Morphological organization of the male palpal organ in Australian ground spiders of the genera Anzacia, Intruda, Zelanda, and Encoptarthria (Araneae: Gnaphosidae)

Abstract

Detailed morphologies of the male copulatory organs of the Australian genera Anzacia, Intruda, Encoptarthria and Zelanda and the Holarctic genus Drassodes are presented. The homology of several palpal elements within the family Gnaphosidae is established. The possible homology of these structures with those in other spider families is discussed. The ground plan of the gnaphosoid genital bulb is compared with the bulb of other Entelegynae genera. Australasian spider genera have a peculiar organization of the male palpal organs. Thus, the Holarctic genus Drassodes was also analyzed for comparison. The analysis of the male copulatory organs is presented and its implication for classification of these groups is discussed. The taxonomic changes we make here are the transfer of four species from the genus Megamyrmaekion to genus Encoptarthria: E. echemophthalma (Simon 1908), E. penicillata (Simon 1908), E. perpusilla (Simon 1908), and E. vestigator (Simon 1908). One species is transferred from genus Echemus to genus Encoptarthria: E. grisea (L. Koch 1873). New synonymy established: Encoptarthria echemophthalmum (Simon 1908) 5 Encoptarthria serventyi Main 1954, syn. n.