Anyphops Benoit, 1968

Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011, The spider family Selenopidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Australasia and the Oriental Region, ZooKeys 99, pp. 1-104 : 11-12

Genus Anyphops Benoit, 1968 Figs 104-105

Anyphops Benoit 1968: 115. Type species: Selenops atomarius Simon 1887, by original designation.

Diagnosis.

Anyphops can be separated from all other genera by the ventral leg spination of Ti and Mt I and II, coupled with the collection locality. Specimens have either 4, 5, 6 or 7 paired ventral tibial spines and are found in Africa or Madagascar. If the tibial-metatarsal spination is 4-3 the spider is found in Africa and not Madagascar (see below under Remarks). In males, an additional character useful for diagnosis is the large, complex, sclerotized and often twisted MA.

Remarks.

Corronca (1998) described a single species of Anyphops from Madagascar, Anyphops benoiti . Anyphops had previously been known only from Africa while at the time only one genus, Hovops , had been described from Madagascar. Presumably Anyphops benoiti was included in the genus Anyphops due to the leg spination on the metatarsi and tarsi of legs I and II (5-3). In 2003, Corronca described a new genus, Garcorops , endemic to Madagascar. He mentioned differences between Anyphops and Garcorops , and that Garcorops seemed to be morphologically closest to the B1 group of Anyphops , as defined by Lawrence (1940) from Kenya and South Africa. Anyphops benoiti was not specifically mentioned in this paper. Although we have not examined specimens of Anyphops benoiti , Corronca’s illustration of the male palpus does not show the large, twisted median apophysis found in the majority of Anyphops species, but has a somewhat T-shaped conductor similar to that found in Garcorops , though Anyphops benoiti does not have the projection on the conductor that Garcorops has. The illustrations of the female copulatory organs are similar to both Anyphops and Garcorops . While it may seem that leg spination may not be a very strong character by which to separate genera, we would like to point out that in the molecular study of Crews and Gillespie (2010), while not having all genera discussed in the current paper available for genetic study, the genera Karaops gen. n., Garcorops , Hovops , and Anyphops were distinct in all analyses. After examining many other morphological characters in detail, the leg spination, coupled with biogeographical data and genetic data, appears to be the best way to distinguish genera at the present time given the specimens that are available.

Description.

Total length 4.00-17.40. Cephalothorax: Carapace with dark bands or spots laterally, wider than long or equally as long as wide, with cephalic portion more noticeable than in Selenops . Narrow fovea with six radiating lines. Setae are simple and sometimes spiniform. Median eyes strongly recurved, PME>AME. Chelicerae slightly geniculate, robust, with 3 prolateral and 2 retrolateral teeth. Legs: Leg IV longer than leg II, and leg lengths are typically 4321. Tibiae I and II with pairs of 7, 6, 5 or 4 spines. Tarsal, and in some species, metatarsal scopulae present. Female copulatory organs: Epigynum with or without lateral lobes, with well defined median field, depression or septum. Epigynal pockets sometimes present. Spermathecae simple or complex. Male copulatory organs: Palpal cymbium with dense terminal scopulae. Palpal tibia with 2 tibial apophyses, dorsal larger than ventral. Dorsal apophysis twisted in some species, and in some species both branches bifurcated. MA complex, strongly sclerotized, angular, and twisted in some species.

Distribution.

Anyphops occurs throughout Africa, as well as on the islands of St. Helena and Madagascar.

Composition.

Currently there are 64 species of Anyphops described. Most species were first described as members of the genus Selenops by Lawrence (1940). Benoit (1968) transferred these into the genus Anyphops and described additional species. ( Corronca (1998, 2000, 2005) described five more species, and re-described the lycosiformis group.