Agyneta ledfordi new species

Figs 421–424, map 27

Type material: Male holotype from Florida, Dade county, Everglades National Park, Long Pine Key, 08.vi- 26.viii.1986, pinelands, malaise and FIT, S. J. Peck (AMNH). EXAMINED.

Etymology: The specific name is a patronym in honor Dr. Joel Ledford, great arachnologist and friend.

Diagnosis: Males can be distinguished from all other species by the very large conical extension of the cymbium (Fig. 421 arrow), from A. hedini by the squared, rugose ventral cymbial tubercle (Fig. 422), pointed in the latter (Fig. 403).

Description: Male: Total length 1.56; carapace length 0.76, width 0.61.

CEPHALOTHORAX: (Specimens faded) carapace light yellow with V-shap gray mark on pars cephalica. Sternum light yellow. Clypeus height 2. Chelicerae light yellow, excavated; ~ 20 seta-tipped tubercles; promargin three teeth, retromargin two denticles. Endites with seta-tipped tubercles. Cheliceral stridulatory organ with ~26 striae, well spaced throughout. ABDOMEN: Uniformly off-white. LEGS: Light yellow; leg I total length: 3.52; leg III total length: 1.88; Tm I: 0.24, Tm IV: absent. GENITALIA: Palpal tibia with large, smooth retrolateral tibial apophysis; dorsal apophysis absent; two retrolateral trichobothria and a dorsal one (Fig. 421). Cymbium with large conical extension; glabrous depression present (Fig. 421); dorsal cymbial tubercle small and rugose; ventral tubercle, large and rugose; prolateral notch very deep (Fig. 422). Paracymbium apical pocket small, anterior pocket long and curved, posterior pocket absent (Fig. 421). Embolus tip curved; row of small spines basally; rugose ventrally; Fickert’s gland absent; ventral lamella absent; thumb reaching beyond embolus proper (Fig. 423). Embolus proper set apically, small prong near base of embolus proper (Fig. 423). Anterior terminal apophysis large with long protrusions; posterior terminal apophysis and lamella characteristica difficult to separate, fused, large and C-shaped (Fig. 424).

Female: Unknown.

Other material examined: Six males paratypes collected with the holotype. Distribution: Southeastern USA, Florida.

The llanoensis group includes 4 species, A. llanoensis (Gertsch & Davis 1936), A. bronx n. sp., A. paquini n. sp. and A. serrata (Emerton 1909) .

This group show some interesting habitat adaptation, as three species are often found in caves. A. llanoensis is found in caves all over Texas, A. serrata is mostly found on the surface but also been found in some caves in Texas, and A. bronx was found in a cave in Missouri.

Members of this group are share a unique character, the presence of a large prong close to the embolus proper, in between the latter and the thumb (Figs 427, 434, 441, 445). Furthermore, the group is characterized by the combination of these characters; male chelicerae not excavated, seta-tipped tubercles absent; males and females without abdominal pattern. Palpal tibia with two retrolateral trichobothria and a dorsal one; paracymbium with long curved anterior pocket (Figs 425, 432, 439, 443). Cymbium with dorsal and ventral tubercles present (Figs 426, 433, 440, 444). Ventral lamella highly reduced or absent; thumb reaching the embolus proper; embolus proper set apically on a horizontal ridge reaching the tip of the embolus (Figs 427, 434, 441, 445); radical division with well developed, wide anterior terminal apophysis with long curved protrusions (Figs 428, 435, 442, 446). Females are characterized by their extremely wide median part of scape and short lateral lobes (Figs 429, 436, 447).