Dolichognatha quinquemucronata (Simon, 1895), 2010

Dimitrov, Dimitar, Álvarez-Padilla, Fernando & Hormiga, Gustavo, 2010, On the Phylogenetic Placement of the Spider Genus Atimiosa Simon, 1895, and the Circumscription of Dolichognatha O. P. - Cambridge, 1869 (Tetragnathidae, Araneae), American Museum Novitates 3683, pp. 1-19 : 11-15

Dolichognatha quinquemucronata (Simon, 1895) , new combination

Figures 1A–E

Atimiosa quinquemucronata Simon, 1894: 742 (nomen nudum).

Atimiosa quinquemucronata Simon, 1895a: 154 .

TYPE: Subadult female holotype from Sri

Lanka. The only information on the label, other than the collection number and the species name, is ‘‘Nuw. El.’’ ( MNHN 16140, examined).

JUSTIFICATION OF THE TRANSFER: The type specimen, which is also the only known specimen of this species, is a subadult female (fig. 1A, E), thus it is impossible to study its genital morphology. However, it has all somatic characters diagnostic of Dolichognatha , such as: PME smaller than the PLE, PLE, and ALE separated, chelicerae slender and elongated, and femur IV without trichobothria. Even with 92.5% missing data in the data matrix, the cladistic analyses unambiguously placed this species in a group together with the Dolichognatha species included in our analyses and with A. comorensis . Based on this cladistic hypothesis (fig. 9), we transfer A. quinquemucronata to the genus Dolichognatha .

Fig. 11.

COMMENTS: There are three other species of Dolichognatha besides D. quinquemucronata described from Sri Lanka: D. incanescens , D. nietneri , and D. albida . This makes a reconciliation of the subadult specimen of D. quinquemucronata a very difficult task. However, the presence of characteristic abdominal tubercles in D. quinquemucronata , which differ from those of the other three Sri Lankan species, and its eye pattern, may prove useful if adults with these traits are collected. At present, as the holotype of D. quinquemucronata is a subadult specimen that cannot be identified, we suggest that it should be treated as nomen nudum.

Dolichognatha comorensis ( Schmidt and Krause, 1993) , new combination

Figures 2A–E ; 3A–C

Atimiosa comorensis Schmidt and Krause, 1993: 6 ; Schmidt and Krause, 1994: 5.

TYPE: Holotype male from Comoros Islands , Grande Comoro, Boboni, 27.xi.1983, elevation 600m, R. Jocqué leg. ( RMCA 160.649 , examined).

Continued.

JUSTIFICATION FOR THE TRANSFER: Morphology of the male palp of this species (presence of CBEP and metine embolic apophysis; shape of conductor and embolus) as well as eye size and arrangement are consistent with placement in the genus Dolichognatha . Transfer is further supported by the results from our cladistic analyses: parsimony analyses under equal and implied weights always, except when k # 3, found A. comorensis nested within Dolichognatha (figs. 9, 10).

Figures

Fig. 1. Dolichognatha quinquemucronata (Simon, 1895), new combination. Subadult female holotype from Sri Lanka (MNHM 16140): ventral (A), dorsal (B). Cephalothorax: dorsal (C), frontal (D). Abdomen and genital area, ventral (E).

Fig. 11. Alternative topologies (above and at right, on opposite page) obtained analyzing the data under the implied weighting criterion using different values of the concavity constant k (A. quinquemucronata not included in the analyses).

Fig. 2. Dolichognatha comorensis (Schmidt and Krause, 1993), new combination. Male palp: prolateral

Fig. 3. Dolichognatha comorensis (Schmidt and Krause, 1993), new combination holotype from Grande Comoro (RMCA 160.649). Male: ventral (A), lateral (B), frontal (C).