Redescription of the type species of Diaphorocellus Simon, 1893 (Araneae, Palpimanidae, Chediminae)
Author
Zonstein, Sergei L.
Author
Marusik, Yuri M.
Author
Omelko, Mikhail M.
text
African Invertebrates
2016
57
2
93
103
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/AfrInvertebr.57.9988
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/AfrInvertebr.57.9988
2305-2562-2-93
7025D8FAE4FA4A7DBAD773902C2CEA8D
Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Palpimanidae
Genus
Diaphorocellus Simon, 1893
Diaphorocellus
: Simon 1893: 314;
Platnick 1975
: 5.
Type species.
Diaphorocellus biplagiatus
Simon, 1893, by monotypy.
Notes.
Since its description, the genus has always been considered a member of the Old World subfamily
Chediminae
Simon, 1893.
Diaphorocellus
can be easily recognised by the large PME that are very close or even touching each other (as in Fig. 8). Only
Otiothops
MacLeay, 1839, a representative of the New World subfamily
Otiothopinae
Platnick, 1975, has similarly shaped and arranged PMEs (
Grismado and
Ramirez
2002
: fig. 2;
Buckup and Ott 2004
: fig. 1;
Grismado 2008
: fig. 1). However,
Diaphorocellus
differs from this genus by the presence of the accessory structures on the male palp accompanying the embolus (Figs 11-19) that are characteristic of the
Chediminae
but absent in the
Otiothopinae
(see
Platnick 1975
;
Platnick et al. 1999
). The genus includes four poorly known species recorded from Botswana, Namibia, South
Africa
and Tanzania (
Platnick 2014
;
World Spider Catalog 2016
). None of these species have been reconsidered since their original descriptions and no illustrations of the endogyne or the male palp have been provided until now.
Figures 8-13.
Diaphorocellus biplagiatus
. 8 eye pattern in female, dorsal 9 epigastric scutum, female, ventral 10 epigastric scutum after maceration, caudal view 11-13 male palp, prolateral, ventro-prolateral and retrolateral. Abbreviations: Bs sclerite opposite to book lungs; Cs strong cymbial setae; Em
"embolus"
; Gg grape-shaped gland; Ls lateral sclerite; Mo membranous outgrowth; Ms median sclerite; Re receptacle; So sclerotised outgrowth.
Figures 14-19. Details of male palp of
Diaphorocellus biplagiatus
. 14, 17-18 cymbium and bulb, prolateral, ventro-prolateral (from above) and retrolateral 15 bulb, prolateral 16 femur and tibia, ventral 19 trochanter, femur and patella, retrolateral. Abbreviations: Ce base of cymbium encircling bulb; Cs strong cymbial setae; Em
"embolus"
; Mo membranous outgrowth; So sclerotised outgrowth.