Tapinocyba Simon 1884

Tapinocyba Simon 1884

The genus Tapinocyba was established by Simon with Walckenaeria praecox O. Pickard­ Cambridge 1873 as the type­species (Simon 1884). Crosby and Bishop (1933) revised the genus in which they described one species and transferred four others to Tapinocyba that were considered congeneric with the type. That was based on the form of the embolic division, but they also accepted a huge variation of the dorsal shield of the prosoma and the palpal tibial apophysis. In the same paper, they created the genus Phlattothrata Crosby and Bishop 1933 with Lophocarenum flagellata Emerton 1911 as the type­species. This genus is diagnosed by the nearly straight, simpler, embolic division and a short embolus with a wide tip. The male carapace harbours cephalic pits located very high above the level of posterior medium eye.

Chamberlin and Ivie (1947) treated Phlattothrata as a subgenus of Tapinocyba, stating that the former is a derived Tapinocyba considering the cephalic hump and the tibial apophysis of male palpus. Subsequent authors used Phlattothrata as a junior synonym, but Crawford (1988) revalidated it based on the re­delimitation of Tapinocyba by Millidge (1977). Based on European species, Millidge (1977) defined the Tapinocyba group, and distinguished Tapinocyba with three characters: the presence of highly pectinate claws, the palp tegulum protruding ventrally, and the sinuous duct within the tegulum that has a sudden constriction in diameter at the end of the sinuous part. Until a revision of the whole genus is undertaken, it is not possible to assess the limits and/or the validity of Tapinocyba or Phlattothrata. However, after studying several North American species placed in Tapinocyba and the two species presented here, we noticed that some species have characters that could either be Tapinocyba or Phlattothrata, based on Millidge’s limitation. To avoid further confusion, we place the new species in Tapinocyba and leave T. minuta where it stands. The two species are obviously closely related, as confirmed by their small size, chaetotaxy, the presence of a cephalic pit and sulci, a rather simple embolic division, and somewhat large tegulum. These characters appear congeneric with T. praecox, but a comprehensive revision of the genus would be necessary to fully solve this question

The genus Tapinocyba includes 41 species, distributed over Europe, England, Japan, North America and Russia, 14 of which are found in North America. The genus Phlattothrata includes 2 species, P. flagellata from North America and the Holarctic P. parva.

Diagnosis.— Spiders in the genus are small (~ 0.9–1.5mm) and have the following characters: Tm I 0.37–0.44, Tm IV absent, tibial spination I I I I. The male carapace is variable, it can either be raised forming a cephalic hump (Fig. 7) or rounded (Fig. 1), with the presence of a sulcus and a cephalic pit. The sulcus can either run back from over the posterior lateral eye, or be located on the cephalic hump. The sulcus may not be easily visible in lateral view, but better seen in dorsal view. Male palp with a rather simple embolic division consisting of a tail­piece, radix and embolus (Figs. 2, 8). The tip of the embolus is variable and can take different forms: spined, twisted or bidentated. Tegulum is rather large in ventral view, distal suprategular apophysis variable, palpal tibial apophysis ranges from a broad and triangular to a long narrow flagellum. Female epigynum variable, epigynal plate without atrium, spermathecae well separated, copulatory openings situated at either in the middle or two thirds down the epigynal plate (Figs. 5, 11).

Tapinocyba minuta (Emerton 1909) (Figs. 1–6, 13)

Lophocarenum minutum Emerton 1909: 191, plate III figs. 8, 8a, 8b.

Prosopotheca minutum: Crosby and Bishop 1928b: 1051.

Tapinocyba minuta: Crosby and Bishop 1933: 120, plate II figs. 49–53; Kaston 1948, 1981: 179, figs. 499–500, 524; Levi et al. 1958: 48; Drew 1967: 172, 194; Renault 1968: 18, 21, fig. 77; West et al. 1984: 87; Koponen 1987: 285; Koponen 1992: 163; Hillburn and Jennings 1988: 109; Aitchison­Bennell and Dondale 1992: 224; Bélanger and Hutchinson 1992: 39; Aitchison and Sutherland 2000: 639, 645; Paquin et al. 2001: 19; Paquin and LeSage 2001: 100; Buckle et al. 2001: 147.

Type material.— Label: “ Lophocarenum minutum Em., Fitzwilliam N.H., May 25 1907, J.H. Emerton Coll.” MCZ #22103, examined. Cheshire County: Fitzwilliam [42°47’N, 72°09’W]. Syntypes: 2 ɗ and 1 Ψ.

Material examined.— Canada: Alberta: George Lake [53°57’N, 114°06’W] 08.– 22.v.1980, 2ɗ, G. Gibson (CNC); George Lake [53°57’N, 114°06’W] 19.vi.–03.vii.1980, 4ɗ 1Ψ, G. Gibson (CNC); George Lake [53°57’N, 114°06’W] 29.v.–05.vi.1980, 1ɗ, G. Gibson (CNC); British Columbia: Victoria Island Goldstream Park [48°28’N, 123°33’W] 23.ix.1975, 1ɗ 5Ψ, B. Ainscough (CNC); Manitoba: Riding Mountain National Park, Moon Lake [50°53’N, 100°02’W] 02.vi.1979, pitfall, aspen stand, 1Ψ, S.J. Miller (CNC); Riding Mountain National Park, near Refuse Pit [50°53’N, 100°02’W] 28.vi.1979, pitfall, aspen stand, 1ɗ, S.J. Miller (CNC); Riding Mountain National Park, Wishing Well Road [50°53’N, 100°02’W] 24.vii.1979, pitfall, mixed woods, 1ɗ, D.B. Lyons (CNC); Riding Mountain National Park, Wishing Well Road [50°53’N, 100°02’W] 12.vi.1979, pitfall, mixed woods, 1Ψ, D.B. Lyons (CNC); Riding Mountain National Park, bed & breakfast trail [50°53’N, 100°02’W] 01.vi.1979, pitfall, mixed woods, 1ɗ, D.B. Lyons (CNC); Riding Mountain National Park, bed & breakfast trail [50°53’N, 100°02’W] 20.vi.1979, pitfall, mixed woods, 6ɗ, D.B. Lyons (CNC); Riding Mountain National Park, Clear Lake [50°40’N, 100°00’W] 08.–28.vi.1979, pitfall, beaver meadow, 1ɗ, S.J. Miller (CNC); Riding Mountain National Park, Lake Audy [50°42’N, 100°13’W] 28.viii.1979, sifting grass & moss, 1Ψ, J. & M. Redner (CNC); Ninette [49°24’N, 99°37’W] 05.viii.1958, berlese, ash forest along stream, 3Ψ, J.G. Chillcott (CNC); Turtle Mountain Provincial Park: Turtle Mountain Forest Reserve [49°03’N, 100°15’W] 05.viii.1959, berlese, poplar bush along lake shore, 2Ψ, J.G. Chillcott (CNC); Riding Mountain National Park, 1 km S North Gate [50°39’N, 99°58’W] 19.vi.1979, pitfall, aspen stand, 6ɗ 2Ψ, D.B. Lyons (CNC); New Brunswick: Madawaska, Green River, 30 mi N Edmunston [47°19’N, 68°09’W] 17.–24.vi.1963, soil sample, 3ɗ, T.R. Renault (CNC); Madawaska, Green River, 30 mi N Edmunston [47°19’N, 68°09’W] 09.vi.1961, 1ɗ, T.R. Renault (CNC); Madawaska, Green River, 30 mi N Edmunston [47°19’N, 68°09’W] 17.–24.ix.1963, soil sample, 1Ψ, T.R. Renault (CNC); Madawaska, Green River, 30 mi N Edmunston [47°19’N, 68°09’W] 10.–17.vi.1963, soil sample, 7ɗ, T.R. Renault (CNC); Kent, Kouchibouguac National Park [46°51’N, 64°58’W] 18.–31.vii.1978, pan trap, mixed woods near river, 1ɗ, S.J. Miller (CNC); Kent, Kouchibouguac National Park [46°51’N, 64°58’W] 21.ix.1977, 1Ψ, S.J. Miller (CNC); Kent, Kouchibouguac National Park [46°51’N, 64°58’W] 19.vi.–05.vii.1978, pitfall, grass by river, 1ɗ, S.J. Miller (CNC); Nova Scotia Victoria, Inverness, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, North Mountain [46°53’N, 60°35’W] 22.vi.1983, pan trap, 2ɗ, Y. Bousquet (CNC); Victoria, Inverness, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, MacKenzies Mountain [46°46’N, 60°35’W] 25.viii.1983, litter and moss, 2Ψ, M. Sharkey (CNC); Victoria, Inverness, Cape Breton Highlands National Park [46°48’N, 60°41’W] 09.–11.vii.1983, pan trap, forest, 1ɗ, H. Goulet (CNC); Victoria, Inverness, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, North Mountain [46°48’N, 60°41’W] 26.viii.1983, sifting, bog, 1ɗ 2Ψ, M. Sharkey (CNC); Victoria, Inverness, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, North Mountain [46°48’N, 60°41’W] 09.–10.vi.1983, pan trap, forest, 9ɗ, H. Goulet (CNC); Victoria, Inverness, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, MacKenzies Mountain [46°46’N, 60°49’W] 06.– 13.vi.1983, pan trap, forest, 3ɗ 3Ψ, H. Goulet (CNC); Victoria, Inverness, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, N of Paquets Lake [46°50’N, 60°26’W] 09.–13.vi.1983, pan trap, barren, 3ɗ, H. Goulet (CNC); Ontario: 20 mi E Kenora [49°49’N, 94°26’W] 10.v.– 16.vi.1963, pitfall, woods, 1Ψ, A.L. Turnbull (CNC); Thunder Bay, Pukaskwa National Park [48°15’N, 85°55’W] 26.vi.2001, pitfall, 2Ψ, no collectors (CNC); Thunder Bay, Pukaskwa National Park [48°15’N, 85°55’W] 24.vii.2002, 1Ψ, no collectors (CNC); Thunder Bay, Black Sturgeon Lake, 42 mi N Hurkett [49°20’N, 88°53’W] 17.viii.1972, mixed cedar­alder litter, 1Ψ, E.E. Lindquist (CNC); Nipissing, Sproule Bay, Algonkin Park [45°38’N, 78°22’W] no date, 4ɗ 4Ψ, W. Ivie & T.B. Kurata (AMNH); Québec: Abitibi Lac Duparquet [48°30’N, 79°13’W] 29.v.–05.vi.1994, flight interception trap, mixed forest, 3ɗ 1Ψ (CPAD); Gaspé Provincial Park, Hwy 299, 24 mi S Ste­Anne­des­ Monts [48°52’N, 65°58’W] 05.vi.–23.vii.1980, roadside grass and weeds, 2ɗ, C.D. Dondale & J.H. Redner (CNC); Orford, Memphrémagog, Parc national du Mont­Orford [45°20’N, 72°13’W] 02.viii.1985, balsam fir litter, 2ɗ 2Ψ, V. Behan (CNC); Gaspé, La Côte­de­Gaspé, Forillon National Park of Canada, La Chute trail [48°54’N, 64°21’W] 11.viii.1981, mixed birch­maple­fir litter, 1Ψ, E.E. Lindquist (CNC); U.S.A.: Massachussets: Franklin County: Sunderland [42°28’N, 72°35’W] 30.vi.1937, 1ɗ 1Ψ, W.M. Kulash (AMNH); Maine: Penobscot County: Orono [44°53’N, 68°40’W] no date, 2Ψ, Blake, J.H Emerton Coll. (MCZ); Piscataquis County: 13.6 km NNE of Soubunge Mountain [45°58’N, 69°11’W] 01.vi.1978, pitfall spruce­fir forest, 1ɗ, D.T. Jennings & M.W. Houseweart (CNC); Piscataquis County: 13.6 km NNE of Soubunge Mountain [45°58’N, 69°11’W] 16.vi.1977, pitfall, spruce­fir forest, 1ɗ, D.T. Jennings & M.W. Houseweart (CNC); New Hampshire: Grafton County: Blue Ridge 1 mi SE Moosilauke Ravine Lodge [44°02’N, 71°47’W] 16.–23.vii.1986, pitfall, balsam fir, red spruce, mountain ash, 1Ψ, D. Grosman (CNC); Coos County: Randolph [44°23’N, 71°17’W] 01.vii.1926, 1ɗ, Banks, Emerton (MCZ); New York: Hamilton County: Blue Ledge [43°48’N, 74°08’W] 13.viii.1985, moss, lichen, pine needles on rock, 1Ψ, V. Behan (CNC).

illustrated. 1, dorsal shield of prosoma, lateral view; 2, palpus of male, ventral view; 3, palpus of male, retrolateral view; 4, palpal tibia of male, dorsal view; 5, epigynum, ventral view; 6,

spermathecae, dorsal view.

Abbreviations used: CO copulatory opening, CD copulatory ducts, DSA distal suprategular apophysis, E embolus, F fundus, FD fertilization ducts, MS median septum, P paracymbium, PT protegulum, PTA Pedipalpal tibia apophysis, RA radix, RI rim, S spermatheca, TP tail­piece. Terminology follows Hormiga (2000). Scale bars for figures 1, 7 = 0.1mm, all other figures = 0.05mm.

Diagnosis.— The males of T. minuta are distinguished by the rounded dorsal shield of the prosoma; a tail­piece rather large and somewhat pear­shaped; embolus thick, tip strongly twisted; protegulum small and inconspicuous (Fig. 2); palpal tibial apophysis thin (Fig 4). The females have an epigynal plate divided into two circular areas delimited on the anterior portion by a rim and joined in the middle to form a median septum (Fig. 5). Septum basally enlarged and bearing a circumvolution, leading to the copulatory openings (Fig. 5). Spermathecae oriented in a longitudinal axis (Fig. 6).

Description.— Male (n=5): Total length: 0.99–1.00mm; carapace length: 0.46– 0.49mm; carapace width: 0.35–0.47mm; carapace smooth, shiny, light orange brown (#ff8c00) to light brown (#d2691e), 5 erect setae along midline, cephalic pit and sulci present, dorsal shield of prosoma not raised (Fig. 1). Sternum light orange brown, lightly suffused with grey (#8b8378). Chelicerae light orange brown, promargin with 3 large and 2 small teeth, retromargin with 4 denticles. Cheliceral stridulatory ridges easily visible, with ~10 ridges. Abdomen uniformely coloured, light to dark grey (#d3d3d3 to #8b8378), densely covered with semi­erect setae. Legs light orange brown, tibia I–IV with one dorsal macroseta; metatarsus I with dorsal trichobothrium, Tm I 0.42–0.50, Tm IV absent. Palpal tibia with a thin curved apophysis (Figs. 3–4); embolus thick, tip strongly twisted (Figs. 2– 3); protegulum small and inconspicuous; fundus visible; paracymbium C­shaped, basally bearing ~9 setae (Fig. 3).

Female (n=5): Total length: 1.04–1.10mm; carapace length: 0.45–0.49mm; carapace width: 0.34mm; carapace colouration as in male, occasionally with suffused grey pattern, 4 erect setae along midline. Colouration of sternum and chelicerae as in male; promargin of chelicerae with 2 large and 3 small teeth, retromargin with 5 denticles. Cheliceral stridulatory organ weak, with ~4 ridges. Abdomen uniformly coloured, lighter than male, light grey to medium grey (#e0eee0 to #c1cdc1), densely covered with semi­erect setae. Legs light orange brown, tibia I–IV with one dorsal macroseta; metatarsus I with dorsal trichobothrium, Tm I 0.37–0.44, Tm IV absent. Epigynal plate divided into two circular areas, delimited on the anterior portion by a rim, joined in the middle to form a median septum. Septum basally enlarged and bearing a circumvolution, leading to the copulatory openings (Fig. 5). Spermathecae visible through the cuticle and extending beyond the epigynal plate (Figs. 5–6). Spermathecae oval and oriented in a longitudinal axis, fertilization ducts rather short and sinuous (Fig. 6).

Distribution.— Widespread, from British Columbia to Québec, and limited to the southern portion of the provinces. The southernmost records are from Massachusetts in the North­East U.S.A. (Fig. 13).

Habitat.— This species has been collected in coniferous and deciduous forest litter, lichens and mosses.

Remarks.— References to the species in the literature have to be regarded with caution. It is likely that some of the northern records of T. minuta (e.g., Aitchison & Sutherland 2000) refer to T. prima new species, given the northern distribution of the latter species (see above). However, as most of the recent authors probably used the illustrations given by Crosby and Bishop (1933) that correctly represent T. minuta (c.f. Koponen 1992), most of the old records were probably right. The specimens reported by Dondale et al. (1997) under T. minuta from Yukon, which are deposited at the CNC, were examined and belong to T. prima new species.