Roddenberryus kirk Sánchez-Ruiz & Bonaldo 2023, gen. et sp. nov.
Creators: name: Sánchez-Ruiz, Alexander
name: Bonaldo, Alexandre B.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Caponiidae
Roddenberryus
Roddenberryus kirk

description: Roddenberryus kirk gen. et sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: AE1360F6-A463-4019-9533-5B768F5A2E3B
Figs 1A–J, 2A–F, 3A–F, 4A–L, 5A–L, 6A–G, 7A–L, 11A–B, 15
Diagnosis
Roddenberryus kirk gen. et sp. nov. can be distinguished from other congeners by lacking the invaginations on the clypeus margins in both sexes (Figs 1D, 2A, 3A). Additionally, males can be recognized by the long embolus, with a length greater than half the length of the tegulum, and a thick tibia, width of which is almost equal to its length (Fig. 2D–F).
Etymology
The specific name refers to James Tiberius Kirk, a fictional character from the Star Trek universe who served aboard the starship USS Enterprise as captain, played in the original series by Canadian actor William Shatner.
Type material
Holotype COSTA RICA • ♀; Guanacaste, Bagaces, Estación Palo Verde, P.N. Palo Verde; “N 259000, 388400” [10°20ʹ57ʺ N, 85°21ʹ08ʺ W]; 15 Jun. 1999; C. Viquez leg.; INBIO 4407644.
Paratype
COSTA RICA • ♀; Guanacaste, La Cruz, Santa Elena, Santa Rosa, P.N. Costa Rica, Estación Murcielago, 8 km SW of Cuajiniquil; “N 320300, 347200” [10°04ʹ00.0ʺ N, 85°42ʹ00.0ʺ W]; 28 Feb. 1991; P. Rios leg.; INBIO 4407583.
Other material
COSTA RICA • 1 ♀; Guanacaste, Isla Colorada, Islas Murcielagos, P.N. Santa Rosa; 23 Nov. 2001; J. Jacobs leg.; INBIO 4407595 • 1 ♀; Guanacaste, P.N. Barra Honda; 17 Jun. 2000; W. Porras Vega leg.; INBIO 4407598 • 1 ♀; Guanacaste, Estación Biológica Maritza, P.N. Guanacaste, La Cruz; 22 Apr. 2004; G. Alayón leg.; INBIO 4407588 • 1 ♀; Guanacaste, Bagaces, Estación Palo Verde, P.N. Palo Verde; “N 259000, 388400” [10°20ʹ57ʺ N, 85°21ʹ08ʺ W]; 10 May 2005; M. Solis leg.; for SEM; INBIO 4407645 • 1 ♀, 2 immature spec.; San Jose, Bebedero; 15 Oct. 1938; H. Schmidt leg.; NHM 305 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 5 immature spec.; San Jose, La Caja; 15 Oct. 1938; H. Schmidt leg.; NHM 306.
Description
Male (NHM 306, Fig. 2A–F)
Carapace orange, lacking invaginations on clypeal margin (Fig. 2A). Chelicerae, palps, endites, labium, sternum, legs, coxae and trochanters pale orange. Abdomen pale gray, with dorsal and ventral patterns of several dark gray stains (Fig. 2A–B). Anal tubercle and spinnerets lighter than abdomen. Total length 4.8. Carapace 2.5 long, 1.7 wide. Sternum 1.8 long, 1.3 wide. Leg measurements unavailable. Cymbium elongated, swollen, partially curved, with wide tip, first half of basal prolateral surface densely covered with strong, long setae (Fig. 2D), other half of apical prolateral surface and retrolateral surface with a few short setae (Fig. 2F); tibia thick; tegulum sub-spherical, with retrolateral groove; embolus long, pointed, curved upward on lateral position (Fig. 2D–F).
Female (holotype, Fig. 1A–J)
Carapace orange, lacking invaginations on clypeal margin (Fig. 1A). Chelicerae, palps, endites, labium, sternum and legs orange, coxas and trochanters lighter. Abdomen pale gray, without dorsal pattern. Anal tubercle and spinnerets lighter than abdomen. Total length 14.0. Carapace 7.4 long, 5.1 wide. Sternum 8.3 long, 5.2 wide. Leg measurements: I: 6.8; II: 6.7; III: 5.9; IV: 7.0. External genital area with strongly sclerotized anterior and posterior plates, straight epigastric furrow (Figs 1F, 11A). Internal genitalia with transversal posterior receptacle with triangular, median projection on distal margin; behind posterior receptacle a presumed uterus externus; anteromedian receptacle formed by tube-shaped membranous base and sac-like membranous structure (Figs 7A–D, 11B).
Variation
The Costa Rican males and females from San Jose (Figs 2A–F, 3A–F) were identified by Kritscher (1957) as Caponina sargi, but they actually belong to Roddenberryus kirk gen. et sp. nov.; these specimens have dorsal and ventral patterns of several dark gray stains on the abdomen (Figs 2A–B, 3A–B), which does not appear in any of the R. kirk specimens examined from Guanacaste, Costa Rica (Fig. 1A).
Distribution
Known only from Guanacaste and San Jose provinces in Costa Rica (Figs 6G, 15).
description: Published as part of Sánchez-Ruiz, Alexander & Bonaldo, Alexandre B., 2023, Strange new spiders: on Roddenberryus, a new and unusual caponiid genus (Araneae, Caponiidae), pp. 1-25 in European Journal of Taxonomy 891 (1) on pages 8-13, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.891.2263, http://zenodo.org/record/8321996