Paratobias F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900

Paratobias F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900: 162, pl. 11, fig. 2.

Stephanopis O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869 . Simon 1903: 1017 (synonymization)

Paratobias F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 . Machado & Teixeira 2021: 297, figs 13b, 18c (revalidation)

Type species: Paratobias championi F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900

Diagnosis. The species of Paratobias resemble those of Kryptochroma by their cryptic bark-dwelling habitus and enlarged anterior femora (I and II) with a set of setiferous tubercles (Figs 1A, B). However, Paratobias species can be recogninzed and distinguished from those of Kryptochroma and other stephanopines by their flattened carapace (Fig. 1C), presence of acute ocular projections projected frontwards and by the trapezoid opisthosoma, while Kryptochroma comprises individuals with a pronounced thoracic spire, absence of ocular projections and opisthosoma with five conical projections (see Machado et al. 2021). Moreover, Paratobias is also diagnosed by its reduced AME (1/3 the size of the ALE) and both eye rows recurved (Figs 4A, B), while Kryptochroma species have eyes of similar size and the posterior eye row is procurved. Paratobias species present only four ventral pairs of equal-sized macrosetae on the anterior tibiae (Fig. 1D), distinguishing from Kryptochroma whose species bear five pairs, being the distal and the proximal ones notably shorter than the others. In Paratobias, the female genitalia is diagnosed by the shallow epigynal plate with non-visible copulatory openings, which are positioned laterally and hidden by a fold on the integument at the border of the plate (Figs 4C, E). In Kryptochroma, the individuals have exposed copulatory openings at the center of the epigynal plate, usually separated by a median septum. In dorsal view, long and coiled copulatory ducts lead to a pair of twisted and constricted spermathecae in females of Paratobias (Figs 4D, F), while in Kryptochroma the copulatory ducts are short and go straight to a pair of oval spermathecae. The male palp of Paratobias species is characterized by the long, flexible and filiform embolus encircling the discoid tegulum, and the RTA is absent (Figs 5C–E). Males of Kryptochroma have a stout and conical RTA and a short and fixed embolus, emerging apically from a pear-shaped tegulum.

Description. Flattened prosoma, covered by hyaline filamentous setae and some club-shaped/clavate ones sparsely distributed. Both eye rows recurved, the ALE has twice the diameter of the AME and are located on a pair of acute ocular projections (Figs 1C, 4A, B); Anterior femora (I and II) present a set of stout spiniform macrosetae on their dorsal and prolateral surface, while tibiae I and II have four pairs of ventral macrosetae; tarsi are reduced (Fig. 4A). Opisthosoma is trapezoid, and like the prosoma, covered by hyaline filamentous setae and sparse clavate macrosetae (Fig. 4B); anal region well-developed, projected backwards. Female genitalia characterized by the flattened epigynal plate and copulatory openings hidden by lateral folds of the tegument (Figs 4C, E); long copulatory ducts, coiled anteriorly and leading to a pair of twisted spermathecae (Figs 4D, F). Male palpi without tegular apophysis and RTA, but presenting strong tibial macroseteae.

Distribution. MEXICO: Campeche, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Quintana, San Luis Potosí and Veracruz; HONDURAS: Cortés (Fig. 6).