Curicaberis elpunto, Rheims, Cristina A., 2015

Rheims, Cristina A., 2015, Curicaberis, a new genus of Sparassidae from North and Central America (Araneae, Sparassidae, Sparassinae), Zootaxa 4012 (3), pp. 401-446 : 421-423

Curicaberis elpunto sp. nov.

Figs 45−48, Map 2

Type material: Holotype: ♂, 1–5 miles NE El Punto [17°14’N, 96°34’W], on road to Ixtlan de Juarez, Oaxaca, Mexico, 3 September 1961, Millers & Bogerts leg. ( AMNH). Paratype: 1♀, Santa Catarina de Ixtepeji (17°16’N, 96°32’W), Ixtlan, Oaxaca, Mexico, 17 March 2008, A. Valdez, H. Montanos & C. Santibanez leg. ( CNAN 3353).

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition and refers to the type locality.

Diagnosis. Males of C. elpunto sp. nov. are distinguished from those of the other species of the genus by the palp with tibia with three prolateral spines (one in all other species), vRTA1 sickle-shaped in ventral view and vRTA2 with a thorn-like projection at tip (Fig. 45). Females resemble those of C. chiapas sp. nov. and C. eberhardi sp. nov. by the epigyne with median septum with lateral protrusions and a median, longitudinal protrusion (Figs 33, 43, 47: lp, mp). They are distinguished from these species by the very short median protrusion, not reaching onethird of the median septum length (Fig. 47).

Note. The male and female herein described are considered conspecific because of the proximity of the collection localities and similarities in coloration pattern and size.

FIGURES 45−48. Curicaberis elpunto sp. nov. 45− 46 male, left palp (45 ventral, 46 retrolateral); 47− 48 female (47 epigyne, ventral view, 48 vulva, dorsal view). C = conductor; CD = copulatory duct; dRTA = dorsal branch of RTA; E = embolus; FD = fertilization duct; GP = glandular projection; LL = lateral lobes; lp = lateral protrusion; mp = median protrusion; MS = median septum; SP = spermathecae; vRTA1 = projection 1 of ventral branch of RTA; vRTA2 = projection 2 of ventral branch of RTA. Scale lines: 1 mm.

Description. Male: Prosoma orange, brown along fovea and thoracic striae and mottled with brown marks on cephalic area. Chelicerae orange with pair of longitudinal brown stripes. Pedipalps orange. Legs orange mottled with faint brown spots. Labium brown. Endites orange, distally cream colored. Sternum orange with slightly darker margins. Opisthosoma pale brown, dorsally mottled with brown spots laterally on anterior half and four median brown chevrons on posterior half, ventrally with wide median, longitudinal brown band. Total length 11.9. Prosoma: 5.6 long, 5.7 wide. Opisthosoma: 6.0 long, 4.7 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.38, 0.36, 0.28, 0.34; interdistances: 0.30, 0.10, 0.50, 0.46, 0.36, 0.24. Legs (2143): I: 32.0 (8.5, 3.2, 8.7, 9.0, 2.6); II: 35.4 (9.7, 3.6, 9.5, 10.0, 2.6); III: 24.8 (7.2, 2.9, 6.5, 6.4, 1.8); IV: 28.9 (8.5, 2.9, 7.3, 8.2, 2.0). Palp: dRTA short. Subtegulum not visible in ventral view. Embolus long and slender, arising from tegulum at 9 o’clock position. Conductor long, distally widened. (Figs 45−46).

Female: Coloration pattern as in male. Total length 12.6. Prosoma: 5.7 long, 5.3 wide. Opisthosoma: 6.3 long, 5.0 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.34, 0.34, 0.22, 0.30; interdistances: 0.28, 0.14, 0.58, 0.54, 0.32, 0.30. Legs (2143): I: 24.4 (6.8, 3.1, 6.2, 6.4, 1.9); II: 25.7 (7.2, 3.1, 6.7, 6.8, 1.9); III: 18.4 (5.6, 2.6, 4.5, 4.3, 1.4); IV: 20.8 (6.4, 2.5, 5.0, 5.3, 1.6). Epigyne: epigynal field slightly longer than wide, trapezoid. Median septum two times wider than long, with posterior margin surpassing the epigastric furrow by one-fourth septum length (Fig. 47). Vulva: copulatory ducts slightly shorter than spermathecae length. Spermathecae rounded and asymmetrical, one slightly larger than the other. Basal part of fertilization ducts wide with jagged margins, distal part anteriad (Fig. 40).

Distribution. Known from the state of Oaxaca, Mexico (Map 2).

FIGURES 49−50. Curicaberis ensiger (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge) comb. nov., male, left palp (49 ventral, 50 retrolateral). C = conductor; dRTA = dorsal branch of RTA; E = embolus; ST = subtegulum; vRTA1 = projection 1 of ventral branch of RTA; vRTA2 = projection 2 of ventral branch of RTA. Scale lines: 1 mm.