MALTHONICA MINOA (BRIGNOLI, 1976)

INCERTAE SEDIS

Cicurina minoa Brignoli, 1976b: 565, fig. 44, female. Malthonica minoa: Brignoli, 1976a: 31 .

Type

Holotype. Greece: Crete: Omalos, ♀ (MSNB, 004), 16.iv.1965, Valle & Bianchi.

Other material examined

Greece (3 ♀) .

Discussion

Malthonica minoa, Malthonica paraschiae, and Malthonica spinipalpis do not fit the definition of Malthonica provided by Barrientos & Cardoso (2007) and should be transferred to another genus. The three species are morphologically similar, and show some resemblance to Tegenaria . However, they significantly differ in the very distinct epigynal teeth, the vulva, the shape of several sclerites on the male palp, and the RTA, suggesting that they do not belong to Tegenaria . Until the species group is revised and their phylogenetic relationships elucidated, we keep them in Malthonica as incertae sedis.