Loxosceles cubana Gertsch, 1958

Ruiz, Alexander Sánchez & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2013, The genus Loxosceles Heineken & Lowe (Araneae: Sicariidae) in Cuba and Hispaniola, West Indies, Zootaxa 3731 (2), pp. 212-222 : 213-216

Loxosceles cubana Gertsch, 1958

Figs. 9−16 , 39−40

Loxosceles rufipes var. rufescens: Franganillo, 1935: 76 ; 1936: 43.

Loxosceles rufescens: Bryant, 1940: 287 .

Loxosceles cubana Gertsch, 1958: 19 , figs. 51−53, 81. (Male holotype from Candela, Cuba, deposited in AMNH, not examined); Gertsch & Ennik, 1983: 344, figs. 299−302, 328−331; Perez, 1997: 8, fig. 2a −b.

Diagnosis: Specimens of L. cubana resemble those of L. caribbaea by the length of the palpal tibiae in the male palp, but can be distinguished by a straight embolus longer than the width of the bulb (figs. 9−10) and by the receptacles of epigynum with two lobes, of which the inner one is just a quarter or less longer than the outer and enlarged at end, coming out from an enlarged base ( Figs. 39−40 ).

Description. Male and female described by Gertsch (1958) and redescribed by Gertsch & Ennik (1983). Carapace, male palp, and female genitalia shown in figures 9−12; 15−16; 39−40. Palpal tarsus of female slender at tip ( Figs 13−14 ).

Variation. Male (n=7): Total length 5.4−7.0, carapace 2.3−3 long, femur I 5 −6.7 long. Palpal tibia 0.7−0.9 long, 0.4−0.5 wide. Female (n=10): total length 6−8.5, carapace 2.3−3.7 long, femur I 3 −5.7 long. Palpal tibia 0.6−0.8 long, 0.2−0.25 wide. Palpal tarsus 0.85−1.15 long.

Material examined. CUBA: Santiago de Cuba: Guamá, Río La Mula (19°57'10.44"N, 76°45'25.92"W), under rocks, A. Sánchez, June 20, 1997 (IBSP164699, 1♂ 6♀ 1juv). Guamá, Río La Mula (19°57'10.44"N, 76°45'25.92"W), under rocks, A. Sánchez, June 6, 1999 (BSC289, 3♂ 3♀). Guamá, Río La Mula (19°57'10.44"N, 76°45'25.92"W), under rocks, A. Sánchez, June 27, 2001 (BSC290, 2♂ 3♀ 1juv). Guamá, Río La Mula (19°57'10.44"N, 76°45'25.92"W), under rocks, R. Teruel, June 10, 2000 (IBSP164700, 1♂ 2♀ 2juv). Guamá, Río La Mula (19°57'10.44"N, 76°45'25.92"W), under rocks, A. Sánchez, June 11, 2005 (IBSP164701, 1♀). Tercer Frente, La Pimienta (19°59'34.44"N, 75°30'13.39"W), under rocks, A. Sánchez, April 14, 2000 (IBSP164703, 2♀ 1juv). Tercer Frente, La Pimienta (19°59'34.44"N, 75°30'13.39"W), under rocks, A. Sánchez, April 18, 2000 (IBSP164704, 2♀ 4juv). Songo −La Maya, Las Yaguas (20°3'55.62"N, 75°34'1.70"W), under rocks, A. Sánchez, May 6, 2004 (IBSP164705, 3♀ 4juv). Songo −La Maya, Las Yaguas (20°3'55.62"N, 75°34'1.70"W), under rocks, A. Sánchez, May 7, 2004 (IBSP164706, 1♀). Escalinata de Universidad de Oriente (20°2'47.00"N, 75°49'2.60"W), under rocks, R. Teruel, March 2, 2003 (IBSP164707, 1♀). Pinar del Río: Viñales, Cueva del Cable (22°40'4.04"N, 83°42'34.98"W), walls of cave, A. Sánchez, April 20, 2012 (IBSP164702, 2♂ 2♀ 2juv).

Distribution. Cuba and Hispaniola ( Haiti).

Figures

FIGURES 9 − 16. Loxosceles cubana Gertsch, 1958. 9 − 12 Male. 9 palp, prolateral view; 10 palp, retrolateral view; 11 prosoma, dorsal view; 12 prosoma, lateral view. 13 − 16 Female. 13 palp, prolateral view; 14 palp, retrolateral view; 15 prosoma, dorsal view; 16 prosoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 39 − 44. Female internal genitalia, dorsal view (left), ventral view (right). 39 − 40 Loxosceles cubana Gertsch, 1958. 41 − 42 Loxosceles caribbaea Gertsch, 1958. 43 − 44 Loxosceles taino Gertsch & Ennik, 1983.