Revision of the ant-eating spider genus Mallinus Simon, 1893 (Araneae, Zodariidae)

By

Haddad, Charles R
Henrard, Arnaud.
Jocqué, Rudy

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

822

Pages

141-158

Subjects

Arid , endemic , myrmecophagous , Nama Karoo , South Africa , Zodariinae

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.822.29835

 

Abstract

The zodariine spider genus Mallinus Simon, 1893 is redescribed and diagnosed. The type species, M.nitidiventris Simon, 1893 from South Africa, was originally described from subadult specimens. Adults of both sexes of M.nitidiventris are described for the first time, based on recently collected material, and the genus is rediagnosed, redescribed, and its relationships discussed. A single aberrant male specimen from Namibia is here described as a morphospecies, as it is presumed to only be superficially related. A second species, M.defectus Strand, 1906 from Tunisia, is considered a ‘species inquirenda’, as the type specimens could not be traced, but this species is in any case unlikely to be congeneric. The genus is one of 10 cases of a monotypic genus in the Zodariidae. Notes are provided on the biology of M.nitidiventris.