Nops MacLeay, 1839

Sánchez-Ruiz, Alexander & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2018, A revision of the Neotropical spider genus Nops MacLeay (Araneae: Caponiidae) with the first phylogenetic hypothesis for the Nopinae genera, Zootaxa 4427 (1), pp. 1-121 : 19-20

Genus Nops MacLeay, 1839

Type species: Nops guanabacoae MacLeay, 1839 by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Members of Nops can be distinguished from non‒nopine genera by having tarsi subsegmented ( Figs 9A; 32L); and from other nopine genera by having a small arolium with a pencil eraser shape on the legs I‒II ( Figs 5A; 22A; 35I ‒J; 71K), absent from the legs III‒IV ( Figs 5B‒C; 35K‒L; 54B‒C); an angulated ectal median margin of endites ( Figs 21B; 29F; 38E; 60E) and a finger‒shaped labium ( Figs 21B; 38E; 60E).

Description. Medium‒sized caponiids with two eyes. Carapace uniformly orange or yellow, elongate oval, widest at rear of coxae II, only gradually narrowed anterior of eyes ( Fig. 6A‒H); pars cephalica not elevated; pars thoracica slightly sloping posteriorly, with slight submarginal depressions opposite intercoxal spaces ( Figs 37A; 60C); few dorsally directed strong bristles on clypeus ( Fig. 60B); thoracic groove almost obsolete or absent. AME dark, situated on slightly elevated black ocular tubercle, separated by about a half of their diameter ( Fig. 60B), set back from anterior margin of clypeus by about twice their diameter ( Fig. 38C). Females with clypeus bloated ( Fig. 6E‒H). Chelicerae orange, with median lamina; most of distance between lamina and fang base occupied by white membranous lobe ( Figs 21F; 38G; 60J); cheliceral paturon with scattered, long, weak bristles ( Fig. 60L); ectal side with stridulatory ridges ( Figs 21G; 38H; 60K). Endites orange, except anterior tips with white membranous projection ( Figs 11F, 29F, 58F), wide, convergent along midline (but not touching), with middle part wider than the distal and proximal and forming an obtuse angle of about 120 degrees on the ectal margin ( Figs 21B; 38E; 60E), covered with scattered long setae, and with strong distal serrula consisting of single tooth row ( Figs 21C; 38F; 60F). Labium orange, broad, rounded, fused to sternum along posterior groove, reborded in apical part ( Figs 21B; 38E; 60E, H). Sternum orange, oval, surface with fine reticular lines with numerous long, stiff setae ( Figs 21A; 38D; 60D); pleural membrane with three sclerotized intercoxal extensions between coxae I and II, II and III, and III and IV, long precoxal triangles on coxae II, III and IV. Legs orange, formula 4 123, without spines; anterior femora usually enlarged ( Fig. 21I); metatarsi entire, with metatarsal dorsal stopper (MtS) ( Figs 38K; 39H), anterior legs with crista occupying almost all ventral part ( Figs 21K; 38K; 61G); gladius with the most common shape among nopine ( Figs 21L; 38J‒L); all tarsi bi‒segmented ( Figs 21J; 38J; 39H; 61H, 62E); pretarsus with three claws; paired claws usually with 6‒10 teeth, most distal of which are largest ( Figs 22B, 43K); unpaired claw elongated and dorsally reflexed on legs I‒II ( Figs 22A, 35I), some species with unpaired claw elongated and reflexed on legs III‒IV ( Figs 35K, 43L), but others with the posterior unpaired claw small, as in other three‒clawed spiders ( Figs 62B, 68A), some few species with small teeth on posterior unpaired claw ( Figs 68C, 71F); ventral frictional setae on tarsi ( Fig. 22D, K, L) and several other setae around pretarsal claws ( Fig. 22G‒J); unpaired claws associated with a small arolium on anterior legs ( Figs 5A; 22A; 35I ‒J;, 71K), which is absent from posterior legs ( Figs 5B‒C; 35K‒L; 54B‒C). Tibiae, metatarsi, and tarsi with trichobothria in a single row ( Figs 22C; 47J), bases with semicircular rim bearing slight longitudinal ridges ( Figs 22F; 39J), tarsal organ exposed, roundish, with marginal ring slightly pronounced ( Figs 22E; 39K; 61L), slit sensillae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi ( Fig. 39F, L). Male and female palpal tarsus elongated, without claw, retrolateral and ventral surfaces densely covered with strong setae; with an oval pad of fine chemoreceptor setae on dorsal, distal part ( Fig. 23F), with a prolateral tibial brush (ptb) near distal end ( Figs 23B; 43E; 45H); with a pick on prolateral side of palpal femur, situated near proximal end of podomere, in most of species with a slender shape ( Figs 27G; 43F; 45I). Abdomen gray dorsally, lighter ventrally, with only slightly sclerotized epigastric and postepigastric scutum; three abdominal patterns among species ( Fig. 6I ‒K), a few species without pattern ( Fig. 6L); with two pairs of respiratory spiracles clustered around epigastric groove ( Fig. 7E); anterior spiracles leading to wide, short tracheal trunk ending in numerous long tracheoles; posterior spiracles leading to two large tracheal trunks extending anteriorly into cephalothorax (inner trunks connected), plus one or two much narrower trunks extending posteriorly for most of abdominal length and several short, small tracheoles extending posteriorly ( Fig. 7F). Six spinnerets in typical caponiid arrangement ( Fig. 7A‒D), ALS with only one major ampullate gland spigot in males ( Figs 23H; 61C), plus two or three piriform gland spigots in females ( Fig. 23L). PMS with one minor ampullate gland spigot (major gland in females), plus six‒eleven aciniform gland spigots ( Figs 23G; 61C), and PLS with multiple aciniform gland spigots ( Figs 23I ‒K; 61A) of variable number among species; a group of species with PLS two times longer than the PMS ( Fig. 7A‒B) and another group with PLS of equal size as PMS ( Fig. 7C‒D). Male palpal patella and tibia short, tibia excavated ventrally ( Fig. 54H); cymbium elongated, not swollen, ventral surface densely covered with strong setae ( Figs 23C; 57A); pear‒shape bulb, globose, originating near base of cymbium; embolus with small extensions on tip ( Fig. 4A‒B), a few species with differentiate texture on median part ( Figs 18B; 27E‒F; 30B) and/or a sclerotized margin on embolar tip ( Fig. 18B). External female genitalia with a weakly sclerotized anterior plate in most species, sclerotization around spiracles and on outer ends of posterior receptaculum (noticeable by transparency); posterior plate with two lateral extension (lep) between spiracles ( Fig. 3A); external sclerotization around spiracles (ess), pointed anteriorly on anterior spiracles and tear‒shaped under posterior spiracles ( Fig. 3A). Internal female genitalia consisting of transverse, wide, anteriorly directed, weakly sclerotized receptaculum (r), and a membranous uterus externus which usually extends anteriorly over the distal margin of receptaculum ( Figs 2A‒I; 3A‒B).

Distribution. Neotropics

Other species included. N. agnarssoni Sánchez ‒Ruiz, Brescovit & Alayόn, N. alexenriquei n. sp., N. amazonas n. sp., N. bahia n. sp., N. blandus (Bryant) , N. campeche n. sp., N. coccineus Simon , N. enae Sánchez ‒Ruiz, N. ernestoi Sánchez ‒Ruiz, N. farhati Prosen , N. finisfurvus Sánchez ‒Ruiz, Brescovit & Alayόn, N. flutillus Chickering , N. jaragua n. sp., N. gertschi Chickering , N. hispaniola Sánchez ‒Ruiz, Brescovit & Alayόn, N. ipojuca n. sp., N. itapetinga n. sp., N. largus Chickering , N. maculatus Simon , N. mathani Simon , N. meridionalis Keyserling , N. minas n. sp., N. navassa n. sp., N. nitidus Simon , N. pallidus n. sp., N. pocone n. sp., N. quito Dupérré , N. siboney Sánchez ‒Ruiz, N. sublaevis Simon , N. tico n. sp., N. toballus Chickering ; N. ursumus Chickering , N. variabilis Keyserling.

Species inquerenda. N. anisitsi Strand , N. bellulus Chamberlin , N. branicki (Taczanowski) , N. glaucus Hasselt.