Trichopetalinae Verhoeff 1914

Shear, William A., 2010, 2385, Zootaxa 2385, pp. 1-62 : 9-10

Subfamily Trichopetalinae Verhoeff 1914

Trichopetalinae Verhoeff, 1914:347 .

Scoterpini (recte: Scoterpetini ) Causey, 1969:44. New synonymy.

Type genus: Trichopetalum Harger, 1872 .

Included genera: Trichopetalum Harger, 1872 , Scoterpes Cope, 1872 , Zygonopus Ryder, 1881 , Trigenotyla Causey, 1963 , Nannopetalum Shear, 2003 , Causeyella Shear, 2003 .

Diagnosis: The gonopods have a fimbriate branch arising from the colpocoxite or the posterior surface of the angiocoxite, the gonopod sternum is posteriorly reduced to a narrow band or absent, anteriorly the sternum may be much enlarged and partially or wholly fused with the gonopod coxae. The anterior surfaces of the gonopod coxae and angiocoxites may or may not bear characteristic trichomes (unsocketed, acutely tapering cuticular extensions). These trichomes are not so obvious in species of Trigenotyla , often detectable only with scanning electron microscopy, and appear to be completely absent in species of Scoterpes . The ninth legs consist of two segments: the coxa, and a telopod segment resulting from the fusion of all distal segments; frequently signs of vestigial segmentation are visible distally, or indicated by vestigial musculature ( Fig. 46), and a claw may be present or absent; in Causeyella and Trigenotyla , there may actually be 1–3 small, button-like terminal segments. The ninth leg coxae may have small, vestigial, eversible coxal glands, presumably homologous to those found on the tenth and eleventh legpairs. The pregonopodal legs of the males are slightly to distinctly encrassate, with legpair 6 usually the largest; this is very obvious in Zygonopus . Prefemur 6 is usually modified: slightly to very swollen, sometimes with a ventral distal projection.

Note: Because Scoterpes and Trichopetalum belong in the same subfamily, the family-level name Scoterpetini (nom. corr. from Scoterpini) has to be treated as a synonym of the older Trichopetalinae . Distribution: Range of the family, except for Mexico.