Description of a new genus and three new species of the family Palpimanidae (Arachnida, Araneae) from Kenya

By

Oketch, Ambata D.
Zonstein, Sergei L.
Kioko, Esther N.
Li, Shuqiang

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2020-7-28

Original Publication

African invertebrates : a journal of biodiversity research

Volume

61

Series / Issue

Issue: 2

Pages

93--106

Subjects

Afrotropical , Chediminae , genus , Species , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa Council of the Natal Museum 2001-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/afrinvertebr.61.54004

 

Abstract

A new genus and three new species of the spider family Palpimanidae Thorell, 1870 from Kenya are described. Sceliscelis Oketch & Li, gen. nov. is close to Sarascelis Simon, 1887 and Scelidocteus Simon, 1907 but differs in the structure of the male palp. The new species reported are Sceliscelis marshi Oketch & Li, sp. nov., Scelidocteus taitave Oketch & Li, sp. nov., and Hybosida machondogo Oketch & Li, sp. nov.Sceliscelis marshisp. nov. is described from males and females collected from Tsavo in south Kenya. Scelidocteus taitavesp. nov. can be distinguished from other congeners, as well as from the morphologically similar Scelidomachus socotranus Pocock, 1899, by the shape of the palpal “conductor”. Hybosida machondogosp. nov. differs from other six-eyed Hybosida spp. by possessing rudimentary posterior median eyes.