Myrmekiaphila comstocki Bishop and Crosby
Creators: name: BOND, JASON E.
name: PLATNICK, NORMAN I.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Cyrtaucheniidae
Myrmekiaphila
Myrmekiaphila comstocki

description: Myrmekiaphila comstocki Bishop and Crosby
Figures 5, 15, 25, 41–48
Myrmekiaphila comstocki Bishop and Crosby, 1926: 168,169 (male holotype from Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in AMNH, examined).
Myrmekiophila fluviatilis (misidentification): Petrunkevitch, 1929: 516.
DIAGNOSIS: Males can be distinguished by the unbranched palpal bulb with the embolus lacking a prominent distal tooth (fig. 25), the robust palpal tibia (figs. 5, 44–46, not as slender as that of M. foliata), and by having metatarsal dilation of leg I less prominent than in other species (figs. 15, 41–43). Female M. comstocki and M. foliata specimens are difficult to distinguish on the basis of subtle spermathecal differences (fig. 47); however, the distributions of these two species do not overlap (fig. 1).
DESCRIPTIONS: Male described by Bishop and Crosby (1926); female described by Gertsch (1935).
MATERIAL EXAMINED: UNITED STATES: ARKANSAS: Bradley Co.: no specific locality [33.47 –92.16, MYR076], Nov. 9, 1963 (AMNH), 13. Dallas Co.: 4 mi S Dalark [34.0680 –93.06417, MYR077, 078], June 10, 1973 (J. Rowland, AMNH), 2♀. Montgomery Co.: 1 mi S State Road 8 on FS road [34.4502 –93.8887, MYR289], June 28, 1972 (F. Coyle, AMNH), 1♀. Pike Co.: Glenwood [34.3268 –93.5507, MYR018], Jan. 8, 1954 (N. Causey, MCZ), 13. Polk Co.: Sugar Creek, FS Road 38, ca 2.5 mi S intersection with FS Road 25 [34.4322 –94.107, MYR041–46], June 18, 1972 (F. Coyle, AMNH), 4♀, 1 eggsac; Ouachita National Forest, Caney Creek WMA on CR 81 near Sugar Creek, 34.42985 –94.13922, elev. 313 m [MY3387–3389], July 9, 2005 (B. Hendrixson, ECU-AMNH), 3♀. Washington Co.: Fayetteville [36.0626 –94.1574, MYR016], Nov. 1, 1962 (W. Whitcomb, AMNH), 13; Cove Creek [35.7655 –94.3829, MYR037], Apr. 27, 1962 (M. Hite, AMNH), 1♀, [MYR023], Oct. 20, 1962 (O., M. Hite, AMNH), 23; Cove Creek Valley, 15 mi S Prairie Grove, Boston Mountains [MYR039], Sept.–Oct. 1955 (M. Hite, AMNH), 13, 1 juv., [MYR027], Mar. 1, 1957 (M Hite, MCZ), 13. LOUISIANA: Caddo Par.: no specific locality [32.6335 –93.9002, MYR057], Nov. 21, 1936 (R. Bellamy, AMNH), 1♀; Shreveport [32.55813 –93.7756, MYR056], Oct. 13, 1936 (R. Bellamy. AMNH), 1♀. Grant Par.: Kisatchie National Forest [31.7668 –92.5668, MYR012], June 1941 (Jones, A. Archer, AMNH), 13. Rapides Par.: Pineville [31.3224 –92.4343, MYR055], Dec. 31, 1976 (J. Weaver, AMNH), 1♀. OKLAHOMA: Comanche Co.: Wichita Mountains [34.6829 –98.6331, MYR292], Mar. 25, 1978 (F. Bryce, AMNH), 103. La Flore Co.: on Route 270 5.5 mi E intersection with Route 259 [34.7048 –94.5143, MYR048], June 27, 1972 (F. Coyle, AMNH), 1♀; Pipe Spring on Route 259, 1.5 mi S intersection with Route 1 [34.691 –94.6453, MYR047], June 27, 1972 (F. Coyle, AMNH), 1♀. Latimer Co.: Red Oak [34.9509 –95.0802, MYR031], Oct. 1, 1975 (K. Stephan, AMNH), 63; Red Oak [34.7048 –94.5143, MYR049], Oct. 8, 1976 (V. Roth, AMNH), 13. McCurtain Co.: 5 mi SW Eagletown [33.9771 –94.639, MYR050], Aug. 7, 1946 (B. Branson, AMNH), 1♀. TEXAS: Cherokee Co.: Alto [31.5782 –95.16583, MYR005], May 15, 1979, (F. Moody, AMNH), 1♀. Kimble Co.: (mislabeled as Gillespie Co.) Junction [30.4886 –98.9503, MYR035], Apr. 14, 1979.(T. Hall, AMNH), 13. Nacogdoches Co.: Nacogdoches [31.6035 –94.6555, MYR010], Oct. 14, 1968 (H. McDonald, AMNH), 13. Travis Co.: Austin [30.2669 –97.7429, MYR009], May 21, 1913 (C. Hartman, AMNH), 1♀, 1 juv.; Brackenridge Field Laboratory [30.2833 –97.7787, MYR011, 014, 020, 025, 032–034, 290, 291], Jan.–Apr 1979 (B. Vogel, AMNH), 883, 2♀, 1 juv. Wichita Co.: no specific locality [34.0 –98.7, MYR006], Mar. 1, 1973 (Hicks, AMNH), 13, [34.0 –98.7, MYR017], Mar. 1, 1973 (T. Salmon, AMNH), 13.
DISTRIBUTION: Widely distributed throughout Arkansas, Louisiana, Okalahoma, and eastern/central Texas (fig. 48).
description: Published as part of BOND, JASON E. & PLATNICK, NORMAN I., 2007, A Taxonomic Review of the Trapdoor Spider Genus Myrmekiaphila (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Cyrtaucheniidae), pp. 1-32 in American Museum Novitates 3596 (1) on pages 11-13, DOI: 10.1206/0003-0082(2007)3596[1:ATROTT]2.0.CO;2, http://zenodo.org/record/4712783