Cybaeodes liocraninus ( Simon, 1913 ) Simon, 1913

Bosselaers, Jan, 2009, Studies in Liocranidae (Araneae): redescriptions and transfers in Apostenus Westring and Brachyanillus Simon, as well as description of a new genus, Zootaxa 2141, pp. 37-55 : 46-49

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.188586
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5576009
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B9291A-FFD8-F16E-FF64-F592FD55D157
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Cybaeodes liocraninus ( Simon, 1913 )
status	comb. nov.

Treatment

Cybaeodes liocraninus ( Simon, 1913) View in CoL new combination

Figs. 2 G View FIGURE 2 A – K ; 3 C–G; 6 A; 8 E.

Brachyanillus liocraninus Simon, 1913: 378 .

Type material. Holotype juvenile, Algeria, " Brachyanillus liocraninus E.S. G tte Misserghin ( Oran) R.J." [ MNHN 499] .

Other material examined. 1 juvenile, Algeria, " Brachyanillus liocraninus E.S. biosp. n° 621. Gr.te Misserghin. Oran. 2 III 13 " [ MNHN 621] .

Diagnosis. C. liocraninus can be distinguished from other Cybaeodes species by the complete absence of eyes.

Description. Juvenile (holotype). Total length 4.10. Carapace length 1.74, w 1.32, flattened ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 A – B D, 6 A), pale yellowish brown. Fovea dark brown, deep, length 0.16, anterior end 1.16 from front end of carapace. No eyes ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A – B C, F). Chilum absent. Chelicerae yellow, with a row of thick, stout hairs along promarginal cheliceral rim. Three teeth along promarginal rim, halfway between fang base and base of paturon, largest tooth in the middle. Two small teeth on retromarginal rim, close to fang base. Sternum yellow, smooth, shieldshaped, length 1.05, w 0.84. No PCT, no ICS ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A – B E), PLB inconspicuous and isolated. Labium as wide as long. Endites subrectangular, frontally rounded, with oblique depression, apical hair tuft and serrula. Abdomen greyish white. ALS subconical, almost contiguous at their bases, with small apical segment. PMS small and slender, not flattened. PLS subconical, separated by slightly less than their length, terminal segment small, conical. Trochanters deeply notched, no rh, feathery hairs present on legs. Legs long, unicolorous yellow, leg formula 4123, leg length I 6.10 II 5.79 III 4.97 IV 7.47. Patellar indentation 2/3 of pa length, mt and ta with erectile bristles, vt preening brush on mt III, ta IV with pl basal spine, ta IV with a row of three do trichobothria in basal half. Tarsal claws with 5–7 teeth and five pairs of tenent hairs ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A – B G). Leg spination ( Fig. 2 G View FIGURE 2 A – K ) fe: I pl 0-0-1 do 1-1-0; II pl 0-0-1 do 1-1-0; III do 1-3-2; IV do 1-2-2; ti: I plv 1-1-1-1-1 rlv 1-1-1-1- 1; II plv 0-0-0-1 rlv 1-1-1-1; III pl 1-0-1 do 1-1-0 rl 1-0-1 plv 1-1-1 rlv 1-1-1; IV pl 1-0-1 do 1-1-0 rl 1-0-1 plv 1-1-1 rlv 1-1-1; mt: I plv 1-0-0 rlv 1-0-0; II plv 1-0-0 rlv 1-0-0; III pl 2-1-1 do 0-1-0 rl 1-1-1 plv 1-1-1 rlv 1-0- 1 vts 1; IV pl 1-1-1 rl 1-1-1 plv 1-1-1 rlv 1-1-1 vts 1; ta: IV pl 1-0-0.

Discussion. Although Simon refers to the type specimen as a female (without any comments about the genital morphology), study of the type specimen as well as an additional specimen from his collection proves that he only saw juveniles. Nevertheless, the species is redescribed here and not treated as a nomen dubium, because the completely anophthalmic specimens clearly belong to a separate species not described elsewhere in Liocranidae , and they present enough distinctive characters to allow attributing newly collected adult specimens to the same species.

Apart from the absence of eyes, which is often considered a typical energy-saving adaptation of cave animals ( Barr 1968; Diamond 1996; Bosselaers 1998), the general morphology of C. liocraninus does not justify a place in a separate genus and advocates the inclusion of the species in the genus Cybaeodes (compare Figs. 6 A View FIGURE 6 A and B, Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 A – B C–G with Figs. 4 A–G View FIGURE 4 A – G and 5 A–G View FIGURE 5 A – G , and Fig. 8 E View FIGURE 8 A – H with Figs. 8 F, G View FIGURE 8 A – H ). The leg spination of C. liocraninus (compare Fig. 2 G View FIGURE 2 A – K with Figs. 2 H–J View FIGURE 2 A – K ) as well as the presence of five pairs of tenent hairs and 5–7 toothed claws on the tarsal tips (compare Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A – B G with Figs. 4 F, G View FIGURE 4 A – G and 5 F, G View FIGURE 5 A – G ) further confirm this. Platnick & Di Franco (1992) already stated "...we would not be surprised to find that blind, cavernicolous members of Cybaeodes occur in Mediterranean caves" and Ribera (2004: 215) reports that material identified as Brachyanillus liocraninus by Fage (1931: 209) actually belongs to Cybaeodes . Ribera (personal communication) captured several species of blind Cybaeodes , with a somatic morphology indistinguishable from Simon's Brachyanillus , in Spanish caves. Description of these new species is ongoing.