Scelidocteus Simon, 1907

Wood, Hannah M., Kulkarni, Siddharth, Ramírez, Martín J. & Scharff, Nikolaj, 2024, Phylogeny and biogeography support ancient vicariance and subsequent dispersal out of Africa in Palpimanidae spiders (Araneae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 202 (2) : -

Genus Scelidocteus Simon, 1907

Type species: Scelidocteus pachypus Simon, 1907 .

Sceliscelis Oketch & Li, 2020 , in Oketch et al. 2020, by original designation (type species = Sceliscelis marshi ). New synonymy.

Diagnosis: In most species, the male palpal bulb contains only a pronounced embolus and conductor, which can spiral around each other ( Benoit 1974: figs 12, 13), but in many it is only the embolus that has a basal spiral (see Oketch et al. 2020: fig. 3C–E). In general, the female genitalia are heavily sclerotized, more so than in other palpimanid genera, with a distinct anterior pair of spermathecae dorsal to large membranous sac-like spermathecae (see Oketch et al. 2020: fig. 4D).

Included species: Ten described species: Scelidocteus baccatus Simon, 1907 , Scelidocteus berlandi Lessert, 1939 , Scelidocteus incisus (Tullgren, 1910) , Scelidocteus lamotei Jézéquel, 1964 , Scelidocteus marshi (Oketch & Li, 2020) , here transferred from Sceliscelis , comb. nov., Scelidocteus ochreatus Simon, 1907 , Scelidocteus pachypus Simon, 1907 , Scelidocteus schoutedeni Benoit, 1974 , Scelidocteus taitave Oketch & Li, 2020 , and Scelidocteus vuatouxi Jézéquel, 1964 ; and 13 undescribed species included in our phylogeny.

Distribution: Africa, including São Tomé and Príncipe.

Discussion: Our phylogeny includes Sceliscelis marshi (specimens HW0262 and HW 0471), which nests within Scelidocteus with strong support, justifying this transfer. Sceliscelis was diagnosed by a small hook at the end of the embolus; however, the fine details of the embolus are ossen species specific rather than genus specific. Other diagnostic features proposed for Sceliscelis , such as a more rugose carapace (i.e. larger tubercles) and less developed scopulae on leg I, are qualitative and likely to be continuous within Scelidocteus . It was also proposed that the posterior, sclerotized edge of the epigastric plate (epigynum) is strongly undulating and that there are sac-like receptacles, but this also occurs in Scelidocteus (cf. Oketch et al. 2020: figs 2C, D, 3C, D).