Melychiopharis Simon, 1895

Brescovit, Antonio D., Santos, Adalberto J. & Leite, Clarissa Machado P., 2011, A second species of the orb-weaving spider genus Melychiopharis from South America (Araneae: Araneidae), Zootaxa 2798, pp. 61-63 : 61

Genus Melychiopharis Simon, 1895

Melychiopharis Simon 1895: 907 . Type species by monotypy, M. cynips Simon, 1895 .

Diagnosis. This genus can be distinguished from other araneids by the long and granulated carapace in males and females ( Figs. 1, 2 ; Santos et al. 2005: figs. 1–3). The male pedipalp is distinctive in the embolus arising from a large, rounded base and in the filiform, long and proximally directed median apophysis ( Figs. 3, 4 , 7, 8 ; Santos et al. 2005: figs. 6–8). Epigynum is relatively simple, with a rounded median plate and copulatory ducts laterally visible by transparency through the tegument ( Figs. 5, 6 , 9 ; Santos et al. 2005: fig. 9).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Melychiopharis bibendum n. sp. 1, Male habitus, dorsal view; 2, female habitus, dorsal view; 3, male pedipalp, prolateral view; 4, ditto, retrolateral view; 5, female abdomen, ventral view; 7, ditto, antero-ventral view (arrow points to anterior tubercles). Abbreviations: C, conductor; E, embolus; MA, median apophysis; PC, paracymbium.

FIGURES 7 – 10. Melychiopharis bibendum n. sp. 7, Male pedipalp, prolateral view; 8, ditto, retrolateral view; 9, female epigynum, ventral view; 10, female internal genitalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: C, conductor; CD, copulatory ducts; E, embolus; FD, fertilization ducts; M, median plate of epigynum; MA, median apophysis; PC, paracymbium; SP, spermathecae. Scale bars: 4.7 mm.