Anicius Chamberlin, 1925

Guerrero-Fuentes, Dariana R. & Francke, Oscar F., 2019, Taxonomic revision of Anicius Chamberlin, 1925 (Araneae: Salticidae), with five new species of jumping spiders from Mexico, Zootaxa 4638 (4), pp. 485-506 : 486-487

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4638.4.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E42F7C47-418F-4819-8B23-D9EDDA4D1556
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/05688788-3A37-FFC9-609E-455C4D23E916
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Anicius Chamberlin, 1925
status

Treatment

Anicius Chamberlin, 1925 View in CoL

Anicius Chamberlin 1925: 131 View in CoL (Type species by original designation: Anicius dolius Chamberlin, 1925 View in CoL ).

Composition. A. dolius Chamberlin, 1925 , A. chiapanecus sp. nov., A. cielito sp. nov., A. faunus sp. nov., A. grisae sp. nov. and A. maddisoni sp. nov.

Relationships. This genus has been suggested to be related to Hentzia , due to its similarities incluiding the appearance (elongated and shiny body of males), simple female genitalia and the male palp with a long and thin embolus arising prolateraly ( Richman 1989).

Diagnosis. All species of Anicius share a fairly narrow, shiny green to golden metallic bodies, with longitudinal white stripes laterally, and without strong sexual dimorphism in general body color pattern ( Figs 1–12 View FIGURES 1–12 ), uncommon in dendryphantines. Males of Anicius are similar to Hentzia and Phanias Pickard-Cambridge in having a similar color body pattern and elongated chelicera, but can be recognized by the presence of a dorsal, longitudinal dark stripe and chevrons on the abdomen of both sexes ( Figs 24 View FIGURES 24–29 , 30 View FIGURES 30–35 , 36 View FIGURES 36–41 , 42 View FIGURES 42–47 , 48 View FIGURES 48–53 ), absence of dorsal paired spots on the abdomen of females, and the presence of a bicuspid retromarginal tooth in the male chelicera ( Fig. 15 View FIGURES 13–16 ), absent in the other two genera; this bicuspid tooth is also present in Beata wickhami Peckham & Peckham ( Richman 1989: 289, fig. 5), but Anicius can be distinguished from that species due to the oval tegulum (bilobed in B. wickhami ; Richman 1989: 289, fig. 6), besides the different body coloration pattern. Also, the embolus of Anicius is hook-like, and the curvature is toward the retrolateral side, similar to Bagheera montagua Ruiz & Edwards ( Ruiz & Edwards 2013: 21, figs 17–18), B. wickhami ( Richman 1989: 289, fig. 6), Hentzia and Zygoballus Peckham & Peckham ( Maddison 1996: 332, figs 50–51). Species of Anicius can be distinguished from Bagheera and Zygoballus by the habitus, its color pattern and the presence of large chelicerae in Bagheera and Zygoballus males. The embolus of Anicius is less curved and is positioned at the middle of the cymbium, whereas in Zygoballus species the embolus is positioned at the margins of cymbium.

Description. Prosoma: carapace rectangular and brown colored, dorsally covered with green or golden scales ( Figs 1–12 View FIGURES 1–12 ); in lateral view, rectangular and slightly flattened ( Figs 26, 29 View FIGURES 24–29 , 32, 35 View FIGURES 30–35 , 38, 41 View FIGURES 36–41 , 44, 47 View FIGURES 42–47 , 50, 53 View FIGURES 48–53 , 56, 59 View FIGURES 54–59 ). Clypeus short, with a band of white setae that extends to the sides of carapace under the eyes. Fovea short and straight. PME closer to PLE than to ALE. Ocular quadrangle wider than long, anteriorly as wide as posteriorly ( Figs 24, 27 View FIGURES 24–29 , 42, 45 View FIGURES 42–47 ). Chelicerae: males with triangular, smooth chelicerae, with two promarginal teeth and one bicuspid retromarginal tooth ( Fig. 15 View FIGURES 13–16 ); dorsum with a few white scales and green light reflections. Females with rectangular chelicerae, smooth and brown, with two small promarginal teeth and retromargin with a conspicuous bicuspid tooth; fang smaller than paturon ( Fig. 16 View FIGURES 13–16 ). Thoracic area: Dark brown; endites rectangular, longer than wide, convex and convergent, distal margin paler. Labium trapezoidal, longer than wide. Sternum dark brown, longer than wide ( Figs 25, 28 View FIGURES 24–29 , 31, 34 View FIGURES 30–35 , 37, 40 View FIGURES 36–41 , 43, 46 View FIGURES 42–47 , 49, 52 View FIGURES 48–53 , 55, 58 View FIGURES 54–59 ). Legs: leg formula of males and females: I, IV, III, II or I, IV, II, III. Leg I dark brown, robust and as long as body; males with leg I dark brown and femora with light reflections, the other legs thin and pale yellow, with or without dark spots ( Figs 24 View FIGURES 24–29 , 30 View FIGURES 30–35 , 36 View FIGURES 36–41 , 42 View FIGURES 42–47 , 48 View FIGURES 48–53 , 54 View FIGURES 54–59 ); females without dark spots on legs II–IV ( Figs 27 View FIGURES 24–29 , 33 View FIGURES 30–35 , 39 View FIGURES 36–41 , 45 View FIGURES 42–47 , 51 View FIGURES 48–53 , 57 View FIGURES 54–59 ). Leg spination: uniform in both sexes (except on patella I: females without spines): I: Fm d 1-1-1, p 0-0-1 or 0-0-2; Pt p 0-1-0; Tb v 2-2 -2; Mt v 0-2- 2. II: Fm d 1-1-1, p 0-0-1 or 0-0-2, r 0-0-1; Tb v 1-1 -2 or 1-1-1, p 0-0-1; Mt v 0-2-2 or 0-1-2, p 0-1-1 or 0-0-1, r 0-0- 1. III: Fm d 1-1-1, p 0-0-1 or 0-0-2, r 0-0-1; Tb v 0-0-2 or 0-0-1, p 0-2-2, 0-1-0 or 0-1-1, r 0-2-2, 0-1-1 or 0-1-0; Mt v 0-0-1, p 0-0-2 or 0-0-1, r 0-0-2 or 0-0-1; IV: Fm d 1-1-1, p 0-0-1, r 0-0-1; Tb v 1 -0-1, 0-0-2 or 1-0-2, p 0-1-0 or 0-0-1, r 0-0-1 or 0-1-0; Mt v 0-0-1, p 0-0-1, 0-0-2 or 0-1-2, r 0-0-1 or 0-0-2. Opisthosoma: cylindrical, 1.8–1.9 times longer than wide, dorsally with two lateral longitudinal white stripes corresponding to those on carapace, and a dark medial longitudinal band ( Figs 1–12 View FIGURES 1–12 ). Male epiandrous fusules are absent ( Figs 13–14 View FIGURES 13–16 ), at least in A. dolius . Spinnerets brown, 1/6 of the total length of opisthosoma, covered with setae: PS cylindrical, AS conical and as long as PS ( Figs 26, 28 View FIGURES 24–29 , 31 View FIGURES 30–35 ). Genitalia: male palp dark brown, Fm d 1-1-1, Tb short with hook-like RTA, cymbium oval, embolus short (half or less the length of bulb) and curved clockwise, originating at middle of distal HM, TL rectangular or quadrangular with or without crests, tegulum oval ( Figs 60–77 View FIGURES 60–71 View FIGURES 72–77 ). Female genitalia simple, epigyne a flat plate, externally with a pair of simple and small (less than 1/3 of plate) CO situated in distal part of epigyne; internally with curved CD without touching, extending backwards and forming a convergent-divergent pattern (> <), with two or three slight curves, first loop in the anterior part slightly curved or straight, spermathecae almost unmodified, directed laterally, where the FD arise ( Figs 78–89 View FIGURES 78–89 ).

Variation. Body length 2.50–5.80 mm. Opisthosoma color pattern in both sexes may differ in the number of lateral spots. Some specimens do not have the medial longitudinal dark band well defined. Also, both sexes exhibit variation in leg spination; the spination pattern in Tb, Mt of legs III–IV can vary in the position (v, p and r) and number of spines (0–2), even in specimens of the same sex and from the same population. Finally, in some males the bicuspid tooth is more like a single cuspid tooth, being probably associated with aging.

Distribution. Throughout Mexico, closely associated with temperate zones along the great mountain systems of Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre Occidental, Sierra Madre del Sur, and Transmexican Volcanic Belt ( Fig. 17 View FIGURES 17 ). The vegetation type ( Figs 18–23 View FIGURES 18–23 ) corresponds to cloud and temperate forests in the Mesoamerican Mountain Region ( Challenger & Soberón 2008). Biogeographically, Anicius belongs to the Mexican Montane biotic component (Mexican Transition Zone) ( Morrone 2010).

Natural history. The species in this genus are commonly found wandering on shrubs, the lower leaves and branches of oak trees, from 1,000 to 3,000 m of elevation in temperate climates (mean annual temperature ~12°C– 18°C), primarily in oak-pine forest and cloud forest ( Figs 18–23 View FIGURES 18–23 ). Mature specimens have been found from April to October, during the rainy season; the best time to collect adult males and females is from April to July.