RETURN TO DATABASE - ALTERNATIVE CLASSIFICATION Monograph
of the Salticidae (Araneae) of the World 1995-2015. Introduction to alternative classification of Salticidae REMARK. Bodner & Maddison (2012, p. 221-222) proposed a new clade "THIRATOSCIRTINAE", which they consider subfamily, and discuss its evolutionary significance. Understanding premises for that is difficult because their taxonomic documentation is limited to listing genera they propose to include into THIRATOSCIRTINAE, without taxonomic definition or description, apart from a cladogram based on molecular analyses, whose taxonomic significance is unclear. To provide some orientation in their proposal I quote below the taxonomic documentation of all species they consider. For more comments - see- THIRATOSCIRTINAE Remarks of
relationships between genera of Thiratoscirtinae and other clades
of Salticidae.
Morphological documentation available in the literature is insufficient
and therefore inconclusive. Structure of epigyne and palps represent
two types, which deserve further attention, there are also
some rather incompatible species. The most tempting similarity is separation
of eyes anterior lateral and posterior lateral by prominent depression,
with microscopic size of eyes II, supposedly indicating relationships
to fossil Eocene Prolinus, and its extant analogues Tomocyrba and
Hispo, looks probable in the case of Massagiris
schisma, (whose relationship
to Thiratoscirtinae is, however, questionable), but is not supported
by eyes of Thiratoscirtus and related genera. Coiled embolus
may indicate relationships to Euophryinae, but require further documentation
of its basis. There is intriguing resemblance in posterior part
of epigyne with Asiatic genus Habrocestoides, with curious
circular structure inside, but that require further study. In view
of very incomplete morphological documentation of diversity in Thiratoscirtinae,
no firm conclusion on their placement could be drawn.
Gen. Gramenca Rollard, Wesołowska, 2002 (1 species) Type species Gramenca prima. Zoosystema. Paris, 24 (2): 292-293, figs 7A-D. By courtesy. |