A New Genus and Species of Theraphosid Spider from Belize (Araneae, Theraphosidae )
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1996. The Journal of Arachnology 24:254–26 1 A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF THERAPHOSID SPIDER FROM BELIZE (ARANEAE, THERAPHOSIDAE ) Steven B. Reichling : Division of Ecology and Organismal Biology, The University o f Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, USA Rick C. West: Natural History Section, Royal British Columbia Museum, 67 5 Belleville Street, Victoria, British Columbia, V8V 1X4 Canad a ABSTRACT. A monotypic theraphosid spider genus, Crassicrus new genus, and a new species Cras- sicrus lamanai new species, are described from the tropical dry forest of north-central Belize . Natural history and biogeographical notes are given. The mygalomorph family Theraphosidae is the Pantone Book of Color (Eisman Herber t a large and diverse group which is poorl y 1990) . known, particularly in Belize . Belizean mate- Crassicrus new genus rial collected by E.C . Welling M . in 1984 and sent to the second author included six speci- Type species .—Crassicrus lamanai new mens that did not fit any known theraphosi d species . genus. Examination of these specimens sug- Etymology .—From the Latin root crass , gested that they represented a new genus with - thick, and crus, shin, in reference to the in- in the theraphosid subfamily Theraphosinae , crassate tibia of leg IV. as they exhibited the large subtegulum diag- Diagnosis.—Crassicrus possesses a more nostic of that subfamily (Raven 1985) . Mature incrassate, barrel-shaped tibia IV than Eupa- males collected by the first author in 1995 laestrus Pocock 1901, the only other Ne w confirmed the existence of a locally abundan t World theraphosid to exhibit this feature . This and distinctive new genus of theraphosid spi- character state is present in both sexes but der, described below, from the dry tropica l more pronounced in the female. Crassicrus, in forest of northern Belize . contrast to Eupalaestrus, lacks a scopulate d pad on the retrolateral surface of femur IV. METHODS Females are readily distinguished from all other theraphosids by a field of thorn-like se- All measurements are in mm and were tae on the entire ventral and ventro-prolatera l made using a dial caliper, ±0 .01 mm. Leg and surface of coxae and femora II-IV. Both sexes pedipalp measurements were made on the lef t possess fine plumose hairs on the retrolateral side of all specimens . Trochanters and coxae surface of the palp trochanter and femur an d were measured from their ventral aspect, the opposing prolateral surface of the leg I while all other leg measurements were taken trochanter and femur. dorsally . Leg segment widths were measured Included species .—Only the type species . dorsoventrally at the point of greatest width . The spermathecal illustration was based on Crassicrus lamanai new specie s stereomicroscopic examination of dissecte d Figs. 1–9; Tables 1–4 spermathecae . Spination abbreviations follow Types.—Holotype male, paratype female Prentice (1992) . Standard abbreviations are from 0 .5 km W New River Lagoon, Indian used for ocular descriptions . Coloration was Church Village near Lamanai Forest Reserve , recorded during examination of live speci- Orange Walk District, Belize, 6 January 1995 mens under sunlight using color charts from (S.B . Reichling) . Paratypes: 7 January 1995 , 254 REICHLING WEST—NEW THERAPHOSID SPIDER FROM BELIZE 255 1d (S.B . Reichling) ; 3 September 1995, 2 6 procurved . Anterior eye row procurved ; AME (S.B. Reichling) . 9 January 1995, 49 (S .B. round, diameter 0 .5, separated by 0 .2; ALE Reichling) . Locality for all paratypes a s ovoid, 0 .3 X 0.4. Posterior eye row crescentic ; above. All specimens deposited in the Amer- PME ovoid, 0.1 X 0 .2; PLE ovoid, 0.2 X 0.3, ican Museum of Natural History, New York . separated by 0.9. Clypeus very narrow . Tibia Etymology .—The specific epithet is a noun I with usual bipartite spur; shorter upper pro- in apposition from the Mayan word lama' an- cess with one preapical ventral megaspine ; ayin. This was the name of their ancient trad- longer lower process strongly curved toward ing center, still standing centuries later, bu t upper process, one subapical megaspine o n now called Lamanai. surface facing upper spur (Fig . 4). Coxae Diagnosis.—The diagnostic generic char- without plumose setae ; short, spiniform setae acters of the monotypic Crassicrus also serve on anterior face of coxae I and II . Trochanters to distinguish the species Crassicrus lamanai of femora I and II with fine plumose hairs o n new species . The morphology of the male pal - prolateral face . Long setae interspersed abun- pal bulb is diagnostic in that the apex exhibits dantly within short pubescence on all leg seg- 5–6 prominent keels . The mature male is fur- ments. Tarsal scopulation complete and entire . ther distinguished from most other theraphos - Metatarsal scopulation entire : I, complete ; II, ids by the swollen third tibia . In addition, fe- 0.67; III, 0 .48; IV, 0.14. Basal portion of mid- male C. lamanai, when freshly molted, exhibi t dle division of palpal bulb broad with concav e a distinctive anterior to posterior two-tone d ventral region angled abruptly downward, coloration . somewhat less than 90°, with six prominen t Description .—Male (holotype) : Lengt h keels spiraling to broadly truncated apex ; sin- 36.9. Carapace length 16.3, width 14.1, cara- gle dorsal keel serrated (Figs. 5, 6) . Spination : pace width/length 0.86 ; chelicerae, width 5 .6; Leg I, metatarsus 1v(am), tibia 3v(2ap lar) ; right fang furrow, 12 macroteeth, left furro w leg II, metatarsus ld(br) 3v(lam ImO .71 lbr), damaged ; sternum, width 6 .1, sternum length tibia 6v(2ap lam lmO .43 1mO .35 lbm) ; leg 6.8 ; sigilla at base of coxae I, II, and III, pos- III, metatarsus 9v(3ap lam 1ar ler 1mO .30 terior pair largest . Labial cuspules, 56, medial lrO.30 lbm), tibia 2v(lmO .50 lbm), femur anterior face; maxillary cuspules, 199, 188 , ld(ep); leg IV, metatarsus 4d(lam lap le p baso-prolateral surface . Leg span, measured 1pO.60) 5v(lam lmO .70 lmO .45 1m0.21 from apex of left tarsus I to apex of left tarsu s lbm), tibia 2d(lam lem) 2v(lam lbm) ; palp, IV, 136 .7. Femur III moderately incrassate , tibia 4v(2ap lep lbp) . maximum width 3 .5 (Fig. 1); femora I, II, and Female (paratype) : Length 48 .9. Carapace IV, 2.0, 1 .9, and 2 .7, respectively. Tibia IV length 22 .2, width 18 .0, carapace width/cara- slightly incrassate, maximum width 2.5 (Fig. pace length 0 .81 ; chelicerae, width 9 .3; right 2) ; tibiae I, II, and III, 1 .5, 1 .8, and 1 .5, re- fang furrow, 13 macroteeth, left furrow, 1 4 spectively ; maximum width tibia IV/maxi- macroteeth ; sternum, width 7 .2, length 10 .6 ; mum width femur IV 0 .81 . Leg and palp seg- sigilla as in holotype . Labial cuspules, 82, me - ment lengths in Table 1 . dial anterior face ; maxillary cuspules, 234 , Entire spider shiny black with deep viole t 233, baso-prolateral surface . Leg span, 126 .8. pubescence when viewed in strong light . Max- Tibia IV overtly incrassate, maximum width illary hairs dull orange . Carapace clothed in 5.3 (Fig . 3); tibiae I, II, and III, 3.2, 3 .6, and sparse covering of jet black (Pantone, 19– 3 .4, respectively ; maximum width tibia 0303) hairs. Abdomen clothed in short, je t IV/maximum width femur IV 1 .22. Leg and black hairs interspersed with longer jet blac k palp segment lengths in Table 2 . setae; pubescence dense over posterior half of Overall brown dorsally, with pronounced abdomen dorsum, corresponding to circula r anterior to posterior difference in shade . Me- patch of type I (Cooke et al . 1972) urticating dium brown anteriorly (carapace, chelicerae , hairs ; pubescence over anterior half of abdo- patellae, tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi I, II, and men sparse, with integument clearly visible . palp), distinctly darker shades posteriorly (ab- Legs hirsute and jet black ; short pubescence domen, legs III and IV) . Ventral aspect also with abundant long setae on all segments . distinctly bi-toned, leg IV and abdomen dark Carapace lacking pronounced bosses ; caput brown to black. Coloration in preservativ e not markedly elevated ; fovea deep and weakly uniform dark brown. Chelicerae clothed in 256 THE JOURNAL OF ARACHNOLOGY Figures 1-3 .-Crassicrus lamanai new genus and new species. 1, Male holotype, leg III, retrolatera l view, showing moderately incrassate femur (arrow) ; 2, Male holotype, leg IV, retrolateral view, showin g weakly incrassate tibia (arrow) ; 3, Female paratype, leg IV, retrolateral view, showing strongly incrassat e tibia (arrow) . All legs depicted with setae removed from proximal to highlight segment morphology . Scale line = 1 cm. tortoise-shell brown (Pantone, 19-1241) pu- bescence with longer setae of similar color but basal IA grading to black . Maxillary hairs dull orange . Carapace clothed in short, dense tor- Table 1 .Crassicrus lamanai new genus an d toise-shell brown pubescence, closely ap- new species . Male holotype ; length of leg and ped- pressed . Abdomen with velvety, dense pubes- ipalp segments (mm) . cence interspersed with long setae ; dorsu m bracken brown (Pantone, 19-1015) with per- Leg I II III IV Palp simmon orange (Pantone, 16-1356) setae; Coxa 7.3 7.3 6.0 6.0 4.0 ventral pubescence and setae rich jet black ; Trochanter 2.1 2.4 2.0 2.7 1.2 sharp basolateral division between dorsal an d Femur 15 .3 14 .6 12.3 16 .0 8.9 ventral coloration ; urticating hair patch o f Patella 8.1 7.0 6.0 6.7 5.5 type I hairs covering posterior half of abdo- Tibia 11 .6 11 .0 10 .4 13 .5 8.0 men dorsum with crescentic anterior margin.