Psellonus Simon, 1897

Malamel, Jobi J., Nafin, Karunnappilli Shamsudheen, Sankaran, Pradeep M. & Sebastian, Pothalil A., 2019, Taxonomic revision of the monotypic genus Psellonus Simon, 1897 (Araneae, Philodromidae), Zootaxa 4543 (3), pp. 442-450 : 443

Psellonus Simon, 1897

Psellonus Simon, 1897: 14 (type species: P. planus , by monotypy).

Diagnosis. Psellonus can be distinguished from all other genera of Philodromidae by the flat, frontally truncated prosoma ( Figs. 2A , 3A ) in combination with a unique eye configuration (both eye rows occupying full width of cephalothorax, MEQ strongly trapezoid, more than 3 times wider than long, AER straight, PER slightly recurved, AER much narrower than PER, PME smaller than other eyes ( Figs. 3A, C , 4A ) and strongly elongated mouthparts (labium more than 3 times longer than wide, endites elongated, convergent blades ( Figs. 2B , 3B ). A similar eye configuration is found in Pseudopsellonus Balogh , but labium and endites are not elongated in this genus. Further diagnostic characters are seen in the chelicerae, which show strong bulges in both sexes ( Figs. 2C , 3C ). In the male, however, the chelicerae are strongly divergent and modified ( Fig. 3C ).

Figures

FIGURES 2A–F. Psellonus planus. Male. A–B habitus (A dorsal, B ventral); C chelicerae, dorsal; D–F left pedipalp (D ventral, E retro-lateral, F pro-lateral). Scale bars: A 0.5 mm, B 0.3 mm, C 0.1 mm, D–F 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: E—embolus; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; S—subtegulum; SP—sperm duct; T—tegulum; TA—tegular apophysis.

FIGURES 3A–E. Psellonus planus. Female. A–B habitus (A dorsal, B ventral); C chelicerae, dorsal; D epigyne, ventral; E vulva, dorsal. Scale bars: A 0.5 mm, A 0.5 mm, B 0.3 mm, C 0.2 mm, D 0.1 mm, E 0.05 mm. Abbreviations: FD—fertilization duct; SPM—spermathecae; SPO—spermathecal organ.

FIGURES 4A–H. Natural history of Psellonus planus. Photo credit: Mr. Jimmy Paul