Archaemecys, Saupe & Selden, 2009

Saupe, Erin E. & Selden, Paul A., 2009, First fossil Mecysmaucheniidae (Arachnida, Chelicerata, Araneae), from Lower Cretaceous (Uppermost Albian) amber of Charente-Maritime, France, Geodiversitas 31 (1), pp. 49-60 : 53

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5252/g2009n1a5
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5465667
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/DA308791-A52B-A84E-8F64-012BFBCF05B5
treatment provided by	Marcus
scientific name	Archaemecys
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Genus Archaemecys n. gen.

TYPE SPECIES. — Archaemecys arcantiensis n. gen., n. sp., by present designation and monotypy.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Holotype and only known specimen, subadult male, MNHN ARC11 View Materials R deposited in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris.

ETYMOLOGY. — The genus name is derived from the Greek archae, meaning primitive or ancient, and the modern genus Mecysmauchenius , which the fossil somewhat resembles.

STRATIGRAPHIC HORIZON. — Lower Cretaceous, uppermost Albian, subunit A1s12 ( Néraudeau et al. 2002).

DIAGNOSIS. — Archaemecys n. gen. can be distinguished from all other genera of Mecysmaucheniidae by the presence of four spinnerets, a strongly sclerotized ring around the spinnerets, and a sclerotized tracheal spiracle.

REMARKS

The genus differs from other mecysmaucheniids by the presence of four spinnerets. All extant Mecysmaucheniidae have only two spinnerets, a derived condition.Additionally, Archaemecys n. gen. has a particularly robust sclerotized ring around the spinnerets, and its legs are much shorter and stouter than in extant mecysmaucheniids.