Paratheridula, Levi, Herbert W., 1957

Levi, Herbert W., 1957, The North American spider genera Paratheridula, Tekellina, Pholcomma and Archerius (Araneae: Theridiidae), Transactions of the American Microscopical Society 76 (2), pp. 105-115 : 104-106

Paratheridula , gen. nov.

Small theridiid spiders. Carapace as wide as long, highest at posterior eye row. Anterior eye row procurved, as seen from front, posterior row slightly recurved as seen from above. Lateral eyes touching each other. Height of clypeus about one and one-half diameters of anterior median eyes. Chelicerae slightly longer than height of carapace, fused for one-third their length, with one large double tooth and one single tooth on anterior margin of fang furrow, a small tooth on posterior margin. Chelicerae of male slightly modified. Sternum slightly wider than long, broadly truncate between fourth coxae, which are separated by their length. Legs of medium length, first and fourth subequal in female; first, longest in male, third, shortest. Small tubercle present on retrolateral face of each patella. A distinct tarsal comb present on fourth tarsus. Abdomen oval, longer than wide (Fig. 6). Colulus absent. Female genitalia with one pair of seminal receptacles. Palpus very simple. Embolus ( E in Fig. 4) on tip of tegulum. Other sclerites absent.

The oval abdomen of Paratheridula females distinguishes them from the closely related Theridula , in which the abdomen is wider than long. Males of Paratheridula are distinguished by the very simple palpus, which lacks a distal haematodocha, as compared to the palpus of Theridula males, in which the bulb is held in the cymbium by a distal haemato¬ docha. The teeth on the chelicerae are similar to those of Pholcomma rather than Theridula ; however the two genera are not believed to be closely related.

Paratheridula (fem.) has Mysmena quadrimaculata Banks as type species.