Paracladycnis Blandin, 1979

Cruz Da Silva, Estevam L. & Sierwald, Petra, 2013, On three monotypic nursery web spider genera from Madagascar with first description of the male of Tallonia picta Simon, 1889 and redescription of the type-species of Paracladycnis Blandin, 1979 and Thalassiopsis Roewer, 1955 (Araneae: Lycosoidea: Pisauridae), Zootaxa 3750 (3), pp. 277-288 : 286

Paracladycnis Blandin, 1979

Paracladycnis Blandin 1979: 370 , figs 8, 11, 19, 37. Type species. Paracladycnis vis Blandin, 1979 .

Diagnosis. The females of Paracladycnis resemble those of Tinus F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1901 (Carico 1976: 76, fig. 18) by the prominent lateral lobes (LL) and by the strongly projecting scape on the middle field of the epigynum ( Figs 29 , 30 ), but can be distinguished by the long stalk of the spermathecae (SS) ( Figs 31, 32 ) and by the slender head of the spermathecae (HS) ( Fig. 32 ).

Description. See species description

Distribution. Madagascar ( Fig. 34 ).

Note. The genus Paracladycnis is not included as a member of Pisaurinae due to morphological differences: middle field of epigynum (MF) with pronounced and projected scape ( Fig. 30 ), absence of the pair of pits ( Fig. 30 ) and slender and narrow head of spermathecae ( Fig. 31 ). The genera Paracladycnis and Thalassiopsis are maintained as two separate taxa. The difference in the eye pattern between Thalassiopsis (anterior eye row strongly procurved) and Paracladycnis (anterior eye row straight) far exceeds any sexual dimorphism or variation yet observed in pisaurids species. Since the Pisaurinae is the only established monophyletic pisaurid subfamily (Sierwald 1997), the subfamily placement of Paracladycnis is unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 34. Distribution of Paracladycnis Blandin, 1979, Tallonia Simon, 1889 and Thalassiopsis Roewer, 1955 in Madagascar.

FIGURES 27 – 29. Paracladycnis vis Blandin, 1979. 27, 28 female habitus (27 dorsal, 28 frontal). 29 female epigynum, ventral. (LL = lateral lobes, MF = middle field).

FIGURES 30 – 33. Paracladycnis vis Blandin, 1979. 30? 32 female epigynum (30 ventral, 31 dorsal, 32 detail of head of spermathecae). 33 tarsal claw of left leg I. (BS = base of spermathecae, FD = fertilization duct, HS = head of spermathecae, LL = lateral lobes, MF = middle field, SS = stalk of spermathecae).