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Issue: Vol. 3160 No. 1: 13 Jan. 2012
Type: Monograph
Published: 2012-01-13
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3160.1.1
Page range: 1–68
Abstract views: 79
PDF downloaded: 1

Morphology of new Indian/Indonesian Gamasomorpha and Xestaspis species (Araneae: Oonopidae)

Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Natural History Museum Bern, Department of Invertebrates, Bernastrasse 15, CH-3005 Bern, Switzerland
Natural History Museum Bern, Department of Invertebrates, Bernastrasse 15, CH-3005 Bern, Switzerland
Museu de Ciências Naturais, Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Anatomical Institute, Department of Topographical Anatomy and Neuroanatomy, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 2, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
Natural History Museum Bern, Department of Invertebrates, Bernastrasse 15, CH-3005 Bern, Switzerland
Araneae Alpha-taxonomy morphology planetary biodiversity inventory (PBI) Gamasomorpha Xestaspis somatic characters intraspecific variation species specificity complex female genitalia

Abstract

The oonopid genera Gamasomorpha and Xestaspis are very diverse and differ only by the shape of the booklung covers.New Indian/Indonesian Gamasomorpha and Xestaspis species, characterized by sternal furrows consisting of large, drop-like pits are described. Fourteen species are newly described (G. asterobothros n. sp., G. keri n. sp., G. petoteca n. sp., G.insomnia n. sp., G. ophiria n. sp., G. squalens n. sp., G. coniacris n. sp., G. raya n. sp., G. fricki n. sp., G. schmilingi n. sp.,X. kandy n. sp., X. paulina n. sp., X. semengoh n. sp., X. biflocci n. sp.); two species are redescribed (G. seximpressa andG. taprobanica). The high significance of somatic features for species identification, the degree of intraspecific variationand the complexity of the female genitalia are remarkable. The current work suggests that a phylogenetic revision of thegenera Gamasomorpha and Xestaspis and an examination of the validity of the shape of the booklung covers of these two genera are needed.

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