Calicynorta

Calicynorta
	; Calicynorta bimaculata Banks, 1893 from re-description.
Suborder	Laniatores
Superfamily	Gonyleptoidea
Family	Cosmetidae
Subfamily	Cosmetinae

Calicynorta Goodnight & Goodnight, 1943 is a monotypic genus of the neotropical family Cosmetidae, subfamily Cosmetinae with one species from U.S.A. (California). This locality is considered doubtful.

Synonymy[]

Calicynorta Goodnight & Goodnight, 1943: 643^[1].

Etymology[]

Placement[]

Originally placed in Cosmetidae.

Type species[]

Calicynorta bimaculata (Banks, 1893), by original designation^[2]

Diagnosis[]

Banks 1893 (p.150) says "Cynorta bimaculata n.sp. Length 4mm; width 2.9mm; femur IV 2.5mm - Colour: dorsum brownish red with two long somewhat lunate white spots near the end of the dorsal shield; venter red. Legs yellowish, marked with fuscous twards their tips. Body finely granulate, without large tubercles or spines; hind margins of the posterior segments furnished with a row of small tubercles. Legs 4-2-3-1; femora III and IV curved; patellae and tibiae III and IV roughened."

Banks 1893 (p.150) then makes comparions with two other species from the USA already known to him (C. ornata Say and Cynorta sayii Simon, discussed in section above this tet), saying "A smaller species with shorter legs than the other two. San Diego, Cal.; given to me by Dr. Geo. Marx"

Goodnight & Goodnight, 1943 (p.643) says "Dorsum with five areas, fourth area with median paired tubercles. Remaining dorsal areas and free tergites unbedecked. Tarsal segments 5-more than 6-6-6. Distitarsus of first tarsus with 3 segments, of second also 3. Basal segments of third and fourth legs not enlarged over those of the first and second. A study of the holotype of Cynorta bimaculata Banks revealed that it was a member of a new genus closely related to Kevonones Chamberlin. Calicynorta differs from Kevonones by having tubercles on the fourth area of the dorsum."

Species[]

Calicynorta bimaculata (Banks, 1893): 150 - U.S.A. (California).

Notes[]

Type - Holotype female in Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ).

Cokendolpher and Jones (1991) questioned if California was a correct locality for 'Vonones bimaculata' ... "because no new material of any Cosmetidae have since been collected anywhere west of Texas within the U.S.A. (Cokendolpher, pers. comm)" in Kury 2003.

The original statement by Banks 1893 (p.150) of "San Diego, Cal.; given to me by Dr. Geo. Marx" might be informative that the locality is wrong, as other arachnid material from the Geo Marx collection has proved mislabeled (e.g. see Prentice 1997 on theraphosid spiders).

Currently the holotype specimen has a typed label associated with it saying "San Jose", which has been databased as Costa Rica, San Jose. This is unfounded, and because it is typed - we can strongly suggest the typed label is a more recent (erroneous) addition.

References[]

↑ Goodnight, Clarence J. & Marie L. Goodnight (1943b). New and little known phalangids from the United States. The American Midland Naturalist, Notre Dame, Indiana, 29(3): 643-656.
↑ Banks, N. (1893d) The Phalangida Mecostethi of the United States. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, Philadelphia, 20(2), 149–152.

Cokendolpher, J.C. and S.R. Jones (1991. Karyotype and notes on the male reproductive system and natural history of the harvestman Vonones sayi (Simon) (Opiliones, Cosmetidae). Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., 93(1): 86-91

Gallery[]

Several images of the single holotype specimen are available online, credit to Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. - https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/MediaSet.cfm?media_id=1309787

[1] Goodnight, Clarence J. & Marie L. Goodnight (1943b). New and little known phalangids from the United States. The American Midland Naturalist, Notre Dame, Indiana, 29(3): 643-656.

[2] Banks, N. (1893d) The Phalangida Mecostethi of the United States. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, Philadelphia, 20(2), 149–152.

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