Opisthoncus L. Koch 1880
Creators: name: Gardzińska, Joanna
name: Żabka, Marek
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Salticidae
Opisthoncus

description: Genus Opisthoncus L. Koch 1880
(Figs 1–30)
Attus [part.]: L. Koch 1867: 222, 223, 227.
Marptusa [part.]: Thorell 1881: 437, 447, 449.
Hyllus [part.]: Keyserling 1882: 1342.
Cytaea [part.]: Simon 1903: 816.
Chalcotropis [part.]: Simon 1903: 788.
Gangus [part.]: Simon 1903: 700.
Opisthoncus: L. Koch 1880: 1180; Keyserling 1883: 1473; Peckham & Peckham 1885: 267, 309, 1901: 345; Hogg 1900: 77; Simon 1903: 826–830; Rainbow 1911: 308–311; Żabka, 1991: 44–48.
Type species: Attus polyphemus L. Koch, 1867, by original designation.
Diagnosis. Cephalothorax with a small cephalic protuberance between PLE. Chelicerae in males inclined forwards, dentition basically fissidentate with uni- or pluridentate modifications and with additional spurs. Spermophore C-shaped or slightly meandering, embolus from short and wide to elongate and moderately thin, tibial apophysis conical. Epigyne with posterior notch, copulatory openings C-shaped, creviced, spermathecae S- or bean-shaped, insemination ducts coiled in circles and loops.
Description. Spiders 5–10 mm long. Cephalothorax in both sexes moderately high, from almost rectancular and slightly wider than PEW, through more or less round to trapezoid-like (Figs 1 A–D), in many cases (males) with distinct cheek swellings (Fig 1 D). Cephalic part with medial protuberance (CP), located between PLE; fovea (F) located below PLE (Fig. 1 D). Thoracic slope gentle. Eyes in three rows, eye field occupies about 35–40% of CL. Clypeus from narrow (15–25% of AME diameter) to moderately wide (30–40% of AME diameter), in males usually narrower than in females. Cheliceral promargin with 2 separate teeth, retromargin uni-, fissi-, pluridentate or of unclear pattern (Figs 1 H–N). In most species male chelicerae with distinct frontal (Figs 1 H–J) and ventral spurs (Figs 1 K–N), differing in size, shape and position. In O. lineativentris, O. mandibularis and O. tenuipes frontal spurs are vestigial, whereas frontal edge of each chelicera is sharp and strongly sclerotized (Fig. 1 H). Endites subparallel, labium subtriangular (Figs 1 E–F). Sternum moderately wide (most species, see Fig. 1 F) or relatively narrow (O. abnormis, O. keyserlingi, O. lineativentris, O. machaerodus, O. mandibularis, O. tenuipes, O. unicolor, see Fig. 1 E), with anterior margin equal or narrower than labium width. Abdomen elongate-ovoid or cylindrical, usually covered with scales, with dorsal pattern of longitudinal, serrated, pallid streak, on darker background. In males more or less distinct dorsal scutum present. First legs more robust than the others, in males with somewhat elongate patellae. Leg formula: I–II–IV–III. Leg I spination: patella: pl 1, rl 0; tibia: p1, rl 0, pv3, rv3, metatarsus: pv2, rv2 (Fig. 1 G).
In relation to cymbium, palpal tegulum small and round (Fig. 2 A) or large and elliptic (Fig.2 B). Embolus (E) vary in length and shape, sometimes coiled clockwise (left palp) around tegulum (Fig. 2 A). Translucent part of spermophore (Sp) not meandering (most species) or slightly meandering (O. lineativentris). Retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) single and conical, slightly hook-like.
Epigyne (Fig. 1 C) with posterior notch (N) triangle, round or truncate, shallow or relatively deep. Copulatory openings (CO) creviced, in most species placed anteriorly and oriented mid-anteriorly (except O. unicolor). Insemination ducts vary in width, membranous in proximal parts (MD), distally more sclerotized, coiled and forming kind of intermediate duct (ID). Spermathecae located anteriorly (in most species) or posteriorly (O. abnormis, O. keyserlingi), accompanied by more or less visible accessory glands.
List of the valid species: 1. O. abnormis L. Koch, 1881; 2. O. albiventris L. Koch, 1881; 3. O. alborufescens L. Koch, 1880; 4. O. barbipalpis (Keyserling, 1882); 5. O. bellus (Karsch, 1878); 6. O. bitaeniatus L. Koch, 1880; 7. O. confinis L. Koch, 1881; 8. O. devexus Simon, 1909; 9. O. grassator Keyserling, 1883; 10. O. keyserlingi Żabka, 1991; 11. O. kochi Żabka, 1991; 12. O. lineativentris L. Koch, 1880; 13. O. machaerodus Simon, 1909, 14. O. magnidens L. Koch, 1880; 15. O. mandibularis L. Koch, 1880; 16. O. mordax L. Koch, 1880; 17. O. necator L. Koch, 1881; 18. O. nigrofemoratus (L. Koch, 1867); 19. O. parcedentatus L. Koch, 1880; 20. O. polyphemus (L. Koch, 1867); 21. O. quadratarius (L. Koch, 1867); 22. O. rubriceps (Thorell, 1881); 23. O. sexmaculatus (C. L. Koch, 1846); 24. O. serratofasciatu s L. Koch, 1881; 25. O. tenuipes (Keyserling, 1882); 26. O. unicolor L. Koch, 1881.
Species excluded from the genus: O. delectabilis Rainbow, 1920; O. inconspicuus (Thorell, 1881); O. eriognathus (Thorell, 1881); O. nigritifemur Strand, 1911; O. pallidulus L. Koch, 1880.
Nomen dubium: O. clarus Keyserling, 1883 (type species lost).
Species not studied: O. verisimilis Peckham & Peckham, 1901 (types not located), O. mandibularis Szombathy, 1915 (= O. kochi Zabka, 1991), redescribed by Prószyński, 1983.
description: Published as part of Gardzińska, Joanna & Żabka, Marek, 2013, Redescription of the genus Opisthoncus L. Koch, 1880 (Araneae: Salticidae), pp. 401-447 in Zootaxa 3717 (4) on pages 402-405, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3717.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/246494