Caponina cajabamba Platnick, 1994

Villarreal-Blanco, Eduardo, Martínez, Leonel & Eyes-Escalante, Melisa, 2024, Update in the Peruvian Caponiidae: New records and new species of Nyetnops Platnick & Lise, 2007 (Araneae: Caponiidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 932, pp. 204-224 : 206-208

Caponina cajabamba Platnick, 1994

Figs 1A–H , 2A–E , 11–12

Diagnosis (updated from Platnick 1994)

The female of this species resembles that of C. chilensis Platnick, 1994 in having relatively long epigynal sclerotizations but can be distinguished by the club-shaped anterior extensions of the sclerotizations, which reach almost to the pedicel ( Fig. 2D–E ). Males of C. cajabamba differ from those of C. chilensis by a more elongated, less pointed dorsal tubercle on the palpal femur and a wider embolar base, and from those of C. paramo Platnick, 1994 by having the embolar base proximal instead posteriorly directed as in C. paramo ( Fig. 2A–C ).

Type material

Holotype PERU • ♀, not examined; Cajamarca, at an elevation of 3000–3100 m above Cajabamba ; 25 Sep. 1955; W.K. Weyrauch leg.; CAS.

Other material PERU • 1 ♂; Lima, Huaral ; 11°23′14″ S, 77°17′18″ W; alt. 412 m; Nov. 2018; M. Lozano leg.; MUSM – ENT 0515824 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; MUSM – ENT 0515825 • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, 3 juvs; same collection data as for preceding; MUSM – ENT 0515823 • 3 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; MUSM – ENT 0515826 • 1 ♀, 3 juvs; same collection data as for preceding; MUSM – ENT 0515827 .

Description

Male (MUSM–ENT 0515824)

COLORATION ( Fig. 1A–B, E, G ). Carapace light orange with slightly darker edges. Chelicerae, endites, labium, and sternum light orange. Legs pale yellow. Abdomen: dorsally and ventrally light gray, without noticeable pattern ( Fig. 1A–B, E, G ). Spinnerets light gray.

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 4.68; carapace length 1.82; width 1.50; height 0.25. Clypeus height 0.25. Eye diameters and interdistances: PME 0.15, PME–PME 0.34. Chelicerae length 0.59. Sternum length 1.24; width 1.09. Legs: I: 5.39; II: 5.52; III: 4.05; IV: 6.36. Abdomen length 2.90.

PALP. Cymbium more than 2 × as long as tibia, rounded tip, tegulum oval, with long embolus protruding prolaterally from the middle surface of tegulum, with a wide curved anteriorly, third distal from the embolus less sclerotized, specially retrolateral side, tip very pointed ( Fig. 2A–C ).

Female (MUSM–ENT 0515825)

COLORATION AND ABDOMINAL PATTERN. As male, but with vivid color tones ( Fig. 1C–D, F, H ).

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 5.58, carapace length 1.81, width 1.62, height 0.43. Clypeus height 0.28. Eye diameters and interdistances: PME 0.14, PME–PME 0.34. Chelicerae length 0.76. Sternum length 1.27, width 1.07. Legs: I: 6.14; II: 6.09; III: 5.29; IV: 6.73. Abdomen length 4.09.

GENITALIA. External genital area with weakly sclerotized anterior plate and pair of sclerotized bars visible ( Fig. 2D ). Internal genitalia with very long pair of sclerotized bars and anterior extensions, reaching virtually to pedicel, anterior extensions club-shaped and fused to the sclerotized bars on its entire length ( Fig. 2E ).

Variation

Males (n=2): total length: 4.39–4.68; carapace length: 1.73–1.82. Females (n= 3): total length: 4.66– 5.58; carapace length: 1.79–2.01.

Distribution

Only known from Cajabamba in Cajamarca department and Huaral, Lima ( Fig. 11 ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Caponina cajabamba Platnick, 1994. A–B, E, G. ♂ (MUSM–ENT 0515824). C–D, F, H. ♀ (MUSM–ENT 0515825). A–B. Habitus, dorsal view. C–D. Habitus, ventral view. E–F. Prosoma, dorsal view. G–H. Prosoma, ventral view. Scale bars= 1 mm.

Fig. 2. Caponina cajabamba Platnick, 1994. A–C. ♂ (MUSM–ENT 0515824). D–E. ♀, (MUSM– ENT 0515825). A. Left palp, prolateral view. B. Left palp, ventral view. C. Left palp, retrolateral view. D. External genitalia, ventral view. E. Internal genitalia, dorsal view. Scale bars: A–C= 0.5 mm; D–E= 0.25 mm.

Fig. 11. Distribution map of species of Caponiidae Simon, 1890 recorded from Peru.

Fig. 12. Distribution map of the genus Nyetnops Platnick & Lise, 2007.