Curicaberis minax O. Pickard-Cambridge 1896, comb. nov.

Curicaberis minax (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896) comb. nov.

Figs 61−64, Map 3

Sparassus minax O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896: 177, plate 22, figs 3−4 (syntypes one male, one female from Omilteme [20°09’N, 98°08’W], Guerrero, Mexico, deposited in NHM 1901/3/3, examined). F.O. Pickard-Cambridge 1900: 125, plate 9, figs 8−9; Banks 1901: 585, plate 22, fig. 8.

Olios minax: Petrunkevitch 1911: 500; World Spider Catalog 2015.

Additional material examined. MEXICO: Guerrero: 1♂, 1♀, 1juv., Arcelia [18°18’N, 100°17’W], 2 November 1947, H.M. Wagner leg. (AMNH); 1♂, Taxco [18°33’N, 99°36’W], September–December 1946, L. Isaacs leg. (AMNH); 1♂, Xalitla [18°00’N, 99°32’W], 4 June 1946, J.C & D.L. Pallister leg. (AMNH); 1♂, 7 miles S Chilpancingo [17°23’N, 99°29’W], 29 July 1956, W. Gertsch & V. Roth leg. (AMNH). Morelos: 1♀, Tequesquitengo [18°36’N, 99°15’W], 24 June–7 July 1944 (AMNH); 1♂, 1♀, Cuernavaca [18°55’N, 99°13’W], October 1941, N.L.H. Krauss leg. (AMNH); 2♀, same locality, September 1944, N.L.H. Krauss leg. (AMNH); 1♂, 1juv., Tepoztlan [18°59’N, 99°05’W], 5 May 1963, W.J. Gertsch & W. Ivie leg. (AMNH); 1♀, same locality as previous specimen, 14 August 1956, D.M. Yoshimoto leg. (AMNH); 2♂, Oaxtepec [18°54’N, 99°58’W], 17 May 1942, M. Correa & M. Cardenas leg. (AMNH); 1♀, same locality as previous specimen, 4 July 1943, Bolivar, Osorio & Diaz leg. (AMNH).

Diagnosis. Males of C. minax comb. nov. are distinguished from those of the other species of the genus by the palp with vRTA1 absent, vRTA2 laminar and concave and embolus with wide base, subdistally bent retrolaterally (Figs 73−74). Females resemble those of C. chamela sp. nov. and C. sanpedrito sp. nov. by the epigyne with very large, rounded copulatory openings (Figs 29, 63, 89). They are distinguished by the median septum with lateral protrusions reaching one third of the posterior margin on each side and by the short median indentation on the posterior margin (Fig. 75).

Description. Male (AMNH, Arcelia): Prosoma orange, slightly darker at eye area and brown along fovea and thoracic striae. Chelicerae and pedipalps orange. Legs orange, faintly mottled with brown spots ventrally. Labium and endites pale yellow, orange at base. Sternum pale orange with slightly darker margins. Opisthosoma orange brown; dorsally with indistinct gray pattern, except over cardiac impression; ventrally mottled with gray marks. Total length 8.3. Prosoma: 4.0 long, 3.8 wide. Opisthosoma: 4.1 long, 2.9 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.28, 0.25, 0.23, 0.28; interdistances: 0.20, 0.10, 0.40, 0.39, 0.20, 0.17. Legs (2143): I: 20.7 (5.4, 2.2, 5.6, 5.8, 1.7); II: 22.5 (6.1, 2.4, 6.0, 6.2, 1.8); III: 15.7 (4.6, 1.8, 4.0, 4.0, 1.3); IV: 18.5 (5.5, 1.8, 4.7, 5.1, 1.4). Palp: dRTA long. Subtegulum hidden behind embolus base, not visible in ventral view. Embolus arising from tegulum at 9 o’clock position. Conductor with almost the same width throughout its entire length (Figs 73−74).

Female (AMNH, Arcelia): Coloration as in male. Total length 11.1. Prosoma: 4.1 long, 4.0 wide. Opisthosoma: 6.6 long, 4.6 wide. Eyes: diameters: 0.28, 0.24, 0.18, 0.20; interdistances: 0.24, 0.10, 0.42, 0.40, 0.20, 0.20. Legs (2143): I: 18.6 (5.5, 2.2, 4.6, 4.8, 1.5); II: 19.8 (5.8, 2.2, 5.2, 5.0, 1.6); III: 13.6 (4.2, 1.8, 3.3, 3.1, 1.2); IV: 15.8 (4.7, 1.7, 4.0, 4.1, 1.3). Epigyne: epigynal field semi-circled, wider than long. Median septum two times wider than long with posterior margin not surpassing the epigastric furrow (Fig. 75). Vulva: copulatory ducts wide, as long as spermathecae length. Spermathecae large, round. Basal part of fertilization ducts slender, with one coil, distal part antero-laterad (Fig. 76).

Variation. Males (n = 7): total length 8.5–10.3; prosoma length 3.9–4.7; femur I length 6.1–6.8. Females (n = 5): total length 11.1–14.0; prosoma length 4.1–5.6; femur I length 5.5–6.5. As mentioned in Material and Methods, the general state of the specimen (very old or rehydrated), as well as the use of clove oil to examine internal structures, can alter the shape of the female duct system structures. In the case of C. minax comb. nov. the female syntype has smaller, shriveled spermathecae. However, the distinctive coil on the basal part of the fertilization duct is still quite visible.

Distribution. Known from the states of Guerrero and Morelos, southwestern Mexico (Map 3).

FIGURES 73−76. Curicaberis minax (O. Pickard-Cambridge) comb. nov. 73− 74 male, left palp (73 ventral, 74 retrolateral); 75− 76 female (75 epigyne, ventral view, 76 vulva, retrolateral view). C = conductor; CD = copulatory duct; CO = copulatory opening; dRTA = dorsal branch of RTA; E = embolus; FD = fertilization duct; GP = glandular projection; LL = lateral lobes; lp = lateral protrusion; MS = median septum; SP = spermathecae; vRTA2 = projection 2 of ventral branch of RTA. Scale lines: 1 mm.