The new spider genus Palindroma, featuring a novel synapomorphy for the Zodariidae (Araneae)

  • Rudy Jocqué Royal Museum for Central Africa, B-3080 Tervuren
  • Arnaud Henrard Earth and life Institute, Biodiversity research Center, UCL-17.07.04, Bâtiment Carnoy, Croix du Sud, 5, B-1348, Louvain-la-Neuve
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2015.152
Keywords: East Africa, Central Africa, Cryptothelinae, miombo, tibial process

Abstract

The new genus Palindroma gen. nov. is described in the Cryptothelinae, Zodariidae. Apart from the type species, P. morogorom gen. et sp. nov. (♂♀), the genus contains P. aleykyela gen. et sp. nov. (♂), P. avonova gen. et sp. nov. (♂♀), P. sinis gen. et sp. nov. (♂) and the somewhat aberrant species P. obmoimiombo gen. et sp. nov. (♂). The four typical representatives of the genus are characterized by the profile of the carapace with a slight dip, the absence of precoxal sclerites and the characters of the male palp with enlarged tibia, large subtegulum and tegular retrolateral knob. The genus occurs in miombo-woodland and coastal forest in East and Central Africa and this peculiar distribution is discussed. A key to the males of the Palindroma species is provided. Specimens of Palindroma have a particularly well-developed tibial process fitting in a shallow metatarsal pouch on all legs in both sexes. Although less conspicuous in some derived taxa, the feature appears to be present in all representatives of the Zodariidae, but not in possible sister-group taxa and is thus an autapomorphy of the family.

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Published
2015-11-13
How to Cite
Jocqué, R., & Henrard, A. (2015). The new spider genus Palindroma, featuring a novel synapomorphy for the Zodariidae (Araneae). European Journal of Taxonomy, (152). https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2015.152
Issue
No. 152 (2015): The new spider genus Palindroma, featuring a novel synapomorphy for the Zodariidae (Araneae)
Section
Zoology
Copyright (c) 2015 Rudy Jocqué, Arnaud Henrard

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