Deliochus Simon, 1894: 749

Deliochus Simon, 1894: 749 View in CoL .

Type species: Meta zelivira Keyserling, 1887 .

Diagnosis: Females of Deliochus can be diagnosed from other araneids based on the combination of the presence of epigynal flaps near the copulatory openings ( Figs 27D, 28E–G) and the rugose area on the posterior margin of the ALS ( Fig. 27A). Males lack the median apophysis, and have the embolus with a sclerotized shaft separated from the sperm duct by pars pendula, which meet distally; the sperm duct sclerotizes distally. Both the sperm duct and sclerotized shaft frequently have recurved barbs ( Fig. 10B). Deliochus can be diagnosed from Phonognatha and Artifex gen. nov. based on its stouter, complex conductor in males and epigynal flaps in females.

Description

Female: Total length 5.67–10.83. Carapace 2.56–4.63 long, 1.82–3.40 wide, 0.64–1.46 high, dark brown to greenish yellow in colour, sometimes with dark marking where pars cephalica and pars thoracica meet. AMEs on small prominence; lateral eyes juxtaposed, paired on a small prominences; AME diameter 0.18– 0.29; AME interdistance slightly wider than AME diameter; AME–PME distance c. AME diameter. Clypeus c. 1/2–3/4 AME diameter. Paturon coloured as pars cephalica, with 3 prolateral and 3–4 retrolateral teeth. Leg formula 1243, coloured as cephalothorax, or slightly lighter; femur I sigmoid. Abdomen 2.92–7.83 long, 2.64–5.84 wide, 2.32–6.67 high; green to white in colour, sometimes with longitudinal stripes on the dorsum and mottled to striped lateral pattern; venter dark. Spinning field typical of araneoids, but with rugose area on posterior rim of ALS and one flagelliform spigot of triad closer to a cylindrical gland spigot than aggregate gland spigots. Epigynum with ventral-facing copulatory openings separated by a septum and flanked by flaps; copulatory duct sclerotized, twisting ventrally before meeting weakly lobed spermathecae; copulatory duct may be plugged with part of pedipalp.

Male: Total length 1.29–5.32. Carapace 1.19–2.98 long, 0.99–1.88 wide, 0.44–1.44 high, dark brown to greenish yellow in colour, sometimes with dark marking where pars cephalica and pars thoracica meet. Eye arrangement as in female; AME diameter 0.13–0.19; AME interdistance slightly wider than AME diameter; AME–PME distance c. AME diameter. Clypeus c. 1/2 AME diameter. Chelicerae coloured as pars cephalica, with 3 prolateral and 3 retrolateral teeth. Legs formula 1243, coloured as cephalothorax, or slightly lighter; femur I sigmoid. Abdomen 1.30–3.15 long, 0.99–2.27 wide, 0.92– 2.54 high; dorsal and ventral colouration variable, with brown, white, green, yellow and/or red stripes of variable widths; venter dark. Spinning field similar to females. Pedipalp tibia 1/4 to equal the length of the cymbium; cymbium somewhat short, not more than twice as long as it is wide; paracymbium absent; subtegulum much larger than tegulum, rotated dorsally; embolic division associated with tegulum at membrane near embolic base; embolus with sclerotized embolic shaft and sperm duct connected by a membranous pars pendula, with the two ends meeting at the tip; ends of embolus and sperm duct often with hooks; conductor large and complex, with inner, terminally translucent sclerite associated with the outer, ring-like sclerite inside the dorsal end of the latter.

Composition: Deliochus includes three species: D. zelivira ( Keyserling, 1887) , D. humilis (Koch, 1867) and D. idoneus ( Keyserling, 1887) .

Natural history: Little is known of the natural history of Deliochus as observations are often attributed to Araneus or Phonognatha . Unlike Phonognatha , their retreat is adjacent to the web, and the web itself is complete. Females and males cohabit in the leaf retreat. Deliochus is sexually size dimorphic, with males being a fraction of the size of female. Males often use their pedipalp to plug the copulatory opening, and observing males without one (or both) pedipalps as well as females with emboli lodged in their copulatory ducts is frequent.

Phylogenetics: Deliochus monophyly is supported by the putative synapomorphies of paired epigynal flaps near copulatory openings and a thicker, moderately long embolus.

Distribution: Known from all states of Australia and Papua New Guinea.