Tekellina Levi, 1957

Estol, Narelle, Valiati, Victor Hugo, Brescovit, Antonio D. & Rodrigues, Everton Nei Lopes, 2024, On the Neotropical species of the spider genus Tekellina Levi, 1957 (Arachnida: Araneae: Synotaxidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 943, pp. 154-178 : 156-157

Genus Tekellina Levi, 1957

Tekellina Levi, 1957: 107 (type species by original designation, Tekellina archboldi Levi, 1957 ).

Tekellina – World Spider Catalog 2024.

Emended diagnosis

Species of Tekellina differ from those of most Synotaxidae genera in lacking teeth on the chelicerae, in being minute-sized spiders (less than 1.5 mm, male of Tekellina minor 0.97 mm). Males have a circular cymbium prominent in the retrolateral base ( Figs 1E , 2 E, H, L , 6B, E ), paracymbium not articulated (Fig. 22A–B, D–E, G–H, J–K) and a big conductor divided into three parts: terminal claw-like arm, coiled ribbon-shaped arm and mesal arm ( Fig. 5A–D ). Female genitalia have one pair of long receptacles sometimes twisted around the axis with various loops ( Figs 1F–G , 2F, L ) and fertilization ducts occasionally conspicuous ( Fig. 2C ).

Description

See Levi (1957).

Included species

Tekellina includes nine Neotropical species: Tekellina araucana Marusik, Eskov & Ramirez, 2022 ; T. archboldi Levi, 1957 ; T. bella Marques & Buckup, 1993 ; T. crica Marques & Buckup, 1993 ; T. guaiba Marques & Buckup, 1993 ; T. minor Marques & Buckup, 1993 ; T. picurrucha Rodrigues & Estol sp. nov.; T. miuda Rodrigues & Estol sp. nov. and T. miudinha Rodrigues & Estol sp. nov.; and other three Palearctic species: Tekellina helixicis Gao & Li, 2014 (from China); T. sadamotoi Yoshida & Ogata, 2016 (from China and Japan) and T. yoshidai Marusik & Omelko, 2017 (from Russian Far East) ( World Spider Catalog 2024). With the present work, Tekellina includes a total of twelve species.

Figures

Fig. 1. Tekellina archboldi Levi, 1957. A. ♂, habitus, dorsal view. B. ♂, habitus, lateral view. C. ♀, habitus, dorsal view. D. ♂, palp, ventral view. E. ♂, palp, retrolateral view. F. ♀, clarified epigynum, ventral view. G. ♀, epigynum, dorsal view. Images: Fernando Álvarez Padilha (UNAM, Mexico). Available from http://unamfcaracnolab.com [accessed 14 Jun. 2024].

Fig. 2. A–C. Tekellina bella Marques & Buckup, 1993 (MCN 22170). A. ♂, palp, ventral view. B. ♂, palp, retrolateral view. C. Type (MPEG 35551), epigynum, ventral view. D–F. T. crica Marques & Buckup, 1993. D. Holotype, ♂ (INPA) palp, ventral view. E. Holotype, ♂ (INPA), palp, retrolateral view. F. Paratype, ♀ (MCN 22090), epigynum, ventral view. G–I. T. minor Marques & Buckup, 1993. G. ♂ (MCN 40893), palp, ventral view. H. ♂ (MCN 40893), palp, retrolateral view. I. ♀ (MCN 48868), epigynum, ventral view. J–L. T. guaiba Marques & Buckup, 1993 (MCN 41624). J. ♂, palp, ventral view. K. ♂, palp, retrolateral view. L. Epigynum, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm. Abbreviations: see Material and methods.

Fig. 6. A–C. Tekellina picurrucha Rodrigues & Estol sp. nov., ♂ (MCN 31476) and ♀ (IBSP 50834). A. Male palp, ventral view. B. ♂, palp, retrolateral view. C. ♀, epigynum, ventral view. D–E. T. miuda Rodrigues & Estol sp. nov., ♂ (MCN 48872) and ♀ (MCN 48871). D. ♂, palp, ventral view. E. ♂, palp, retrolateral view. F. ♀, epigynum, ventral view. G. T. miudinha Rodrigues & Estol sp. nov., ♀, holotype (MCN 48870), epigynum, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm. Abbreviations: see Material and methods.

Fig. 5. A–B. Tekellina bella Marques & Buckup, 1993, ♂, palp. A. Ventral view. B. Antero-lateral view. C–E. Tekellina crica Marques & Buckup, 1993, ♂. C–D. Palp. C. Ventral view. D. Antero-lateral view. E. Chelicera. F. Tarsal claws. Scale bars: A–E = 100 µm; F = 20 µm. Abbreviations: see Material and methods.