Kupiuka, Ruiz, Gustavo Rodrigo Sanches, 2010

Ruiz, Gustavo Rodrigo Sanches, 2010, Proposal of Kupiuka and Plesiopiuka, two new genera of jumping spiders from Brazil (Araneae: Salticidae: Heliophaninae), Zootaxa 2630, pp. 57-68 : 58

Kupiuka gen. nov.

Type species: Kupiuka extratheca sp. nov.

Etymology. The name is an arbitrary combination of letters.

Diagnosis. Kupiuka differs from the remaining genera of Heliophaninae by having the glandular portion of the wall of the copulation duct developed into what appears to be an extra spermatheca ( Figs 7, 16, 22).

Description. The genus includes small jumping spiders (2–4mm) with granulose areas on the lateral surfaces of the anterior carapace and three modified setae on the distal prolateral portion of femur I for stridulation, as those described for species of Helvetia and Matagaia (see Ruiz & Brescovit 2008, figs 2–3 and Ruiz et al. 2007, figs 1–2); bodies are slightly elongate and flattened; chelicerae with two teeth on promargin and one on retromargin; male palps with a prolateral depression on femora; glandular portion of the wall of the copulation duct of the epigyne seems to be developed into an extra spermatheca ( Figs 7, 16, 22), while true spermathecae are not differentiated in girth. This apparent extra spermatheca is probably homologous to the flower-shaped gland present in dendryphantines (see Maddison 1996: 225, fig. 5) and long, chimney-like structures (also treated by some authors as “scent gland”, e.g. Berry & Prószyński 2001) present in other salticids, such as amycines and sitticines (Amycoida) or even in Hakka Berry & Prószyński, 2001 or Pseudicius Simon, 1902 ( Heliophaninae ).

Composition. Eight species: Kupiuka extratheca sp. nov., Kupiuka murici sp. nov., Kupiuka overalli sp. nov., Kupiuka taruman sp. nov., Kupiuka heteropicta sp. nov., Kupiuka paulista sp. nov., Kupiuka adisi sp. nov., Kupiuka vochysiae sp. nov.