The new spider genus Palindroma, featuring a novel synapomorphy for the Zodariidae (Araneae)

The new genus <em>Palindroma</em> gen. nov. is described in the Cryptothelinae, Zodariidae. Apart from the type species, <em>P. morogorom</em> gen. et sp. nov. (♂♀), the genus contains <em>P. aleykyela</em> gen. et sp. nov. (♂), <em>P. avonova</em> gen. et sp. nov. (♂♀), <em>P. sinis</em> gen. et sp. nov. (♂) and the somewhat aberrant species <em>P. obmoimiombo</em> gen. et sp. nov. (♂). The four typical representatives of the genus are characterized by the profile of the carapace with a slight dip, the absence of precoxal sclerites and the characters of the male palp with enlarged tibia, large subtegulum and tegular retrolateral knob. The genus occurs in miombo-woodland and coastal forest in East and Central Africa and this peculiar distribution is discussed. A key to the males of the <em>Palindroma</em> species is provided. Specimens of <em>Palindroma</em> have a particularly well-developed tibial process fitting in a shallow metatarsal pouch on all legs in both sexes. Although less conspicuous in some derived taxa, the feature appears to be present in all representatives of the Zodariidae, but not in possible sister-group taxa and is thus an autapomorphy of the family.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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