Cybaeodes bernia Ribera & Domènech, 2025

Ribera, Carles, Ortuño, Vicente M., Jiménez-Valverde, Alberto & Domènech, Marc, 2025, Two new species of Cybaeodes Simon, 1878 (Araneae, Liocranidae) and description of the male of C. magnus Ribera & De Mas, 2015 from the MSS in the eastern Prebaetic Mountain Range (eastern Spain), European Journal of Taxonomy 1004, pp. 39-57 : 44-48

Cybaeodes bernia Ribera & Domènech sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7FDBBD93-E506-44B4-A33B-DDD52D02440E

Figs 3–4

Diagnosis

Males differ from those of other species of the genus, especially from those of C. magnus ( Fig. 6 ), C. dosaguas , C. indalo , and C. gallinera Ribera & Domènech sp. nov. ( Fig. 5 ), which are the most morphologically similar and geographically closest species, by the shape and size of the tibial apophysis, the median apophysis, the embolar base, and the embolus itself. Females clearly differ by the shape of the epigynum, the shape and size of the spermathecae and the associated ducts. Males of C. bernia Ribera & Domènech sp. nov. show a median apophysis similar to those of C. magnus and C. gallinera , although slightly smaller. In C. dosaguas and C. indalo , the median apophysis is longer, thinner, and its apical hook is less developed. Tegulum triangular in appearance, its apical extension longer than in C. gallinera and slightly thinner than in C magnus . The new species shows an elongated embolar base similar to those of C. magnus and C. indalo , while in C. gallinera it is less elongated and its base is wider and rectangular in appearance. Embolus laminar forming a complete loop occupying the distal area of the alveolus, and its end is shorter and clearly thinner than in C. gallinera and located behind the median apophysis. Females clearly differ from those of the other species; they have long, thick, and cylindrical spermathecae extending from the base of the vulva to its apical part ( Fig. 4B ). In the rest of the species, the spermatheca is not so developed, showing thick and recurved insemination ducts located in the center of the vulva.

Etymology

The species epithet is a noun in apposition derived from the type locality: Bèrnia. The Bèrnia mountain range belongs to the Pre-Baetic Mountain Range in the Alacant Province (eastern Spain).

Type material

Holotype SPAIN – Alacant • ♂; Bèrnia , SSD-3, Xaló, Serra de Bèrnia; 38°37.999′ N, 0°7.675′ W; 890 m a.s.l.; Oct. 2012; V.M. Ortuño et al. leg.; SSD 100 cm long; CRBA-UB 199-5305B .

Paratypes SPAIN – Alacant • 6 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; CRBA-UB 199-5305 • 3 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; CRBA-UB 199-5305 A • 1 ♂; Bèrnia, SSD-4, Xaló, Serra de Bèrnia , Alacant ; 38°37.999′ N, 0°7.675′ W; 890 m a.s.l.; Oct. 2012; V.M. Ortuño et al. leg.; SSD 100 cm long; CRBA-UB 199-5301 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; Apr. 2012; CRBA-UB 199-5302 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; Jan. 2012; CRBA-UB 199-5303 • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; CRBA-UB 199-5303 A • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; Oct. 2012; CRBA-UB 199-5304 . Specimens were caught in the colluvial MSS by subterranean sampling devices ( SSD) (V.M. Ortuño et al. leg.) .

Description

Male (holotype)

MSS-dwelling species with evident adaptations to underground environment: showing pale pigmentation and reduced, depigmented eyes.

COLORATION. Prosoma pale brownish yellow with the cephalic part yellowish brown. Fovea brown. Chelicerae yellowish brown, slightly darker than the prosoma. Sternum, labium, endites and appendices pale yellowish brown. Opisthosoma pale yellowish.

PROSOMA. Longer (2.04) than wide (1.62) in dorsal view, fovea clearly visibly. Cephalic region slightly differentiated from the rest of the prosoma. Eyes clearly reduced and totally depigmented except for the AME, which retain a slight pigmentation ( Fig. 4C ). Eye size (diameter): AME 0.05, ALE 0.07, PME 0.04, PLE 0.08.

OPISTHOSOMA. Cylindrical with a slight hairiness on its dorsal side and a series of characteristic long black hairs on its anterodorsal part. Spinnerets exhibit the typical sexual dimorphism of the genus ( Platnick & Di Franco 1992): elongated and sclerotized anterior lateral ones bearing 5 enlarged spigots. Posterior spinnerets also cylindrical, but shorter and thinner than the anterior lateral ones; the medium ones smaller.

APPENDAGES. Robust and prominent chelicerae with a long pilosity along the promarginal rim. Promargin with 3 basal teeth, the middle tooth largest. Retromargin with 2 small apical teeth. Long and robust fangs. Labium slightly longer than wide. Endites subrectangular, slightly convergent, with an oblique depression and an apical hair tuft located on the internal side of the apical margin, and a long serrula located on its apical margin. Long legs with deeply notched trochanters. Tarsal claws with 5 teeth and 5 pairs of tenent hairs on the tarsal tips. Leg formula 1423.

MALE PALP ( Fig. 3 ). Tibia with long, robust setae on the prolateral and retrolateral margins and armed with 4 spines: one dorsal and 3 prolateral. Retrolateral tibial apophysis long and triangular, 1.2 times as long (0.14) as wide at its base (0.12) and pointed distally. Tegulum located in the basal part of the bulb and triangular in appearance, its anterior edge is chitinized and shows a long, wide apical extension located between the median apophysis and the embolus base. Robust and elongated median apophysis, rounded at its apical end, with a conspicuous tooth located near the center and directed posteriorly. Long, elongated embolar base. Embolus laminar forming a complete loop, curved inwards, which occupies the distal area of the alveolus; its apical end is thinner and ends behind the apex of the median apophysis.

MEASUREMENTS. PL: 2.04, PW: 1.62, OL: 2.12, OW: 1.29. Total body length: 4.16. Leg and palp measurements in Table 1 .

Female (paratype CRBA-UB 5302-100)

Same as male except for the following:

PROSOMA. Longer (2.24) than wide (1.68) in dorsal view, fovea clearly visibly. Cephalic region slightly higher than the rest of the prosoma. Eyes clearly reduced and totally depigmented except the AME ( Fig. 4D ). Eye size (diameter): AME 0.05, ALE 0.10, PME 0.05, PLE 0.08.

OPISTHOSOMA. Cylindrical with slight hairiness on its dorsal side with several black hairs (shorter than in the male) on its anterodorsally part. Anterior lateral spinnerets conical, almost contiguous on its base. Posterior spinnerets also conical, thinner than the anterior ones, but the same length. Median spinnerets thinner and shorter, about half the length of the posterior ones.

APPENDAGES. Chelicerae and pedipalps yellowish brown, with the apical segments darker. Chelicerae with a pilosity along promarginal rim. Endites with an apical hair tuft located at the internal side of the apical margin, and a long serrula located on its apical margin. Tarsal claws with 5 teeth and 5 pairs of tenent hairs on the tarsal tips.

EPIGYNE ( Fig. 4A ). Oval genital area bounded on the upper part by a strongly sclerotized convex anterior rim, extending laterally until almost reaching the epigynum width, and forming a well-defined hood in its central part. Two oval lobes strongly sclerotized are located on both sides of the center of the genital area. Both lobes show two conspicuous sclerotized pits in their lateral margins. In between and below the lateral lobes, some internal ducts of the vulva are visible due to transparency.

VULVA ( Fig. 4B ). Thick insemination ducts spiral down through the center of the vulva and between the lateral lobes, reaching the base of the spermatheca. Long, thick and cylindrical spermathecae extending from the base of the vulva to its apical part and located below two sclerotized helmet-shaped structures.

MEASUREMENTS. PL: 2.24, PW: 1.68, OL: 2.39, OW: 1.58. Total body length: 4.63. Legs I and IV were missing tarsus. Leg and palp measurements in Table 2 .

Habitat and distribution

MSS-dwelling species showing adaptations to underground environments: pale pigmentation, reduced and depigmented eyes. Cybaeodes bernia sp. nov. is only known from the type locality, in a colluvial MSS sampled with a 100 cm long SSD. The five females were caught in January (3 ex.), April (1 ex.) and October (1 ex.) of 2012, while the 11 males were caught in October 2012.

Figures

Fig. 3. Cybaeodes bernia Ribera & Domènech sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (CRBA-UB 199-5305B), palp. A. Prolateral view. B. Ventral view. C. Dorsal view. D. Retrolateral view. Abbreviations: aet = apical extension of the tegulum; e = embolus; eb = embolus base; ma = median apophysis; rta = retrolateral tiblial apophysis; t = tegulum.

Fig. 4. Cybaeodes bernia Ribera & Domènech sp. nov. A–B, D. Paratype ♀ (CRBA-UB 199-5302). C. Holotype, ♂ (CRBA-UB 199-5305B).A. Epyginum, ventral view.B. Vulva, dorsalview.C–D. Habitus. Abbreviations: are = anterior rim of epigyne; ol = oval lobes of the epigyne; s = spermatheca.

Fig. 6. Cybaeodes magnus Ribera & De Mas, 2015, described ♂ (CRBA-UB 5311-B-199), palp. A. Prolateral view. B. Ventral view. C. Dorsal view. D. Retrolateral view. E. Habitus.

Fig. 5. Cybaeodes gallinera Ribera & Domènech sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (CRBA-UB 5337-200). A–D. Palp. A. Prolateral view. B. Ventral view. C. Dorsal view. D. Retrolateral view. E. Habitus.