Paratobias F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900

Paratobias F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 View in CoL

Paratobias F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900: 162 View in CoL , pl. 11, fig. 2.

Stephanopis O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869 View in CoL . Simon 1903: 1017 (synonymization)

Paratobias F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 View in CoL . Machado & Teixeira 2021: 297 View Cited Treatment , figs 13b, 18c (revalidation)

Type species: Paratobias championi F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900

Diagnosis. The species of Paratobias resemble those of Kryptochroma by their cryptic bark-dwelling habitus and enlarged anterior femora (I and II) with a set of setiferous tubercles ( Figs 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ). However, Paratobias species can be recogninzed and distinguished from those of Kryptochroma and other stephanopines by their flattened carapace ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ), presence of acute ocular projections projected frontwards and by the trapezoid opisthosoma, while Kryptochroma comprises individuals with a pronounced thoracic spire, absence of ocular projections and opisthosoma with five conical projections (see Machado et al. 2021). Moreover, Paratobias is also diagnosed by its reduced AME (1/3 the size of the ALE) and both eye rows recurved ( Figs 4A, B View FIGURE 4 ), while Kryptochroma species have eyes of similar size and the posterior eye row is procurved. Paratobias species present only four ventral pairs of equal-sized macrosetae on the anterior tibiae ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ), distinguishing from Kryptochroma whose species bear five pairs, being the distal and the proximal ones notably shorter than the others. In Paratobias , the female genitalia is diagnosed by the shallow epigynal plate with non-visible copulatory openings, which are positioned laterally and hidden by a fold on the integument at the border of the plate ( Figs 4C, E View FIGURE 4 ). In Kryptochroma , the individuals have exposed copulatory openings at the center of the epigynal plate, usually separated by a median septum. In dorsal view, long and coiled copulatory ducts lead to a pair of twisted and constricted spermathecae in females of Paratobias ( Figs 4D, F View FIGURE 4 ), while in Kryptochroma the copulatory ducts are short and go straight to a pair of oval spermathecae. The male palp of Paratobias species is characterized by the long, flexible and filiform embolus encircling the discoid tegulum, and the RTA is absent ( Figs 5C–E View FIGURE 5 ). Males of Kryptochroma have a stout and conical RTA and a short and fixed embolus, emerging apically from a pear-shaped tegulum.

Description. Flattened prosoma, covered by hyaline filamentous setae and some club-shaped/clavate ones sparsely distributed. Both eye rows recurved, the ALE has twice the diameter of the AME and are located on a pair of acute ocular projections ( Figs 1C View FIGURE 1 , 4A, B View FIGURE 4 ); Anterior femora (I and II) present a set of stout spiniform macrosetae on their dorsal and prolateral surface, while tibiae I and II have four pairs of ventral macrosetae; tarsi are reduced ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ). Opisthosoma is trapezoid, and like the prosoma, covered by hyaline filamentous setae and sparse clavate macrosetae ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ); anal region well-developed, projected backwards. Female genitalia characterized by the flattened epigynal plate and copulatory openings hidden by lateral folds of the tegument ( Figs 4C, E View FIGURE 4 ); long copulatory ducts, coiled anteriorly and leading to a pair of twisted spermathecae ( Figs 4D, F View FIGURE 4 ). Male palpi without tegular apophysis and RTA, but presenting strong tibial macroseteae.

Distribution. MEXICO: Campeche, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Quintana, San Luis Potosí and Veracruz; HONDURAS: Cortés ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ).