The spider family Micropholcommatidae (Arachnida: Araneae: Araneoidea): a relimitation and revision at the generic level
Author
Rix, Michael
Western Australian Museum, Welshpool DC, Perth, Australia
Author
Harvey, Mark
Western Australian Museum, Perth, Welshpool, Australia
text
ZooKeys
2010
2010-02-22
36
36
1
321
journal article
10.3897/zookeys.36.306
4db6b327-7482-432e-a5f6-36f91c79fef3
1313–2970
576620
ADCACC88-6C78-4386-8E33-3F98234ECE92
Genus
Pua
Forster, 1959
Pua
Forster, 1959: 299
.
Type
species by original designation
Pua novaezealandiae
Forster, 1959
.
Brignoli, 1983: 374
.
Platnick, 2009
.
Affinities.
The genus
Pua
appears to be the sister-lineage to
Micropholcomma
from
Australia
(
Fig. 4
).
Diagnosis
.
Pua novaezealandiae
can be distinguished from all other
Micropholcommatini
by the presence of a short (length <5× width), hooked embolus situated distally on a rotated bulb (
Figs 29
A–C). Other diagnostic characters include the loss of the AME (
Fig. 25B
), the presence of very large, globular spermathecae (Fig. 15F), and the presence of a dorsal scute on the female abdomen (
Fig. 24B
).
Description
.
Very small, entelegyne
Araneoidea
; total length 0.80 to 1.00.
Cephalothorax
: Carapace without glandular depressions above maxillae (
Fig. 26D
); cuticle without glandular pits (
Fig. 26E
); margins fused to sternum via pleural sclerites. Six eyes present on anterior margin of pars cephalica (
Fig. 25B
); AME absent. Chelicerae without bulging anterior projections in males; promargin with true teeth, a pair of fused setal sockets adjacent to base of fang and single peg tooth in males (
Fig. 27F
).
Legs and female pedipalp
: Legs three-clawed (
Fig. 28D
), covered with smooth or serrate hair-like setae. Trichobothria present on legs; tibiae each with two (legs I–III) or three (leg IV) trichobothria (
Fig. 28C
); metatarsi without trichobothria. Female pedipalp four-segmented, with fused tibia-tarsus; claw absent (
Figs 27
C–D).
Abdomen
: Abdomen oval-globose; anterior sclerite present around epigastric region and petiole; large dorsal scute present on males and females (
Figs 24
A–B); lateral sclerotic strips present on males; posterior sclerotic ring surrounding spinnerets and colulus. Six spinnerets situated posterior to fleshy colulus (
Figs 23
C–D); PMS without AC gland spigots; PLS with complete triad. Anterior tracheal system well-developed, with relatively large lateral atria and multiple radiating tracheae; second tracheal tubes on each side looping mesally and extending through petiole into cephalothorax; posterior tracheal spiracle absent.
Genitalia
: Male pedipalp (
Fig. 29
) relatively simple; patella with distally-directed, hooked ligulate retrolateral apophysis; bulb rotated 180 degrees, with embolus inserting distally relative to cymbium; tegulum smooth, with straight, evaginated tegular ridge; embolus exposed, short (length <5× width) and hooked; conductor absent. Female genitalia (Fig. 15F) with pair of separate, very large, globular anterior spermathecae; insemination ducts short, barely visible in dorsal view; fertilisation ducts simple, curved.
Distribution
.
New Zealand
.
Composition
.
Only the
type
species
Pua novaezealandiae
Forster, 1959
.