of 60 troglobitic species of the subgenus Cicurella (Araneae: Dictynidae), and a first visual assessment of their distribution
Author
Paquin, Pierre
Cave and Endangered Invertebrate Research Laboratory, SWCA Environmental Consultants, 4407 Monterey Oaks Boulevard, Building 1, Suite 110, Austin, Texas, 78749, USA. E-mail: ppaquin @ swca. com & This is publication no. 15 of the Karst Biosciences and Environmental Geophysics Research Laboratories, SWCA Environmental Consultants
Author
Dupérré, Nadine
American Museum of Natural History, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, Central Park West at 79 Street, New York, New York, 10024 USA. E-mail: nduperre @ amnh. org
text
Zootaxa
2009
2009-02-04
2002
1
67
journal article
11755334
Cicurina (Cicurella) wiltoni
Gertsch 1992
(
Figs 126–128
)
Cicurina wiltoni
Gertsch 1992: 119
, figs 145–146, 159–160 (description of male and female). one of the two localities with the range of
C. madla
. Dark circle symbols refer to confirmed localities, open circles to literature records.
FIGURE 134
. Distribution of troglobitic
Cicurina
(subgenus
Cicurella
)
species in Bexar and Comal Counties. The range of the species is indicated by an area that includes all known locations. Each cave is indicated by a dot. The species ranges are accompanied by the illustration of the holotype epigynum (in ventral view). The type locality of
C. platypus
, Platypus Pit
, apparently also harbors
C. bullis
, as indicated by the overlap of the ranges. The distribution range of
C. madla
includes a locality in Uvalde County (see Fig. 135), as suggested by the arrow pointing to the South West.
Cicurina vespera
is known from a single specimen apparently collected from Government Canyon Bat Cave. The DNA samples included in the analysis of
Paquin & Hedin (2004)
from this locality suggested that the immature
Cicurina
collected from Government Canyon Bat Cave are conspecific with
C. madla
, questioning the identity of the cave at the origin of the specimen used to describe
C. vespera
. The two localities harboring
C. neovespera
are rather obscure and could not be established with certainty, other than by an approximate location, resulting in a conflicting range of at least
FIGURE 135
. Distribution of troglobitic
Cicurina
(subgenus
Cicurella
)
species in Uvalde, Real and
Bandera Counties.
The range of the species is indicated by an area that includes all known locations. Each cave is indicated by a dot. The species ranges are accompanied by the illustration of the holotype epigynum or palp (in ventral view). The record of
C. madla
from Uvalde County is based on a DNA match of an immature published in
Paquin & Hedin (2004)
, extending the range from Bexar County, as suggested by the arrow pointing to the North East.
Cicurina medina
is only known from the
FIGURE 136
. Distribution of troglobitic
Cicurina
(subgenus
Cicurella
)
species in Kerr, Real and
Bandera Counties.
The range of the species is indicated by an area that includes all known locations. Each cave is indicated by a dot. The species ranges are accompanied by the illustration of the holotype epigynum (in ventral view).
Description.
Female
holotype
Total length: 4.68; carapace length: 2.25; carapace width: 1.45. Eyes absent. Cheliceral promargin right side with 3 teeth (2 large, 1 small), left side with 3 teeth (2 large, 1 small), the two large teeth are fused at base;
retromargin right side with 8 denticles (3 large, 5 small), left side with 7 denticles (3 large, 4 small). Leg I: total length: 6.95; femur: 1.95; patella: 0.75; tibia: 1.75; metatarsus: 1.60; tarsus: 0.90; leg IV: total length: 8.13; femur: 2.15; patella: 0.80; tibia: 1.95; metatarsus: 2.20; tarsus: 1.05. Tarsal claw IV: 0.20. Epigynum:
0.364 mm
. Epigynal ventral plate with long transverse slit, indentation absent; atrium rectangular, half intruded by straight dorsal, atrial aperture moderate; bursa enlarged, fused; copulatory ducts slightly separated at midpoint, reaching top of primary lobe apex; copulatory ducts constriction located medially; primary pores visible (1 seen), positioned dorsally; stalk, short, straight, oblique, joining the primary lobe at the aperture of the dictynoid pore; dictynoid pore triangular; primary lobe light-bulb shaped; secondary lobe present, positioned ventro-basally; fertilization canal long, reaching over the dictynoid pore; fertilization duct internally attached to the primary lobe base.
Distribution
. Only reported from Crystal Caverns (Jefferson County,
Alabama
,
Fig. 128
).
Remarks.
Both sexes are described. The
holotype
vial contained the female
holotype
and
two immature
specimens not mentioned in
Gertsch (1992)
. Gertsch listed McClunney-Alabama Caverns for the species, which is another name for Crystal Caverns. This species is the only eyeless member of the subgenus occurring north of
Texas
(
Fig. 128
).