ZOROPSIDAE

Polotow, Daniele & Griswold, Charles, 2018, Chinja, a new genus of spider from the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania (Araneae, Zoropsidae), Zootaxa 4472 (3), pp. 545-562 : 546-547

ZOROPSIDAE BERTKAU, 1882

Type genus Zoropsis Simon, 1878: 327 (Type species by monotypy: Dolomedes spinimanus Dufour, 1820 )

Diagnosis. Zoropsidae are consistently supported by molecular data ( Polotow et al. 2015) as well as by three homoplastic morphological synapomorphies on the male palp: presence of a type 2 ventral tibial process, a rounded to oval cymbium and a cymbial retrolateral process. Chinja has the last two of these synapomorphies ( Figs 3A, C , 4A, C , 7B, C , 8F ).

Composition. The living Zoropsidae include 26 genera and 180 species ( World Spider Catalog 2018). Wunderlich (2017) recognizes four genera and 16 Palaeogene, extinct species from Bitterfeld and Baltic amber.

Distribution. Worldwide.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Genitalia of Chinja chinja sp. nov.. A–C. Left male palp, tibia and tarsus, holotype ♂, CASENT9006127. A. Ventral. B. Prolateral. C. Retrolateral. D, E. Female genitalia. D. Epigynum, ventral. E. Vulva, dorsal. Drawings A–C by Jenny Speckels, D–E by Daniele Polotow.

FIGURE 4. Genitalia of Chinja scharffi sp. nov. A–C. Left male palp, tibia and tarsus, from Mwanihana Forest above Sanje, CASENT9006145. A. Ventral. B. Prolateral. C. Retrolateral. D, E. Female genitalia. D. Epigynum, ventral. E. Vulva, dorsal. Drawings A–C by Jenny Speckels, D–E by Daniele Polotow.

FIGURE 7. Right palp of male Chinja chinja sp. nov., from Amani, East Usambara Mts., [SEM preparation, right palp, stub 16-8], CASENT9006135. A. Ventral. B. Prolateral. C. Dorsal. D. Bulb, prolateral, showing MA, C, tegular process, and E apex. E. Bulb, ventral, showing MA, C, tegular process, and E apex. F. Bulb, retrolateral showing E apex, C, MA apex and tegular process. G. Bulb, retrolateral showing st/t lock mechanism. H. Tibia, dorsal, showing concavity beneath cymbial projection. I. Cymbium, tarsal organ.

FIGURE 8. Right palp of male Chinja scharffi sp. nov., from Mwanihana Forest above Sanje, Uzungwa Mts., [SEM prep. Stub16:4, right palp, leg I], CASENT9006150. A. Ventral. B. Bulb, ventral, showing MA, C, tegular process, and E apex. C. Prolateral. D. Bulb, prolateral, showing MA, C, tegular process, and E apex. E. Retrolateral, showing st/t lock mechanism. F. Dorsal. G. Apex of tibia, retrolateral, showing RTA and concavity beneath cymbial projection. H. Tibia, retrolateral, showing RTA and concavity beneath cymbial projection. I. Tibia, dorsal, showing concavity beneath cymbial projection.