Diphya Nicolet, 1849

Marusik, Yuri M. & Omelko, Mikhail M., 2017, First illustrated description of the male of Diphya macrophthalma, the type species of the genus (Araneae, Tetragnathidae), Iheringia, Série Zoologia (e 2017036) 107, pp. 1-7 : 2

Diphya Nicolet, 1849

Diphya NICOLET, 1849:406 ; SIMON, 1894:744; TULLGREN, 1902:24; TANIKAWA, 1995:102; ÁLVAREZ- PADILLA & HORMIGA, 2011:756.

Type species: Diphya macrophthalma Nicolet, 1849 from central Chile, designated by SIMON (1894).

Diagnosis. Diphya is one of the best delimited genera of Tetragnathidae due to eye pattern and spination of legs I and II. ALE as well as posterior eyes are greatly enlarged and at least 2 times larger than AME (vs. all eyes equal in size, or if sizes heterogeneous, lateral eyes are smallest). In addition to large size, the lateral eyes in Diphya are widely spaced. This character (spaced lateral eyes) is known in only a few Tetragnatha , were all eyes are of equal size. Another character that allows Diphya to be separated from other tetragnathids is retrolateral row of stiff sUbdecUmbent setae on legs I and II ( Figs 1, 2, 4, 8 ) forming kind of capturing basket. Males of species occurring in Chile and Argentina can be distinguished from all other Tetragnathidae by having tibial apophysis ( Figs 9, 12, 14 , 16‒18 ).

Figures

Figs 1‒8. Somatic characters of Diphya macrophthalma Nicolet, 1849: 1, 2, female habitus, dorsal; 3, female habitus, ventral; 4, 5, male prosoma, frontal and dorsal; 6, male habitus, dorsal; 7, male prosoma, ventral; 8, female prosoma, ventral. Fig. 2, holotype, made by Tanikawa. Scale = 0.2 mm if not otherwise indicated.

Figs 9‒15. Male palp of Diphya macrophthalma Nicolet, 1849: 9, whole palp, retrolateral; 10, 11, terminal part of palp, retro-ventral and antero-ventral; 12, same, prolateral; 13, 14 same, anterior and dorsal; 15, terminal part of the bulb, retrolateral (Am, accompanying membrane; Co, conductor; Da, dorso-retrolateral apophysis; Em, embolus; Ev, embolus ventrally; Pd, spine like dorsal part; Tg, tegulum). Scale = 0.2 mm.

Figs 16‒24. Male palp and epigyne of Diphya macrophthalma Nicolet, 1849: 16, 17 terminal part of palp with removed bulb, ventro-retrolateral, retrolateral and dorso-retrolateral; 19‒21 bUlb, dorsal, anterior and prolateral-anterior; 22 epigyne, ventral; 23 epigyne, dorsal; 24 anterior chamber of receptacle with glands (Am, accompanying membrane; Co, conductor; Cd, copulatory ducts; Da, dorso-retrolateral apophysis; Em, embolus; Ef, epigynal furrow; Ev, embolus ventrally; Fo, fovea; Gc, gland cilia; Mp, median plate; Oc, copulatory opening; Pc, central plate; Pd, dorsal part of paracymbium; Pi, pit; Pm, marginal plate. Scale = 0.1 mm if not otherwise indicated.