Ponsoonops and Bipoonops.

70 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cm. Part of the goblin spider Planetary Biodiversity Inventory (PBI) project. (Introduction)Two new genera, Ponsoonops and Bipoonops, are established for groups of species characterized by sexually dimorphic dorsal abdominal scutum expression (with a scutum present in males but not females), male palps with a separate cymbium and bulb, and a patterned abdomen. Both genera belong therefore to the Varioonops complex, represented now by three described Neotropical genera. Members of Ponsoonops are united by three putative synapomorphies in males: a "pierlike" dorsal scutum completely fused to the epigastric scutum, a patch of short setae ventrodistally on metatarsi I and II, and a short anteromedian protrusion on the endites. Female Ponsoonops specimens differ from other members of the Varioonops complex in having small lateral sclerites at the epigynal area and a smooth sternum. Members of Bipoonops share a large, irregularly shaped, rather indistinct dark spot posteriorly on the carapace, a putative synapomorphy, and a moderately rugose sternum surface; males are characterized by a distinct, bipartite conductor. A total of 22 Ponsoonops species, 21 new to science, are described: P. duenas, P. hamus, and P. tacana from Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, P. bilzi, P. lucha, P. samadam, P. sanvito, and P. viejo from Costa Rica, P. bollo, P. boquete, P. coiba, P. fanselix, P. frio, P. lerida, P. mirante, P. panto, P. salimsa, and P. vuena from Panama, P. pansedro from Colombia, P. micans (Simon, transferred from Dysderoides) from Venezuela, P. yumuri from Cuba, and P. lavega from the Dominican Republic. Bipoonops is described for three new species found on the western slope of the Andes in Ecuador: B. baobab, B. pucuna, and B. tsachila