Berinda Roewer, 1928

Panayiotou, Eleni, Kaltsas, Dimitris, Seyyar, Osman & Chatzaki, Maria, 2010, Revision of the genus Berinda (Araneae, Gnaphosidae) in the East Mediterranean with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 2362, pp. 44-54 : 45

Berinda Roewer, 1928

Species belonging to the genus Berinda show a puzzling combination of characters. For example, the epigyne of B. ensigera pocesses a large anterior hood, resembling, for instance, that found in many Gnaphosa Latreille, 1804 species. The epigyna of B. amabilis and of B. aegilia are very similar to each other, sharing a small anterior conical hood and similar introductory ducts and spermathecae, but do not particularly resemble the epigyna of B. ensigera and the two newly described species of the genus. Similarly, males of all five species share long filiform embolous, a strong conductor of various shapes and distinctive tibial apophyses, which are characteristic to each species. On the other hand, the preening combs on Me III & IV, the shape of maxillae, labium and spinnerets are characters common to all Berinda species clearly putting them in the group of zelotine species.

Diagnosis. Yellow to red-brown spiders of medium size (total length of 3 5.3–7.8 mm and of Ƥ 5.7–10.2 mm). Prosoma oval widening at thoracic part. Maxillae as in Zelotes , wider at basal half and abruptly narrowing at distal half. Labium longer than wide. Chelicerae with 2 anterior and 3–4 posterior teeth and with lateral condyles. Eyes round except for oblique PME. Anterior row of eyes recurved, posterior one slightly procurved or straight. Opisthosoma light brown, in 3 with relatively large brown scutum, covered with thick fringe of bristles. Spinnerets long, cylindrical, anterior ones longer than posteriors. Leg setation variable except for following: All Ta with scopulae; Me III–IV with apical preening comb, as in Zelotes ; Me and Ti III–IV spinose; Pa I, II, IV without any spines, III with 1 pro- and 1 retrolateral spine.