Rothaeina petersoni Bennett & Copley & Copley 2023, spec. nov.
Creators: name: Bennett, Robb
name: Copley, Claudia
name: Copley, Darren
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Cybaeidae
Rothaeina
Rothaeina petersoni

description: Rothaeina petersoni Bennett spec. nov.
Figs 2, 48–49, 56–57, 64–65, 75–79, 86
Type material. U.S.A.: California: Holotype male. El Dorado County, 4 miles west of Kyburz, 9.ix.1959, W.J. Gertsch & V.D. Roth (AMNH). Paratypes. U.S.A.: California: El Dorado County, 3♁, Blodgett [Experimental Forest], 26.vii.2000, N. Rappaport et al. (RBCM); 1♀, Blodgett [Experimental Forest], 24.viii.2000, N. Rappaport et al. (RBCM); 16♀, 6 mi. E of Camp Connell, 10.ix.1959, W.J. Gertsch & V.D. Roth (AMNH); 8♀, Echo Summit, 4 mi. SW Meyers, 7382′, 9.ix.1959, W.J. Gertsch & V.D. Roth (AMNH); 4♀, 4 mi. W of Kyburz, 9.ix.1959, W.J. Gertsch & V.D. Roth (AMNH); 1♀, 3 mi. W of Riverton, 9.ix.1959, W.J. Gertsch & V.D. Roth (AMNH); Placer, 2♀, 6 mi. NE of Foresthill, 3480′, 27.xii.1986, D. Ubick (CAS); Nevada, 1♁ 1♀, Lowell Hill, 25.vii.2000, N. Rappaport et al. (RBCM); 1♁ 1♀, Lowell Hill, 23.viii.2000, N. Rappaport et al. (RBCM); San Mateo, 1♀, Sam McDonald Park [nr. La Honda], 18.xi.1988, D. Ubick (CAS); Sierra, 1♀, 5 mi. E of Camptonville, 3000′, 39 30′ N 120 29′ W, 16.viii.1996, D. Ubick (CAS); 1♁, 5 mi. E of Camptonville, 3050′, 39 30′ N 120 29′ W, 10.viii.2001, D. Ubick & S. Ubick (CAS); 6♀, Sierra City, 8.viii.2001, D. Ubick & S. Ubick (CAS); 16♀, Sierra City, The Cups, 6.ix.1959, W.J. Gertsch & V.D. Roth (AMNH); 1♀, Sierra City, Monarch Mine, 7.ix.1959, W.J. Gertsch & V.D. Roth (AMNH); 1♁, 6 mi. E of Sierra City, SFSU Field Station, 5500′, 12–16.viii.1996, D. Ubick (CAS); 1♁ 1♀, 10 mi. NE of Sierra City, Yuba Pass area, 4.viii.1999, J. Ledford (CAS); 1♀, 10 mi. NE of Sierra City, Yuba Pass area, 7000′, 8.viii.2001, D. Ubick (CAS); Tuolumne, 6♀, Pinecrest, 10.ix.1959, W.J. Gertsch & V.D. Roth (AMNH); 12♀, Tamarack Flat, Yosemite National Park, 3.ix.1958 (AMNH); 12♀, Tamarack Flat, Yosemite National Park, 11.ix.1959 W.J. Gertsch & V.D. Roth (AMNH). Oregon: Douglas, 1♁, 43 44′ 59′′ N 123 13′ 53′′ W, Territorial Hwy, nr. Anlauf, 23.ix.2003, P. Paquin & D. Wytrykush (RBCM); 2♁ 2♀, 43 38′ 50′′ N 123 53′ 00′′ W, Mill Creek off Hwy 38, Elliot State Forest, 23.ix.2003, P. Paquin & D. Wytrykush (RBCM).
Etymology. The specific name is a patronym honouring the late Ronald Alexander Miles Peterson, a talented Canadian artist and friend of RB. Ron died, sadly young, in British Columbia in 1989 while RB was preparing the initial draft of this species description.
Diagnosis. The male of R. petersoni spec. nov. is distinguished by the combination of its short (length less than 1/2 width of patella), dorsad patellar apophysis with one or two large and one or two small peg setae at the tip (Figs 56–57, 64–65), and the simple, smoothly tapered, ventrad proximal arm of the tegular apophysis (Figs 48– 49). Differentiating the male of this species from the males of the other three species with known males (R. jamesi spec. nov., R. mackinleyi spec. nov., and R. sequoia comb. nov.) is discussed in the diagnosis of R. jamesi spec. nov.
The females of R. petersoni spec. nov. and R. sequoia comb. nov. are very similar; differentiating them from the females of the other species of Rothaeina gen. nov. is discussed in the diagnosis of R. beaudini spec. nov. Differentiating them from each other is attained by the relative size of the spermathecal “rings” visible through the epigynal integument: smaller diameter in R. petersoni spec. nov. (Fig. 75) versus larger diameter in R. sequoia comb. nov. (Fig. 80). Additionally, the copulatory ducts are usually separated at the atrium in the female of R. petersoni spec. nov. (Figs 76–79) versus usually contiguous in R. sequoia comb. nov. (Figs 81–83). Finally, distribution can be helpful; the two species are largely allopatric. The main body of the population of R. petersoni spec. nov. is found in the central Sierra Nevada of eastern California (Fig. 86) while the population of R. sequoia comb. nov. is concentrated in northwestern California (Fig. 85).
Description. As in diagnosis and description of the genus. Additional descriptive characters presented here. Abdomen pale gray, usually with faint pattern or pattern lacking.
Male (n=12). Medial component of retrolateral tibial apophysis (Figs 56–57) reduced, demarked distally by single terminal basally articulated macroseta; distal component slightly extended distally. Tegular apophysis (Figs 48–49) with small but prominent proximal basal projection; distal arm of tegular apophysis long, narrow, length about 2.5 times width.
Measurements (n=2). CL 2.05, 2.6; CW 1.60, 1.93; SL 1.12, 1.26; SW 1.11, 1.25. Holotype second (larger) specimen.
Female (n=93). Epigyne (Fig. 75) with small, transverse, slightly bowed, medially located atrium. Vulva (Figs 76–79) broad, width usually at least four times atrial height (measured as height of epigyne from epigastric groove to atrium); copulatory ducts usually separated, rarely contiguous, or nearly so (Fig. 78), at atrium; spermathecal ducts convoluted; spermathecal heads dorsal, short distance anterolaterally from atrium; Bennett’s glands about midway on spermathecal ducts, usually readily observable in cleared dorsal view.
Measurements (n=26). CL 1.95–2.50 (2.24+0.17), CW 1.30–1.95 (1.67+0.17), SL 1.08–1.33 (1.19+0.08), SW 0.99–1.26 (1.12+0.08).
Distribution and natural history (Fig. 86). There may be several disjunct populations of R. petersoni spec. nov. The main population is in the central Sierra Nevada of eastern California, U.S.A., from the Sierra City, Sierra County area south to Yosemite National Park in Tuolumne County and within that area the species is relatively common. Small apparent outlier populations are known from the San Mateo County area in central west coastal California, U.S.A., and the Douglas County area in central west coastal Oregon, U.S.A. The San Mateo County record is from a single female and possibly is a misidentification. The Douglas County records, however, include three males examined by the first author and appear to be valid. Males have been collected from late July through late September.
description: Published as part of Bennett, Robb, Copley, Claudia & Copley, Darren, 2023, Revision of the western Nearctic spider genus Cybaeina including the description of Neocybaeina gen. nov. and Rothaeina gen. nov. (Araneae: Cybaeidae: Cybaeinae), pp. 97-129 in Zootaxa 5318 (1) on pages 121-123, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5318.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/8158357