Descripción del macho de Missulena tussulena Goloboff, 1994 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Actinopodidae).

GRISMADO, CRISTIAN J.; GOLOBOFF, PABLO A.

Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, Nueva Serie

Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2006 vol. 8 p. 101 - 104

1514-5158

The male of the Chilean actinopodid spider Missulena tussulena Goloboff 1994 is described for the first time.  The species has been assigned tentatively to the genus Missulena Walckenaer (otherwise exclusively Australian), on the basis of the long female spermathecal ducts. The long and thin male embolus suggests that the species is indeed closer to the Australian Missulena than to the other Chilean actinopodids belonging to the genus Plesiolena Goloboff & Platnick.  The very long palpi, the lack of retrolateral spines on the anterior patellae, and the sternum without flange suggest that the species may be the sister group of the Australian Missulena.