Curicaberis, 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 : 402-403

Curicaberis gen. nov.

Etymology. The generic name is a noun taken from the Mexican culture. “ Curicaberis ” is the sky and sun God of the Tarascan people (an Indian tribe west of Mexico). He gave his people laws and the calendar. Gender is masculine.

Type species: Olios ferrugineus (C.L. Koch) .

Diagnosis. Males of Curicaberis gen. nov. are distinguished from those of the type species of Olios (from where species are being transferred), Olios argelasius , by the palp with RTA double branched, with dRTA usually spike-like and vRTA with two projections (Figs 18, 22, 28, 32), whereas it is single branched and simple in O. argelasius ( Jäger et al. 2011: 128, figs 56). The females are distinguished by epigyne with lateral lobes parallel (Figs 19, 23, 29, 33), while touching anteriorly in O. argelasius ( Jäger et al. 2011: 128, fig. 7). Curicaberis gen. nov. is further distinguished from all remaining Neotropical genera by the male palp with a massive conductor, arising medially from tegulum (Figs 17, 21, 27, 31) and by the female vulva with internal duct system composed of short and strongly sclerotized copulatory ducts, large, hyaline, sac-like spermathecae and long fertilization ducts (Figs 20, 24, 26, 30).

Description. Total length of males 7.2–15.5, of females 9.0–18.4. Dorsal shield of prosoma usually as long as wide, can be slightly longer or shorter than wide. Cephalic region very slightly higher than thoracic region, flattening posteriorly. Fovea conspicuous on posterior third of prosoma. Eyes arranged in two rows, the anterior straight or slightly recurved and the posterior straight; AME larger than ALE and more separated from each other than from ALE; PME smaller than PLE and as far from each other as from PLE. Clypeus low, less than AME diameter. Chelicerae longer than wide. Cheliceral grove with two promarginal teeth and 4–6 retromarginal teeth, three subequal and the rest smaller. Intermarginal denticles absent. Internal margin with 3–6 strong setae at base of fang ( Fig. 9 ). Labium rebordered, as wide as long. Endites slightly convergent, longer than wide, with dense scopulae on internal margin. Serrula with a single row of denticles ( Fig. 10 ). Sternum as long as wide, slightly projected between coxae IV. Female pedipalp with single, pectinate claw, with 7−8 short teeth ( Fig. 16 ). Legs laterigrade (2143). Spination in males and females is constant throughout the genus: femora I–III: p1-1-1; d0-1-1; r1-1-1; femur IV: p1-1-1; d0-1-1; r0-0(1)-1; patellae I −IV: p1(0), r0; tibiae I–IV: p1-0-1; d0-0-0(1); r1-0-1; v2-2 -0; metatarsi I–III: p1-1-0; r1-1-0; v2-2 -0; metatarsus IV: p1-1-1; r1-1-1; v2-2 -0. Trochanter deeply notched ( Fig. 11 ). Metatarsi I–IV distally with dorsal trilobate membrane with median hook slightly longer than lateral projections ( Fig. 12 ). Tarsi and anterior half of metatarsi scopulate. Trichobothria present on dorsal tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi, arranged in several rows on tarsi, converging to a single row on metatarsi. Bothria with dorsal plate, with one or two distal groves, projected over smooth basal plate ( Fig. 13 ). Tarsal organ capsulate with oval opening, located dorsally at the distal end of tarsi ( Fig. 14 ). Tarsi with pair of pectinate claws, with 17−19 short and slightly curved teeth, and claw tufts ( Fig. 15 ). Opisthosoma oval, longer than wide. Male epiandrium with scattered epiandrous spigots. Six spinnerets: anterior lateral spinnerets contiguous, conical and bi-segmented. Basal segment elongate and cylindrical, distal segment short and truncated. Posterior median spinnerets conical and short. Posterior lateral spinnerets conical and bi-segmented. Basal segment elongate and cylindrical, distal segment short and truncated. Palp: tibia shorter than cymbium length with one single prolateral spine (three in C. elpunto sp. nov.). RTA with dRTA simple spike-like, long (Figs 31, 37, 41, 49) or short (Figs 21, 35, 55, 59) or modified and complex (Figs 51, 69). Ventral RTA (vRTA) with two projections, here named vRTA1 and vRTA2 (Figs 18, 22, 28, 32), vRTA1 can be absent (Fig. 73). Cymbium at least two times longer than wide with large oval alveolus occupying most of the ventral surface and oval scopulae on dorsal surface. Subtegulum C-shaped, visible between 9 and 12 o’clock (Figs 27, 31, 41, 49) or completely hidden behind embolus base (Figs 21, 51, 55, 69). Tegulum oval. Embolus arising from tegulum medially (Figs 27, 31, 49, 55) or slightly prolaterally between 7 and 9 o’clock (Figs 17, 45, 51, 69), cylindrical, without projections, with wider base narrowing continuously towards filiform tip. Conductor massive, arising medially from tegulum, fleshy and simple (Figs 17, 21, 27, 31) or sclerotized and complex (Figs 69, 95). Epigyne: divided into lateral lobes and median septum. Lateral lobes smooth without projections. Median septum of variable shapes bearing pair of antero-lateral copulatory openings (Figs 19, 23, 25, 29). Vulva: copulatory openings leading into strongly sclerotized copulatory ducts. Glandular projection elongate, two to three times longer than wide, arising from copulatory ducts at the base of spermathecae. Spermathecae hyaline, sac-like. Fertilization ducts with basal part running posteriorly from spermathecae curving anteriorly to form a loop, and distal part running posteriorly in direction of the uterus externus (Figs 20, 24, 26, 30).

Distribution. Known from southern United States to Nicaragua.

Composition. Thirty-two species: Curicaberis abnormis (Keyserling) comb. nov., C. annulatus (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge) comb. nov., C. bibranchiatus (Fox) comb. nov., C. azul sp. nov., C. bagaces sp. nov., C. catarinas sp. nov., C. chamela sp. nov., C. chiapas sp. nov., C. culiacan sp. nov., C. cuyutlan sp. nov., C. durango sp. nov., C. eberhardi sp. nov., C. elpunto sp. nov., C ensiger (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge) comb. nov., C. ferrugineus (C.L. Koch) comb. nov., C. granada sp. nov., C. huitiupan sp. nov., C. jalisco sp. nov., C. luctuosus (Banks) comb. nov., C. manifestus (O. Pickard-Cambridge) comb. nov., C. minax (O. Pickard-Cambridge) comb. nov., C. mitla sp. nov., C. pedregal sp. nov., C. peninsulanus (Banks) comb. nov., C. potosi sp. nov., C. puebla sp. nov., C. sanpedrito sp. nov., C. tepic sp. nov., C. tortugero sp. nov., C. urquizai sp. nov., C. yerba sp. nov., C. zapotec sp. nov..

Figures

FIGURES 9 − 12. Curicaberis mitla sp. nov., male. 9 right chelicerae, ventral view; 10 right endite, ventral view; 11 leg II, trochanter, ventral view; 12 leg I, metatarsus, trilobate membrane, dorsal view. Cx = coxa, Fe = femur, Tr = trochanter. Scale lines: 500 µm: 9, 11; 200 µm: 10, 12.

FIGURES 13 − 16. Curicaberis mitla sp. nov. 13 male, leg I, tarsus, trichobothrium, dorsal view; 14 male, leg I, tarsus, tarsal organ, dorsal view; 15 male, leg I, claws, prolateral view; 16 female, palpal claw, prolateral view. Scale lines: 10 µm: 13, 14; 100 µm: 15, 16.