Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 71-72

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2020.718.1101

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F9E9A91E-488C-4DB1-9361-E788E9AC5BC1

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E887AD-FF96-7A49-FDF3-FE87FE9AFDA1

treatment provided by

Valdenar

scientific name

Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893
status

 

Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893 View in CoL View at ENA

Mecolaesthus View in CoL / Mecoloesthus Simon 1893b: 482 . Type species: M. longissimus Simon, 1893 View in CoL .

Falconia González-Sponga, 2003: 94 . Name preoccupied, replaced by Ayomania González-Sponga, 2005 and by Venezuela Koçak & Kemal, 2008 . Type species: F. multidenticulata González-Sponga, 2003 . Synonymized in Huber et al. (2014a).

Queliceria González-Sponga, 2003: 96 . Type species Q. discrepantis González-Sponga, 2003 View in CoL . New synonymy.

Sanluisi González-Sponga, 2003: 100 . Type species: S. puntiaguda González-Sponga, 2003 . Synonymized in Huber et al. (2014a).

Ayomania González-Sponga, 2005: 108. Replacement name for Falconia González-Sponga, 2003 ; see Falconia above.

Venezuela Koçak & Kemal, 2008: 4 . Unjustified replacement name for Falconia González-Sponga, 2003 ; see Falconia above.

Carbonaria González-Sponga, 2009: 2 . Type species: C. cordiformis González-Sponga, 2009 View in CoL . Synonymized in Huber et al. (2014a).

Maimire González-Sponga, 2009: 4 . Type species: M.tuberculosa González-Sponga, 2009 . Synonymized in Huber et al. (2014a).

Nasuta González-Sponga, 2009: 6 . Type species: N. grandis González-Sponga, 2009 View in CoL . Synonymized in Huber et al. (2014a).

Moraia González-Sponga, 2011b:43 . Type species: M.niquitanus González-Sponga, 2011 View in CoL . Synonymized in Huber et al. (2014a).

Mecoloesthus – Bonnet 1957: 2742. — Huber 2000: 255 View Cited Treatment .

Justification of synonymy

The type material of Queliceria discrepantis González-Sponga, 2003 was reexamined, as well as new material collected at the type locality. Morphologically, this species strongly resembles several geographically close species of Mecolaesthus ( M. cornutus Huber, 2000 ; M. tabay Huber, 2000 ; M. mucuy Huber, 2000 ) in its general habitus and carapace coloration (distinctive lateral dark marks restricted to anterior half), and males show the principal putative synapomorphy of the genus (inflated carapace). Preliminary molecular data (J.J. Astrin, B.A. Huber, unpubl. data) also support a close relationship with the congeners listed above and show Queliceria discrepantis as deeply nested among other Venezuelan Mecolaesthus .

Notes

With now 30 Venezuelan species (14 previously described +16 new), Mecolaesthus is the most speciesrich pholcid genus in Venezuela . Only six species have been described from neighboring countries and regions: Trinidad (1), Lesser Antilles (3), Colombia (1), and Brazil (1). This suggests that Venezuela is the distributional center of Mecolaesthus , but at least the Colombian pholcid fauna is poorly known and may include a large number of species.

Of the 14 Venezuelan species described previously, eleven are treated below. For the remaining three Venezuelan species we do not have new data:

Mecolaesthus azulita Huber, 2000 View in CoL ; type locality “ 20 km SE Azulita (ULA Biol. Res. La Carbonera), Mérida, Venezuela ” ( Huber 2000) [approximately 8.633° N, 71.366° W]; see Notes under M. cordiformis View in CoL below.

Mecolaesthus hoti Huber, 2000 View in CoL ; type locality only roughly known: “Rio Baria, Dept. Amazonas, Venezuela ” ( Huber 2000) [between 0.85° N, 66.43° W and 1.47° N, 66.52° W].

Mecolaesthus puntiagudus ( González-Sponga, 2003) View in CoL , type locality Falcón, Sierra de San Luis, Curimagua [approximately 11.172° N, 69.668° W]. The type specimens (2 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀, 1 juv.; MAGS 1432) have been on loan to another researcher and could not be examined.

The ZFMK collection includes material of six further Venezuelan species, from the states La Guaira, Mérida, Trujillo, and Lara. They are not described here because specimens of only one sex are available.

Operational species groups

Venezuelan Mecolaesthus are here divided into three operational species groups, explicitly based on similarity rather than cladistic analysis. In some cases the specific similarities probably reflect phylogenetic relationships, in others not. Such operational species groups provide a preliminary structure for the known species and they facilitate taxon selection in future phylogenetic analyses.

The cornutus View in CoL group includes the ten species shown in Fig. 1042. Most species in this group look identical in the field ( Figs 212–219 View Figs 212–219 , 306–311 View Figs 306–311 ); the lateral dark carapace marks are limited to the anterior part; males do not have a longer abdomen than females; male chelicereae are not provided with modified hairs. Within this group, M. peckorum Huber, 2000 View in CoL ; M. tabay Huber, 2000 View in CoL ; M. azulita Huber, 2000 View in CoL ; and M. cordiformis ( González-Sponga, 2009) View in CoL have extremely similar male chelicerae and female internal genitalia (female of M. azulita View in CoL unknown). The two species M. chicha Huber View in CoL sp. nov. and M. parchita Huber View in CoL sp. nov. fit this group in their morphology but are unusual for their lighter coloration ( Figs 277– 282 View Figs 277–282 ). The two species share strongly banded legs, almost identical procursi and genital bulbs, similar distal cheliceral apophyses and internal female genitalia.

The grandis View in CoL group includes the eleven species shown in Figs 1043–1044. Males in this group usually have slightly longer abdomens than females (e.g., Figs 429–432 View Figs 427–434 ); male chelicerae are provided with modified hairs; procursi are distally often bifid, divided into a sclerotized and a membranous part (e.g., Figs 348–350 View Figs 348–355 , 390–392 View Figs 390–398 ); males of several species share sclerotized plates anteriorly on the abdomen, ventrally and/or dorsally ( Figs 338 View Figs 338–345 , 430 View Figs 427–434 ). Within this group, M. grandis ( González-Sponga, 2009) View in CoL ; M. multidenticulatus ( González-Sponga, 2003) View in CoL ; and M. tuberculosus ( González-Sponga, 2009) View in CoL are almost indistinguishable even by details of their genitalia. The three species were originally described in three different genera but are likely to be closely related. These three species share with three further species [ M. niquitanus (González-Sponga, 2011) View in CoL ; M. longipes Huber View in CoL sp. nov.; M. bienmesabe Huber View in CoL sp. nov.] a distinctive arrangement of male cheliceral apophyses and modified hairs: a pair of large apophyses and a pair of low elevations, both provided with small modified hairs (e.g., Figs 354 View Figs 348–355 , 396 View Figs 390–398 , 416 View Figs 410–417 ). A similar arrangement but with much stronger hairs occurs in M. trampa Huber View in CoL sp. nov. and M. lechosa Huber View in CoL sp. nov. ( Figs 441 View Figs 435–443 , 450 View Figs 444–452 ). The remaining three species ( M. arepa Huber View in CoL sp. nov., M. pusillus Huber View in CoL sp. nov., M. alegria Huber View in CoL sp. nov.), share modified hairs on the male chelicerae but do otherwise not easily fit into this group. The two latter species have identical procursi, very similar male chelicerae and genital bulbs, and they share a pair of dark sclerites in the female internal genitalia ( Figs 473, 476 View Figs 471–478 ).

The longissimus View in CoL group includes the remaining nine Venezuelan species shown in Figs 1045–1046. This group is certainly polyphyletic, and some species may eventually end up in other or new genera (e.g., M. fallax Huber View in CoL sp. nov., M. limon Huber View in CoL sp. nov.). Some species ( M. longissimus Simon, 1893 View in CoL ; M guasacaca Huber View in CoL sp. nov.; M. yerbatero Huber View in CoL sp. nov.) share with representatives of the grandis View in CoL group a bifid procursus tip ( Figs 500 View Figs 500–505 , 536 View Figs 536–544 , 560 View Figs 560–568 ), but the male chelicerae lack modified hairs. The type species M. longissimus View in CoL also shares with representatives of the grandis View in CoL group a longer male than female abdomen. The two species with extremely inflated male prosoma ( M. graphorn Huber View in CoL sp. nov., M. cachapa Huber View in CoL sp. nov.) remind of congeners in Trinidad and the Lesser Antilles [ M. arima Huber, 2000 View in CoL ; M. nigrifrons (Simon, 1894) View in CoL ; M. lemniscatus (Simon, 1894) View in CoL ; M. taino Huber, 2000 View in CoL ] but extremely inflated prosomata are also known from undescribed Colombian species (F. Cala Riquelme, pers. comm. 20 Jul. 2017). In addition, the strong intraspecific variability of carapace inflation (e.g., Figs 510–511 View Figs 510–513 ) makes this a problematic character for phylogeny. The highly aberrant M. fallax View in CoL is tentatively assigned to Mecolaesthus View in CoL for the lack of a better solution. Preliminary molecular data (J.J. Astrin, B.A. Huber, unpubl. data) place this species among Mecolaesthus View in CoL , so it seemed premature to designate a new genus for this species. Finally, M. limon Huber View in CoL sp. nov. and M. hoti View in CoL males share the main synapomorphy of the genus (inflated prosoma; Fig. 583 View Figs 582–588 ) but otherwise the two species appear unique and isolated (male genitalia; in M. limon Huber View in CoL sp. nov. also female genitalia and spines on male femur 1).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Pholcidae

Loc

Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo 2020
2020
Loc

Carbonaria González-Sponga, 2009: 2

Gonzalez-Sponga M. A. 2009: 2
2009
Loc

Maimire González-Sponga, 2009: 4

Gonzalez-Sponga M. A. 2009: 4
2009
Loc

Nasuta González-Sponga, 2009: 6

Gonzalez-Sponga M. A. 2009: 6
2009
Loc

Venezuela Koçak & Kemal, 2008: 4

Kocak A. O. & Kemal M. 2008: 4
2008
Loc

Falconia González-Sponga, 2003: 94

Gonzalez-Sponga M. A. 2003: 94
2003
Loc

Queliceria González-Sponga, 2003: 96

Gonzalez-Sponga M. A. 2003: 96
2003
Loc

Sanluisi González-Sponga, 2003: 100

Gonzalez-Sponga M. A. 2003: 100
2003
Loc

Mecoloesthus

Huber B. A. 2000: 255
Bonnet P. 1957: 2742
1957
Loc

Mecolaesthus

Simon E. 1893: 482
1893
Loc

Falconia González-Sponga, 2003

Ayomania González-Sponga, 2005: 108
Loc

Moraia González-Sponga, 2011b:43

Moraia González-Sponga, 2011b:43
Darwin Core Archive (for parent article) View in SIBiLS Plain XML RDF