A new species of the spider genus Tekellina Levi, 1957 from Chile, with a broadened definition of the family Synotaxidae (Arachnida, Araneae)

Abstract

A new species, Tekellina araucana sp. n., is described from Chile and Argentina. Detailed morphological data from the spinnerets and male palp of T. araucana sp. n. and Tekellina sadamotoi Yoshida & Ogata, 2016 is provided. A new diagnostic character of Tekellina Levi, 1957, a row of bottle-like modified setae between the anal tubercle and the spinnerets was found. The absence of aggregate and cylindrical gland spigots may be a further diagnostic character for the genus. New molecular sequence data of T. araucana sp. n., Tekellina archboldi Levi, 1957 (generotype) and Nescina kohi Lin, Ballarin & Li, 2016, is provided and analyzed together with legacy genetic and transcriptomic data from a wide sampling of species representing all areaneoid families. Both molecular and morphological data suggest that Tekellina is closely related to Synotaxus Simon, 1895 together with three genera formerly placed in Nesticidae. From those results we broaden the limits of Synotaxidae to include the genera Synotaxus, Hamus Ballarin & Li, 2015, Nescina Ballarin & Li, 2015, Gaucelmus Keyserling, 1884, and Tekellina. The morphological data, especially of the male palps, is consistent with that re-limitation.