Micropholcomma Crosby &amp; Bishop 1927
Creators: name: Rix, Michael
name: Harvey, Mark
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Micropholcommatidae
Micropholcomma

description: Genus <i>Micropholcomma</i> Crosby &amp; Bishop, 1927 <i>Micropholcomma</i> Crosby &amp; Bishop, 1927: 152. Type species by original designation <i>Micropholcomma caeligenus</i> Crosby &amp; Bishop, 1927. Roewer, 1942: 392. Hickman, 1944: 183. Bonnet, 1957: 2905. Forster, 1959: 297. Hickman, 1981: 65. Brignoli, 1983: 374. Rix, 2008: 343. Platnick, 2009. <i>Microlinypheus</i> Butler, 1932: 103. Type species by monotypy <i>Microlinypheus bryophilus</i> Butler, 1932. Roewer, 1942: 617. Synonymised by Hickman, 1944: 186. Bonnet, 1957: 2885. <i>Plectochetos</i> Butler, 1932: 106. Type species by monotypy <i>Plectochetos longissimus</i> Butler, 1932. Roewer, 1942: 617. Bonnet, 1958: 3707. Synonymised by Forster, 1959: 297. <b>Affinities.</b> The genus <i>Micropholcomma</i> appears to be the sister-lineage to <i>Pua novaezealandiae</i> from New Zealand (Fig. 4). <b>Diagnosis.</b> Species of <i>Micropholcomma</i> can be distinguished from all other Micropholcommatini except <i>Pua novaezealandiae</i> by the presence of a normal, non-bifurcate embolus (Fig. 9A); and can be distinguished from <i>Pua</i> by the presence of a long embolus (length&gt; 5× width) which is usually looped or coiled (Figs 9A, 12A, 17B). Other diagnostic characters include the presence (and presumed retention) of posterior tracheae (shared with <i>Gigiella</i>) and the presence of a male leg I-pedipalpal stridulatory system (Fig. 21D). <b>Description.</b> Very small, entelegyne Araneoidea; total length 0.70 to 1.30. <i>Cephalothorax</i>: Carapace without glandular depressions above maxillae; cuticle without glandular pits (Fig. 18C); margins fused to sternum via pleural sclerites. Eight (Fig. 18C), rarely six or (in troglomorphic taxa) fewer eyes present on anterior margin of pars cephalica; AME, if present, smallest. Chelicerae with or 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. 19F). <i>Legs and female pedipalp</i>: Legs three-clawed (Fig. 20D), covered with smooth or serrate hair-like setae; femur I of males with prolateral stridulatory denticles (Fig. 18C). Trichobothria present on legs; tibiae each with two or three trichobothria (Fig. 20C); metatarsi without trichobothria. Female pedipalp four-segmented (with fused tibiatarsus) or reduced to a vestigial nubbin; claw absent (Figs 19C–D). <i>Abdomen</i>: Abdomen oval or globose; anterior sclerite present around epigastric region and petiole; large dorsal scute present on males (Fig. 14), absent (Fig. 16B) or (rarely) present (Fig. 13B) on females; lateral sclerotic strips present on males; posterior sclerotic ring surrounding spinnerets and colulus. Six spinnerets situated posterior to fleshy colulus (Figs 22A, 22C, 23 A–B); PMS of <i>M. bryophilum</i> with single medial AC gland spigot; PLS of <i>M. bryophilum</i> with complete triad. Anterior tracheal system welldeveloped, with relatively large lateral atria and multiple radiating tracheae (Fig. 15B); second tracheal tubes on each side looping mesally and extending through petiole into cephalothorax (Fig. 12D); posterior tracheal spiracle present, tracheae quadritracheate. <i>Genitalia</i>: Male pedipalp (Fig. 21) small to large, relatively simple; patella with distally-directed, flanged or hooked ligulate retrolateral apophysis and retrolateral stridulatory ridges; tegulum smooth, with curved evaginated tegular ridge; embolus exposed, long (length&gt; 5× width), usually looped or coiled. Female genitalia (Figs 15A–E) with pair of separate, globular anterior spermathecae; insemination ducts coiled around fertilisation ducts; fertilisation ducts posteriorly-directed. <b>Distribution.</b> Eastern and western mainland Australia and Tasmania (Fig. 217). Two undescribed female specimens from Rivière Bleue and Mont Mou, New Caledonia (QMB S60522, QMB S72474) probably also belong in this genus, but males are required to confirm the identification. <b>Composition.</b> Seven described species, <i>Micropholcomma bryophilum</i> (Butler, 1932), <i>M. caeligenum</i> Crosby &amp; Bishop, 1927, <i>M. linnaei</i> Rix, 2008, <i>M. longissimum</i> (Butler, 1932), <i>M. mirum</i> Hickman, 1944, <i>M. parmatum</i> Hickman, 1944, <i>M. turbans</i> Hickman, 1981, and the new species <i>M. junee</i>. Undescribed species are also known from throughout the range of the genus. <b>Nomenclatural remarks.</b> The gender of the genus name “ <i>Micropholcomma</i> ” was not specified by Crosby and Bishop (1927), although the type species was described with a masculine specific epithet (as <i>M</i>. “ <i>caeligenus</i> ”). The name <i>Micropholcomma</i> was clearly derived from the theridiid taxon name “ <i>Pholcomma</i> ” Thorell, and as highlighted by Levi (1964), this name should be treated as neuter. To this end, Brignoli (1983) and Davies (1985) amended the suffix endings of the species names, all of which were previously masculine or feminine.
description: Published as part of <i>Rix, Michael &amp; Harvey, Mark, 2010, The spider family Micropholcommatidae (Arachnida: Araneae: Araneoidea): a relimitation and revision at the generic level, pp. 1-321 in ZooKeys 36 (36)</i> on pages 23-24, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.36.306, http://zenodo.org/record/576620
description: {"references": ["Crosby CR, Bishop SC (1927) New species of Erigoneae and Theridiidae. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 35: 147 - 154.", "Roewer CF (1942) Katalog der Araneae von 1758 bis 1940. 1. Band (Mesothelae, Orthognatha, Lapidognatha: Dysderaeformia, Scytodiformia, Pholciformia, Zodariiformia, Hersiliaeformia, Argyopiformia). Paul Budy, Berlin, 1040 pp.", "Hickman VV (1944) On some new Australian Apneumonomorphae with notes on their respiratory system. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1944: 179 - 195.", "Bonnet P (1957) Bibliographia Araneorum, Tome II (3 me partie: G- M). Douladoure, Toulouse, 1927 - 3026.", "Forster RR (1959) The spiders of the family Symphytognathidae. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand 86: 269 - 329.", "Hickman VV (1981) New Tasmanian spiders of the families Archaeidae, Cycloctenidae, Amaurobiidae and Micropholcommatidae. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 115: 47 - 68.", "Brignoli PM (1983) A Catalogue of the Araneae Described Between 1940 and 1981. Manchester University Press, Manchester, 755 pp.", "Platnick NI (2009) The World Spider Catalog, Version 10.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York. http: // research. amnh. org / entomology / spiders / catalog / [accessed 20. X. 2009]", "Butler LSG (1932) Studies in Australian spiders, No. 2. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 44: 103 - 117.", "Bonnet P (1958) Bibliographia Araneorum, Tome II (4 me partie: N- S). Douladoure, Toulouse, 3027 - 4230.", "Levi HW (1964) The American spiders of the genera Styposis and Pholcomma (Araneae, Theridiidae). Psyche 71: 32 - 39.", "Davies VT (1985) Araneomorphae (in part). In: Walton DW (Ed) Zoological Catalogue of Australia, Vol. 3. Mygalomorphae, Araneomorphae (in part), Pseudoscorpionida, Amblypygi and Palpigradi. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 48 - 125."]}