Systematics and natural history of Barronopsis (Araneae: Agelenidae), with description of a new species
Author
Stocks, Ian Christopher
text
Zootaxa
2009
2270
1
38
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.190927
62c50144-8ec8-48c1-a07e-c2fb433d3533
1175-5326
190927
Barronopsis arturoi
Alayón 1993
Fig. 51
Barronopsis arturoi
Alayón 1993
: 3
, fig. 1 (male, female).
Platnick 1997
: 618
.
Platnick 2009
.
FIGURES 60–61.
Barronopsis stephaniae
, female copulatory organs. Beaufort County, South Carolina. 60, ventral view; 61, dorsal view. Scale bar= 0.2 mm. at—atrium, bs—spermatheca base, cd—copulatory duct, fd—fertilization duct, hs—spermatheca head, sbd1—spermatheca blind duct 1.
FIGURES 62–63.
Barronopsis stephaniae
, female epigynum, ventral view. 62, Gilchrist County, Florida. 63, Beaufort County, South Carolina. Scale bar= 0.2 mm. bs—spermatheca base.
FIGURES 64–65.
Barronopsis barrowsi
, epigynum. 64, Polk County, Florida. 65, Glynn County, Georgia. Scale bar= 0.2 mm.
Types
.
Male
holotype
,
8 male
,
1 female
paratypes
from Las Tumbas; Pinar del Rio, Peninsula de Guanahacabibes,
Cuba
, (A. Ávila, G. Alayón collectors),
holotype
in MNHN (not provided for examination),
paratypes
retained by Alayón (1 examined).
1 male
and
7 female
paratypes
collected from the
type
locality,
August 1983
(Arturo Ávila, G. Alayón collectors), in GA (examined)
Diagnosis.
Characters as for males of
B
.
texana
, except for apical section of the embolus. At ~540˚ from origin of loose coils, lamellae taper rapidly so that by ~700˚ embolus is thread-like. Apically, embolus is slightly curved and roughly parallel to apex of cymbium. Spermathecae distinctive (Fig. 50): crescent-shaped, tapering to a point caudally, with convexity toward midline.
Description.
Tab. 2–5
. Male: N=1. TW 3.04, CW 1.56, DSL 3.95, ITL 3.65.
Female: N=7. TW 3.04–3.50 (3.24±0.17), CW 1.67–1.94 (1.78±0.09), DSL 4.07–4.79 (4.36±0.24), ITL 2.96–3.34 (3.18±0.16). Atrial guides well separated, triangular (
Fig. 32
). Copulatory ducts typical for
B
.
texana
group. Each spermathecal head tapers distally and becomes highly sclerotized, large diameter “S” shaped spermathecal stalk. Fertilization duct originates on the spermatheca distally and retrolaterally. Highly reduced sbd2 visible only in dorsal view, insertion dorsal to fertilization duct.
Natural history and distribution.
Alayón (1993)
descriptions of web structure and microhabitat suggest that they are similar to those of other aerial web building
Barronopsis
species. Webs are found from herblayer height to approximately
6m
, where individuals occur in cavities in dead and living trees and in clusters of leaves. Specimens have also been found in association with the periphery of termitaria. This species is apparently restricted to woodlands at the extreme west of Peninsula de Guanahacabibes,
Cuba
.