On the First African Spiders of the Subfamily Molycriinae (Araneae, Prodidomidae)

• Published in: American Museum novitates Vol. 3552; no. 1; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Platnick, Norman I, Bird, Tharina L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Central Park West, 79th Street, New York, NY 10024–5192 American Museum of Natural History Library 2007
• Subjects: Araneae
• ISSN: 0003-0082; 1937-352X
• DOI: 10.1206/0003-0082(2007)3552[1:OTFASO]2.0.CO;2

A new genus, Namundra, is described to contain the first molycriine prodidomids found in Africa; the subfamily was previously known only from Australia and two Indo-Pacific islands. As in other molycriines, the anterior lateral spinnerets are greatly elongated and situated far in advance of the remaining spinnerets. The broad separation between the two anterior lateral spinnerets suggests that Namundra may be most closely related to Wydundra Platnick and Baehr, the geographically most widespread of the previously known molycriine genera. Four new species are described: N. griffinae, N. brandberg, and N. kleynjansi from Namibia, and N. leechi from Angola.