Chenistonia, HOGG, 1901

GENUS CHENISTONIA HOGG, 1901 View in CoL

FIG. 6 View Figure 6

Chenistonia Hogg, 1901: 262 . Type species: Chenistonia maculata Hogg, 1901 , by original designation.

Diagnosis: Males of Chenistonia s.s. differ from all other Anamini by the pear-shaped bulb with a short embolus ( Fig. 6C, D View Figure 6 ). Chenistonia further differs as follows: from Aname and Hesperonatalius by the maxillary cuspules being restricted to a relatively narrow band near the mesal edge ( Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ); from Aname by the lack of a ventral, asetose depression on the male pedipalpal tibia ( Fig. 6D View Figure 6 ); from Swolnpes by the digitiform tarsus I in males ( Fig. 6F View Figure 6 ); from Kwonkan and Swolnpes by the lack of thickened setae on the retrolateral face of the male pedipalpal tibia ( Fig. 6C View Figure 6 ) and lack of accessory branches on the spermathecae ( Fig. 6G View Figure 6 ); and from most Teyl , Teyloides and most Namea by the embolus arising from the distal end of the pedipalpal bulb ( Fig. 6C, D View Figure 6 ) or lacking a bulbous projection on metatarsus I ( Fig. 6F View Figure 6 ).

Description: Small to medium nemesiid spiders. Coloration: sclerotized regions yellow-brown to brown, abdomen mottled.

Cephalothorax: Carapace ( Fig. 6A View Figure 6 ) sparsely hirsute, with eight eyes in two rows; posterior median eyes (PME) slightly smaller than other eyes; fovea straight. Maxilla ( Fig. 6E View Figure 6 ) with strongly produced basal heel; with numerous cuspules distributed over medial half and heel of each maxilla, not restricted to narrow band; maxillary serrula absent. Labium ( Fig. 6E View Figure 6 ) wider than long, slightly indented anteriorly, without cuspules. Coxal cuspules absent ( Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ). Sternum ( Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ) with three pairs of small sigilla, close to lateral margin.

Chelicera: Rastellum absent; cheliceral furrow with several prominent promarginal teeth and several small granules basomesally; intercheliceral tumescence absent.

Pedipalp ( Fig. 6C, D View Figure 6 ): Male tibia uniformly setose, without patch of spinules on retrolateral face, and without asetose ventral depression; tarsus (cymbium) long and slender, with pronounced medial constriction (in lateral view); with pear-shaped bulb and very short embolus; embolus not reflexed.

Legs: Male tibia I ( Fig. 6F View Figure 6 ) with large ventral spur bearing one or occasionally two megaspines; metatarsus I weakly incrassate; scopula usually present on entire ventral tarsi of legs I and II, and lighter scopula on tarsi III and IV, and metatarsi I and II; tarsi without spines; tarsus I not inflated; three claws, lateral claws each with two short rows of teeth; medial claw small and without ventral teeth.

Abdomen: Longer than wide. Two pairs of spinnerets; posterior median spinnerets unsegmented and separated by about diameter of spinneret; posterior lateral spinnerets three-segmented, apical segment elongate, digitiform.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 6G View Figure 6 ): One pair of low, rounded spermathecae.

Distribution: Species of Chenistonia are known from the temperate mesic zone of south-eastern Australia (including Tasmania), tropical north-eastern Queensland and from the far south-western corner of Western Australia.

Remarks: Our analyses demonstrate a significant genetic division between taxa previously thought to represent Chenistonia s.l. One group has males with a short embolus and a pear-shaped bulb ( Fig. 6C View Figure 6 ) and is consistent with the Aname maculata group as defined by Raven (1984b). The other has a long embolus and rounded bulb ( Fig. 7C View Figure 7 ) and fits the Chenistonia tepperi ‘super-species’ group defined by Main (1982a). Due to differences in pedipalpal morphology and consistent, substantial genetic divergences ( Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ), we propose that these groups be recognized as separate genera, the first taking the name Chenistonia s.s. and the second taking the name Proshermacha , which is here removed from the synonymy of Chenistonia . The status and limits of Chenistonia s.l. has vacillated in the past, with the genus being treated as a junior synonym of Aname by Raven (1981, 1984a, 1985a) or as a distinct genus by Main (1982a, 1985b, 2012) and Raven (2000). The systematic position of the species here attributed to Chenistonia s.s. is confirmed due to the good descriptions provided by Raven (1984b) and Main (2012).

Included species: Chenistonia boranup Main, 2012 ; C. caeruleomontana (Raven, 1984) ; C. earthwatchorum (Raven, 1984) ; C. hickmani (Raven, 1984) ; C. maculate Hogg, 1901 ; C. montana (Raven, 1984) ; C. trevallynia Hickman, 1926 ; and C. tropica (Raven, 1984) .