Styposis tepus Agnarsson, 2006

Agnarsson, Ingi, 2006, A revision of the New World eximius lineage of Anelosimus (Araneae, Theridiidae) and a phylogenetic analysis using worldwide exemplars, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 146 (4), pp. 453-593 : 512

STYPOSIS TEPUS ( LEVI, 1967) , COMB. NOV.

Synonymy:

Anelosimus tepus Levi, 1967: 15 , figs 28–29, ♀

Types: Female holotype from Chile, Osorno, Termas de Puyehue , 240 m, 14.iii.1965, H. Levi, in MCZ, examined .

Comments: This medium-sized (2.2 mm) species is transferred to Styposis . It clearly belongs to Pholcommatinae , having a large colulus with two setae, and AME smaller than other eyes. It differs from Anelosimus by having a single trichobothrium dorsally on female palpal tibia, and epigynum a transparent plate without ridges. Furthermore, as pointed out by Levi (1967: 15): ‘This species is readily separated from most other Anelosimus by the unusual coloration...’, the abdomen lacks a dorsal band, but has dark-pigmented spots on dorsum. Its placement in Styposis (instead of the similar Selkirkiella ) is speculative based on the female alone, but is congruent with Levi’s statement (see above) on the similarity of the palps of S. camoteensis and S. tepus . The female, furthermore, has a simple copulatory duct, while the many similar sympatric species of Selkirkiella have tightly spiralling copulatory ducts.