Poecilaemula

Poecilaemula
[[File:|300px]] Poecilaemula signata (Banks, 1909), from original description.
Suborder	Laniatores
Superfamily	Gonyleptoidea
Family	Cosmetidae
Subfamily	Metergininae

Poecilaemula Roewer, 1912 is a genus of the Neotropical family Cosmetidae, subfamily Cosmetinae with eight species from diverse regions of Central and South America. Due to this broad geographic spread, monophyly should be considered as suspect. The genus was treated as monotypic by Kury & Medrano 2018 , and previously restored in Kury 2003 (as is followed here for various additional species not mentioned by Kury & Medrano 2018). Further taxonomic revision and an additional species was given by Medrano et al. 2024

Synonymy

Meterginus [part]: Banks, 1909a: 228.

Poecilaemula Roewer, 1912b: 100; 1915b: 125; 1927: 605; Mello-Leitão, 1931: 93; 1935e: 373.

Paecilaemula [misspelling]: Roewer, 1915c: 125; 1917: 104; 1923: 374; 1927c: 605; Mello-Leitão, 1932: 64, 442; 1933c: 106; Caporiacco, 1951: 18.

Paecilaema [part]: Goodnight & Goodnight, 1953b: 54.

Placement

Originally placed in Cosmetidae, Cosmetinae.

Type species

Meterginus signatus Banks, 1909, by original designation.

Diagnosis

Confusion in the definition of the genus has likely been caused by differences between the holotype male* of Banks 1909 (kept in MCZ) and 'syntype' material of Roewer 1912 (kept in SMF). The holotype male appears to have larger, more robust chelicerae than 'syntype' male described by Roewer 1912 (and used to define his new genus Poecilaemula). The holotype also has low armature on area III, in contrast to that of Roewer 1912 description as "high, sharp conical spines". See comments below under Notes.

*MCZ possibly may also have 'syntype' female(s) plus other specimens from Banks 1914.

Included species

• Poecilaemula eutypa (Chamberlin, 1925): 240 – Panama
• Poecilaemula iching Medrano, Kury, Martins & Proud, 2024:317 – Panama
• Poecilaemula signata (Banks, 1909): 228 - Costa Rica (Cartago).

The following species may be considered doubtful following Kury & Medrano 2018.

• Poecilaemula lavarrei Goodnight & Goodnight, 1942: 6 - Guyana (Bartica).
• Poecilaemula metatarsalis Roewer, 1915: 125 - Venezuela(Mérida).
• Poecilaemula moniliata Roewer, 1927: 606 - Ecuador (Morona-Santiago).
• Poecilaemula peruviana Roewer, 1947: 27 - Peru (Loreto).
• Poecilaemula smaragdula Mello-Leitão, 1941: 437 - Brazil (Espírito Santo).

(Note: The species originally desribed as Paecilaemana reimoseri Roewer, 1933: 289 from Costa Rica, has subsequently been excluded from Paecilaemana and revised as a junior synonym of Poecilaemula signata (Banks, 1909)) in Medrano et al. (2024).

Notes

The species P. signata (Banks 1909) was originally described from both male and female types, but is drawn for first time in Roewer, 1923 (p.374, Fig.454), however the details of this figure are not given in Kury 2003.

There is conflict between the characters given in Roewer 1912 (etc) based on material which he examined as alleged P. signata (Banks 1909) [designated 'syntypes' loaned or donated by Banks] and the original description given by Banks 1909.

Roewer 1912 (p.100) states "einem mittleren Paare hoher, spitzer Kegeldornen bewehrt" (i.e. 3rd area armed with a medial pair of high, sharp conical spines), also saying both a male and female of Bank's type material were seen ("gesechen!). Later Roewer 1923 (p.374) more simply states this feature as "3. A 1 mttl Do-Paar" (i.e. 3rd abdominal scutum with 1 medial spine-pair). However, Banks 1909 (p. 228) previous describes his species from the holotype as having "posterior tubercles small, rounded, wide apart".

Roewer 1912 (p.100) states "II. Glied der Mandibeln obwohl beim ♂ dicker als beim ♀, so doch nicht mit einer das I. Glied hoch überragenden Kniewölbung. (i.e. 2nd member of the chelicerae although in the ♂ thicker than in ♀, but not so with the 1st member high outstanding 'knee-bulging'.). Next Roewer 1923, p.374 (plus Fig.454) states "2. Ch-G [cheliceren-gleider] des ♂, obwohl dicker als beim ♀, so doch von derselben Form wie beim ♀". (i.e. 2nd cheliceral member of the ♂, although thicker than in ♀, yet of the same shape as in the ♀). The relatively small chelicerae of his examined male is shown in his Fig.454. In contrast, Banks 1909 (p. 228, 229) previously writes "basal joint of mandibles granulate above, second joint in the male is greatly enlarged, swollen above and in front, in the female normal".

The MCZ male specimen (apparent holotype) of Banks has photographs online here:

https://www.gbif.org/species/6907000

The SMF holds one or more specimens labeled as syntypes, under accession 9800283-RI/283-32

https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/207885743