Cybaeus vulpinus Bennett, 2009

Bennett, Robb, Copley, Claudia & Copley, Darren, 2021, Cybaeus (Araneae: Cybaeidae): the consocius species group of the Californian clade, Zootaxa 4965 (3), pp. 401-436 : 426

Cybaeus vulpinus Bennett

Figs 40–41 , 57 , 80–83 , 86

Bennett in Copley et al. 2009: 387, figs 79–84. World Spider Catalog 2021.

Type material examined. U.S.A.: California: Holotype male. Tuolumne County, Fox Gulch, 1.5 miles north of Columbia , 2200’, 6.xii.1986, D. Ubick ( CAS) . Paratypes: Specimens (including one non-paratype female) and locality data in Copley et al. (2009).

Notes. Camp Connell is in Calaveras County, not El Dorado County as recorded in Copley et al. (2009).

Other material examined. U.S.A.: California: Amador. 1♀, 3 mi. W of Volcano , 25.iii.1995, D. Ubick ( CAS) .

Diagnosis. Among the males of the consocius group species, C. vulpinus is only likely to be confused with C. pan spec. nov. Distinguishing the males of these two species is discussed under the diagnosis of C. pan spec. nov. Among the females of the consocius group, the female of C. vulpinus is only likely to be confused with the other species which lack U-shaped copulatory ducts: C. ubicki spec. nov., C. penedentatus , C. opulentus spec. nov., C. pan spec. nov., and C. simplex . The females of C. vulpinus and C. pan spec. nov. are very similar; distinguishing them is discussed under the diagnosis of the latter. The females of the other four species are more easily distinguished; separating females of C. ubicki spec. nov., C. opulentus spec. nov., and C. simplex from females of C. vulpinus is discussed under the diagnoses of those species. Females of C. vulpinus and C. penedentatus are easily separated by atrial morphology: broad in C. vulpinus ( Fig. 40 ) versus very small in C. penedentatus ( Figs 46–47, 49–50 , 52 ).

Description. See Copley et al. (2009).

Distribution and natural history. Western slopes of the south central Sierra Nevada region of eastern California in Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne Counties ( Fig. 86 ). A very rarely encountered species known only from the holotype male, collected in December, and four individually collected females.

Figures

FIGURE 86. Distributions of Cybaeus pan spec. nov., C. vulpinus, and C. opulentus spec. nov. AZ—Arizona, CA—California, ID—Idaho, OR—Oregon, NV—Nevada, UT—Utah, WA—Washington. California county names capitalized.

FIGURES 37–41. Cybaeus spp., females from California, copulatory organ (37–38 C. pan spec. nov. from near Calpine, 39 C. pan spec. nov. from Sierra City, 40–41 C. vulpinus from Big Trees State Park). 37 Epigynum, ventral. 38–41 Vulva (38, 40 ventral; 39, 41 dorsal). CD—copulatory duct, SS—spermathecal stalk. Unlabelled arrow indicates epigynal notch.

FIGURES 55–58. Cybaeus spp. males from California, left palpus, proximal arm of tegular apophysis (55 C. opulentus spec. nov. from Riverton, 56 C. penedentatus from Holy City, 57 C. vulpinus from Columbia, 58 C. pan from Calpine) (55–56 ventral, 57–58 prolateral). Arrows indicate diagnostic characters (55 slightly twisted tip and prominent basal protrusion; 56 acuminate slightly twisted tip and longitudinal ventral keel; 57 smoothly curved, twisted tip; 58 triangular keel dorsally on tip).

FIGURES 80–83. Cybaeus vulpinus, male from Columbia, California, left palpus. 80–81 Patella and tibia (80 retrolateral, 81 dorsal). 82–83 Genital bulb (82 ventral, 83 retrolateral). Arrows indicate simple curve of dorsal margin of tegular apophysis.

FIGURES 46–51. Cybaeus penedentatus, females from California, copulatory organ (46–48 from Ben Lomond, 49 from Pescadero Creek, 50–51 from Mount Madonna). 46 Epigynum, ventral. 47–51 Vulva (47, 49–50 ventral; 48, 51 dorsal). AT—atrium.

FIGURES 52–54. Cybaeus penedentatus, female from Brookdale, California, copulatory organ. 52 Epigynum, ventral. 53–54 Vulva (53 ventral, 54 dorsal). AT—atrium.