Neostasina Rheims & Alayón 2016, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Rheims, Cristina Anne
name: Alayón, Giraldo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Sparassidae
Neostasina

description: Neostasina gen. nov.
Etymology. The generic name is a combination of the prefix Neo, derived from the Greek “neos” for “new” meaning this genus is from the New World, and the suffix Stasina in reference to the genus Stasina, from where species are being transferred. Gender is feminine.
Type species: Stasina macleayi Bryant, 1940
Diagnosis. Within Sparianthinae the new genus is characterized by three pairs of ventral spines on tibiae I and II and one pair of ventral spines on metatarsi I and II. Species of Neostasina resemble those of Decaphora by the ventral spination of tibiae and metatarsi of legs I −II, with three and one pair respectively, but can be distinguished by the male palps with dRTA simple, without spines (Figs 15, 28, 42) (complex, with many spines in Decaphora, see Rheims & Alayón 2014, figs 17, 24, 31) and by the female epigynes with lateral lobes not touching each other (Figs 17, 20, 30, 37) (touching each other posteriorly in Decaphora, see Rheims & Alayón 2014, figs 19, 26, 34). From Pseudosparianthis it can be distinguished by having only one pair of ventral spines on metatarsi I −II (two in Pseudosparianthis) and from Uaiuara by having three pairs of ventral spines on tibiae I −II (8−9 in Uaiuara).
Description. Total length of males 5.2−11.9, of females 5.5−16.7. Prosoma slightly longer than wide; cephalic region slightly higher than thoracic region, gradually flattening posteriorly; fovea conspicuous on posterior third of prosoma. Eight eyes arranged in two rows, the anterior row straight, the posterior procurved; AME larger than ALE and more distant from each other than from ALE; PME smaller than PLE mostly more distant from each other than from PME, but can be closer or as distant as from PLE (Figs 1−6). Clypeus low, less than AME diameter. Chelicerae longer than wide, with three promarginal teeth, the basal one smallest, and two retromarginal denticles; intermarginal denticles absent; one single strong seta at the base of fang (Fig. 7). Labium slightly longer than wide. Endites convergent, with dense scopulae on internal margin. Serrula with a single row of denticles. Sternum as long as wide, very slightly projected between coxae IV. Female pedipalps with single, pectinate claw, with 3−4 teeth (Fig. 10). Legs laterigrade, mostly 2143; 2413 and 4213 can also occur. Trochanter smooth. Metatarsi I–IV distally with dorsal trilobate membrane with median hook much smaller than lateral projections. Metatarsus IV with distal ventral preening comb (Fig. 12). Tarsi and anterior half of metatarsi scopulate. Tarsal organ capsulate with keyhole-shaped opening (Fig. 8), located dorsally at the distal end of tarsi. Trichobothria present on dorsal tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi, arranged in several rows that converge to a single row at the basal end of tarsi and metatarsi. Bothrium with crescent plate, with 7−8 grooves, projected over a smooth basal plate (Fig. 9). Tarsi with pair of pectinate claws with 5−6 very slightly curved teeth and claw tufts (Fig. 11). Spination pattern in males: femora I −III: p1-1-1, d0-1-1; r1-1-1; femur IV: p1-1-1, d0-1-1, r0-0(1)-1; tibiae I −IV: p1-0-1; d0-0-1; r1-0-1; v2-2 -2-0; Metatarsi I −II: p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2 -0-0; metatarsus III: p1-1-1, r1-1-1, v2 -0(2)-1; metatarsus IV: p1-1-1, r1-1-1, v2- 2 -0. Palp: femur p0-0-1; d0-1-2; r0-0-0(1); tibia p1-0-0; in females: femora I −II: p1-1-1, d0-1-1, r1-1-1; femur III: p1-1-1, d0-1-1, r1-1-1(0); femur IV; p1-1-1, d0-1-1, r0-0-1; tibiae I −II: p0(1)-0-0(1),, r0(1)-0-0(1) v2-2 -2-0; tibia III: p0(1)-0-0(1), d0-0-0(1); r1(0)-0-0(1), v2-2 -2; tibia IV: p1-0-1, d0-0-1, r1-0-1, v2-2 -2; metatarsi I −II: p1-0(1)-0, r1-0(1)-0, v2 -0-0; metatarsus III: p1-0(1)-0(1), r1-0(1)-0(1), v 2 -0(2)-1(0); metatarsus IV: p1-1-1, r1-1-1, v2-2 -0. Palp: femur p0-0-1; d0-0-2; patella p1, r1; tibia p2-1-0; d0-0-1; r1-1-0; metatarsus p2-1-0; r2-1-0. Opisthosoma oval, longer than wide. Male epiandrous spigots absent. Six spinnerets: anterior lateral spinnerets contiguous, conical and bi-segmented. Basal segment elongate and cylindrical, distal segment short and truncated. Posterior median spinnerets conical and short. Posterior lateral spinnerets conical and bi-segmented. Basal segment elongate and cylindrical, distal segment short and truncated. Male palp: tibia slightly shorter than cymbium; VTA situated medially (Figs 27, 69, 90) or slightly displaced retrolaterally (Figs 50, 107, 137); RTA arising subdistally from tibia with dRTA single (Figs 15, 55, 91) or bifid (Figs 74, 134) of variable shape and vRTA single (Figs 28, 55, 66) or bifid (Figs 42, 70, 115) of variable shape (absent in N. taino sp. nov., Fig. 137); eRTA absent (Figs 27, 51, 65) or present (Figs 15, 42, 90) with variable shape; cymbium with pronounced retrolateral rim, large round alveolus and dorsal scopulae (Figs 15, 35, 134); subtegulum ring-shaped with prolateral annelli; tegulum smooth (Figs 14, 34, 54) or with protrusion, the latter arising between 3 and 7 o’clock positions (Figs 65, 69, 90); median apophysis arising from tegulum between 2 and 4 o’clock positions; conductor elongate, laminar and hyaline; TBC membranous at base of conductor; embolus simple (Figs 27, 54, 99), with dorsal keels (Figs 67, 71, 85, 116) or bifid (Fig. 139), arising from tegulum between 6 and 9 o’clock positions; TBE single (Figs 41, 60, 102) or bifid with main branch longer than secondary branch (Figs 16, 75, 124). Female epigyne: divided into lateral lobes and median septum; epigynal field usually longer than wide; anterior rim continuous (Figs 43, 93, 110) or divided (Figs 17, 30, 86); median septum of variable shapes, smooth (Figs 23, 61, 110), with scape (Fig. 43) or protrusions (79, 96); lateral lobes with posterior triangular projections (Figs 20, 129, 143). Female vulva: copulatory ducts short; glandular projections short, rounded with wide base (Figs 24, 31, 130), or elongate from two (Figs 38, 77, 127) to more than four times longer than wide (Fig. 104) or rounded on short stalks (Figs 62, 147); spermathecae of variable shapes (Figs 21, 94, 127) can be packed within a sclerotized structure, the latter with internal ducts visible by transparency (Figs 18, 38, 44) or inconspicuous (Figs 31, 87, 121); fertilization ducts slender, medially looped.
Distribution. Known from the Antilles, from Cuba to Antigua (Map 1).
Composition. Twenty-seven species: N. amalie sp. nov.; N. antiguensis (Bryant) comb. nov.; N. baoruco sp. nov.; N. bermudezi sp. nov.; N. bicolor (Banks) comb. nov.; N. bryantae sp. nov.; N. cachote sp. nov.; N. croix sp. nov.; N. elverde sp. nov.; N. granpiedra sp. nov.; N. guanaboa sp. nov.; N. gunboat sp. nov.; N. iberia sp. nov.; N. jamaicana sp. nov.; N. liguanea sp. nov.; N. lucasi (Bryant) comb. nov.; N. lucea sp. nov.; N. macleayi (Bryant) comb. nov.; N. mammee sp. nov.; N. maroon sp. nov.; N. montegordo sp. nov.; N. oualie sp. nov.; N. saetosa (Bryant) comb. nov.; N. siempreverde sp. nov.; N. taino sp. nov.; N. turquino sp. nov.; N. virginensis sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Rheims, Cristina Anne & Alayón, Giraldo, 2016, Neostasina gen. nov., a new genus of huntsman spiders from the Neotropical region (Araneae, Sparassidae, Sparianthinae), pp. 301-344 in Zootaxa 4079 (3) on pages 304-305, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4079.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1050744