Paratrachelas Kovblyuk & Nadolny 2009

Paratrachelas Kovblyuk & Nadolny, 2009

Paratrachelas Kovblyuk & Nadolny, 2009: 37.

Type species: Trachelas maculatus (Thorell, 1875)

Diagnosis. Paratrachelas differs from T. minor, the type species of Trachelas by the presence of a chilum, a carapace with a broad cephalic part, the presence of a larger abdominal do scutum in males, AME closer to each other than to ALE, circular PME, stout male legs I and II with leg II longer than leg IV in most species, presence of leg cusps on ti, mt and ta of male legs I and II, a male palp without ve femoral groove or RPA and possessing a pointed RTA and a subtriangular bulbus which has a membranous conductor in most species, an epigyne with an anteriorly situated epigynal hood, as well as median COs connected to short and straight IDs, as opposed to the anterior COs and thin, coiled IDs connected to a longitudinally oriented median stretch ("median ducts of epigyne" of Kovblyuk & Nadolny (2009)) in T. minor and related species, oval ST2 similar in size to ST1 and situated in between the latter (Fig. 3 F, 4D), and sausage-shaped ST1 of which the two globular lumina are interconnected by intertwined solenoidal ducts (Fig. 4D).

Paratrachelas differs from Metatrachelas by its tuberculate carapace and circular PME, presence of a large abdominal do scutum in males as well as stout male legs I and II with leg II longer than leg IV in most species, presence of leg cusps on ti, mt and ta of male legs I and II, a male palp with pointed RTA and a subtriangular bulbus which has a membranous conductor in most species, an epigyne with an anteriorly situated epigynal hood, oval ST2 similar in size to ST1 and situated in between the latter, and sausage-shaped ST1 of which the two globular lumina are interconnected by intertwined solenoidal ducts.

Description. See Kovblyuk & Nadolny 2009: 37, 41.

Composition of genus. Kovblyuk & Nadolny (2009) transferred T. maculatus and T. acuminus to Paratrachelas. As outlined above, T. validus and T. ibericus are herewith transferred to Paratrachelas as well, as P. v a l i d u s new combination and P. i b e r i c u s new combination. Moreover, a new species, P. atlantis, is described below.