Neostasina amalie, Rheims & Alayón, 2016

Rheims, Cristina Anne & Alayón, Giraldo, 2016, Neostasina gen. nov., a new genus of huntsman spiders from the Neotropical region (Araneae, Sparassidae, Sparianthinae), Zootaxa 4079 (3), pp. 301-344 : 308-310

Neostasina amalie sp. nov.

Figs 1−2 , 7−19 , Map 4

Type material: Holotype: ♂, British Virgin Islands, Sandy Cay, near Tortola [18°26’N, 64°42’W], 31 August 1965, H. & A. Heatwole leg. ( AMNH).

Paratypes: BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: 1♀, Peter Island [18°21’N, 64°34’W], 6 July 1965, Island Project Staff, University of Puerto Rico leg. ( AMNH) . U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS: Saint John: 1♀, 15 juveniles , Saint John [18°20’N, 64°43’W], 25 February–7 March 1964, A.M. Chickering leg. ( MCZ 69667) . Saint Thomas: 1♀, 7 juveniles, Charlotte Amalie [18°21’N, 64°59’W], 9−10 February 1964, A.M. Chickering leg. ( MCZ 69742) ; 1♀, 38 juveniles, same locality as previous specimens, grounds of Blue Beards Castle , 18 February 1964, A.M. Chickering leg. ( MCZ 69735) ; 2♂, 17 juveniles, same locality as previous specimens, Adams Guest House , 11 February 1964, A.M. Chickering leg. ( MCZ 69743) ; 1♀, 8 juveniles, same locality as previous specimens, fields east of city, 24 February 1964, A.M. Chickering leg. ( MCZ 69741) ; 2♀, 20 juveniles, same locality as previous specimens, 16 February 1964, A.M. Chickering leg. ( MCZ 69744) .

Etymology. The specific name is a noun and refers to the locality of some of the paratypes, Charlotte Amalie, in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Diagnosis. Males of N. amalie sp. nov. are distinguished from those of the other species of the genus by the TBE bifid with main branch very wide, with dorsal groove, flanked by short subdistal keel, to accommodate the embolus ( Figs 14, 16 ). Females are distinguished by the median septum T-shaped, resembling a bone extremity in profile ( Fig. 17 ) and by the spermathecae packed within an elongate and narrow sclerotized structure, narrowest close to fertilization ducts ( Fig. 18 ).

Description. Male (AMNH, holotype): Prosoma brown with dark brown pattern of thin lines extending posteriorly from between PME, PME and PLE and concentrically from fovea on thoracic region. Eye borders black. Chelicerae brownish orange with pair of longitudinal dark brown stripes. Legs and pedipalps orange with dark brown spots ( Fig. 1 ). Sternum pale orange with slightly darker margins. Endites pale orange, distally yellow. Labium orange, distally pale yellow. Opisthosoma cream colored; dorsally with brown spots laterally and on anterior half, and chevron-like marks on posterior half ( Fig. 1 ); ventrally with few dark brown spots. Total length 8.2. Prosoma: 3.9 long, 3.5 wide. Opisthosoma: 4.4 long, 2.8 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.25, 0.22, 0.16, 0.21; interdistances: 0.17, 0.13, 0.39, 0.30, 0.19, 0.08. Legs (2413): I: 15.0 (4.3, 1.9, 4.4, 4.3, 1.1); II: 16.3 (4.5, 2.1, 4.3, 4.4, 1.1); III: 11.9 (3.9, 0.8, 2.9, 3.5, 0.8); IV: 15.5 (4.5, 1.5, 3.7, 4.8, 1.0). Palp: VTA large, displaced retrolaterally; dRTA triangular in retrolateral view; vRTA developed as small bump at the base of dRTA; eRTA present, roughly triangular; median apophysis arising from tegulum at 4 o’clock position; conductor distally widened; TBC finshaped, two times longer than wide; embolus gently narrowing towards filiform tip, arising from tegulum at 9 o’clock position; TBE with secondary branch triangular ( Figs 13−16 ).

Female (AMNH, paratype): Coloration pattern as in male ( Fig. 2 ). Total length 11.0. Prosoma: 4.6 long, 3.8 wide. Opisthosoma: 6.2 long, 3.8 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.23, 0.20, 0.12, 0.20; interdistances: 0.25, 0.29, 0.54, 0.50, 0.25, 0.26. Legs (2413): I: 13.1 (3.9, 2.2, 3.3, 2.9, 0.8); II: 13.7 (4.1, 2.3, 3.4, 3.1, 0.8); III: 10.9 (3.4, 1.9, 2.3, 2.6, 0.7); IV: 13.2 (3.9, 1.7, 3.1, 3.6, 0.9). Epigyne: epigynal field roughly rectangular, slightly longer than wide; anterior rim barely divided, each side C-shaped; median septum with anterior and posterior margin slightly procurved ( Fig. 17 ). Vulva: glandular projections small and rounded; spermathecae with anterior twist ( Figs 18−19 ).

Variation. Males (n = 3): total length 7.7−8.2; prosoma length 3.9−4.1; femur I length 4.0−4.3. Females (n = 7): total length 8.2−14.9; prosoma length 3.9−6.0; femur I length 3.4−4.5.

Distribution. Known from the Virgin Islands (Map 4).

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 6. Habitus, dorsal view. 1 − 2 Neostasina amalie sp. nov. (1 male, 2 female); 3 − 4 Neostasina bicolor (Banks) comb. nov. (3 male, 4 female); 5 − 6 Neostasina taino sp. nov. (5 male, 6 female). Scale lines: 2 mm.

FIGURES 7 − 12. Neostasina amalie sp. nov. 7 Male, left chelicera, ventral view; 8 Male, leg I, tarsus, tarsal organ, dorsal view; 9 Male, leg I, metatarsus, trichobothrium, dorsal view; 10 Female, pedipalp, claw, prolateral view; 11 Male, leg II, tarsal claws, prolateral view; 12 Male, leg IV, metatarsus, preening comb, ventral view.

FIGURES 13 − 19. Neostasina amalie sp. nov. 13 − 16 Male, left palp (13 prolateral, 14 ventral, 15 retrolateral, 16 detail of embolus and TBE); 17 − 18 Female (17 epigyne, 18 vulva; 19 schematic course of internal duct system). ar = anterior rim of epigyne; at = anterior twist of spermathecae; C = conductor; CD = copulatory duct; dRTA = dorsal branch of RTA; E = embolus; eRTA = extra retrolateral tibial apophysis; FD fertilization duct; GP = glandular projection; LL = lateral lobe; MA = median apophysis; mb = main branch of TBE; MS = median septum; sb = secondary branch of TBE; SP = spermathecae; TBC = tegular projection at base of conductor; TBE = tegular projection at base of embolus; tk = dorsal keel of TBE; vRTA = ventral branch of RTA; VTA = ventral tibial apophysis. Scale lines: 1 mm.