Scytodes darlingtoni Alayón, 1977

Iost, Flora M., Alayón, Giraldo & Rheims, Cristina A., 2025, On the Antillean spiders of the genus Scytodes Latreille, 1804 (Araneae, Scytodidae), Zootaxa 5728 (3), pp. 496-530 : 504

Scytodes darlingtoni Alayón, 1977

Figs 39, 40 , 42–44 , 135

Scytodes darlingtoni Alayón, 1977:17 , figs 6A, B ( Holotype ♀, CUBA: Santiago de Cuba: Oriente, Sierra Maestra, Pico Turquino ( 19.9833ºN, 76.8333ºW), 16–17 June 1936, P.J. Darlington leg, MCZ-IZ 21002 , examined).

Diagnosis. Females of S. darlingtoni resemble those of S. reinhardti sp. nov. ( Figs 116, 117 , 130–132 ) by the strongly convoluted IS. They are distinguished from the latter species by the OS with two short rounded branches and PS strongly convoluted ( Figs 40 , 44 ) (vs. OS single branched and PS simple, roughly straight in S. reinhardti sp. nov.). Males are unknown.

Redescription. Female (MCZ-IZ 21002, holotype): prosoma dark brown with slightly lighter markings; chelicerae golden brown; labium dark brown; endites golden brown; sternum brown with dark brown smudges on each side ( Figs 42, 43 ); opisthosoma too damaged to be assessed. Measurements: prosoma: 2.5 long; 1.9 wide; sternum: 1.2 long, 1.0 wide; labium 0.4 long, 0.32 wide; opisthosoma: damaged; eye diameters: PME 0.17, ALE 0.16, PLE 0.17; legs (1243): I: 9.5 (2.5, 0.5, 2.6, 3.0, 0.9); II: 8.0 (2.2, 0.5, 2.1, 2.4, 0.8); III: 5.8 (1.7, 0.4, 1.4, 1.6, 0.7); IV: 7.7 (2.1, 0.5, 2.2, 2.1, 0.8). Female genitalia: positioning ridges curved, separated from each other by approximately three times the width of their fovea; fovea postero-laterad ( Fig. 39 ). Vulva: IS the same width throughout; OS short with rounded tips; PS curving mediad and then laterad ( Fig. 44 ).

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality, in Pico Turquino, Cuba ( Fig. 135 ).

Figures

FIGURES 31–41. 31–35 Scytodes blanda Bryant. Male (CarBio00002265A), left palp (31 prolateral, 32 detail of tip, dorsal, 33 retolateral); 34, 35 female, vulva, ventral (34 USNM787380, 35 CarBio00001719A); 36 Scytodes coltrainei sp. nov. (USNM782402), female, vulva, ventral; 37, 38 Scytodes fusca Walckenaer, female, vulva, ventral (37 USNM788097, 38 786759); 39, 40 Scytodes darlingtoni Alayón (holotype), female, genitalia (39 ventral, 40 vulva, dorsal); 41 Scytodes harrisoni sp. nov. (holotype), female, vulva, dorsal. OS = outer spermathecae; PS = posterior spermathecae; UE = uterus externus. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 42–44. Scytodes darlingtoni Alayón, female (holotype) 42, 43 prosoma (42 dorsal, 43 ventral), 44 genitalia, vulva, dorsal. Scale bars: 42, 43 = 1.0 mm; 44 = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 135–138. Geografic distribution maps for Scytodes spp. 135 (S. blanda Bryant, S. coltrainei sp. nov., S. cubensis Alayón, S darlingtoni Alayón); 136 (S. harrisoni sp. nov., S. jimmorrisoni sp. nov., S. joniae sp. nov., S. mingusi sp. nov.); 137 (S. nicksae sp. nov., S. reinhardti sp. nov., S. ritae sp. nov., S. sabbath sp. nov.); 138 (S. fusca Walckenaer, S. longipes Lucas).

FIGURES 110–117. Scytodes reinhardti sp. nov. 110–113 male (USNM786788) 110, 111 habitus (110 dorsal, 111 prosoma, ventral); 112, 113 left palp (112 prolateral, 113 retrolateral); 114–117 female (USNM 782150) 114, 115 habitus (114 dorsal, 115 prosoma, ventral); 116, 117 (USNM 782173) genitalia (116 ventral, 117 vulva, dorsal). Scale bars: 110, 111, 114, 115 = 1.0 mm; 112, 113, 116, 117 = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 126–134. 126 Scytodes longipes Lucas (USNM786759) female, genitalia, ventral; 127 Scytodes nicksae sp. nov. (CarBio0004491A) female, vulva, dorsal; 128–132 Scytodes reinhardti sp. nov. 128, 129 male (USNM786788) left palp (128 prolateral, 129 retrolateral); 130–132 female, vulva, dorsal (130 USNM784746, 131 USNM786648, 132 USNM786780); 133 Scytodes sabbath sp. nov. (CarBio00000046A) female, vulva, dorsal; 134 Scytodes ritae sp. nov. (CarBio 00000459A), female, vulva, dorsal. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.