Falconina melloi ( Schenkel, 1953 )

García, Fabián & Bonaldo, Alexandre B., 2023, Taxonomic revision of the soldier spider genus Falconina Brignoli, 1985 (Araneae: Corinnidae: Corinninae), Zootaxa 5343 (3), pp. 201-242 : 222

Falconina melloi ( Schenkel, 1953)

Figs 12 , 24

Falconia melloi Schenkel, 1953: 46 , figs 40a–c (♂ holotype from El Pozon, Falcón, Acosta, Venezuela, deposited in MHNB 2252-a., examined by photographs, Fig. 12 ).

Falconina melloi Brignoli, 1985: 380 ; Bonaldo, 2000: 78, figs 211–214.

Corinna melloi M ü ller & Heimer, 1988: 155 , figs 1–9.

Diagnosis. Males of Falconina melloi resemble those of Falconina albomaculosa by the small embolar process and large tegular process, which is as wide as the tegulum width ( Fig. 12B ) Bonaldo, 2000 fig. 211), with pronounced lateral margins, inserted on a tegular depression ( Fig. 12 A , Bonaldo 2000 fig. 212). They can be distinguished by the tegular process entire, with acute corners in the apical-lateral margins, apical spur of RTA filiform, nearly as long as the median lobe, and by the presence of a small dorsal lobe ( Fig. 12B ). Females of Falconina melloi resemble those of F. adriki sp. nov. and F. taita sp. nov. in the absence of a pronounced median notch in the posterior margin of epigynal plate ( Bonaldo, 2000 fig. 213) but can be recognized by the posterior margin of epigynal plate straight and by the posterior vulvar plate shorter, wider than long (Bonaldo: 2000 fig. 214).

Description. See Bonaldo 2000: 78–79. Habitus and palp of holotype male in Fig. 12 .

Distribution. Known from Venezuela and northern Colombia ( Fig. 24 ).

Figures

FIGURE 12. Falconina melloi (Schenkel, 1953), male holotype (NMB-ARAN-02252a):A habitus dorsal; B palp, ventral view; C palp, retrolateral view.

FIGURE 24. Known geographical distribution of Falconina species (except Falconina gracilis).