Selenops bursarius Karsch, 1879

Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011, The spider family Selenopidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Australasia and the Oriental Region, ZooKeys 99, pp. 1-104 : 8-9

Selenops bursarius Karsch, 1879

Selenops bursarius Karsch 1879: 81, plate 1, fig. 2.

Selenops henanensis Zhu and Mao 1983: 151, figs a-e. Synonymized by Zhu et al. (1990).

Type material.

Male and female syntypes: Japan (ZMB 2679, 2692, 3501-52, not examined).

Distribution.

This species has been found in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. In China, the species has been found in Sichuan (Chengdu, Xiushan), Henan (Xinyang), Jiangsu (Suzhou), and Zhejiang ( Zhu et al. 1990).

Remarks.

In molecular phylogenetic analyses ( Crews and Gillespie 2010), Selenops bursarius does not group with other Selenops species, but is instead always allied with Karaops gen. n. from Australia, though this relationship is not well supported. Selenops bursarius shares the 3-2 tibial-metatarsal ventral spination with Old and New World Selenops species, however the male palps are unique among selenopids. The RTA is very elaborate and consists of three apophyses; large dorsal and medial apophyses and a smaller ventral apophysis. The embolus resembles that of some Karaops gen. n.species in its shape and origin. The MA is bulbous, two-branched and highly sclerotized, a unique feature. Finally, the conductor is somewhat T-shaped, a characteristic found in several selenopid genera. We have chosen to retain this species in Selenops at the present time, though clearly it retains unique features and may indeed represent an undescribed lineage.

Natural history.

In China, it has been found on cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica ), where it hides under the bark during the day and comes out at night ( Zhu et al. 1990).