Quemedice Mello-Leitão, 1942

Rheims, Cristina A., Labarque, Facundo M. & Ramírez, Martín J., 2008, The South American genus Quemedice Mello-Leitão (Araneae: Sparassidae): familial placement and taxonomic revision, Zootaxa 1813, pp. 60-68 : 61-62

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.274359

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6228516

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A487D4-FFFD-FFE1-AC90-CA586D2AFDB5

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Quemedice Mello-Leitão, 1942
status

 

Quemedice Mello-Leitão, 1942 View in CoL View at ENA

Type species: Quemedice enigmaticus Mello-Leitão, 1942 , by original designation Quemedice Mello-Leitão, 1942: 407 –408; Roewer, 1954: 790 ( Thomisidae ); Homann, 1975: 183 (transf. to Philodromidae ); Brignoli, 1983: 596; Platnick, 2008.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from remaining sparassid genera by the combination of the following characters: elongate opisthosoma ( Figs 1–2, 4–7 View FIGURES 1 – 7 ), male palp with massive embolus retrolaterally bent with median region curved dorsad and behind the base and emerging dorsally to rest behind an apophysis at the base of the embolus ( Figs 8–10, 13–14 View FIGURES 8 – 16. 8 – 12 ). Females are distinguished by having the copulatory ducts distally convoluted with anterior membranous receptacles and inconspicuous spermathecae ( Figs 12, 16 View FIGURES 8 – 16. 8 – 12 ).

Description. Prosoma longer than wide ( Figs 1, 5 View FIGURES 1 – 7 ); cephalic region slightly higher than thoracic region. Eyes arranged in two recurved rows; AME slightly larger than ALE and farther apart from each other than from laterals; PME slightly smaller than PLE, equidistant ( Figs 1, 5 View FIGURES 1 – 7 ). Chelicerae with two promarginal and two retromarginal teeth; intermarginal denticles absent ( Figs 17–22 View FIGURES 17 – 22 ). Internal keel at base of fang with 8-10 strong setae in one or two rows ( Figs 17–18, 21–22 View FIGURES 17 – 22 ). Cheliceral boss on ectal margin ( Figs 17, 20–21 View FIGURES 17 – 22 ) and gland area on retromargin ( Fig. 19 View FIGURES 17 – 22 ). Abdomen elongate, three times longer than wide ( Figs 1–2, 4–7 View FIGURES 1 – 7 ). Legs laterigrade (2413). Leg spination in males: femora I–IV p1-1-1; d0-1-1; r0-1-1; patellae I–II p1; III–IV d1; tibiae I–IV p1-0-1; d1-0-1; r1-0-1; v2-2 -0; metatarsi I–III p1-1-0; r1-1-0; v2-2 -0; IV p1-1-2; r1-1-2; v2-2 -0. Leg spination in females as in males, except patellae I–IV 0; tibiae I–IV d0. Metatarsi I–IV with dorsal trilobate membrane at distal end, with median lobe slightly more developed than laterals ( Figs 26–27 View FIGURES 23 – 28 ). Tarsi and anterior half of metatarsi densely scopulated. Tarsal organ capsulated, with rounded opening, located dorsally at the distal end of tarsi ( Fig. 25 View FIGURES 23 – 28 ). Trichobothrium with basal crescent plate projecting over smooth distal plate ( Fig. 24 View FIGURES 23 – 28 ). Tarsi with two pectinated claws, with ca. 25 teeth each, and claw tufts ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 23 – 28 ).

Male palp. Tibia short with one strong basal spine prolaterally and one dorsally ( Figs 8–9, 13–14 View FIGURES 8 – 16. 8 – 12 ). RTA distally bifid ( Figs 8–9, 13–14 View FIGURES 8 – 16. 8 – 12 ). Cymbium with oval, median alveolus and two prolateral spines at base, one of them stronger. Subtegulum retrolaterally displaced and visible in ventral and retrolateral views. Tegulum Sshaped, slightly spiraled perpendicularly to the main palpal axis, towards the tip of the cymbium ( Figs 8–9, 13–14 View FIGURES 8 – 16. 8 – 12 ). Conductor absent. Embolus massive, retrolaterally directed and medially curving behind base and emerging at the top ( Fig. 10 View FIGURES 8 – 16. 8 – 12 ).

Epigynum View in CoL . Epigynal field divided into median septum and lateral lobes; lateral borders slightly rounded covering longer than wide median septum with pair of anterior copulatory openings ( Figs 4 View FIGURES 1 – 7 , 11, 15 View FIGURES 8 – 16. 8 – 12 ). Vulva with copulatory ducts posteriorly convoluted, with large anterior membranous receptacles (“Subepigynealer Sack” sensu Järvi 1912, considered to be non-homologous to the "spermathecae" sensu Sierwald 1989 because they are not associated to the fertilization ducts); fertilization ducts short, hook shaped, directed anteriorly and outwards ( Figs 12, 16 View FIGURES 8 – 16. 8 – 12 ).

Remarks. Within Sparassidae , Quemedice seems to belong to Sparassinae due to the presence of only two promarginal teeth in the chelicerae, absence of intermarginal denticles, median hook of trilobate membrane as large as or slightly larger than lateral projections and a short-toothed female palpal claw ( Jäger 1998). The genus seems to be closely related to Macrinus Simon , Vindullus Simon and Nolavia Kammerer , with whom it shares the presence of only two pairs of ventral spines on tibiae I-IV, the tegulum slightly spiraled perpendicularly to the main palpal axis, towards the tip of the cymbium ( Figs. 8, 13 View FIGURES 8 – 16. 8 – 12 ; Rheims 2007: figs. 22, 28, 34) the female epigynum with simple, rounded lateral lobes partially covering the median septum ( Figs 11, 15 View FIGURES 8 – 16. 8 – 12 ; Rheims 2007: figs 24, 30, 36) and vulva with large anterior hyaline receptacles ( Figs 12, 16 View FIGURES 8 – 16. 8 – 12 ; Rheims 2007: figs 25, 31, 37).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Sparassidae

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