Nops hispaniola Sánchez, Brescovit & Alayón, 2015, new species
Creators: name: Sánchez, Alexander
name: Brescovit, Antonio D.
name: Alayón, Giraldo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Caponiidae
Nops
Nops hispaniola

description: Nops hispaniola, new species
Figures 57–69, 80, 82
Nops coccineus: Bryant, 1948: 344 (specimen from Haiti, not N. coccineus Simon, MCZ 128296).
Nops blandus: Chickering, 1967: 4 (same specimen from Haiti, misidentification, MCZ 128296).
Nops blandus: Sánchez – Ruiz, 2005: 23 (only specimens from Hispaniola, misidentification, see types).
Types. Male holotype from Puerto Escondido, Independencia, República Dominicana, (18° 19' 36.50" N, 71° 34' 52.18" W), 1.ii.2005, A. Sánchez–Ruiz, under Agave plants, deposited in IBSP 166393. Two females paratypes, same data as holotype, deposited in IBSP 166394. One male paratype, same data as holotype, deposited in MNHNSD 0 9.1445.
Additional material examined. HAITI: Port au Prince, N. Banks, (not more data), 1♂ (MCZ 128296). Near Miragoâne (18° 26' 58.4" N, 73° 4' 17.5" W), i.1974, R. Bell, 1♂ 1 imm. (MNHNCu). DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Azua: Montilla, Parque Nacional Sierra Martín García (18° 23' 50.8" N, 71° 04' 45.8" W), 419 m asl, 7.ix.2013, P. Torres, F. Paz, G. de los Santos, 1♂ 1♀ (MNHNSD 09.1429). (18° 23' 38.0" N, 71° 07' 11.5" W), 153 m asl, 7.ix.2013, P. Torres, K. Rodriguez, G. de los Santos, 1♂ (MNHNSD 09.1428). Barahona: Camino Charco frio- Cañada Azul (18° 22' 22.2" N, 71° 01' 10.4" W), 1060 m asl, 2.vii.2013, C. Marte, G. de los Santos, 1♂ 1 imm. (MNHNSD 09.1426). Loma El Curro (18° 22' 42.2" N, 71° 01' 21.8" W), 1323 m asl, 1.viii.2013, C. Suriel, P. Torres, G. de los Santos, 1♀ (MNHNSD 09.1427).
Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from Hispaniola Island where these spiders inhabit.
Diagnosis. Males of Nops hispaniola n. sp. resemble those of Nops gertschi Chickering (see Chickering, 1967: figs 7–8) by having a straight embolus with strongly curved tip and a base with same width than tibia, but can be distinguished by having the embolus tip narrower and less sclerotized (Figs. 57–59). Females can be distinguished by a thin and slightly convex anterior margin of receptaculum, with a median concavity on the posterior wall, and a very small membranous sac (Figs. 52, 82). Also, males and females of Nops hispaniola n. sp. with abdomen immaculate, lacking the dorsal pattern of dark transversal bands present in Nops gertschi.
Description. Male (holotype): Carapace immaculate orange, elongated oval with a black and slightly elevated ocular tubercle (Fig. 61); pars cephalica not elevated, pars thoracica slight sloping posteriorly (Fig. 60), thoracic groove absent. Two black, oval eyes of equal size, separated by about two–thirds their diameter. Chelicerae light orange. Endites light orange except for anterior tips due a white membranous projection, wide, convergent but not touching, with middle part wider than the distal and proximal and forming an obtuse angle of about 120 degrees (Fig. 63), covered with scattered long setae. Labium light orange, broad, fused to sternum along obsolete posterior groove, rounded and reborded in apical part (Fig. 63). Sternum light orange, darker at the edge, oval, surface with fine reticular lines with few weak pits and numerous stiff setae around the edge (Fig. 63). Coxae light orange. Legs light orange, formula 4123; metatarsi entire, anteriors with a median translucent ventral longitudinal keel and with a distal, translucent ventral extension of membrane between anterior tarsi and metatarsi; all tarsi subsegmented, with three claws, unpaired claw elongated and dorsally reflexed in anterior legs, without teeth. Trichobothria present on metatarsi and tarsi in a single row. Palp with tibia excavated ventrally; cymbium elongated rounded, ventral surface densely covered with strong setae, with globose oval bulb (Figs. 57–59); embolus straight, distinctly shorter than tibial length, with curved, narrow and slightly sclerotized tip, and a base with same width than tibia (Figs. 57, 59). Abdomen immaculate, light gray dorsally, with darker area around spinnerets (Figs. 61, 62). Spinnerets light gray, six, in typical caponiid arrangement. Total length 6.60, carapace 2.60 long, 1.50 wide. Eyes 0.12 major diameter, 0.07 minor diameter. Leg measurements: I: femur 8.00/ patella 1.60/ tibia 9.70/ metatarsus 9.40/ tarsus 1.50; II: 8.80/ 1.40/ 9.40/ 9.50/ 1.70; III: 7.00/ 1.20/ 7.40/ 9.40/ 1.40; IV: 8.10/ 1.40/ 9.50/ 9.30/ 1.60. Sternum 1.60 long, 1.10 wide. Palpal tibia 1.00 long, 0.60 wide.
Female (paratype IBSP 166394): Carapace (Fig. 69), chelicerae, labium, legs, coxae, endites and sternum as in the male. Abdomen as in the male (Figs. 66, 67). Anterior plate (ap) weakly sclerotized, almost reaching proximal part of abdomen (Fig. 64); external sclerotization of spiracles (ess) darker, large, anteriorly starting from lateral extensions of posterior plate (lep), extending posteriorly more than the width of posterior spiracles (ps), but ending before interior edge of posterior spiracles (Figs 64, 82). Internal genitalia with a thin, slightly convex and sclerotized anterior margin of receptaculum (amr), and a very short membranous sac (ms) (Figs. 65, 82). Spinnerets light gray, six, in typical caponiid arrangement. Total length 6.90. Carapace 3.00 long, 2.10 wide. Eyes 0.10 major diameter, 0.08 minor diameter. Leg measurements: I: femur 8.30/ patella 1.80/ tibia 9.80/ metatarsus 9.90/ tarsus 1.90; II: 8.90/ 1.40/ 7.40/ 7.20/ 1.80; III: 7.60/ 1.40/ 7.50/ 7.20/ 1.60; IV: 8.20/ 1.40/ 9.60/ 9.30/ 1.70. Sternum 1.80 long, 1.40 wide. Palpal tibia 1.30 long, 0.80 wide.
Variation. Male (n=2): Total length 6.00−6.60, carapace 2.30−2.60 long, femur I 7.60−8.00 long. Palpal tibia 0.80−1.00 long, 0.40−0.60 wide. Female (n=2): Total length 5.90−6.90, carapace 2.20−3.00 long, femur I 7.60−8.30. Palpal tibia 1.00−1.30 long, 0.60−0.80 wide.
Distribution. Hispaniola (Fig. 85).
description: Published as part of Sánchez, Alexander, Brescovit, Antonio D. & Alayón, Giraldo, 2015, Four new caponiids species (Araneae, Caponiidae) from the West Indies and redescription of Nops blandus (Bryant), pp. 43-64 in Zootaxa 3972 (1) on pages 55-58, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3972.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/288891