Agyneta catalina, Dupérré, Nadine, 2013

Dupérré, Nadine, 2013, Taxonomic revision of the spider genera Agyneta and Tennesseellum (Araneae, Linyphiidae) of North America north of Mexico with a study of the embolic division within Micronetinae sensu Saaristo & Tanasevitch 1996, Zootaxa 3674 (1), pp. 1-189 : 117-118

Agyneta catalina new species

Figs 376–379 , map 24

Type material: Male holotype from Arizona, Pima County, Catalina Mts., Molino Basin, 27 Nov. 1976, V. Roth, Shoroepfer ( AMNH). EXAMINED.

Etymology: The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality, Catalina Mountains, Arizona, USA.

Diagnosis: Males are distinguished from all Agyneta species by their extremely large, rounded dorsal and ventral cymbial tubercles ( Fig. 377 ). From A. tuberculata by the elongated process of the posterior terminal apophysis ( Fig. 379 ), short in the latter ( Fig. 372 ).

Description: Male: Total length 1.91; carapace length 0.90, width 0.60.

CEPHALOTHORAX: Carapace orange, shiny, finely reticulate; lightly suffused with gray along margin. Sternum suffused with dark gray. Clypeus height 3. Chelicerae orange, apical part lighter, excavated; ~ 15 setatipped tubercles; promargin four denticles, retromargin three tiny denticles. Cheliceral stridulatory organ visible ~60 striae, narrowly spaced. ABDOMEN: Uniformly light gray. LEGS: Orange; leg I total length: 4.08; leg III total length: 2.63; Tm I: 0.27, Tm IV: absent. GENITALIA: Palpal retrolateral tibial apophysis short, tip slightly rugose; dorsal tibial apophysis wide, smooth; two retrolateral trichobothria and one dorsal ( Fig. 376 ). Cymbium pointed; glabrous depression present ( Fig. 376 ); dorsal cymbial tubercle with rounded tip, smooth; ventral cymbial tubercle long, with extra process basally and smooth rounded tip; prolateral notch medium ( Fig. 377 ). Paracymbium apical pocket medium, anterior pocket medium creating a small cover, posterior pocket absent ( Fig. 376 ). Embolus tip wide and pointed, with wide and dentate prong; ventrally rugose; Fickert’s gland absent; ventral lamella transparent, spiny; thumb reaching over embolus proper ( Fig. 378 ). Embolus proper set apically, small and of equal part ( Fig. 378 ). Anterior terminal apophysis wide with numerous long and short protrusions; terminal apophysis narrow, tip pointed with one long spur basally ( Fig. 379 arrow); lamella characteristica wide, tapering into a small, pointed tip with dentate prong retrolaterally ( Fig. 379 ).

Female: Unknown.

Other material examined: None.

Distribution: Southwestern USA, Arizona.

The micaria group includes five species, A. micaria ( Emerton 1882) , A. fabra ( Keyserling 1886) , A. hedini Paquin & Dupérré 2009 , A. ledfordi n. sp. and A. platnicki n. sp.

All members of the group share three unique characters, the male palpal cymbium is expanded dorsally in a conical apex ( Figs 380 , 390 , 402 , 412 , 421 ), the prolateral notch is very deep and hides the tip of the embolus ( Figs 381 , 391 , 403 , 422 ) and finally the tip of the embolus is bent apically ( Figs 382 , 392 , 404 , 414 , 423 ). The group has intriguing morphology, the embolus proper is either set medially or apically, but definitely not related to the embolus tip. Furthermore, A. fabra is the only known Agyneta species thus far to have a mastidion ( Fig. 395 ). In three species in the group A. fabra , A. hedini and A. platnicki the Fickert’s gland is present ( Figs 392 , 404 , 414 ) and two species have a seta-tipped tubercles on the endites A. ledfordi and A. hedini . In addition, males of A. micaria , have an elongated abdomen with an abdominal pattern that suggests possible ant mimicry.

The group is characterized as such: males with excavated chelicerae; palpal tibia with two retrolateral and one dorsal trichobothria; paracymbium with apical pocket, anterior pocket long and curved ( Fig. 380 ). Ventral lamella of the embolus absent; thumb very long, reaching well beyond the embolus proper ( Fig. 382 ); the radical division sclerites are complex and difficult to distinguish ( Figs 405 , 424 ). The females are characterized by the position of the genital pores in the median part of scape ( Figs 389 , 411 ); short but wide lateral lobes and small stretcher ( Figs 400 , 420 ).

Figures

FIGURES 376 – 379. Agyneta catalina n. sp. 376 – 379, Male. 376. Palp, retrolateral view. 377. Palp, prolateral view. 378. Embolus, prolateral view. 379. Radical division, retrolateral view (arrow points to long basal spur).

FIGURES 368 – 375. Agyneta tuberculata n. sp. 368 – 372, Male. 373 – 375, Female. 368. Palp, retrolateral view. 369. Palp, prolateral view. 370. Variation of dorsal and ventral cymbial tubercles, prolateral view (arrow points to ventral cymbial protuberance). 371. Embolus, prolateral view. 372. Radical division, retrolateral view (arrow points to basal spur). 373. Epigynum, ventral view. 374. Internal genitalia, ventral view. 375. Internal genitalia, dorsal view.

FIGURES 380 – 389. Agyneta micaria (Emerton, 1882). 380 – 384, Male. 385 – 389, Female. 380. Palp, retrolateral view. 381. Palp, prolateral view. 382. Embolus, prolateral view. 383. Radical division, retrolateral view. 384. 385. Abdomen, dorsal view. 386. Epigynum, ventral view. 387. Internal genitalia, ventral view. 388. Internal genitalia, dorsal view. 389. Distal part of scape, posterior view.

FIGURES 390 – 401. Agyneta fabra (Keyserling 1886). 390 – 395, Male. 396 – 401, Female. 390. Palp, retrolateral view. 391. Palp, prolateral view. 392. Embolus, prolateral view. 393. Radical division, retrolateral view. 394. Abdomen, dorsal view. 395. Cephalothorax, anterior view (arrow points to mastidion). 396. Abdomen, dorsal view. 397. 398. Variation of epigynum, ventral view. 399. Internal genitalia, ventral view. 400. Internal genitalia, dorsal view. 401. Distal part of scape, posterior view.

FIGURES 402 – 411. Agyneta hedini Paquin & Dupérré 2009. 402 – 406, Male. 407 – 411, Female. 402. Palp, retrolateral view. 403. Palp, prolateral view (arrow points to protuberance). 404. Embolus, prolateral view. 405. Radical division, retrolateral view. 406. 407. Abdomen, dorsal view. 408. Epigynum, ventral view. 409. Internal genitalia, ventral view. 410. Internal genitalia, dorsal view. 411. Internal genitalia, lateral view.

FIGURES 412 – 420. Agyneta platnicki n. sp. 412 – 416, Male. 417 – 420, Female. 412. Cymbium, prolateral view. 413. Palpal tibia, retrolateral view. 414. Embolus, prolateral view. 415. Radical division, retrolateral view. 416. 417. Abdomen, dorsal view. 418. Epigynum, ventral view. 419. Internal genitalia, ventral view. 420. Internal genitalia, dorsal view.

FIGURES 421 – 424. Agyneta ledfordi n. sp. 421 – 424, Male. 421. Palp, retrolateral view (arrow points to conical extension of the cymbium). 422. Palp, prolateral view. 423. Embolus, prolateral view. 424. Radical division, retrolateral view.