Rothaeina jamesi 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 jamesi

description: Rothaeina jamesi Bennett spec. nov.
Figs 43–44, 53, 60–62, 70–72, 85
Type material. U.S.A.: California: Holotype male. Del Norte County, 3 miles east of Klamath, 16.ix.1961, W. Ivie & W.J. Gertsch (AMNH). Paratypes: U.S.A.: California: Del Norte, 5♀, 3 mi. E of Klamath, 16.ix.1961, W. Ivie & W.J. Gertsch (AMNH); 2♀, 10–15 mi. E of Fort Dick, 29.v.1952, V.D. Roth (CAS); Humboldt, 3♀, Avenue of the Giants, Ten-Taypo Trail [Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park], 14.ix.1971, V.D. Roth (CAS); 2♀, 6 mi. N of Hoopa, 22.viii.1959, W.J. Gertsch & V.D. Roth (AMNH); 3♀, Orick, 16.ix.1961, W. Ivie & W.J. Gertsch (AMNH); 1♀, 5 mi. SW of Orleans, 22.viii.1959, W.J. Gertsch & V.D. Roth (AMNH); 1♀, Redwoods National Forest, Bald Hills Rd. off Hwy 101, 24.ix.2003, P. Paquin & D. Wytrykush (RBCM); 4♁ 2♀, Rhododendron Trail along Hwy 101, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, 30.vi.2006, J. Ledford & S. Synhorst (CAS). Oregon: Curry, 2♀, 7 mi. E of Brookings, Chetco River, 29.iv.1952, V.D. Roth (CAS).
Etymology. The specific name is a patronym honouring the late Elmore James who set the standards for electric slide guitar blues in post-World War II Chicago, U.S.A.
Diagnosis. The male of R. jamesi spec. nov. is distinguished from the males of the three other species of Rothaeina gen. nov. with known males (R. mackinleyi spec. nov., R. petersoni spec. nov., and R. sequoia comb. nov.) by a combination of characters of the patellar apophysis, the medial component of the retrolateral tibial apophysis, and the proximal arm of the tegular apophysis. In the male of R. jamesi spec. nov. the patellar apophysis (Figs 53, 62) is slender and elongate (length about 2/3 width of the patella), smoothly tapering, and strongly dorsad and terminates in a single large peg seta; the medial component of the retrolateral tibial apophysis (Figs 53, 61) is a short and slender rigid spine-like process; and the proximal arm of the tegular apophysis (Figs 43, 60) is bulky, blunt, and angular in ventral view. In the other species with known males the patellar apophysis is relatively stubby and short (length no more than 1/2 width of patella) and has two to several terminal peg setae (R. mackinleyi spec. nov., Figs 54–55; R. petersoni spec. nov., Figs 56–57, 64–65; and R. sequoia comb. nov., Figs 58–59); the medial component of the retrolateral tibial apophysis is a longitudinal ledge (R. mackinleyi spec. nov., Fig. 54), greatly reduced and marked by a single basally articulated macroseta (R. petersoni spec. nov., Figs 56–57), or a very slender and elongate rigid spine-like process (R. sequoia comb. nov., Figs 58–59); and the proximal arm of the tegular apophysis is variously developed but always with a more-or-less acuminate tip (R. mackinleyi spec. nov., Figs 45–47; R. petersoni spec. nov., Figs 48–49; and R. sequoia comb. nov., Figs 50–51).
The females of R. jamesi spec. nov. are most likely to be confused with those of R. mackinleyi spec. nov.; separating the females of these two species from the females of the other species of Rothaeina gen. nov. is discussed in the diagnosis of R. beaudini spec. nov. From the females of R. mackinleyi spec. nov. the females of R. jamesi spec. nov. usually may be distinguished by the greater complexity of the spermathecal ducts characterized by a small additional loop posteriorly in each spermatheca, close to the fertilization duct (Figs 71–72) versus additional loop absent in the spermathecae of females of R. mackinleyi spec. nov. (Figs 73–74). Note also the caveat in the first paragraph of the diagnosis of R. beaudini spec. nov.
Description. As in diagnosis and description of the genus. Additional descriptive characters presented here. Abdomen usually at least lightly patterned.
Male: (n=5). Patellar apophysis (Figs 53, 62) with one large peg seta at tip, three smaller ones dorso-basally. Distal component of retrolateral tibial apophysis (Fig. 53) slightly extended distally over base of cymbium. Tegular apophysis (Figs 43–44, 60) with small basal outgrowth; distal arm long, relatively narrow (length about twice width); proximal arm elongate, ventrad, blunt in ventral view, acuminate in retrolateral view.
Measurements (n=1). Holotype CL 2.20, CW 1.75, SL 1.21, SW 1.12.
Female: (n=21). Atrium a single transverse inconspicuous slit anteromedially located on epigyne (Figs 70, 72). Vulva (Figs 71–72) with width usually less than 3.5 times atrial height (measured from epigastric groove to atrium); copulatory ducts distinctly separated at atrium; spermathecal heads near anterior margin of vulva; medial transverse section of spermathecae a prominent feature in dorsal cleared view; Bennett’s glands medially located on spermathecae (visible in dorsal view of cleared vulva).
Measurements (n=18). CL 1.65–2.23 (1.93+0.18), CW 1.25–1.65 (1.47+0.14), SL 0.88–1.22 (1.05+0.09), SW 0.81–1.13 (0.99+0.09).
Distribution and natural history. (Fig.85). Rothaeina jamesi spec. nov. is endemic to a small area encompassing extreme southwestern Oregon, U.S.A., south to Humboldt County in northwestern California, U.S.A. and, within that restricted area, the species appears to be relatively common with records of males and females occurring in the early 2000s. Males have been collected in mid-September (holotype) and early June.
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 118-120, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5318.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/8158357