Genus Spaeleoleptes H. Soares, 1966

Figs 3–14

Spaeleoleptes H. Soares 1966: 111 .

Type species: Spaeleoleptes spaeleus H. Soares, 1966, by original designation.

Spaeleoleptes – Kury 2003: 28.

Spaeloleptes – Kury & Pérez-González 2007: 193, incorrect subsequent spelling.

Etymology

The derivation of the generic name is incorrect; it should be spelled ‘Spelaeoleptes’ (KurY 2003) from the Greek σπήλαιον (spelaion=cave, cavern) and part of the pre-existing genus Gonyleptes . Although incorrect, the original name, Spaeleoleptes, has to be kept according to article 32.5.1 of the currently valid ICZN (1999), because it is considered as an incorrect latinization of the Greek σπήλαιον. Gender masculine.

Placement

Spaeleoleptes was originally described in Phalangodidae: Minuinae (= Kimulidae).The genus was considered family uncertain by Kury (2003) and transferred to Escadabiidae by Kury & Pérez-González (2007).

Species included

Spaeleoleptes spaeleus H. Soares, 1966 and Spaeleoleptes gimli sp. nov.

Emended diagnosis

Spaeleoleptes clearlY differs from the other genera of Escadabiidae bY the unique combination of the following characters: legs I and II sexually dimorphic, males with tibia I thickened, with a glandular/ sensorial? region with “droplet-like” pegs (sensu Willemart et al. 2010) present mainly on the retrolateral surface (Figs 5, 10); glandular/sensorial? region with “droplet-like” pegs ventrallY on patella and tibia II in males (Figs 5, 11); post-ocularium region armed with two pointed tubercles, which maY be reduced to two granules (Figs 3D, 7B); bodY hourglass-shaped, covered bY setiferous tubercles; coxa and femur IV not thickened; ocularium globose, without apical projection; ocularium and chelicerae not sexuallY dimorphic. The genital morphologY differs from that of other genera of Escadabiidae bY the presence of verY robust, thickened and folded conductors, totallY or partiallY covering the capsula interna; an capsula interna with two lateral projections; two pairs of reduced ventral setae on the pars distalis and apical lamina very broad (Figs 6, 14).

Distribution

The genus is restricted to two caves in Eastern Brazil. Spaeleoleptes spaeleus from Lapa Nova do Maquiné, Cordisburgo municipality, State of Minas Gerais (cave belonging to the Bambui geomorphological group), and S. gimli sp. nov. fom Gruta Natal cave, Itaetê municipality, State of Bahia (cave belonging to the Una geomorphological group) (Fig 2).