Atelidea Simon, 1895

Álvarez-Padilla, Fernando & Benjamin, Suresh P., 2011, Phylogenetic placement and redescription of the spider genus Atelidea Simon, 1895 (Araneae, Tetragnathidae), Zootaxa 2761, pp. 51-63 : 54

Atelidea Simon, 1895

( Figs. 1–6 )

Type species. Atelidea spinosa Simon, 1895 .

Diagnosis. Atelidea can be distinguished from similar tetragnathid genera by the following combination of characters: dark-brown cephalothorax and chelicera; abdomen decorated with black patches in preserved specimens ( Figs. 1 A–C); male pedipalps white colored in dead specimens; male metatarsus I armed with a ventral line of short and thick macrosetae ( Simon 1895: 737; Figs. 3 D, F). Mesida and Opadometa males also possess these ventral macroseta. In Opadometa the macrosetae are similar in size to those of Atelidea , but extend to the venter of the tarsus ( Figs. 3 F, I). Females of Opadometa also can be differentiated by the presence of a brush of macrosetae on the distal third of tibiae IV and males have the paturon dorsal surface covered with large spine-like macrosetae. Mesida also has a ventral line of short and thick macrosetae on metatarsus I; however they are smaller than those of Atelidea . Mesida and Leucauge females can be differentiated by their green to yellow coloration and the considerably more dense rows of trichobothria on femora IV.

Composition. Monotypic. Atelidea globosa Yamaguchi, 1957 , the second species previously included in this genus is proposed as a nomen dubium because its description and illustrations do not clearly specify if the type specimen is a female or an immature and the type specimen is lost. The original work only mentions the locality and coloration of the specimens ( Yamaguchi 1957; Yaginuma 1960; Tanikawa, in litt.)

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ateleidea spinosa, somatic morphology. A, female habitus. B, male habitus. C, female lateral view. D, male cephalothorax frontal view. E, female cephalothorax frontal view. F male femur and metatarsus I. Scale bars 0.5 mm, A – C same scale, D – E same scale.

FIGURE 2. Ateleidea spinosa, genital morphology. A, epigynum ventral view. B, epigynum ventral view cleared. C, epigynum dorsal view cleared. D, male pedipalp ventral view cleared. E male pedipalp expanded. Scale bars 0.2 mm, A – C same scale, D – E same scale.

FIGURE 3. Ateleidea spinosa and Opadometa sp. (B, I). cephalothorax and legs morphology. A, female cephalothorax dorsal view. B, Opadometa sp female cephalothorax tangential view. C, female metatarsus I. D, male metatarsus I. E, female femur IV trichobothria at the base. F, male metatarsus I spine. G, femur IV trichobothria detail. H, male tarsus I. I, Opadometa sp., male tarsus I.

FIGURE 4. A. spinosa and Leucauge venusta (Walckenaer, 1841) (C, D) genitalic morphology. A, A. spinosa epigynum anterior view. B, A. spinosa accessory glands over the copulatory ducts. C, L. venusta epigynum dorsal view. D, L. venusta accessory glands over the copulatory ducts. E, A. spinosa male pedipalp apical view. F, A. spinosa embolus and conductor.

FIGURE 5. Ateleidea spinosa and Leucauge venusta (D), male genitalic morphology. A, A. spinosa pedipalp ectal view. B, A. spinosa paracymbium and CDBP. C, A. spinosa conductor. D, L. venusta pedipalp ectal view. E, A. spinosa pedipalp mesal view. F, A. spinosa pedipalp ventral view.

FIGURE 6. Ateleidea spinosa spinnerets. A, female right spinning field. B, female ALS. C, female PMS. D, female PLS. E, epiandrous fusules. F, male PLS.