Selenops Latreille, 1819

Corronca, J. A., 2002, A taxonomic revision of the afrotropical species of Selenops Latreille, 1819 (Araneae, Selenopidae), Zootaxa 107, pp. 1-35 : 3-4

Selenops Latreille, 1819

Selenops Latreille, 1819: 579 . Type species: Selenops radiatus Latreille, 1819 . Hypoplatea MacLeay, 1839: 6. Type species: Hypoplatea celer MacLeay, 1839. First synonymized by Walckenaer (1842: 457).

Orops Benoit, 1968: 116 . Type species: Selenops littoricola Strand, 1913 . First synonymized by Corronca (1996a: 60).

Diagnosis. Selenops differs from other selenopid genera by the arrangement of the eyes. The anterior median eyes (AME), posterior median eyes (PME) and anterior lateral eyes (ALE) aligned or slightly recurved ( Fig. 88 D), with the PME equal or subequal in size to AME. Leg II> leg IV; tibiae and metatarsi I­II with v2­2 ­2 ( Fig. 88 E) and v2­2 spines respectively. Male palp with a retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA), with a dorsal part (dra) and a ventral part (vra); RTA usually not flattened with dra> vra. Median apophysis (am) small and simple with one or two branches. Female epigynum with central area welldeveloped, with distinct lateral lobes and epigynal pockets bigger than genital openings.

Description. Prosoma brown to reddish brown, usually with dark spots. Chelicerae brown, normally with black or grey spots. Labium and sternum usually paler in colour. Anterior part of opisthosoma truncated and grey or yellowish with brown or black dorsal marks; several species with a distinct colour pattern on dorsal opisthosoma ( Fig. 88 B). Venter of the opisthosoma yellowish, without markings; lateral­posterior margins with dark spots, lines or bands. Some species with tufts of white hairs posteriorly on the opisthosoma. AME, ALE and PME in one line, PLE largest, situated on a postero­lateral tubercle; ALE the smallest. Prosoma wider than long ( Fig. 88 A), clypeus <AME. Chelicerae with distinct lateral condyles and cheliceral furrows with three prolateral and two retrolateral teeth ( Fig. 88 F). Labium as wide as or wider than long. Sternum sub­circular, sometimes slightly bifurcated posteriorly ( Fig. 88 C). Palps usually with tibia longer than patella. Legs long, laterigrade and with second pair usually longer than the fourth. Tarsi two­clawed, with one claw slightly pectinated, the other generally smooth. Trichobothria on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi. Leg spination: femora I­IV with d1.1.1; tibiae I­II with v2.2.2 and metatarsi I­II v2.2, males normally with many more spines than the females. Dorsal part of male RTA in a few cases with two branches or hypertrophied. Petiolus (sclerite of basal haematodocha) well developed, triangular or elongated; subtegulum with 1­5 anelli and with terminal depression, the latter with one interlocking prolateral projection. Embolus short and broad or long and slender, but always with a large sclerotized conductor covering a large part of it. The form of the conductor varies between species from T­shaped and subtriangular to falciform. Median apophysis with one or two branches. Epigynum with middle field well developed or reduced. Middle field consists of a septum or a depression, in which the lateral lobes of the epigynum may reach each other or not at the midline. Secondary epigynal pockets present. Spermathecae usually simple, in several cases complex.

Species inquirendae. The type specimens of Selenops fugitivus Walckenaer, 1837 , S. modestellus Strand, 1907 and S. nanus Strand, 1907 were destroyed during the two World Wars and the species cannot be identified from the original descriptions ( Benoit 1968). The above mentioned species are not included in this study.

Figures

FIGURES 88 A­F. Selenops radiatus: general morphology. A. Prosoma, dorsal view, B. Opisthosoma, dorsal view, C. Prosoma showing labium, sternum, gnathocoxae, chelicerae and coxae, ventral view, D. Eye arrangement, frontal view, E. Tibia II showing ventral paired spines, ventral view, F. Right chelicera showing dentition, ventral view.