NEPHILINAE, Simon, 1894

Álvarez-Padilla, Fernando, 2007, Systematics of the spider genus Metabus O. P. - Cambridge, 1899 (Araneoidea: Tetragnathidae) with additions to the tetragnathid fauna of Chile and comments on the phylogeny of Tetragnathidae, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151 (2), pp. 285-335 : 290

NEPHILINAE

In the present analysis, Nephilinae are represented by the same five genera as in Hormiga et al. (1995): Phonognatha , Clitaetra , Nephila Leach, 1815 , Herennia Thorell, 1887 and Nephilengys L. Koch, 1872 . These taxa remain monophyletic and sister to the remaining tetragnathids. They are coded as having a conductor and embolus homologous to that of the other tetragnathids, a filiform embolus and the conductor– tegulum membranous attachment. The two last character states are also found among ‘leucaugines’. The monophyly of Nephilinae is supported by six unambiguous synapomorphies, one of them, long and flexible embolus, is new for the subfamily (73-1). Nephilinae spiders have sclerotized spermathecae, with short and relatively straight copulatory and fertilization ducts. The epigynal plate is flat or if protruding no more that one-quarter of its length. The genital opening is located inside a wide atrium ( Nephila ) or sometimes separated by a septum ( Nephilengys ) ( Kuntner, 2005). Nephilinae is sister to a clade that includes Tetragnathinae plus ‘leucaugines’ and ‘metines s.s. ’. The monophyly of Tetragnathinae , ‘leucaugines’ and ‘metines s.s. ’ is supported by the following two synapomorphies, no cheliceral denticles (18-0), and web posture with the legs I and II extended (93-0).