Darkoneta, gen. nov.

(Figs. 11–17, 29, 30, 32, 34, 46, 57–64, 79–84, 85–90, 91–96, 111, 112, 116)

Type species. Archoleptoneta stridulans Platnick, 1994, here designated.

Etymology. This genus is named in honor of Darko Ljubić (Darrell Ubick), a trusted friend, colleague, and collector of many leptonetids throughout North America and Europe.

Diagnosis. Small (0.87-1.28 mm), three-clawed, ecribellate, six-eyed or blind spiders separated from all other leptonetids except Archoleptoneta by having the eyes contiguous (Figs. 11–13); male palpal tarsus cylindrical; bulb suboval with three accessory sclerites and a tapering embolus (Figs. 80, 83, 86, 89, 92, 95); females with simple, paired receptacula (Fig. 111–112). Separated from Archoleptoneta by having a rectangular colulus (Fig. 46, 57, 61) and males with a stout prolateral accessory sclerite (PRS, Figs. 80, 83, 86, 89, 92, 94).

Synapomorphies. Darkoneta gen. nov. species are united by the presence of a colulus (Figs. 46, 57, 61) and an enlarged, modified prolateral sclerite on the male palpal bulb (PRS, Figs. 80, 83, 86, 89, 92, 94).

Description. Total length 0.87–1.28. Carapace pale to orange, round to oval in dorsal view (Figs. 6–8, 16), elevated in lateral profile (Fig. 16–17), length 1.10–1.33 x width; smooth; thoracic fovea inconspicuous; carapace rounded along posterior margin in females, males of D. stridulans and D. quetzal sp. nov. with posterior stridulatory structures (Fig. 12–13, 29–30), all other species unmodified; six eyes (Fig. 29) or blind (Fig. 32), AME absent; ALE and PLE with dark to dusky markings (Fig. 11–13); OA wider than long, with a single seta anteriad of ALE, two setae posteriad of PLE; fang furrow with 5–6 teeth on the promargin and 0–2 teeth on the retromargin. Sternum smooth, tapering posteriorly, as long as wide. Abdomen (Figs. 11–12, 14– 17) oval, pale to light-brown, covered with fine setae; stridulatory files present anteriorly in males of D. stridulans and D. quetzal sp. nov.; spinning organs (Figs. 46, 57–64); colulus recatangular (Fig. 46, 57, 61); ALS cylindrical, with 1–3 tartipores, a single elongate spigot anteriorly, and 4 spigots of varying size on short, circular bases, and at least one spigot lacking a base; PMS tetrahedral, females with 2–4 spigots on short, circular bases, 1–2 spigots on a thickened base anteriorly (Fig. 59), with or without a single nubbin (Fig. 59), male PMS with 1–2 spigots on short, circular bases; PLS with 1–2 spigots on an elongate pointed base in females, absent in males. Leg formula I, IV, II, III or IV, I, II, III; legs elongate and thin, sparsely covered with fine setae and lacking spines; male femur I 1.19–2.80 x carapace width, females 1.13–2.3 x carapace width; middorsal integumentary glands elongate, with single, small pores (Figs. 7–8 in Platnick, 1994). Male palpal femur length 0.50–0.78 x carapace width. Basal haematodocha expandable, bulb suboval, bearing three flexibly attached accessory sclerites at base (Figs. 80, 83, 86, 89, 92, 95), embolus tapered or broad. Female genitalia (Fig. 111–112) haplogyne, consisting of simple, paired recaptacula.

Composition. Six species; D. arganoi (Brignoli, 1975) comb. nov, D. garza (Gertsch, 1974) comb. nov, D. obscura (Gertsch, 1974) comb. nov, D. quetzal sp. nov., D. reddelli sp. nov., and D. stridulans (Platnick, 1994) comb. nov.

Distribution. Known from localities in Arizona, Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, and Texas (Fig. 116).