The new spider genusArctenus, an afrotropical representative of the Calocteninae (Araneae: Ctenidae)

Abstract

Arctenus gen. nov. is proposed to include the type species A. taitensis sp. nov. from the Taita Hills in Kenya. This ctenid species appears to be the first representative of the Calocteninae in the African continent. Results of a parsimony analysis of morphological and behavioral characters indicated that the new species cannot be placed in any known genus and therefore validated the creation of the new genus whose autapomorphies are considered hypotheses for the genus synapomorphies. The phylogenetic relationships of the new genus are discussed and a distribution map of the unique species is presented.