A review of the genus Raveniola (Araneae, Nemesiidae) in China, with notes on allied genera and description of four new species from Yunnan.

ABSTRACT: The Chinese representatives of Raveniola Zonstein, 1987 are currently recognized to comprise seven species. Four new species - Raveniola montanasp. n. (??), Raveniola shangrilasp. n. (?), Raveniola songisp. n. (?) and Raveniola yunnanensissp. n. (?) - are described from the highlands of Yunnan Province, China. According to some characters (shape of the palpus, palpal tibia and tibia I in males) they can be placed together with Raveniola hebeinica Zhu, Zhang & Zhang, 1999 and with Raveniola guangxi (Raven & Schwendinger, 1995), comb. n., transferred here from Sinopesa Raven & Schwendinger, 1995. The current generic position of Raveniola xizangensis (Hu & Li, 1987) is confirmed. Other Chinese nemesiids referred previously to Raveniola are transferred to Sinopesa: Sinopesa chinensis (Kulczy?ski, 1901), comb. n., Sinopesa sinensis (Zhu & Mao, 1983), comb. n. and Sinopesa chengbuensis (Xu & Yun, 2002), comb. n. The relationships between these Asian genera and their relations to Afrotropical nemesiids are discussed.

SUBMITTER: Zonstein S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3426841 | biostudies-other | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other