Redescription of Misumenoides athleticus comb. nov. (Araneae: Thomisidae), wrongly assigned to the philodromid genus Petrichus

• Main Authors: Renato Augusto Teixeira, Arno Antonio Lise
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pensoft Publishers 2012-08-01
• Series: Zoologia (Curitiba)
• Subjects: Argentina; crab spider; taxonomy
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-46702012000400010

Petrichus athleticus Mello-Leitão, 1944 was described from Punta Piedras, Argentina, based on male and female specimens. The species was originally wrongly assigned to Petrichus Simon, 1886 because it has the cephalic region more elevated than the carapace region. However, examination of the holotype has revealed the presence of lateral eye tubercles, and legs I and II longer and stouter than legs III and IV. These characteristics are considered synapomorphic for the Thomisidae. Furthermore, the presence of an epigynal hood (type "hood pocket"), RTA long with simple base and modified apex, absence of tutaculum, and short setae on the surface of the carapace and abdomen corroborate that P. athleticus belongs to Misumenoides F.O.P.-Cambridge, 1900. In this paper, we assign P. athleticus to Misumenoides, redescribe the species, illustrate it for the first time, and extend its known distribution.