Trachyspina, PLATNICK, 2002

PLATNICK, NORMAN I., 2002, A Revision Of The Australasian Ground Spiders Of The Families Ammoxenidae, Cithaeronidae, Gallieniellidae, And Trochanteriidae (Araneae: Gnaphosoidea), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2002 (271), pp. 1-1 : 1-

Trachyspina , new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Trachyspina capensis , new species.

ETYMOLOGY: The generic name is an arbitrary combination of letters, considered feminine in gender.

DIAGNOSIS: The shared possession of a pseudo­paracymbial hook on the male palp suggests that this is the sister group of Trachytrema ; in this group of species, however, the body is lighter in color (with a pale gray abdomen), the carapace, abdomen and legs are sparsely covered with short, thick, club setae, the anterior tibiae have leg spines, and all the legs spines are distinctively short.

DESCRIPTION: Medium­sized spiders, total length of males 6–8, of females 6–9. Carapace flattened, with numerous tubercles, with rebordered lateral and posterior margins, sparsely coated with short, thick, club setae; thoracic groove long, Y­shaped, wider anteriorly than posteriorly, greatly deepened anteriorly; cephalic groove distinct. Eight subequal eyes in two rows; anterior medians circular, light, posterior medians irregularly rectangular, lenses only slightly flattened, ca­ noe­shaped tapetum apparently present, laterals oval; from above, anterior eye row procurved, posterior row recurved, from front, both rows procurved; anterior medians separated by about twice their diameter, farther from anterior laterals; posterior medians separated by about four times their diameter, farther from posterior laterals; anterior and posterior laterals separated by more than twice their diameters; median ocular quadrangle much wider in back than in front or than long. Chelicerae porrect, divergent, with distinct oblique groove just below clypeus; anterior surface with few stiff setae; chilum extremely wide, extending almost full width of carapace front, triangular, unipartite, with slight ventral invagination at midline, accompanied by second, elongated, posterior chilum (narrow, T­shaped sclerite separating bases of chelicerae posteriorly); chelicerae with distinct lateral boss, promargin with series of long setae originating in line along base of fang, those nearest base of fang bent; promargin with four or five subequally spaced and sized teeth, retromargin with two widely separated teeth; presumptive cheliceral gland openings proximal to base of proximal tooth. Labium broadly triangular, posterior half deeply depressed, abruptly narrowed at anterior edge of depressed portion, anterior margin slightly invaginated near midline. En­ dites long, divergent, with oblique depression restricted to their median edge; serrula present, sieve plate not conspicuous under light microscopy; anteromedian edges and apex bearing wide patch of long, stiff, dark setae. Sternum flat, with rebordered, slightly depressed lateral margins, not expanded anteriorly, with slight extensions to coxae, detached triangular sclerites between coxae; surface smooth, with few long setae, posterior margin not rebordered, separating coxae IV. One weakly sclerotized epimeric sclerite on each side, not extending between coxae, not fused to carapace. Pedicel composed of two dorsal sclerites (anterior sclerite without deep posterior invagination, posterior sclerite without beak­shaped anterior extension) and weak, inverted y­shaped ventral sclerite with anteriorly unexpanded head not reaching posterior tip of sternum.

Abdomen without dorsal or anterior scutum; cuticle sparsely coated with short, thick, club setae and fewer normal setae; epigastric scutum weakly sclerotized, with well­marked booklung openings at sides, posterior rim of booklung openings sclerotized but without distinct postepigastric sclerites, booklung covers not ridged; colulus represented only by scattered setae clustered near tip of projecting area of sclerotized cuticle situated posterior of wide posterior spiracle; males apparently with scattered short epiandrous spigots. Anterior lateral spinnerets short, conical, with posterior surface flattened, separated by about their diameter at base, with two articles, distal article apparently with two major ampullate gland spigots and many small, unmodified piriform gland spigots; posterior median spinnerets apparently with few aciniform gland spigots and one enlarged minor ampullate gland spigot, those of males triangular, those of females bipartite, enlarged posterior portion with six or seven enlarged cylindrical gland spigots in two parallel rows, inner row with two or three, outer row of four; posterior lateral spinnerets with two articles, apparently without minor ampullate gland spigots, those of males seemingly with aciniform gland spigots only, those of females with two large cylindrical gland spigots in addition.

Legs slightly laterigrade, leg formula 1423, with scattered club setae smaller than those on body; coxae and trochanters without dorsal tubercles, fourth trochanters slightly enlarged, elongated; anterior coxae without protuberant posterolateral corners; trochanters not notched; scopula very weak on all legs; posterior metatarsi without distal preening brushes; tarsi with two long, smooth claws; strong claw tufts composed of two large pads of narrow setae; tarsi without cuticular cracks, relatively short; morphologically dorsal surface with modified proximal margin consisting of patch of unsclerotized cuticle followed by strong cuticular ridge, that ridge opposing distinct distal extensions situated at distal edge of metatarsi; trichobothria present, in three rows on tarsi, two on metatarsi and tibiae. Female palpal femur with weak dorsal spines at apex, distal segments with weak but long spines; female palpal tarsus with long, smooth claw, without ventral scopula. Leg spines all short barbs; typical leg spination pattern (counts refer to morphological surfaces, only surfaces bearing spines listed): femora: III d0­0­1; IV d1­ 0­0; tibiae: I v2­4­0; II v2­4­1p; III v1p­1p­ 1p; IV v1p­1p­2; metatarsi: I v2­2­2; II v2­ 4­2; III, IV v2­2­0.

Male palpal tibia with retrolateral apophysis reduced to low ridge; retrolateral basal corner of cymbium produced into distinct hook (paracymbium); embolus originating on dorsal surface of bulb, only tip of embolus and conductor protruding onto ventral surface of bulb, median apophysis rounded, terminal apophysis elongated. Epigynum with central, excavated atrium, sometimes with scape.