Synaphris, Simon 1894, Simon, 1894

LOPARDO, LARA, HORMIGA, GUSTAVO & MELIC, ANTONIO, 2007, Spinneret Spigot Morphology in Synaphrid Spiders (Araneae, Synaphridae), with Comments on the Systematics of the Family and Description of a New Species of Synaphris Simon 1894 from Spain, American Museum Novitates 3556 (1), pp. 1-28 : 15

PALPAL MORPHOLOGY OF SYNAPHRIS

The palpal morphology of Synaphris saphrynis , n.sp. is very similar to that of S. letourneuxi (Simon, 1884) , the type species; therefore, its generic placement is rather straightforward, although it has not been phylogenetically tested. The male palp of Synaphris is characterized by a cymbium divided into two separate areas: a sclerotized one bearing setae and a glabrous, membranous one, the latter one on the prolateral side. The retrolateral margin of the cymbium in Synaphris presents a notch delimitating a basal expansion, with cuticular differentiation, which most certainly is a paracymbium ( fig. 60 ; Marusik and Lehtinen, 2003; Miller, in press).

The embolus base is extended into a membranous ‘‘lamella’’, and the tegulum is flat and oval. Homology statements regarding palpal sclerites and apophyses are notoriously difficult to test (e.g., Griswold et al., 1998; Hormiga and Scharff, 2005), sometimes even at the primary stage of the homology proposition. The tegulum of Synaphris saphrynis is distally extended into a large and less sclerotized area, which bears several apophyses and a longitudinal fold that houses the distal region of the embolus ( figs. 50 , 59 ). There are no clearly delimited or membranous attached tegular sclerites (such as those often found on the tegulum of many araneoids), except for the embolus and the membrane that arises from the membranous stalk that connects the tegulum to the embolus base (the socalled embolic ‘‘lamella’’).

In their detailed description of the male palpal morphology of Synaphris lehtineni ( Marusik et al., 2005) and S. orientalis ( Marusik and Lehtinen, 2003) , the authors use a rich terminology to name and label the various tegular processes (the palpal morphology of these two species is very similar to that of S. saphrynis , n.sp.). Some of the anatomical terms used by Marusik and coworkers have a long history in palpal morphology (e.g., ‘‘terminal apophysis’’). Although the choice of names of these morphological features implies homology to at least some of the equally named sclerites in other taxa, these authors do not discuss the potential correspondence of the palpal sclerites of Synaphris with those of other araneoid taxa. Interestingly, Marusik et al. (2005) did not label any of the tegular sclerites as a ‘‘conductor’’, but mentioned that the terminal part of the embolus lies in a ‘‘tegular groove’’ and that such tegular groove would be unique (autapomorphic) within Araneoidea. These authors also provided names for the tegular processes: ‘‘subterminal apophysis’’ (the one at the end of the conductor) and ‘‘terminal apophysis’’ (‘‘Cap’’, or conductor apophysis). Both names have been used by other araneologists for sclerites in araneoid taxa. We propose what is perhaps a simpler alternative, namely that the distally extended tegular area of Synaphris is a homolog of the araneoid conductor and that the ‘‘subterminal’’ and ‘‘terminal’’ apophyses of Marusik et al. are processes of the conductor. As is often the case, this conductor partly covers (in a groove or fold in this particular case) the distal region of the embolus. The presence of processes or apophyses on the conductor has been documented in other araneoid taxa (e.g., in Synotaxidae and Anapidae ; see for example Platnick and Forster, 1989: fig. 55 ). The palp of S. saphrynis , n.sp. also exhibits these two separate sclerotized and distinct conductor apophyses.

Figures

Figs. 57–62. Synaphris saphrynis, n.sp. Male paratype, left palp, details. 57. Detail of apex, showing embolus, terminal and subterminal apophyses, and paracymbium, in retrolateral view (detail of fig. 53); 58. Same, closer view of terminal and subterminal apophyses; 59. Detail of apex in apical view (detail of fig. 51); 60. Detail of retrolateral paracymbium; 61. Detail of apophyses, apical view; 62. Embolus tip. Abbreviations are spelled out in appendix 1.

Figs. 49–56. Synaphris saphrynis, n.sp. Male paratype, left palp. 49. Prolateral view; 50. Prolatero-apical view; 51. Apical view (see detail in fig. 59); 52. Apical-retrolateral view (see detail in fig. 62); 53. Retrolateral view (see detail in figs. 57, 60); 54. Dorso-prolateral view; 55. Dorsal view; 56. Detail of palpal tibia and tibial trichobothrial base. Abbreviations are spelled out in appendix 1.