Monodontium Kulczynski, 1908

Raven, Robert J., 2008, A Revision Of The Mygalomorph Spider Genus Monodontium Kulczynski (Barychelidae: Araneae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 56 (1), pp. 29-44 : 30-31

Monodontium Kulczynski, 1908

Monodontium Kulczynski, 1908: 446 ; Roewer, 1942: 224; Bonnet, 1957: 2984; Brignoli, 1983: 129; Raven, 1985: 114; Platnick, 1989: 92; Platnick, 1993: 96; Raven, 1994: 334, Figs. 16B, 19E. (Type species by original designation Monodontium mutabile Kulczynski, 1908 ; types in NMNH, examined).

Poikilothele Mello-Leitão, 1923: 273 (nomen nudum).

Diagnosis. – Differs from other known barychelid genera in the combined presence of eyes and two rows of teeth on the paired claws of legs I, II of females; males have the unique combination of biserially dentate claws on legs I, II and legs with little or no scopula.

Cymbium bilobed; bulb with simple pyriform palp; tibia I of males with distal megaspine. Claw tufts small, distinct on legs, absent on female palp. Four or two spinnerets; apical segment of PLS short, domed or triangular. Eight eyes in two or three rows forming rectangular, subquadrate or trapezoidal group. Anterior lobe of maxillae indistinct or absent. Leg scopulae sparse, thin in females, absent in males. Paired claws of females with two rows on legs I, II, each with few short teeth; paired claws of males with teeth in two rows (I) or claws bare (IV). Cheliceral rastellum with few weak spines or absent. Carapace as high in front of fovea as behind.

Description. – Carapace and legs uniformly setose. Eight eyes in rectangular to subquadrate group of two to three rows; tubercle distinct, low. Clypeus absent. Rastellum a few spines or absent; intercheliceral tumescence absent in males. Stridulatory lyra absent. Males with weak coupling spur on tibia I; palpal tibia stout, cymbium distinctly bipartite; bulb simple, pyriform with twisted flattened embolus. Maxillae of females with 9–20 cuspules, 2–3 incipient or up to ca. 8 blunt in males; lyra absent; heel rounded. Labium wider than long; female with one or no cuspules; cuspules entirely absent in males. Sternum broad, cordate, with six small, marginal sigilla, if evident; at most posterior sigilla evident in males. Labiosternal suture a distinct groove. Legs of females short, with tarsi as wide as metatarsi; scopulae sparse, thin, or absent. Basifemoral thorns and metatarsal preening combs absent. Paired claws of females with two rows of teeth claws of legs I, II; claws of females of similar size on legs I and IV. Males with two rows of teeth on legs I, II. Palpal claw of females with few teeth or bare; palpal claw tufts absent. Spines reduced or absent on all legs of females. Leg tarsi of females not cracked or pseudosegmented. Trichobothria filiform, in two rows on tibiae, one row on metatarsi, in broad band (of filiform only) on tarsi. Bothrial bases corrugiform. Tarsal organ low with shallow concentric ridges and set back from distal edge. Combs not evident in book-lung apertures. PMS

THE RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY 2008

reduced or absent. PLS short with apical segment domed. Females with one median or two entire or divided spermathecal receptacula.

Distribution. – Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia: Sarawak, Papua New Guinea and West Papua.

Included Species. – Monodontium mutabile Kulczynski, 1908 ; M. tetrathela Kulczynski, 1908 ; M. malkini , new species; M. bukittimah , new species; M. sarawak , new species.

Remarks. – Raven (1994: 323) incorrectly described the condition of the palpal claw tufts of female Monodontium as weak in the text, but correctly (herein) as absent in table 2 where the genus was incorrectly headed “Sasoninae”.