Archaeid spiders

106 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 104-106)."A comparative morphological survey of the archaeid spiders and their relatives is presented; cladistic analysis of the results supports the following taxonomic changes. The family Archaeidae Koch and Berendt is relimited to include only four genera: Archaea Koch and Berendt (containing six Baltic amber species and six Recent species from Madagascar), and the new genera Austrarchaea (type species Archaea nodosa Forster from Queensland; also including Archaea hickmani Butler from Victoria and a new species from Queensland), Afrarchaea (type species Archaea godfreyi Hewitt from South Africa and Madagascar), and Eoarchaea (type species Archaea hyperoptica Menge from Baltic amber). Other taxa previously placed in the Archaeidae are assigned to the family Mecysmaucheniidae Simon and the new families Pararchaeidae (for Pararchaea Forster, including seven species from New Zealand, Australia, and Tasmania) and Holarchacidae (for Holarchaea Forster, including H. novaeseelandiae Forster from New Zealand and Zearchaea globosa Hickman from Tasmania). The Mecysmaucheniidae is divided into two subfamilies. The Mecysmaucheniinae contains Mecysmauchenius Simon (type species M. segmentatus Simon from southern Chile, adjacent Argentina, and the Falkland Islands; also including M. gertschi Zapfe from central Chile and 14 new species from Chile and the Juan Fernandez Islands) and the new genera Mecysmauchenioides (type species Mecysmauchenius nordenskjoldi Tullgren from Chile), Semysmauchenius (type species S. antillanca, new species, from Chile), Mesarchaea (type species M. bellavista, new species, from Chile), and Aotearoa (type species Zearchaea magna Forster from New Zealand). The new subfamily Zearchaeinae contains Zearchaea Wilton (type species Z. clypeata Wilton from New Zealand; also including Z. fiordensis Forster from New Zealand) and the new genus Chilarchaea (type species C. quellon, new species, from Chile). Recent hypotheses by Lehtinen and Levi assigning these taxa to two different superfamilies are rejected. The four families are judged instead to constitute a monophyletic group with its closest relatives among the superfamily Palpimanoidea, which is expanded to include them as well as (in suggested sister-group sequence) the Textricellidae and Micropholcommatidae, the traditional palpimanoids (Huttoniidae, Stenochilidae, and Palpimanidae), and the Mimetidae"--P. 3

A review of the spider family Symphytognathidae (Arachnida, Araneae). American Museum novitates ; no. 2619

29 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 28-29)."The spider family Symphytognathidae is relimited to include only the genera Symphytognatha, Globignatha (elevated from subgeneric status), Patu, Anapistula, and the new genus Curimagua, all of which share the following derived characters: the chelicerae are fused at least at their base, the female pedipalp is either reduced to a unisegmented lobe or absent, the labium is much wider than long, and the sternum is broadly truncate posteriorly. Other genera previously placed in the family belong to the Anapidae, Mysmenidae, Micropholcommatidae, and Textricellidae. The status of the genus Iardinis is discussed; I. albulus Gertsch is transferred to Styposis (Theridiidae), I. boneti (Forster) is returned to Anapistula, and I. weyersi Simon is considered a nomen dubium. Eleven new species are described: Symphytognatha blesti from Australia; S. goodnightorum from Belize; S. gertschi from Mexico; S. chickeringi from Jamaica; Globignatha sedgwicki from Belize; Patu eberhardi, P. digua, and P. saladito from Colombia; Anapistula benoiti from Zaire; Curimagua chapmani from Venezuela; and C. bayano from Panama. The male of Anapistula secreta Gertsch is described for the first time, and the species is newly recorded from Florida, Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Colombia"--P. [1]

A revision of the temperate South American and Australasian spiders of the family Anapidae (Araneae, Araneoidea). Bulletin of the AMNH ; no. 190

139 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 138-139)."The anapid spiders known from Chile and Argentina, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and Australia are revised. The family is newly recorded from temperate South America, where it is represented by six new genera (Crassanapis, Sheranapis, Elanapis, Sofanapis, Pecanapis, and Minanapis) including 15 new species. The New Zealand anapids are assigned to three new genera: Zealanapis, for Chasmocephalon armatum Forster, C. australis Forster (which is removed from the synonymy of C. armatum), Risdonius conicus (Forster), and seven new species; Novanapis, for Pseudanapis spinipes (Forster); and Paranapis, for Pseudanapis insula (Forster) and one new species. The two previously known New Caledonian anapids, Anapogonia insolita (Berland) and A. pilupilu Brignoli, are assigned to the new genus Caledanapis and the female of the latter species is described for the first time; six additional New Caledonian species are assigned to Caledanapis and two other new genera (Montanapis and Mandanapis). Of the genera previously described from Australia, Acrobleps Hickman is transferred to the Mysmenidae and Olgania Hickman is transferred to the Micropholcommatidae. Pseudanapis aloha Forster, previously known from Hawaii and Yap, is newly recorded from Queensland; seven previously described and 30 new endemic Australian species are assigned to Risdonius Hickman, Chasmocephalon O.P.-Cambridge, and eight new genera (Tasmanapis, Victanapis, Queenslanapis, Hickmanapis, Nortanapis, Maxanapis, Octanapis, and Spinanapis). Chasmocephalon minutum Hickman is transferred to Hickmanapis; Anapogonia crassifemoralis (Wunderlich) and A. burra (Forster) are transferred to Maxanapis, and the female of the former species is described for the first time; Risdonius octoculus (Forster) is transferred to Octanapis; Anapogonia darlingtoni (Forster) is transferred to Spinanapis; and Pseudanapis grossa Forster, from New Guinea, is transferred to Conoculus Komatsu. Anapid morphology, monophyly, and relationships are reviewed. Both the labral spur and glandular openings at the anterolateral corners of the carapace may be synapomorphic for the family; most (perhaps all) species have haplogyne female genitalia"--P. 3

A proposal and review of the spider family Synotaxidae (Araneae, Araneoidea) : with notes on theridiid interrelationships. Bulletin of the AMNH ; no. 193

116 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 115-116)."The previously monotypic subfamily Physogleninae Petrunkevitch is redefined to include Physoglenes Simon--containing P. vivesi Simon and three new species from Chile--and three new genera: Meringa, containing nine new species from New Zealand; Tupua, containing four new species from Tasmania; and Paratupua, containing one new species from Victoria. The physoglenine genera are united by unique modifications of the male pedicel and anterior abdominal region. The new subfamily Pahorinae is established for five new genera from New Zealand: Pahora (containing nine new species), Pahoroides (containing two new species), Wairua (containing two new species), Nomaua (containing five new species and N. crinifrons (Urquhart), transferred from the linyphiid genus Bolyphantes), and Runga (containing five new species). The pahorine genera are united by a carapace-abdomen stridulatory system, secretory pores on the male pars cephalica, and a deeply excavated paracymbial area on the male palp. Three other genera seem closely related to physoglenines and pahorines: Mangua, new genus, containing 13 new species and M. forsteri (Brignoli), transferred from Linyphia, all from New Zealand; Chileotaxus, new genus, containing one new species from Chile; and the Neotropical genus Synotaxus Simon. These spiders have been widely separated in some past classifications; Physoglenes has been variously considered a leptonetid, pholcid, theridiid, or araneoid incertae sedis, whereas the other previously described taxa have generally been considered theridiids or linyphiids. All 12 genera are united by the presence of a small, basally situated and dorsally excavated paracymbium, a longitudinal incision of the retrolateral cymbial margin, thickened (and sometimes spiniform) dorsal macrosetae on the male palpal femur, patella, and/or tibia, and greatly elongated, spineless legs, with the first pair much the longest and all femora basally thickened. The known web forms are diverse, including an irregular sheet (Mangua and at least some physoglenines), an inverted bowl (pahorines), and a latticelike structure (Synotaxus). The absence of a comb on tarsi IV and widened aggregate spigots on the posterior lateral spinnerets, and the presence of a basal paracymbium, indicate that these genera do not belong to the Theridiidae, and the male palpi lack the distinct embolic division including a radix typical of the Linyphiidae. The oldest family-group name available for the assemblage is Synotaxidae, based on Synotaxeae Simon. Synotaxidae is hypothesized to be the sister group of Nesticidae plus Theridiidae. Wunderlich's synonymy of the families Hadrotarsidae and Theridiidae appears to be justified by paracymbial morphology; two possibly monophyletic groups can be recognized among the genera that are currently considered valid members of those families. The genera Anatea Berland, Audifia Keyserling, Dipoena Thorell, Dipoenata Wunderlich, Euryopis Menge, Gmogola Keyserling, Guaraniella Baert, Hadrotarsus Thorell, Lasaeola Simon, and Yoroa Baert are apparently united by a suite of characters (a dorsoventrally flattened female palpal claw, shortened chelicerae with elongated fangs, specialized ventral setae on tarsus I, a series of parallel ridges on the medial surface of the anterior lateral spinnerets, and four rather than two spermathecae) and may all be specialized predators of ants; the earliest available name for the assemblage is Hadrotarsinae Thorell. At least the genera Anelosimus Simon, Chrosiothes Simon, Chrysso O.P.-Cambridge, Coleosoma O.P.-Cambridge, Helvibis Keyserling, Nesticodes Archer, Rugathodes Archer, Spintharus Hentz, Tekellina Levi, Theridula Emerton, Thwaitesia O.P.-Cambridge, and Thymoites Keyserling are apparently united by a distinctive paracymbial hood. The name Spintharinae Simon is available for this assemblage; if Spintharinae is monophyletic, the genera Achaearanea Strand and Anelosimus, as currently construed, may be polyphyletic assemblages that require relimitation"--P. 3

Spiders of the family Symphytognathidae from North and South America. American Museum novitates ; no. 1885

14 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.Includes 1 bibliographical reference (p. 12)

A revision of the New Caledonian spider genus Bradystichus (Araneae, Lycosoidea). American Museum novitates ; no. 3075

14 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 14

On the Micromygalinae, a new subfamily of mygalomorph spiders (Araneae, Microstigmatidae). American Museum novitates ; no. 2734

13 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 13).The subfamily Micromygalinae is established for a new genus and species (Micromygale diblemma) from Panama that contains the world's smallest known mygalomorph spider, and the only one known to have only two eyes, a complete dorsal scutum in males, and no lungs. Cladistic analysis indicates that the species belongs to the Microstigmatidae but represents the sister group of all other known microstigmatids. The two previously recognized subfamilies of that group are therefore relegated to tribal status within the Microstigmatidae'--P. [1]

On the first American spiders of the subfamily Sternodinae (Araneae, Malkaridae). American Museum novitates ; no. 2894

12 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 11-12)."A new genus, Chernodes, is described for a new Chilean species, C. australis, that is closely related to the Australian and Tasmanian genera Sternodes Butler and Carathea Moran. These three genera are hypothesized to represent the sister-group of the Malkarinae, known only from Australia and new Zealand, and the family Sternodidae Moran is therefore relegated to subfamilial status within the Malkaridae. The enlarged Malkaridae is tentatively treated as the sister-group of the Mimetidae, but could prove to represent only a highly autapomorphic subgroup of that family"--P. [1]