Solenysa mellotteei group Tu & Hormiga, 2011

Wang, Fang, Ono, Hirotsugu & Tu, Lihong, 2015, A review of Solenysa spiders from Japan (Araneae, Linyphiidae), with a comment on the type species S. mellotteei Simon, 1894, ZooKeys 481, pp. 39-56 : 43

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Linyphiidae

Solenysa mellotteei group Tu & Hormiga, 2011

Composition.

Six species: Solenysa mellotteei Simon, 1894, Solenysa macrodonta sp. n., Solenysa ogatai Ono, 2011, Solenysa partibilis Tu, Ono & Li, 2007, Solenysa reflexilis Tu, Ono & Li, 2007 and Solenysa trunciformis sp. n.

Diagnosis.

Males of Solenysa mellotteei group are distinguished from all other three groups by the spiral plate-shaped embolus (Fig. 3E), the hook-shaped cymbial probasal process and by the half rounded Solenysa tegular triangle (Fig. 2A). Females are characterized by the dorsoventrally folded solenoid (Figs 4C, 5C), the spherical spermathecae and the pocket shaped copulatory grooves entering the spermathecae from the outer sides (Fig. 1D).

Description.

All Solenysa species have quite uniform somatic morphology. Somatic characters as in the genus description (see also Tu and Li 2006, Tu and Hormiga 2011).

Male palp (Fig. 2 A–B). Tibia twice as long as patella, with proximal process furnished by two long bristles. Cymbium with hook-like proximal process and small retrolateral process, forming articulation with proximal arm of U-shaped paracymbium. Tegulum with half rounded Solenysa tegular triangle and stout distal suprategular apophysis. Embolic division (Fig. 6): embolus spiral plate shaped with two apophyses, one at outer margin, and one distally (Fig. 3E). Radix embedded within membranous area connecting terminal apophysis and lamella characteristica (Figs 1C, 2B). Terminal apophysis divided into three parts, with median one as enlarged sclerite. Lamella characteristica with three well-developed branches, anterior branch (LC1) stout and extending forward, following embolus trajectory; median one (LC2) long and slender, dragging backwards and pointing forward, bifid in some species (Fig. 3A); posterior one (LC3) sharp and strongly sclerotized, bifid in some species (Fig. 3B).

Epigyne (Figs 1D, 4 A–B). Strongly sclerotized box-shaped, having a well-developed epigynal collar at anterior part connecting with solenoid. Solenoid flexible, dorsoventrally folded (Fig. 5C) in non-functional stage, holding epigyne up (Fig. 1E). Spermathecae large spherical. Copulatory openings as a pair of crescent shaped slits hidden on dorsal surface. Copulatory grooves enlarged into half round pocket-shaped, matching to spiral plate-shaped embolus, entering spermathecae outboard. Fertilization grooves convergent, extending forward.

Distribution.

Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Fig. 7).