Molycria Simon, 1887

Platnick, N. I. & Baehr, B., 2006, A Revision Of The Australasian Ground Spiders Of The Family Prodidomidae (Araneae: Gnaphosoidea), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2006 (298), pp. 1-287 : 25-26

Molycria Simon

Mutusca O. P.- Cambridge, 1874: 172 (type species by monotypy Mutusca mammosa O. P.-Cambridge); preoccupied in the Hemiptera .

Molycria Simon, 1887: 159 (replacement name).

Honunius Simon, 1908: 445 (type species by monotypy Honunius quadricaudus Simon ). NEW SYNONYMY.

DIAGNOSIS: Males have trochanters II and III with a comb, consisting of 4–7 strong

stout spines on a ventrodistal ridge, and a distinctive series of parallel ridges covering the basal portion of the palpal tegulum.

DESCRIPTION: Medium-sized spiders, total length of males 2.6–4.2, of females 2.9– 5.2. Carapace rounded, narrowed in front to less than half its maximum width, with rebordered lateral margins, reflexed posterior margin; surface coated with recumbent, plumose or scaled setae, without tubercles; few long, dark, erect setae present on clypeus; thoracic groove short, longitudinal, deeply depressed, cephalic groove not pronounced. Eight eyes in two rows, anterior medians largest, circular, dark, other eyes subequal, laterals oval, light, posterior medians irregularly rectangular, flat; from above, anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior row strongly procurved (fig. 5), from front, both rows strongly procurved; anterior medians separated by about their diameter, closer to anterior laterals; posterior medians separated by about half their width, about as far from posterior laterals; anterior and posterior laterals separated by about their radius; median ocular quadrangle slightly wider in back than in front and than long. Chelicerae vertical, paturon with low boss and anterior, subdistal row of five strong macrosetae, promargin with row of long, curved setae, most basal seta greatly elongated, widened, distinctly bent toward midline at about onefifth its length; promargin with three closely spaced teeth, middle tooth largest, retromargin with two smaller, more widely separated teeth; chilum small, unipartite, triangular, apparently fused to carapace, accompanied by second, elongated, posterior chilum (narrow, I-shaped sclerite separating bases of chelicerae posteriorly). Labium wider than long, posteriorly depressed, evenly narrowed toward rebordered, medially shortened anterior margin. Endites rectangular, convergent, with oblique depression; serrula present, curved; anteromedian edges bearing wide patch of long, stiff, dark setae. Sternum shield-shaped, deeply depressed opposite intercoxal spaces, with rebordered, slightly depressed lateral margins, not expanded anteriorly, with only indistinct extensions between coxae but with large, triangular extensions to coxae; surface smooth, with few long setae, posterior margin rebordered, widely separating coxae IV. Four weakly sclerotized epimeric sclerites on each side (one above palpi, fused one above coxae III and IV), not extending between coxae, not fused to carapace. Pedicel composed of two dorsal sclerites (anterior sclerite without posterior invagination) and strong, triangular ventral sclerite with anteriorly unexpanded head almost reaching posterior tip of sternum, accompanied laterally by smaller, triangular sclerites. Abdominal dorsum with narrow anterior scutum in males; cuticle with weak, recumbent setae; epigastric scutum weakly sclerotized, with well-marked booklung openings at sides but without postepigastric sclerites, booklung covers not ridged; colulus apparently absent but wide, recurved posterior spiracle apparently present just anterior of posterior median spinnerets. Six spinnerets, anterior laterals greatly elongated, equal to roughly half of total abdominal length, greatly advanced anteriorly, originating at position about one-fourth of distance between epigastric furrow and anal tubercle, point of origin marked by heavily sclerotized transverse strip bearing strong macroseta at midline (fig. 12); posterior medians small, narrow, situated anterior of posterior laterals, laterally compressed posteriorly, where separating posterior laterals, those of females apparently with two or three enlarged cylindrical gland spigots in single, longitudinal row; posterior laterals bisegmented, about twice as long as posterior medians. Legs elongate, leg formula 4123, coated with recumbent, dark setae; coxa I longest or equal to coxa IV; coxae and trochanters without dorsal tubercles, fourth trochanters slightly elongated; anterior coxae without protuberant posterolateral corners; trochanters very slightly notched, distal edges fitting inside proximoventral margins of femora, trochanters I–IV with comb consisting of 10– 15 long spines on ventrodistal ridge in females; trochanters II, III in males with comb consisting of about 4–7 strong stout spines on ventrodistal ridge; femora I, II long, proximally slightly incrassate; metatarsi and tarsi with weak scopula composed of short, straight setae; posterior metatarsi without distal preening brushes; tarsi elongated, with two slender or tiny claws on onychium, bearing no ventral teeth, weak claw tufts composed of few pairs of distally widened setae (fig. 19); tarsi I, II without, III, IV with cuticular cracks at about threequarters of their length, tarsi distinctly bent at that point; dorsal surface of tarsi 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 two rows on tarsi, one on metatarsi and tibiae. Female palpal femur with short, strong dorsodistal spine, but without strong ventral setae, tibia and tarsus with longer spines; female palpal tarsus with long claw bearing few or no ventral teeth, without ventral scopula or dorsal pad of setae. Typical leg spination pattern (counts refer to morphological surfaces, only surfaces bearing spines listed): tibiae III, IV v0-2-0. Male palpal cymbium long, at least 2.2 times longer than wide, tip conical; palpal tibia ventrally invaginated, with distal, retrolateral apophysis and distal lateroventral clump of long setae; basal portion of tegulum strongly ridged, embolus situated prolaterally, tip nestled in complex, longitudinally grooved, sclerotized conductor with ventrally folded distal end; tegulum basally ridged; median apophysis large, ventrally excavated, without terminal apophysis. Epigynum with anterior atrium, spermathecae small, situated posteriorly.

SYNONYMY: Because Simon (1908) misidentified members of Wesmaldra and Nomindra as belonging to Molycria , it is unsurprising that he then described a new genus, Honunius , to contain his true Molycria .

MISPLACED SPECIES: Molycria voc Deeleman-Reinhold (2001) , described from Perhentian Island (off the east coast of Malaysia) and Lonthoir Island (in the Moluccas), is clearly misplaced in this genus. Based on the widely separated anterior lateral spinnerets ( Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001: figs. 963, 967), it is here transferred to Wydundra voc , NEW COMBINATION, where it shares an elongated retrolateral tibial apophysis and separate dorsal tibial apophysis only with W. flattery , new species, from northeastern Queensland.

SPECIES GROUPS: Six informal species groups are recognized here. The first nine species treated below comprise the mammosa group, easily recognized by the dorsally situated tibial apophysis of males (figs. 63, 68) and the wide, laterally depressed epigynal atrium of females (figs. 64, 69). The following six species comprise the stanisici group, united by the enlarged and arched conductor and diminutive retrolateral tibial apophysis of males (figs. 104, 105). The subsequent four species constitute the nipping group, characterized by a ventrally expanded tip of the male palpal tibia (figs. 135, 140). The next five species comprise the dalby group, easily recognized by the macrosetae on the dorsal surface of the male palpal tibia (figs. 158, 164). The next eight species, mostly from northern Queensland, are united as the isla group by the excavated retrolateral tibial apophysis of males (figs. 185, 190). The last four species constitute the quadricauda group, the males of which have a triangular retrolateral tibial apophysis bearing stiff setae (figs. 224, 229).