Ciniflella Mello-Leitao 1921
Creators: name: Brescovit, Antonio Domingos
name: Grismado, Cristian J.
name: Almeida-Silva, Lina M.
name: Ramirez, Martin J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Zoropsidae
Ciniflella

description: Genus Ciniflella Mello-Leitão, 1921
Ciniflella Mello-Leitão, 1921
(type species Ciniflella lutea Mello-Leitão, 1921 by original designation).
Altellopsis Mello-Leitão, 1924 (type species Altellopsis luteus Mello-Leitão, 1924). Objective synonymy by Roewer 1955: 1304.
Paraltellopsis Mello-Leitão, 1925 (new replacement name for Altellopsis Mello-Leitão, 1924, preoccupied in Amaurobiidae by Simon 1905). Synonymized by Roewer 1955: 1304.
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Diagnosis. Species of Ciniflella are similar to other cribellate members of the Oval Calamistrum clade by having a calamistrum as a patch of setae not forming rows, but can be distinguished by the cribellum with two small, widely spaced patches of spigots (Figs 2B, 7B, 14B), and the male RTA with regularly spaced ridges (Fig. 9 E-F, 16E).
Note. Since Altellopsis luteus Mello-Leitão, 1924 is an objective synonym of Ciniflella lutea Mello-Leitão, 1921, both genera have the same type species hence are objective synonyms. The replacement name Paraltellopsis Mello-Leitão, 1925 although now unnecessary, also becomes another objective synonym of Ciniflella Mello-Leitão, 1921.
Description. Small to medium sized-spiders, total length 3.00–5.60, males slightly smaller with relatively longer legs. Carapace oval in dorsal view (e.g., Figs 2A, 3A, 4A, D), slightly convex in lateral view (Fig. 4C), fovea longitudinal, at same height of cephalic area. Eight eyes in two rows, anterior row about straight, posterior row slightly recurved, indirect eyes with canoe-shaped tapeta (observed in C. iguazu). All eyes of similar size, ALE usually slightly larger, AME slightly smaller than the rest. Clypeus low, about as AME diameter (Fig. 4F). Chelicerae with 3–4 promarginal and 3–4 retromarginal teeth. Chilum divided. Sternum anteriorly truncated and posteriorly rounded. Labium subquadrangular, anterior margin concave, endites slightly converging anteriorly, serrula subapical, in a single submarginal row. Palpal claw pectinate (Fig. 5F). Leg formula 4123. Retrocoxal hymen present on coxa I as a small mound in males and females (observed in C. iguazu and C. lavras). All trochanters notched, male tibial crack absent. Calamistrum as a patch of setae not forming rows, teeth of calamistral setae on multiple rows on each seta (Figs 6D–E, 12I–M). Scopulae or claw tufts absent. Three tarsal claws (Figs 5K, 6G, 12E–F). Superior tarsal claws pectinate, with more teeth on leg I than on leg IV, inferior tarsal claw simple. Trichobothria in about two rows on metatarsi and tarsi, about three rows on tibiae. Trichobothrial plate with transversal grooves (Figs 5L, 12C), tarsal organ keyhole-shaped (Figs 5M, 13E). Abundant scales on legs, elongate, with short setules near the base (Figs 5I, 12D). Spination (basic pattern): tibia I–II v2-2-2-1p, p0, r0; III v1p-2-2, p1-1-0, r1-1-0; IV v1p-2-2, p1-1-0, r1-1-0; metatarsus I–II v2-2-2, p0, r0; III v2-2-2, p1-1-2, r1-1-2; IV v2-2-2, p1-1-2, r1-1-2.
Opisthosoma oval, without scuta. Spinnerets (examined with SEM in C. iguazu and C. lavras, Figs 7–8, 14–15): cribellum as an oval, subtriangular plate, with two well-spaced patches of spigots (Figs 7B, 14B), spigots with two strobila near the tip (Fig. 7C). Six spinnerets, ALS and PLS two segmented, PMS a single segment (Figs 7G, 8D, 14D, 15D). ALS with two major ampullate gland spigots on the mesal margin (the posterior one reduced to a nubbin in the male) and 6–9 piriform gland spigots; male piriform gland spigots of two size classes: those closer to the major ampullate spigots with thin shafts (SPi), the rest with thicker shafts (LPi); male piriform spigots of Ciniflella lavras are much larger than those of C. iguazu. Female piriform gland spigots resembling the SPi of the male. PMS with single minor ampullate spigot, 1–3 aciniform gland spigots, and 1–2 cylindrical gland spigots in female. PLS best observed in C. iguazu, with distal segment elongate, with five aciniform gland spigots, two cylindrical gland spigots in the female (one basal, one medial), and a distal pair of shaft spigots on a single base (Fig. 7H–J), interpreted as one pseudoflagelliform gland spigot plus an accompanying spigot (those are represented by two nubbins in male, Fig. 8F–G). Tracheal spiracle small, close to the spinnerets (Figs 7A, 8A, 14A, 15A).
Male palpal patella without apophyses, tibia with short, relatively simple RTA, with regularly spaced striations on distal surface; cymbium usually with basal projection near RTA; dorsum of cybium with sparse chemosensory setae, without trichobothria. Tegulum oval, some species with subtegular interlocking lobe opposing small lobe on base of embolus visible in retrolateral view (Fig. 9C). Conductor hyaline (= Sierwald conductor, Polotow et al. 2015) originating from retroapex of tegulum, fan-shaped, embracing apex of embolus. Median apophysis simple, hook-shaped, originating on middle-retrolateral portion of tegulum, sometimes with small tooth on concave mesal margin. Embolus stout or elongate, partly articulated on basal membranous are (Fig. 9B) or amply fused (Fig. 16D) to tegulum, running clockwise (left palp ventral view), with deep longitudinal furrow, apex sometimes complex. Membranous area at base of embolus sometimes projecting into a membranous tegular process (e.g., Figs 20F, 22B).
Epigyne with a median plate sometimes projecting over posterior part of median field, lateral lobes with bulbous projections at posterior corners of median plate (Figs 10B, 13F, 25C, E). At the sides of the median plate, two excavated areas receive the mating plugs (e.g., Fig. 25E). Vulva (Figs 25D, F, 26B, D, F) with deep median fossa corresponding to interior of median plate, spermatheca simple, oval, accessory bulb (= head of spermatheca; = secondary spermatheca) represented only by gland ducts (Figs 10C, D, 13G, H, 25D, F).
description: Published as part of Brescovit, Antonio Domingos, Grismado, Cristian J., Almeida-Silva, Lina M. & Ramirez, Martin J., 2025, On the Neotropical spider genus Ciniflella Mello-Leitão, 1921 (Araneae: Zoropsidae, Tengellinae), pp. 345-381 in Zootaxa 5563 (1) on pages 347-353, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5563.1.21, http://zenodo.org/record/14596368