Theridiosoma goodnightorum Archer, 1953

Theridiosoma goodnightorum Archer, 1953 View in CoL

Figs 1 View Fig , 6A–B View Fig , 32–33 View Fig View Fig

Theridiosoma goodnightorum Archer, 1953: 11 View in CoL , fig. 19 [ ♀] [

holotype ♀ from Mexico, Chiapas, Monte Libano (American Museum of Natural History, New York), not examined] .

Diagnosis

Males of Theridiosoma goodnightorum resemble those of Theridiosoma chiripa Rodrigues & Ott, 2005 and Theridiosoma sancristobalensis Baert, 2014 by a prolateral branch of the embolic apophysis filiform, flexible, elongated and with an acute, heavily sclerotized tip protruding retrolateraly from beneath the conductor ( Fig. 32D–F View Fig ; see Rodrigues & Ott 2005: fig. 4, “ae”), but T. goodnightorum can be distinguished by having another prolateral branch of the embolic apophysis filiform, flexible, elongated and with a wide tip protruding prolaterally from beneath the heavily sclerotized posterior extension of the conductor ( Fig. 32D–F View Fig ), whereas in T. chiripa , if present, the branch is not protruding ( Rodrigues & Ott 2005: fig. 4) and T. sancristobalensis have the protruding branch with an acute tip (misinterpreted as “embolus” in Baert 2014: figs 8–9). Females of T. goodnightorum resemble those of T. chiripa and T. sancristobalensis by the epigynal plate flat ( Figs 6B View Fig , 33B View Fig ; Rodrigues & Ott 2005: fig. 6; Baert 2014: fig. 10), but T. goodnightorum can be distinguished by the proximal copulatory ducts forming a squared angle ( Fig. 33F View Fig ), whereas T. chiripa and T. sancristobalensis have them curved ( Rodrigues & Ott 2005: figs 8–9; Baert 2014: fig. 12).

Material examined

PANAMA – Chiriquí Province • 1 ♂; Reserva Forestal Fortuna , Quebrada Honda , one-hectare PANCODING inventory; 8.750083° N, 82.239083° W; 1135 m a.s.l.; 7–12 Jun. 2007; M. Arnedo, D. Dimitrov, G. Hormiga, F. Labarque and M. Ramírez leg.; voucher code SFD1DAR028; preparation codes FML-00719, LNP-00262; DNA code thech069; GenBank code PX096928 ; MACN-Ar 29231 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; voucher code SFD1D9L004; preparation codes FML-00726, LNP-00268; DNA code thech121; GenBank code PX096929 ; MACN-Ar 29235 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; voucher code SFD1NCD023; DNA barcode SPIPA350-10 ; MACN-Ar 29233 GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; voucher code SFD1NCL025; DNA code thech182; GenBank code PX096935 ; MACN-Ar 29238 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; voucher code SFD1NAH025; DNA barcode SPIPA354-10 ; MCZ GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; voucher code SFU1N8L031; DNA code thech173; GenBank code PX096938 ; CRBA GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; voucher code SFC2NAR015; DNA code thech178; GenBank code PX096939 ; CRBA GoogleMaps • 4 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MCZ GoogleMaps • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; IMFUP GoogleMaps • 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29234 GoogleMaps • 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29232 GoogleMaps • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29224 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29237 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29236 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29225 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29228 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29227 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29226 GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29229 GoogleMaps • 3 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29230 GoogleMaps • 4 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; CRBA GoogleMaps • 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; Parque Internacional La Amistad , Cerro Picacho , one-hectare PANCODING inventory; 8.890500° N, 82.618778° W; 2299 m a.s.l.; 12–17 Jun. 2008; M. Arnedo, L. Benavides, G. Hormiga, F. Labarque, L. Piacentini and M. Ramírez leg.; MCZ GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; voucher code SAC1NGL018; DNA code thech180; GenBank code PX096934 ; MCZ GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; voucher code SAD1NCA001; DNA barcode SPIPA352-10 ; MCZ GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; voucher code SAD1NHL021; DNA code thech169; GenBank code PX096930 ; MCZ GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; voucher code SAD1NCA004; DNA barcode SPIPA353-10 ; MCZ GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; voucher code SAD1NCR031; DNA code thech170; GenBank code PX096931 ; MACN-Ar 29241 GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; voucher code SAD1NGL024; DNA code thech174; GenBank code PX096932 ; MACN-Ar 29242 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; voucher code SAC1DDH014; DNA code thech175; GenBank code PX096933 ; MACN-Ar 29243 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; voucher code SAC1NHL015; DNA barcode SPIPA351-10 ; CRBA GoogleMaps • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MIUP GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29240 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29244 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MACN-Ar 29239 GoogleMaps • 5 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; CRBA. GoogleMaps – Coclé Province • 1 ♀; Parque Nacional General de División Omar Torrijos Herrera , El Cope , one-hectare PANCODING inventory; 8.668083° N, 80.592583° W; 760 m a.s.l.; 4–9 Jun. 2008; M. Arnedo, L. Benavides, G. Hormiga, F. Labarque and M. Ramírez leg.; voucher code STD1N6R021; DNA code thech171; GenBank code PX096936 ; MCZ GoogleMaps • 1 ♀, same data as for preceding; voucher code STD1N6R027; preparation code FML-00991; DNA code thech172; GenBank code PX096937 ; CRBA GoogleMaps • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 21–24 Jun. 2008; L. Piacentini and F. Labarque leg.; non-quantitative sample; MACN-Ar. GoogleMaps

Description

Male (MACN-Ar 29231)

Total length 1.41. Prosoma: length 0.92, width 0.67, height 0.63. Sternum: length 0.36, width 0.36. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.09, PME 0.08, AME–PME 0.09. Opisthosoma: length 1.03, width 0.85, height 0.73. Leg formula: 1243. Dorsal shield of prosoma dark brownish-orange laterally, yellowish-orange centrally forming an irregular band ( Fig. 32A–B View Fig ). Dorsum of ocular area orange ( Fig. 32A–B View Fig ). Sternum orange with dark borders ( Fig. 32C View Fig ). Opisthosoma color overall dark brownish-orange, dorsally lighter, with wide guanine silver stripe, open posteriorly, encircling half of opisthosoma ( Fig. 32A–B View Fig ). Epiandrium, tracheal spiracle and behind anal tubercle reddish-brown, covered by sparsely thin whitish-gray flecks; booklung cover whitish-gray, spinneret field dark brownish-orange ( Fig. 32C View Fig ). Femora yellowish-white but distally dark, patella, tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi orange ( Fig. 32A–C View Fig ). Palp: paracymbium hooked, paracymbial process (from Lopardo & Hormiga 2015, but see “cymbial lamella” in Coddington 1986 and Labarque & Griswold 2014) with a row of setae, tegulum striated (i.e., with spicules), tegular spur rounded, small, median apophysis elongated with a median groove, conductor retrolateral surface finger-printed (see “stripes” in Coddington 1986 and Labarque & Griswold 2014) covering the embolic apophysis, embolus as thin lamina, multiple divided embolic apophysis with two filiform, flexible and elongated branches protruding from beneath conductor, retrolateral distally acute and heavily sclerotized, prolateral distally wide ( Fig. 32D–F View Fig ; Coddington 1986: figs 130–131).

Redescription

Female (MACN-Ar 29235, CRBA STD1N6R027)

Total length 1.81. Prosoma: length 0.85, width 0.70, height 0.67. Sternum: length 0.38, width 0.38. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.09, PME 0.09, AME–PME 0.08. Opisthosoma: length 1.29, width 1.20, height 1.10. Leg formula: 1243. Coloration darker than male ( Fig. 33A–C View Fig ). Sternum with two dark brownish-orange patches close to sternal pits ( Fig. 33C View Fig ). Epigynal plate brownish-orange ( Fig. 33C View Fig ). Epigynal plate: flat, dorsal epigynal plate exposed ( Fig. 33B–C View Fig ). Vulva: copulatory ducts massive proximally, and heavily sclerotized distally, proximal copulatory ducts with patch of gland ducts dorsally, distal copulatory ducts convoluting antero-posteriorly, inserting ventromedially posteriorly into spermathecae, spermathecae ovoid, sclerotized, and connate (i.e., fused along midline), fertilization ducts sclerotized, emerging laterally posteriorly from spermathecae, curving dorsally anteriorly to meet uterus externus ( Figs 6A–B View Fig , 33D View Fig ).

Records and biology

Theridiosoma goodnightorum has been previously recorded in Mexico and Costa Rica ( World Spider Catalog 2025). Records in this study are limited to collections made at 895 m a.s.l. and 1135 m a.s.l. in premontane rainforest from Parque Nacional General de División Omar Torrijos Herrera and Reserva Forestal Fortuna, respectively, and at 2299 m a.s.l. in lower montane rainforest from Parque Internacional La Amistad ( Fig. 1 View Fig ). Males and females have been collected mostly at night by looking down, though some specimens were also collected at night by looking up and cryptic techniques, and others during the day by cryptic, and looking down.

Variation

Some males and females have a darker coloration than the described specimens.

Remarks

Whereas we have not examined the type of this species, we believe that species attribution is unproblematic. Coddington (1986: 64) examined the female type of Theridiosoma goodnightorum from Mexico and attributed SEM images of the male palp to this species from a specimen in Costa Rica ( Coddington 1986: figs 130–131). Unfortunately, Coddington (1986) did not describe the male of T. goodnightorum ; however, we have done so here (see Description above). Our description of the male palp of T. goodnightorum agrees in every way with the specimen illustrated by Coddington (1986).