Alexander Sanchez Ruiz

The species Cithaeron praedonius O. P.-Cambridge is recorded from eastern Cuba. This is the first record of the family Cithaeronidae in the Caribbean Region. The presence in Cuba of this species is an accidental introduction, but its source is unknown.

The genus Caponina Simon, 1891 comprises eleven species of medium-sized, soil-dwelling caponiids. Most members of Caponina have six eyes, but some have five, four, three or two eyes (Brignoli 1977, Platnick 1994). The genus is widespread in South and Central America (Platnick 2012). To date, only three species have been recorded from Brazil: Caponina alegre Platnick, 1994 from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, C. notabilis (Mello-Leitão, 1939) from the states of Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul, and C. tijuca Platnick, 1994 from the state of Rio de Janeiro (Platnick 1994). In this paper we describe a new species from the state of Pará, in Brazilian Amazonia. Caponina papamanga new species was collected during the “Butantan na Amazonia” project, founded by the Instituto Butantan. The phylogenetic relationships of C. papamanga could not be studied, but the greatly elongated embolus, the dorsal tubercle on the palpal femur (Figs. 7, 9) and the massive epigynal sclerotizations (Fig. 10) sugge...

Four new Colombian species of the spider genus Medionops Sánchez-Ruiz & Brescovit, 2017 are described and illustrated: M. carolinae sp. nov. (male and female) from Boyacá department, M. cauca sp. nov. (male) from Cauca department, M. luiscarlosi sp. nov. (male and female) from Caldas department and M. santarosa sp. nov. (male) from Risaralda department. Additionally, the distribution of the type species of M. blades Sánchez-Ruiz & Brescovit, 2017, previously known only from Bogotá, Cundinamarca department, is extended to several localities in the Boyacá department. An updated identification key for all Medionops species is provided.

The spider genus Nops MacLeay is revised, with redescriptions of 22 previously known species and descriptions of 12 new species. A new diagnosis for the genus is provided and keys to separate the species are proposed. After this revision Nops includes 34 extant species, thereof 15 (44%) occur in the Caribbean Islands, four (12%) in Central America and 15 (44%) in South America. Females of Nops meridionalis Keyserling and Nops gertschi Chickering are found and described for the first time. Three new synonymies are proposed: Nops virginicus Sánchez–Ruiz with Nops blandus Bryant, Nops craneae Chickering with Nops maculatus Simon and Nops proseni Birabén with Nops farhati Prosen. Four species are considered inquerenda: Nops anisitsi Strand, Nops bellulus Chamberlin, Nops branicki (Taczanowski) and Nops glaucus Hasselt. The following new species are described: N. jaragua n. sp., N. navassa n. sp., and N. pallidus n. sp. from the Caribbean region; N. campeche n. sp. and N. tico n. sp. from Central America, and N. alexenriquei n. sp., N. amazonasn. sp., N. bahia n. sp., N. ipojuca n. sp., N. itapetinga n. sp., N. minas n. sp. and N. pocone n. sp. from South America. New geographical records and distribution maps are provided for all species, with illustrations and reviewed diagnoses. The Nops species are restricted to the Neotropical region, from the Caribbean Islands and Mexico to the north of Argentina. The highest species richness is concentrated in the Wider Caribbean Region, including Central America and the north of Colombia and Venezuela where 64.7% of the species occur. Endemism in the Caribbean islands is very high; most of these species are single island endemics. A cladistic analysis, based on morphological data, was executed to test the monophyly of the genus. This is the first cladistic analysis of Caponiidae, and it includes besides the Nops species, 1) the six other species that were transferred from Nops, now in the genera Orthonops, Cubanops, Tarsonops and Medionops, and 2) Nopsides ceralbonus Chamberlin and Nyetnops guarani Platnick & Lise. Therefore, representatives of all known Nopinae genera are included in the ingroup. The data matrix comprises 41 taxa scored for 47 morphological characters. The analyses under equal weights resulted in six equally parsimonious trees of 99 steps. All these trees are congruent with a unique hypothesis for Nopinae genera. Thus, all topological differences among the most parsimonious trees were the consequence of different hypotheses of relationships within Nops. The same result was also found under implied weighting with constants of concavity k = 2 to 13, where the topology of all trees was congruent for a single Nopinae genera hypothesis, but relationships within Nops were not resolved. All analysis under equal and implied weights recovered the monophyly of Nops with high support values, but internal clades within the genus showed low branch supports. Our results thus suggest that to resolve the internal relationships of Nops, studies based on molecular evidence are necessary to counteract the deficit of morphological data. The hypothesis obtained for Nopinae showed high branch support values for most of clades, corroborating all the transfers made from Nops. Medionops was recovered as the sister group of Nops with high support values. Nops, Medionops and Nopsides form a closely related, distinct spider group among nopine, supported by five unambiguous synapomorphies. Two of these synapomorphies could be functionally related: the presence of an arolium on the anterior pretarsi and the elongated and dorsally reflexed unpaired claw on the anterior legs. Nopsides appears to be a genus with apomorphic characters, presenting highly modified legs, but lacking the crista and gladius, and gaining a pair of anterior lateral eyes. Nyetnops is sister to all other nopine genera. Our results identified the necessity of further studies on nopine leg structures (arolium, crista, gladius and adesmatic joints) to improve understanding of the phylogenetic relationships of Nopinae genera.

The new genus Medionops is proposed for a group of caponiid spiders found in South America and Panama. Nops simla Chickering and Nops cesari Dupérré are transferred to this new genus. Additionally, five new species are described: the type species Medionops blades n. sp. from Colombia; Medionops claudiae n. sp., Medionops murici n. sp. and Medionops ramirezi n. sp. from Brazil; and Medionops tabay n. sp. from Venezuela. All of these species belong to the subfamily Nopinae and have the three membranous translucent modifications found in some other nopine genera. However, in this new genus, the ventral translucent keel on the anterior metatarsi (crista herein) is very short, almost unnoticeable or even absent in some species. The translucent extension of the membrane between the anterior metatarsi and tarsi (gladius herein) retains the same shape, but it is absent in M. murici n. sp. Also, Medionops n. gen. species have an unpaired claw on all tarsi, which is elongate and dorsally reflexed, and is associated with a membranous globose translucent lobe (arolium herein); a structure present only in Nops MacLeay and Nopsides Chamberlin. Beside the characteristics mentioned above, members of this new genus differ from other nopine in the shape of labium and endites and in the conformation of male and female genitalia. The three membranous translucent modifications on legs of some nopine genera are discussed and their terminologies are standardized.

New members of the spider family Caponiidae from Brazil and Chile are presented. Three new species in previously known genera are described: Taintnops paposo sp. n. from Chile, and the Brazilian Tisentnops mineiro sp. n. and Tisentnops onix sp. n., both belonging to a genus known only from its damaged type. Additionally, two new non–nopine Brazilian genera are proposed: Nasutonops gen. n. including three new species: N. chapeu sp. n., N. sincora sp. n. and N. xaxado sp. n.; and Carajas gen. n., known only from the type species C. paraua sp. n. Both new genera have entire, rather than sub-segmented tarsi. Therefore , they are not included in the caponiid subfamily Nopinae. Nasutonops gen. n. is characterized by the presence of a projected clypeal horn, unique among caponiids. Additionally, the first blind caponiids are described: Tisentnops mineiro sp. n. from the state of Minas Gerais and Carajas paraua sp. n. from the state of Pará. Both of these species are found only in caves and completely lack eyes.

A synopsis of Caribbean filistatid diversity is recorded herein. A new genus, Antilloides, is proposed for five new species exclusively found in the Antilles: A. abeli n. sp., A. cubitas n. sp., and A. mesoliticus n. sp. from Cuba; A. haitises n. sp. from the Dominican Republic; and A. zozo n. sp. from the U. S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The genus Filistatoides is revised and includes four species: the type species F. insignis F.O.P. Cambridge, which occurs only in Guatemala; the female is described here for the first time; F. polita Franganillo sp. reval., comb. nov., which occurs only in Cuba; F. xichu n. sp. described from Mexico; and F. milloti (Zapfe) which does not appear to belong to the genus based on morphological structures. Additionally, Kukulcania isolinae Alayón is synonymized with Kukulcania hibernalis (Hentz), and new records of its distribution are included for the Greater and Lesser Antilles.

Alexander Sánchez-Ruiz A new species of the spider genus Nops MacLeay, 1839 is herein described from Jarabacoa, La Vega province, Dominican Republic. The finding of this species elevates to five the number of species of Caponiidae present in The Hispaniola. Some aspects about the taxonomy of the genus Nops in the West Indies are discussed.

The available data about the distribution of Cyrtophora citricola (Forskål, 1775) in Cuba are augmented. The presence and distribution of this species in the archipelago is discussed, as well as the main habitats and substrates where builds their webs.

As a result of the identification and cataloguing of the spiders collection of the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Santo Domingo (MNHNSD) and the revision of additional material from Dominican Republic, are recorded for first time from The Hispaniola four genera occurring in Central America and the West Indies but unknown from this island: Masteria L. Koch, 1873 (Dipluridae), Strotarchus Simon, 1888 (Miturgidae), Lygromma Simon, 1893 (Prodidomidae) and Peckhamia Simon, 1901 (Salticidae). The finding of these new records elevates to 310 species and 43 families the spiders fauna from The Hispaniola. The geographic limits of other three endemics species: Wulfila gracilpes (Banks, 1903) (Anyphaenidae), Mimetus hispaniolae Bryant, 1948 (Mimetidae) and Ariadna multispinosa Bryant, 1948 (Segestriidae) are enlarged. The two first known only from the type locality.

Nest of six species of aculeate wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Sphecidae and Apidae) were studied between 1994 and 1995 at two localities in Eastern Cuba. The data recorded for each species included number of cells, prey used for nest supply, inquilines, parasitoids, pathogens and necrophagous. The species (and number of nests) studied were: Pachodynerus nasidens (100), Sceliphron assimile (Dalhbom) (70), Zeta confusum (Bequaert & Salt) (37), Megachile sp. (7), Pachodynerus cubensis (Saussure) (2), and Trypoxylon sp. (1). Relevant information on the relationships between these wasps species and other arthropods taxa also discussed.

A rapid biological inventory of spiders from Limones-Tuabaquey Ecological Reserve was conducted. 71 species, 59 genera and 26 families are reported for this protected area. The species Homalometa nigritarsi Simon, 1897 (Tetragnathidae) is reported for the first time for Cuba and Greater Antilles. The geographic limits of other five species are enlarged: Ariamnes mexicanus Exline y Levi, 1962, Anisaitis squamata Bryant, 1940 (Salticidae), Scytodes blanda Bryant, 1940 (Scytodidae), Theridion antillanum Simon, 1894 (Theridiidae) y Episinus gratiosus Bryant, 1940 (Theridiidae). Seventeen endemic species were identified and considered conservation targets for this protected area; especially Anisaitis squamata Bryant, 1940 and Scytodes blanda Bryant, 1940; rare species that are only known in a few localities in the Cuban archipelago.

The three known species of the genus Loxosceles Heineken & Lowe from Cuba and Hispaniola are revised and two new
species, Loxosceles maisi sp. nov. and Loxosceles mogote sp. nov., are described from the eastern region of Cuba. These
new species are included in the reclusa group, and are considered close to Loxosceles taino Gertsch & Ennik as they have
a greatly thickened male palpal tibia, a projecting cymbium, and large receptacles in the female genitalia. The distribution
ranges of the known Cuban and Hispaniolan species are extended.

The Cuban spider species Nops ariguanabo Alayón, 1986 is transferred to the genus Tarsonops Chamberlin based on the
presence of several false sutures on the anterior tarsi and metatarsi, and a broad, subcircular carapace. A redescription of
the species, including the description of female internal genitalia is provided. Additionally, a new species of Tarsonops
from Mexico is described. The first SEM photos and a new diagnosis for the genus Tarsonops are included.

We update the knowledge of the unusual Caponiidae spiders from the West Indies with the description of four new species,
and the redescription of Nops blandus (Bryant) including the first description of the female. Specimens previously assigned
to N. blandus from Hispaniola and Puerto Rico represents two new species: Nops hispaniola n. sp. and Nops agnarssoni
n. sp. respectively; while the distribution of the former is limited to British and U. S. Virgin Islands. The others
two new species are Nops finisfurvus n. sp. from British Virgin Islands and Cubanops luquillo n. sp. from Puerto Rico.
Female internal genitalia of Nops species are described, photographed and illustrated for the first time.