projection; LL = lateral lobes; lp = lateral protrusion; mp = median protrusion; MS = median septum; SP = spermathecae; ST = subtegulum; vRTA1 = projection 1 of ventral branch of RTA; vRTA2 = projection 2 of ventral branch of RTA. Scale lines: 1 mm.