Nopsides Chamberlin 1924

Nopsides Chamberlin

Nopsides Chamberlin, 1924: 601 (type species by original designation Nopsides ceralbonus Chamberlin).

DIAGNOSIS: Members of the genus can be separated from species of the previously known caponiid genera as follows: from the caponiine genera Caponia Simon (1887), Caponina Simon Same, posterior view. 52. Same, lateral view. 53. Labrum, dorsal view. 54. Serrula, dorsal view. 55. Stridulatory pick from palpal femur, prolateral view. 56. Palp, prolateral view. 57.

Same, retrolateral view. 58. Labrum and endites, dorsal view. 59. Genitalia, dorsal view.

(1891, see Platnick, 1994a), Diploglena Purcell (1904), Calponia Platnick (1993), Notnops Platnick (1994b), Taintnops Platnick (1994b), Tisentnops Platnick (1994b), Laoponia Platnick and Jäger (2008), and Iraponia Kranz-Baltensperger et al. (2009) by the presence of subsegmented tarsi (figs. 39–41), and from the nopine genera Nops MacLeay (1839), Orthonops Chamberlin (1924), Tarsonops Chamberlin (1924), Nyetnops Platnick and Lise (2007), and Cubanops (Sánchez-Ruiz et al., 2010) by having four, rather than only two, eyes (figs. 4, 12), as well as by the distally expanded endites (figs. 7, 19). Moreover, they differ from specimens of Nops, Orthonops, Tarsonops, and Cubanops in lacking a translucent ventral keel on the anterior metatarsi and a translucent extension of the membrane separating the anterior metatarsi and tarsi IV, and from those of Nyetnops and Cubanops in having an unpatterned carapace.

DESCRIPTION: Medium-sized caponiids with four eyes (figs. 1, 2, 10, 11, 76, 77). Carapace uniformly orange, elongate oval, widest at rear of coxa II (fig. 12), gradually narrowed anteriorly, pars cephalica not elevated, with slightly elevated ocular tubercle; pars thoracica slightly elevated near middle, gradually sloping posteriorly (fig. 13); surface reticulate, with hexagonal cells, with few long dark setae in ocular area and around midline of pars thoracica (fig. 14). Thoracic groove obsolete; clypeus over three times as high as anterior lateral eyes. Four eyes in two widely separated rows (figs. 4, 12, 15, 16, 79), anterior laterals in front of smaller, darker anterior medians, that pair united by oval ring of black pigment, separated by less half their diameter; anterior laterals translucent, separated by their diameter, by less than their radius from anterior medians. Chelicerae orange, with median internal lamina and white conspicuous membranous lobe near base of fang (figs. 22, 23, 50, 51); fang thickened at base (figs. 22–24), lateral surface of paturon with long series of stridulatory ridges in both sexes (figs. 22, 50, 52), spaces between ridges occupied by smaller ridges (fig. 17); stridulatory pick sharply pointed, situated at base of prolateral side of palpal femur (figs. 29, 55). Endites anteriorly widened, truncated (figs. 7, 80), orange except for white anterior tip, almost meeting at midline (figs. 19, 58), anterior surface with distal serrula consisting of single long tooth row (figs. 20, 54), distally with strong setae. Labium orange, triangular, fused to sternum along posterior groove; labrum long, narrow (figs. 21, 53). Sternum orange, oval, sculptured with circular cells, with numerous stiff setae (fig. 18); three epimeric sclerites above coxae I, II, and III plus IV articulating each other, intercoxal triangular extensions of sternum not fused with epimera. Plagula articulating with sternum, dorsal extensions not fused with epimera. Female palpal tarsus expanded (figs. 56, 57), without claw, covered with conspicuous prolateral brush of dense, thick setae, with dorsoapical pad of shortened setae. Leg formula 4-1-2-3; legs orange, setose but without spines; femora I, II enlarged, metatarsi without region of narrow membranous sutures. Metatarsi I, II without translucent ventral, longitudinal keel (but males with row of ventral denticles) or distal translucent extension, tarsi with two segments (figs. 39–41), proximal segment longer than distal one; tarsi I, II with three claws (figs. 42, 43, 68, 69), inferior claw without teeth but with long basal portion long and erect distal, hooked portion reaching at least to top of superior claws (figs. 46, 47, 72, 73); all tarsi with apical, laterally compressed, translucent pulvillus; paired claws of all legs with six teeth, distal teeth largest; legs III, IV without median claw (figs. 44, 45, 48, 49, 70, 71, 74, 75) but with ventral pad of setae. Tarsus and tibia of all legs with several rows of very long, pilose trichobothria, their bases with semicircular rim bearing slight longitudinal ridges (fig. 38). Tarsal organ exposed, with pronounced marginal ridges (figs. 34–37, 64–67). Abdomen setose, pale gray dorsally, lighter ventrally, without dark markings, with slightly sclerotized epigastric region in males; epigastric region with two pairs of respiratory spiracles clustered around epigastric groove, anterior spiracles leading to numerous tracheoles, posterior spiracles each leading to two large tracheal trunks (sometimes fused at base) extending anteriorly into cephalothorax, single, much narrower trunk extending posteriorly for most of abdominal length, and few small tracheoles extending posteriorly (fig. 25). Six spinnerets, in typical caponiid arrangement (figs. 30, 60; Platnick et al., 1991: 56), anterior laterals with single major ampullate gland spigot (figs. 31, 61); posterior medians with several aciniform gland spigots (fig. 32), those of females with two large minor ampullate gland spigots with flat bases (fig. 62); posterior laterals longest, with numerous aciniform gland spigots (fig. 33), those of female with two minor ampullate gland spigots with flat bases (fig. 63). Male palp (figs. 3, 5, 6) with short patella, tibia short, excavated ventrally, cymbium elongated, not swollen (fig. 28), prolateral surface densely covered with strong setae (fig. 26); embolus long, erect, depressed, membranous prolaterally near curved tip (figs. 8, 9, 27). Female epigastric area with wide sclerite occupying most of space between spiracles (fig. 78), internal genitalia (figs. 83, 84) with sclerotized anterior ridge with small denticles (fig. 59), median duct leading to membranous sac.

DISTRIBUTION: Mexico (and possibly Peru).