Paroecobius Lamoral, 1981

Magalhães, Mayara D. F. & Santos, Adalberto J., 2018, The spider family Oecobiidae in Madagascar, including four new species and a new record, Zootaxa 4527 (1), pp. 37-48 : 40

Genus Paroecobius Lamoral, 1981

Paroecobius Lamoral, 1981: 508

Type species. Paroecobius wilmotae Lamoral, 1981 .

Emended genus diagnosis. Paroecobius can be distinguished from Oecobius and Platoecobius by the anterior median eyes dark and the largest, with a black ring on cuticular base, while all other eyes are opalescent ( Fig. 4 C– D; Lamoral 1981: figs 2, 3). The calamistrum of females are in a single row, situated in proximal half of metatarsus IV, males do not have calamistrum. The female epigynum has a blind transverse invagination (hood, Figs 2 D–E, 3A–D, 5E; Lamoral 1981: fig. 6). The spermathecae have a porous and globular glandular chamber inside, with a large external opening ( Figs 2E , 3B, D ; Lamoral 1981: fig. 7). The pedipalpus has a short subtegulum. The embolus, the tegular apophysis and the Oecobiidae tegular lobe I are reduced, located in a small area of the tegulum ( Fig. 2 A–C; Wunderlich 1995b: figs 2–4).

Remarks. As mentioned in this study, Paroecobius seems to be a monophyletic group supported by sharing the epigynal hood, reduced embolus and tegular apophysis, both located in a small median area in the tegulum. The Oecobiidae tegular lobe I also seem to be reduced, which is consistent with the reduction of the embolus and all tegular apophysis in the genus.

We report an intriguing internal structure in the female spermathecae of two oecobiid genera. This structure was originally reported for Uroecobius ecribellatus Kullman & Zimmermann, 1976 as a muscular attachment surface, probably because of its wired surface as seen under SEM ( Kullmann & Zimmermann 1976: figs 12–14). A similar structure was illustrated in Paroecobius wilmotae ( Lamoral 1981: fig. 7) and is present in the three Paroecobius species described here and called the internal glandular chamber (Gl). It is currently impossible to ascertain the presence of this structure in P. nicolaii Wunderlich, 1995 because its internal female genitalia were not described or illustrated in detail (see Wunderlich 1995b). Although nothing is known about the function of this structure, its shape and the presence of numerous pores on its internal surface suggest that it could be a glandular chamber. The presence of this internal glandular chamber in the spermathecae suggest that Paroecobius could be phylogenetically close to Uroecobius .

Composition. Five species: Paroecobius wilmotae Lamoral, 1981 ; P. nicolaii Wunderlich, 1995 , and three species newly described below.

Distribution. Previously known only from the Afrotropical region, with two species from Botswana and South Africa, recorded here for the first time in Madagascar ( Fig. 6 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Paroecobius skipper sp. nov. A–C, male palpus (CASENT 9009645). A, prolateral view; B, ventral. C, retrolateral. D–E, female epigynum (CASENT 9012019). D, ventral view. E, dorsal, cleared. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: AG, anterior groove; CD, copulatory duct; CO, copulatory openings; E, embolus; FD, fertilization ducts; Gl, internal glandular chamber; H, hood; OEA, Oecobiidae embolic apophysis; OTA, Oecobiidae tegular apophysis; OTL I, Oecobiidae tegular lobe I; OTL II, Oecobiidae tegular lobe II; ST, subtegulum; T, tegulum; UE, uterus externus. Arrow: Retrolateral keel.

FIGURE 3. Paroecobius spp. A–B, Paroecobius rico sp. nov., female epigynum (CASENT 9014210). A, ventral view. B, dorsal, cleared. The dashed line on the right of the spermatheca represents a reconstruction of this structure, which has been damaged during the manipulation. C–D, Paroecobius private sp. nov., female epigynum (CASENT 9013402). C, ventral view. D, dorsal, cleared. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: CD, copulatory duct; CO, copulatory openings; FD, fertilization ducts; Gl, internal glandular chamber; H, hood; UE, uterus externus. Arrows: copulatory openings.

FIGURE 4. A–B, Oecobius kowalskii sp. nov. A, male holotype, dorsal. B, female paratype, dorsal. C–D, Paroecobius skipper sp. nov. C, male holotype, dorsal. D, female paratype, dorsal. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 6. Geographic distribution records of Oecobius Lucas, 1846 in Madagascar (red) and Paroecobius Lamoral, 1981 (yellow) in the Afrotropical region. Red circle: Oecobius marathaus Tikader, 1962; red squares: Oecobius kowalskii sp. nov.; yellow square: Paroecobius private sp. nov.; yellow triangle: Paroecobius rico sp. nov.; yellow circles: Paroecobius skipper sp. nov.; yellow diamond: Paroecobius wilmotae Lamoral, 1981; yellow cross: Paroecobius nicolaii Wunderlich, 1995. Geographic coordinates for continental African Paroecobius were obtained from Wunderlich (1995) and from Google Earth, for P. nicolaii and P. wilmotae respectively.