(Araneae, Haplogynae) From- Cal'ifornia
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A s~IW " -0 PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY CENTRAL PARK WEST AT 79TH STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10024 Number 3063, 8 pp., 18 figures June 10, 1993 A New Genus of the Spider Fam-illy Caponiidae (Araneae, Haplogynae) from- Cal'ifornia NORMAN I. PLATNICK1 ABSTRACT A new genus and species, Calponia harrison- that appears to be one ofthe most primitive mem- fordi, are described for a caponiid from California bers of the family. INTRODUCTION Caponiids are unusual spiders in a number anterior lateral spinnerets. The biology of ca- of respects. Most species have only two eyes, poniids is virtually unknown, but. anecdotal and show a variety of bizarre modifications information suggests that they prefer other of the distal leg segments. Their chelicerae spiders as their prey. Their phylogenetic re- often bear,, in addition to the sclerotized lam- lationships to other spiders have long been ina typical ofhaplogynes, a membranous dis- enigmatic, but available evidence indicates tal lobe ofunknown function. Their spinneret that they are members of the Haplogynae, pattern resembles only that of the very dis- and represent the sister group of the Tetra- tantly related gnaphosoid family Ammox- blemmidae plus the four dysderoid families enidae; the posterior median spinnerets are (Platnick et al., 1991). advanced anteriorly, and lie between the two Although only a handful ofcaponiids have I'Chairman and Curator, Department of Entomology, American Museum of Natural History; Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology, City College, City University of New York; Adjunct Professor, Department of Entomology, Cornell University. Copyright © American Museum of Natural History 1993 ISISSN 0003-00820308 / Pricerc $111. IO 2 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NO. 3063 been described from the United States, the Caponia in having relatively small posterior North American fauna of the family is ac- lateral spinnerets that are only slightly larger tually fairly extensive. The present paper is than the anterior laterals (fig. 1; the posterior devoted to the most distinctive member of laterals of Caponia are almost twice as thick that fauna, a species from California that dif- as the anterior laterals). Males of Calponia fers from most caponiids, and resembles only lack the pad of short setae found dorsally on those of the African type genus Caponia the cymbium of male Caponia, and have a Simon, in retaining eight eyes. very short embolus on the male palp (in Ca- Comparisons ofsomatic and genitalic mor- ponia, the embolus is extremely long and phology with African specimens of Caponia bears a subapical appendage; compare figs. leave no doubt that the California species 14-16 with those in Purcell, 1904). represents a new genus, here described as DESCRIPTION: Moderate-sized caponiids Calponia. The eye number suggests that these with eight eyes (fig. 1). Carapace oval, flat- two genera represent the most plesiomorphic tened, abruptly narrowed opposite palpal members of the family, a view supported by coxae; cuticle with raised sculpturing and the absence in both genera of most of the scattered long, dark setae; thoracic groove various distal leg segment modifications obsolete. Anterior median eyes dark, others characteristic ofthe genus Nops MacLeay and pale, translucent; anterior medians separated its relatives. In this respect, the situation in by almost their diameter, united by oval ring caponiids may parallel that in another hap- of black pigment; anterior lateral eyes larger logyne family, the Leptonetidae, where the than anterior medians, set anterior of them, apparently most plesiomorphic genus in the separated by more than their diameter; pos- family (Archoleptoneta Gertsch) also occurs terior medians set behind and to sides of an- in California. terior medians, separated by three times their The specimens used are from the American diameter; posterior laterals set to sides ofan- Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and terior medians, separated from them by their the personal collection of Darrell Ubick width; median ocular quadrangle much wider (CDU), who has assiduously sought and than long. Chelicerae with median lamina; reared these fascinating spiders and whose most of space between lamina and base of kindness in making his material available for fang occupied by white membranous lobe study is greatly appreciated. Assistance with (collapsed in fig. 2); lateral surface with strid- illustrations and scanning electron micro- ulatory ridges (pick at base of prolateral side graphs was supplied by Mohammad Shadab of palpal femur, fig. 14). Endites convergent, and Peling Fong, respectively. Helpful com- not truncate distally, anterior surface distally ments on a draft of the manuscript were re- with long serrula consisting of single tooth ceived from Charles Dondale (Centre for Land row, proximally with three strong setae orig- and Biological Resources Research, Ottawa), inating from enlarged bases (figs. 3, 4). La- Ray Forster (Otago Museum, Dunedin), and bium triangular, anterior surface of labrum Charles Griswold and Darrell Ubick (Cali- bearing transverse rows of tiny teeth (figs. 5, fornia Academy of Sciences, San Francisco). 6). Sternum oval, cuticle with raised sculp- All measurements are in millimeters. turing; cephalothoracic membranes with three epimeric sclerites dorsal of coxae I, II, and SYSTEMATICS III plus IV; epimeric sclerites not fused with CALPONIA, NEW GENUS triangular sclerites extending from sternal margin to and between coxae. Female palpal TYPE SPECIES: Calponia harrisonfordi, new tarsus not expanded, without claw, with nu- species. merous long setae but without dorsal pad of ETYMOLOGY: The generic name is a con- short setae. Leg formula 4123; legs without traction of Californian Caponia, and is fem- spines; metatarsi and tarsi entire, without inine in gender. subsegmentation or membranous processes; DiAGNOSIS: Members of the genus differ tarsi with three claws; paired claws with about from all caponiids other than Caponia in 10 teeth, most distal of which are largest; having eight eyes (fig. 1). They differ from unpaired claw without teeth, almost fused to 1993 PLATNICK: CALPONIA 3 Fig. 1. Calponia harrisonfordi, new species, male, dorsal view. 4 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NO. 3063 7. 4 I Il - Z- b% 1* 16 . --9i p-p Figs. 2-7. Calponia harrisonfordi, new species, female. 2. Chelicera, posterior view. 3. Endite, anterior view. 4. Seta of endite, anterior view. 5, 6. Labrum, anterior view. 7. Claws of tarsus I, lateral view. 1993 PLATNICK: CALPONIA 5 --7x wws--.! .-.).'W. .% .1 tiawl'-R AR !./ X tZ- >' .V!; '!; '' v 43;n ;- i) -sX .t:1 _ f ; A_>< .f_<w pI _~~_ Figs. 8-13. Calponia harrisonfordi, new species. 8. Tarsal organ from leg IV of female, dorsal view. 9. Trichobothrial base from tarsus IV offemale, dorsal view. 10. Spinnerets ofjuvenile female, posterior view. 11. Anterior lateral spinneret, posterior view. 12. Posterior median spinneret, posterior view. 13. Posterior lateral spinneret, posterior view. 6 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NO. 3063 15 Figs. 14-16. Calponia harrisonfordi, new species, left male palp. 14. Prolateral view. 15. Ventral view. 16. Retrolateral view. protruding onychium (fig. 7). Tarsal organ al., 1991: 56); posterior laterals with about exposed (fig. 8); trichobothria present on tib- 15 aciniform gland spigots (fig. 13). Male pal- iae, metatarsi, and tarsi, their bases with pal patella and tibia short, unmodified; cym- semicircular rim bearing longitudinal ridges bium globose, without distinct dorsal pad of (fig. 9). Abdomen with two pairs of respira- short setae; embolus tiny, distally twisted (figs. tory spiracles clustered around epigastric 14-16). Female genitalia with both walls of groove; anterior spiracles leading to numer- bursa bearing sclerotizations (fig. 18); short, ous tracheoles; posterior spiracles each lead- unsclerotized median duct leading to large ing to three large tracheal trunks (two ex- sac (fig. 17) presumably representing at least tending anteriorly, one posteriorly); posterior part of ovarian system. spiracles connected by transverse duct (fig. RELATIONSHIPS: Petrunkevitch (1939) rec- 17). Spinnerets (only those ofjuvenile female ognized two subfamilies of caponiids (with- examined by scanning electron microscopy) out, however, specifying what genera they in typical caponiid arrangement (fig. 10); an- each include). One, the Nopinae, is a presum- terior laterals with single large major am- ably monophyletic group united by the pres- pullate gland spigot and three smaller piri- ence of subsegmented tarsi and other modi- form gland spigots (fig. 1 1); posterior medians fications of the distal leg segments, and with about nine small aciniform gland spigots includes at least the genera Nops, Nopsides and single wide spigot presumed to serve mi- Chamberlin, Orthonops Chamberlin, and nor ampullate gland (fig. 12; cf. Platnick et Tarsonops Chamberlin. The other subfamily, 1 993 PLATNICK: CALPONIA 7 17 18 Figs. 17, 18. Calponia harrisonfordi, new species, female. 17. Respiratory and genitalic systems, dorsal view. 18. Openings of genitalic system, dorsal view. the Caponiinae, was defined only by the ab- FEMALE (ALLOTYPE): Total length 5.21. sence of nopine leg modifications (including Carapace 2.34 long, 1.76 wide. Coloration as the near fusion of the unpaired tarsal claws in male. Posterior wall of bursa with single with an extended onychium). As such, it is continuous sclerotization, invaginated at unlikely that the remaining genera (Caponia, middle along posterior margin; anterior