Mecolaesthus Simon 1893
Creators: name: Huber, Bernhard A.
name: Colmenares, Pío A.
name: Ramirez, Martin J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Pholcidae
Mecolaesthus

description: Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893
Mecoloesthus / Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893b: 482. Huber 2000: 255.
Ayomania González-Sponga, 2005: 108; and Venezuela Koçak & Kemal, 2008: 4 (new replacement names for Falconia González-Sponga, 2003); type species: Falconia multidenticulata González-Sponga, 2003; new synonymies.
Carbonaria González-Sponga, 2009: 2; type species: Carbonaria cordiformis González-Sponga, 2009; new synonymy.
Maimire González-Sponga, 2009: 4; type species: Maimire tuberculosa González-Sponga, 2009; new synonymy.
Moraia González-Sponga, 2011b: 43; type species: Moraia niquitanus González-Sponga, 2011b; new synonymy.
Nasuta González-Sponga, 2009: 6; type species: Nasuta grandis González-Sponga, 2009; new synonymy.
Sanluisi González-Sponga, 2003: 100; type species: Sanluisi puntiaguda González-Sponga, 2003; new synonymy.
Justifications of synonymies. Mecolaesthus cordiformis (González-Sponga, 2009); new combination. We have not re-examined the type specimens (1♂ 1♀ from Mérida State, Venezuela) and do not know if the prosoma shows the posterior ‘inflation’ characteristic for Mecolaesthus. However, the shape of the palp in general and of the retrolateral apophysis on the procursus in particular is characteristic for the type species M. longissimus Simon, 1893 and some close relatives (cf. figs. 1017, 1029, 1032, 1036 in Huber 2000). The armature of the male chelicerae is also similar to congeners from the same Venezuelan State (Mérida) (e.g. M. azulita Huber, 2000; M. tabay Huber, 2000; M. cornutus Huber, 2000).
Mecolaesthus grandis (González-Sponga, 2009); new combination. We have not seen González-Sponga’s specimens (1♂ 9♀ from Vargas State, Venezuela) but the original description explicitly mentions the posteriorly ‘inflated’ prosoma characteristic of Mecolaesthus (“Tórax de mayor altura que el área ocular...”).
Mecolaesthus multidenticulatus (González-Sponga, 2003); new combination. Re-examination (by PAC) of the type specimens (1♂ 1♀ from Falcón State, Venezuela) revealed the characteristic (though inconspicuous) posterior ‘inflation’ of the prosoma. The male cheliceral apophyses are very similar to geographically close congeners like M. grandis and M. tuberculosus.
Mecolaesthus niquitanus (González-Sponga, 2011b); new combination. Re-examination (by PAC) of González-Sponga’s specimens (2♂ 7♀ from Trujillo State, Venezuela) revealed the characteristic (though inconspicuous) posterior ‘inflation’ of the prosoma and a retrolateral process on the procursus similar to the type species M. longissimus and some close relatives (cf. figs. 1017, 1029, 1032, 1036 in Huber 2000).
Mecolaesthus puntiagudus (González-Sponga, 2003); new combination. The abdomen of this species is globular rather than elongated and pointed at the tip as in most congeners, but a re-examination (by PAC) of the type specimens (2♂ 8♀ from Falcón State, Venezuela) revealed the characteristic posterior ‘inflation’ of the prosoma. The epigynum has a pair of processes similar to M. taino Huber, 2000.
Mecolaesthus tuberculosus (González-Sponga, 2009); new combination. We have not seen González- Sponga’s material of this species (2♂ 4♀ from Yaracuy State, Venezuela), but the original drawings strongly suggest that this species is closely related to Mecolaesthus grandis which is geographically close (distance between type localities about 190 km) and whose assignment to Mecolaesthus is strongly supported by the characteristic posterior ‘inflation’ of the prosoma (see above).
description: Published as part of Huber, Bernhard A., Colmenares, Pío A. & Ramirez, Martin J., 2014, Fourteen new generic and ten new specific synonymies in Pholcidae (Araneae), and transfer of Mystes Bristowe to Filistatidae, pp. 413-422 in Zootaxa 3847 (3) on pages 417-418, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3847.3.5, http://zenodo.org/record/231498