A revision of the genus Medmassa Simon, 1887 (Araneae: Corinnidae) in the Afrotropical Region

Charles R Haddad,Jan Bosselaers

doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2361.1.1

Abstract

The genus Medmassa Simon, 1887 is revised in the Afrotropical Region. The type species is M. frenata (Simon, 1887) from the Philippines, described from a subadult female. The widespread, but previously poorly known M. semiaurantiaca Simon, 1910, appears to be the only congeneric Afrotropical species. It is redescribed, illustrated for the first time, and proposed as a senior synonym of M. hiekae Berland, 1922. Medmassa laurenti Lessert, 1946 from the Congo D. R. is proposed as a junior synonym of Mandaneta sudana (Karsch, 1880). Medmassa lesserti Strand, 1916 from the Congo D. R. is transferred to Procopius Thorell, 1899 and proposed as a senior synonym of Procopius quaerens Lessert, 1946. Medmassa nitida Lawrence, 1942 from South Africa is proposed as a junior synonym of Pronophaea natalica Simon, 1897. Medmassa proxima Lessert, 1923 and M. vidua Lessert, 1923, also from South Africa, are misplaced and their transfer to Pronophaea Simon, 1897 is proposed. The female holotype of M. nyctalops Simon, 1910 from the island of Bioko is lost and this species is considered nomen dubium. M. semiaurantiaca is recorded from Botswana, Central African Republic, Congo D. R., Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinee-Bissau, Kenya and South Africa. Field observations indicate that it is a fast-running nocturnal hunter that forages on the bark of trees, with a preference for those with smooth bark. Most of the material was collected by canopy fogging or active searching at night.

Highlights

The genus Medmassa Simon, 1887 consists of dark sac spiders distributed in Africa, Australasia and SouthEast Asia (Platnick 2010), with three species described from juveniles from South America presently considered nomina dubia (Bonaldo 2000)
A recent cladistic analysis that aimed to resolve the placement of the Afrotropical tracheline genus Austrachelas Lawrence, 1938 placed Medmassa semiaurantiaca Simon, 1910, an Afrotropical species consistent in somatic and genitalic morphology with the Asian species recognised by Deeleman-Reinhold (2001), basally in the Castianeirinae (Haddad et al 2009), supporting her subfamilial placement
Examination of the holotype female of P. quaerens Lessert, 1946 from Lulonga, Congo D.R., indicates that this species is a junior synonym of Procopius lesserti

Summary

Introduction

The genus Medmassa Simon, 1887 consists of dark sac spiders distributed in Africa, Australasia and SouthEast Asia (Platnick 2010), with three species described from juveniles from South America presently considered nomina dubia (Bonaldo 2000). A recent cladistic analysis that aimed to resolve the placement of the Afrotropical tracheline genus Austrachelas Lawrence, 1938 (transferred to Gallieniellidae) placed Medmassa semiaurantiaca Simon, 1910, an Afrotropical species consistent in somatic and genitalic morphology with the Asian species recognised by Deeleman-Reinhold (2001), basally in the Castianeirinae (Haddad et al 2009), supporting her subfamilial placement.

Results

Conclusion