Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 71-72

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2020.718.1101
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F9E9A91E-488C-4DB1-9361-E788E9AC5BC1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14371430
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E887AD-FF96-7A49-FDF3-FE87FE9AFDA1
treatment provided by	Valdenar (2020-10-06 21:59:10, last updated 2024-12-10 23:54:02)
scientific name	Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893
status

Treatment

Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893 View in CoL View at ENA

Mecolaesthus View in CoL / Mecoloesthus Simon 1893b: 482 .

Type species: M. longissimus Simon, 1893 View in CoL .

Falconia González-Sponga, 2003: 94 . Name preoccupied, replaced by Ayomania González-Sponga, 2005 and by Venezuela Koçak & Kemal, 2008 . Type species: F. multidenticulata González-Sponga, 2003 . Synonymized in Huber et al. (2014a).

Queliceria González-Sponga, 2003: 96 .

Type species Q. discrepantis González-Sponga, 2003 View in CoL . New synonymy.

Sanluisi González-Sponga, 2003: 100 .

Type species: S. puntiaguda González-Sponga, 2003 . Synonymized in Huber et al. (2014a).

Ayomania González-Sponga, 2005: 108. Replacement name for Falconia González-Sponga, 2003 ; see Falconia above.

Venezuela Koçak & Kemal, 2008: 4 . Unjustified replacement name for Falconia González-Sponga, 2003 ; see Falconia above.

Carbonaria González-Sponga, 2009: 2 .

Type species: C. cordiformis González-Sponga, 2009 View in CoL . Synonymized in Huber et al. (2014a).

Maimire González-Sponga, 2009: 4 .

Type species: M.tuberculosa González-Sponga, 2009 . Synonymized in Huber et al. (2014a).

Nasuta González-Sponga, 2009: 6 .

Type species: N. grandis González-Sponga, 2009 View in CoL . Synonymized in Huber et al. (2014a).

Moraia González-Sponga, 2011b:43 .

Type species: M.niquitanus González-Sponga, 2011 View in CoL . Synonymized in Huber et al. (2014a).

Mecoloesthus – Bonnet 1957: 2742. — Huber 2000: 255 View Cited Treatment .

Justification of synonymy

The type material of Queliceria discrepantis González-Sponga, 2003 was reexamined, as well as new material collected at the type locality. Morphologically, this species strongly resembles several geographically close species of Mecolaesthus ( M. cornutus Huber, 2000 ; M. tabay Huber, 2000 ; M. mucuy Huber, 2000 ) in its general habitus and carapace coloration (distinctive lateral dark marks restricted to anterior half), and males show the principal putative synapomorphy of the genus (inflated carapace). Preliminary molecular data (J.J. Astrin, B.A. Huber, unpubl. data) also support a close relationship with the congeners listed above and show Queliceria discrepantis as deeply nested among other Venezuelan Mecolaesthus .

Notes

With now 30 Venezuelan species (14 previously described +16 new), Mecolaesthus is the most speciesrich pholcid genus in Venezuela . Only six species have been described from neighboring countries and regions: Trinidad (1), Lesser Antilles (3), Colombia (1), and Brazil (1). This suggests that Venezuela is the distributional center of Mecolaesthus , but at least the Colombian pholcid fauna is poorly known and may include a large number of species.

Of the 14 Venezuelan species described previously, eleven are treated below. For the remaining three Venezuelan species we do not have new data:

Mecolaesthus azulita Huber, 2000 View in CoL ; type locality “ 20 km SE Azulita (ULA Biol. Res. La Carbonera), Mérida, Venezuela ” ( Huber 2000) [approximately 8.633° N, 71.366° W]; see Notes under M. cordiformis View in CoL below.

Mecolaesthus hoti Huber, 2000 View in CoL ; type locality only roughly known: “Rio Baria, Dept. Amazonas, Venezuela ” ( Huber 2000) [between 0.85° N, 66.43° W and 1.47° N, 66.52° W].

Mecolaesthus puntiagudus ( González-Sponga, 2003) View in CoL , type locality Falcón, Sierra de San Luis, Curimagua [approximately 11.172° N, 69.668° W]. The type specimens (2 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀, 1 juv.; MAGS 1432) have been on loan to another researcher and could not be examined.

The ZFMK collection includes material of six further Venezuelan species, from the states La Guaira, Mérida, Trujillo, and Lara. They are not described here because specimens of only one sex are available.

Operational species groups

Venezuelan Mecolaesthus are here divided into three operational species groups, explicitly based on similarity rather than cladistic analysis. In some cases the specific similarities probably reflect phylogenetic relationships, in others not. Such operational species groups provide a preliminary structure for the known species and they facilitate taxon selection in future phylogenetic analyses.

The cornutus View in CoL group includes the ten species shown in Fig. 1042. Most species in this group look identical in the field ( Figs 212–219 View Figs 212–219 , 306–311 View Figs 306–311 ); the lateral dark carapace marks are limited to the anterior part; males do not have a longer abdomen than females; male chelicereae are not provided with modified hairs. Within this group, M. peckorum Huber, 2000 View in CoL ; M. tabay Huber, 2000 View in CoL ; M. azulita Huber, 2000 View in CoL ; and M. cordiformis ( González-Sponga, 2009) View in CoL have extremely similar male chelicerae and female internal genitalia (female of M. azulita View in CoL unknown). The two species M. chicha Huber View in CoL sp. nov. and M. parchita Huber View in CoL sp. nov. fit this group in their morphology but are unusual for their lighter coloration ( Figs 277– 282 View Figs 277–282 ). The two species share strongly banded legs, almost identical procursi and genital bulbs, similar distal cheliceral apophyses and internal female genitalia.

The grandis View in CoL group includes the eleven species shown in Figs 1043–1044. Males in this group usually have slightly longer abdomens than females (e.g., Figs 429–432 View Figs 427–434 ); male chelicerae are provided with modified hairs; procursi are distally often bifid, divided into a sclerotized and a membranous part (e.g., Figs 348–350 View Figs 348–355 , 390–392 View Figs 390–398 ); males of several species share sclerotized plates anteriorly on the abdomen, ventrally and/or dorsally ( Figs 338 View Figs 338–345 , 430 View Figs 427–434 ). Within this group, M. grandis ( González-Sponga, 2009) View in CoL ; M. multidenticulatus ( González-Sponga, 2003) View in CoL ; and M. tuberculosus ( González-Sponga, 2009) View in CoL are almost indistinguishable even by details of their genitalia. The three species were originally described in three different genera but are likely to be closely related. These three species share with three further species [ M. niquitanus (González-Sponga, 2011) View in CoL ; M. longipes Huber View in CoL sp. nov.; M. bienmesabe Huber View in CoL sp. nov.] a distinctive arrangement of male cheliceral apophyses and modified hairs: a pair of large apophyses and a pair of low elevations, both provided with small modified hairs (e.g., Figs 354 View Figs 348–355 , 396 View Figs 390–398 , 416 View Figs 410–417 ). A similar arrangement but with much stronger hairs occurs in M. trampa Huber View in CoL sp. nov. and M. lechosa Huber View in CoL sp. nov. ( Figs 441 View Figs 435–443 , 450 View Figs 444–452 ). The remaining three species ( M. arepa Huber View in CoL sp. nov., M. pusillus Huber View in CoL sp. nov., M. alegria Huber View in CoL sp. nov.), share modified hairs on the male chelicerae but do otherwise not easily fit into this group. The two latter species have identical procursi, very similar male chelicerae and genital bulbs, and they share a pair of dark sclerites in the female internal genitalia ( Figs 473, 476 View Figs 471–478 ).

The longissimus View in CoL group includes the remaining nine Venezuelan species shown in Figs 1045–1046. This group is certainly polyphyletic, and some species may eventually end up in other or new genera (e.g., M. fallax Huber View in CoL sp. nov., M. limon Huber View in CoL sp. nov.). Some species ( M. longissimus Simon, 1893 View in CoL ; M guasacaca Huber View in CoL sp. nov.; M. yerbatero Huber View in CoL sp. nov.) share with representatives of the grandis View in CoL group a bifid procursus tip ( Figs 500 View Figs 500–505 , 536 View Figs 536–544 , 560 View Figs 560–568 ), but the male chelicerae lack modified hairs. The type species M. longissimus View in CoL also shares with representatives of the grandis View in CoL group a longer male than female abdomen. The two species with extremely inflated male prosoma ( M. graphorn Huber View in CoL sp. nov., M. cachapa Huber View in CoL sp. nov.) remind of congeners in Trinidad and the Lesser Antilles [ M. arima Huber, 2000 View in CoL ; M. nigrifrons (Simon, 1894) View in CoL ; M. lemniscatus (Simon, 1894) View in CoL ; M. taino Huber, 2000 View in CoL ] but extremely inflated prosomata are also known from undescribed Colombian species (F. Cala Riquelme, pers. comm. 20 Jul. 2017). In addition, the strong intraspecific variability of carapace inflation (e.g., Figs 510–511 View Figs 510–513 ) makes this a problematic character for phylogeny. The highly aberrant M. fallax View in CoL is tentatively assigned to Mecolaesthus View in CoL for the lack of a better solution. Preliminary molecular data (J.J. Astrin, B.A. Huber, unpubl. data) place this species among Mecolaesthus View in CoL , so it seemed premature to designate a new genus for this species. Finally, M. limon Huber View in CoL sp. nov. and M. hoti View in CoL males share the main synapomorphy of the genus (inflated prosoma; Fig. 583 View Figs 582–588 ) but otherwise the two species appear unique and isolated (male genitalia; in M. limon Huber View in CoL sp. nov. also female genitalia and spines on male femur 1).

References

Bonnet P. 1957. Bibliographia araneorum. Analyse methodique de toute la litterature araneologique jusqu'en 1939. Tome II. Systematique des araignees (Etude par ordre alphabetique) (3 me partie: G-M). Douladoure, Toulouse.

Gonzalez-Sponga M. A. 2003. Aracnidos de Venezuela. Cuatro generos y cuatro especies nuevas de la familia Pholcidae. Memoria de la Fundacion La Salle de Ciencias Naturales 155: 91 - 104.

Gonzalez-Sponga M. A. 2005. Aracnidos de Venezuela. Tres nuevos generos y cuatro nuevas especies de la familia Pholcidae (Araneae). Saber 17: 99 - 109.

Gonzalez-Sponga M. A. 2009. Aracnidos de Venezuela. Cuatro nuevos generos y cinco especies nuevas de la familia Pholcidae (Araneae). Anartia 21: 1 - 16.

Gonzalez-Sponga M. A. 2011 b. Biodiversidad de Venezuela. Aracnidos. Descripcion de cinco nuevos generos y cinco nuevas especies de la familia Pholcidae Koch, 1850. Acta Biologica Venezuelica 28: 39 - 51.

Huber B. A. 2000. New World pholcid spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae): a revision at generic level. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 254: 1 - 348. https: // doi. org / 10.1206 / 0003 - 0090 (2000) 254 % 3 C 0001: NWPSAP % 3 E 2.0. CO; 2

Huber B. A., Colmenares P. A. & Ramirez M. J. 2014 a. Fourteen new generic and ten new specific synonymies in Pholcidae (Araneae), and transfer of Mystes Bristowe to Filistatidae. Zootaxa 3847: 413 - 422. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3847.3.5

Kocak A. O. & Kemal M. 2008. New synonyms and replacement names in the genus group taxa of Araneida. Centre for Entomological Studies Ankara, Miscellaneous Papers 139 - 140: 1 - 4.

Simon E. 1893 b. Histoire naturelle des araignees. Deuxieme edition, tome premier. Roret, Paris. Tong Y. 2013. Haplogynae Spiders from Hainan, China. Ke xue chu ban she, Beijing.

Figures

Figs 212–219. Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893; live specimens. 212–214. M. cornutus Huber, 2000; male from Mérida, Mucuy, female with egg sac from Mérida, Escaguey. 215. M. cordiformis (González- Sponga, 2009); male from Mérida, forest near La Carbonera. 216–217. M. mucuy Huber, 2000; male and female from Mérida, Mucuy. 218–219. M. tabay Huber, 2000; male and female from Mérida, El Valle.

Figs 306–311. Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893; live specimens. 306–308. M. piedras Huber sp. nov.; male and female with egg sac from Mérida, Las Piedras. 309–311. M. discrepantis (González-Sponga, 2003); male and female from Trujillo, Laguna Negra.

Figs 277–282. Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893; live specimens. 277–279. M. chicha Huber sp. nov.; male, female, and juvenile from Mérida, between Bailadores and Pregonero. 280–282. M. parchita Huber sp. nov.; male, female, and juvenile from Mérida, between Tovar and Guaraque.

Figs 427–434. Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893; live specimens. 427–428. M. trampa Huber sp. nov.; female with egg sac from Táchira, near La Trampa. 429–432. M. lechosa Huber sp. nov.; male and female from Mérida, Mesa Bolívar (arrows: dark brown book-lung cover and light brown plate close to pedicel). 433–434. M. arepa Huber sp. nov.; males from Táchira, near La Trampa (arrow: median process on carapace).

Figs 348–355. Mecolaesthus grandis (González-Sponga, 2009); from La Guaira, El Limón (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21899–21900). 348–350. Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 351–353. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 354. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 355. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

Figs 390–398. Mecolaesthus niquitanus (González-Sponga, 2011); from Trujillo, Laguna Negra (ZFMK Ar 21911–12). 390–392. Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 393–395. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 396–397. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 398. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

Figs 338–345. Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893; live specimens. 338–340. M. grandis (González-Sponga, 2009); male and female with egg sac from La Guaira, El Limón (arrow: brown plate above pedicel opposing carapace inflation). 341–343. M. multidenticulatus (González-Sponga, 2003); male and female with egg sac from Falcón, Curimagua. 344–345. M. tuberculosus (González-Sponga, 2003); male and female with egg sac from Yaracuy, Yurubi National Park.

Figs 410–417. Mecolaesthus bienmesabe Huber sp. nov.; from Lara, between Barquisimeto and Boconó (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21923–24). 410–412. Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 413–415. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views (arrow: median sclerite on bulbal process). 416. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 417. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

Figs 435–443. Mecolaesthus trampa Huber sp. nov.; from Táchira, near La Trampa (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21927–28). 435–437. Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 438– 440. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views (arrows: distinctive prolateral transversal sclerite). 441–442. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 443. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

Figs 444–452. Mecolaesthus lechosa Huber sp. nov.; from Mérida, Mesa Bolívar (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21930–31). 444–446. Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 447–449. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 450–451. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 452. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

Figs 471–478. Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893; live specimens; epigyna, ventral views and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. 471–475. M. pusillus Huber sp. nov.; male from Aragua, Puerto Colombia and female with egg sac from between Maracay and Puerto Colombia; epigynum and cleared female genitalia from Aragua, Puerto Colombia (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21936). 476–478. M. alegria Huber sp. nov.; from Falcón, Santa Cruz de La Alegría (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21938).

Figs 500–505. Mecolaesthus longissimus Simon, 1893; from Aragua, Colonia Tovar (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21940). 500–502. Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 503–505. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. Scale lines: 0.2 mm.

Figs 536–544. Mecolaesthus guasacaca Huber sp. nov.; from Falcón, Curimagua (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21947–48). 536–538. Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 539–541. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views (arrows: three distinctive elements of ventral bulbal sclerite). 542–543. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 544. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

Figs 560–568. Mecolaesthus yerbatero Huber sp. nov.; from Mérida, between Mérida and Barinas (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21950). 560–562. Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 563–565. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 566–567. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 568. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view (arrow: tube-like internal structure). Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

Figs 510–513. Mecolaesthus graphorn Huber sp. nov.; from Aragua, Henri Pittier National Park, near La Cumbre (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21943–44). 510–511. Prosomata of large and small males (at same scale). 512–513. Left male pedipalp, prolateral and retrolateral views. Scale lines: 510–511=1 mm; 512–513= 0.5 mm.

Figs 582–588. Mecolaesthus limon Huber sp. nov.; from La Guaira, El Limón (type locality). 582– 585. Live male and female with egg sac. 586–588. Epigynum, ventral view and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views (ZFMK Ar 21963).