Selenops micropalpus Muma, 1953

Crews, Sarah C., Galvis, William & Esposito, Lauren A., 2021, Gliding canopy flatties and relatives from the Selenops banksi group (Araneae: Selenopidae), Journal of Natural History 54 (35 - 36), pp. 2343-2365 : 2358

Selenops micropalpus Muma, 1953

( Figures 1 (f), 2(s–v), 3(e), 5(f), 6(c, j–k) and 7(d))

Selenops micropalpus Muma, 1953: 39 , Figs 66–68 (♂ holotype and ♀ paratype from Laudat , Dominica, in AMNH, examined).

Selenops micropalpus Crews, 2011: 27 , Figs 17–20, 180.

Diagnosis. Females of S. micropalpus differ from females of S. ducke and S. curruganja sp. nov. by the epigynal plate being longer than wide ( Figure 6 (c–d, f–g)). Females of this species differ from females of S. banksi by being grey in life and brown when preserved, whereas S. banksi is green in life and yellow-orange when preserved ( Figures 1 (a–d, f) and 2(a–i, s–v)). Additionally, the copulatory ducts of S. micropalpus turn multiple times, in contrast to the copulatory ducts of S. banksi ( Figure 6 (a–c)).

Males of S. micropalpus can be separated from males of S. ducke by the palpal tibia being longer than the cymbium, and the embolus and embolic process are completely separate, whereas in S. ducke , the palpal tibia is of similar size to the cymbium, and the embolus and embolic process are connected by a weakly sclerotised area ( Figures 3 (e–h) and 5(d–f)). S. micropalpus can be separated from males of S. banksi by having fewer, more dispersed chemosensory setae on the tip of the cymbium and by the embolar process and embolus originating from the sides of the embolar base, gradually nearing one another distally ( Figures 3 (a–d, e) and 5(a–c, f)).

See Crews et al. (2008) and Crews (2011) for full descriptions and natural history information.

Distribution. Southern Lesser Antilles: Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. For detailed locality data, see Crews (2011) and Crews (2018).

Figures

Figure 1. (a) Selenops banksi, female, guarding eggsac, Costa Rica; inset shows crosshatching pattern on eggsac (photos by Gernot Kunz) (b) S. banksi, Costa Rica (photo by Gernot Kunz). (c) S. banksi, eating a queen ant of Camponotus sp., Reserva Nacional Allpahuayo-Mishana, Loreto, Peru (photo by Projeto Mantis – https://www.projetomantis.com/) (d) S. banksi, on a tree, Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve, Guyana (photo by Paul Bertner) (e) S. curruganja sp. nov., on mossy guava tree, Lloró, Chocó, Colombia (photo by Sarah Crews) (f) S. micropalpus, on Bursera simaruba, St. Lucia (photo by Sarah Crews).

Figure 3. (a) Selenops banksi, palp, ventral and retrolateral, highlighting various structures present in species belonging to the banksi group; dark pink – dRTA, teal – vRTA, yellow – MA, purple – C, pink – E, orange – EB, green – EA. (b) S. banksi, holotype male, palp, ventral and retrolateral (MCZ 20436) (c) S. banksi, ex-S. kikay syn. nov., palp, ventral, from Manaus, Brazil; image has been flipped horizontally (MCN 25526) (d) S. banksi, ex-S. kikay syn. nov., holotype male, from Itabuna, Brazil (MNRJ – destroyed) (e) S. micropalpus, holotype male, palp, ventral and retrolateral (AMNH) (f) S. ducke, holotype male, palp, ventral, image has been flipped horizontally (MCN 25527) (g) S. ducke, holotype male,palp, ventral, image has been flipped horizontally (MCN 25527) (h) S. ducke, holotype male, palp, retrolateral (MCN 25527).

Figure 6. (a) Selenops banksi, epigyne and endogyne, highlighting various structures, epigyne: green – LLs, yellow – ML, violet – COs, pink – EPs, endogyne: purple – CDs, pink – PS, green – FD (b) S. banksi, epigyne and endogyne,Orellana,Ecuador (NMNH) (c) S. micropalpus, epigyne and endogyne, Dennery, St. Lucia (CAS) (d) S. curruganja sp. nov., epigyne and endogyne, Corpoica, Tumaco, Dept. Nariño, Colombia, (ICN-Ar-8289) (e) S. banksi, male, spinnerets, ventral, Orellana, Ecuador (NMNH) (f) S. ducke, paratype female, epigyne, Manaus, Brazil (MCN 21487) (g) S. ducke, paratype female, endogyne, Manaus, Brazil (MCN 21487) (h) S. banksi, female, spinnerets, ventral, Orellana, Ecuador (NMNH) (i) S. banksi, female, spinnerets, caudal, Orellana, Ecuador (NMNH) (j) S. micropalpus, female, spinnerets, caudal, Dennery, St. Lucia (CAS) (k) S. micropalpus, genitalia, caudal, Dennery, St. Lucia (CAS) (l) S. banksi, female, genitalia, caudal, Orellana, Ecuador (NMNH).