Further study of two chinese cave spiders (Araneae, mysmenidae), with description of a new genus

Abstract

The current paper expands knowledge of two Chinese cave spider species originally described in the genus Maymena Gertsch, 1960: M. paquini Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 and M. kehen Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009. With the exception of these two species, the genus Maymena is endemic to the western hemisphere, and new evidence presented here supports the creation of a new genus for the Chinese species, which we name Yamaneta gen. nov. The male of Y. kehen is described for the first time. Detailed illustrations of the habitus, male palps and epigyne are provided for these two species, as well as descriptions of their webs. DNA sequences are provided for both Yamaneta species. We build on a previously published phylogenetic analysis of Mysmenidae to assess the phylogenetic position of Yamaneta and its relationship to true Maymena.