Malthonica minoa, (BRIGNOLI, 1976)

Bolzern, Angelo, Burckhardt, Daniel & Hänggi, Ambros, 2013, Phylogeny and taxonomy of European funnel-web spiders of the Tegenaria-Malthonica complex (Araneae: Agelenidae) based upon morphological and molecular data, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 168 (4), pp. 723-848 : 774

MALTHONICA MINOA (BRIGNOLI, 1976)

INCERTAE SEDIS

Cicurina minoa Brignoli, 1976b: 565 , fig. 44, female. Malthonica minoa: Brignoli, 1976a: 31 .

Type

Holotype. Greece: Crete: Omalos , ♀ ( MSNB, 004), 16.iv.1965, Valle & Bianchi.

Other material examined

Greece (3 ♀) .

Discussion

Malthonica minoa , Malthonica paraschiae , and Malthonica spinipalpis do not fit the definition of Malthonica provided by Barrientos & Cardoso (2007) and should be transferred to another genus. The three species are morphologically similar, and show some resemblance to Tegenaria . However, they significantly differ in the very distinct epigynal teeth, the vulva, the shape of several sclerites on the male palp, and the RTA, suggesting that they do not belong to Tegenaria . Until the species group is revised and their phylogenetic relationships elucidated, we keep them in Malthonica as incertae sedis.