Oedothorax howardi PETRUNKEVITCH 1925, INCERTAE SEDIS

‘OEDOTHORAX’ HOWARDI PETRUNKEVITCH, 1925 INCERTAE SEDIS

Oedothorax howardi Petrunkevitch, 1925: 174, pl. 8, figs 6–9 (Df).

Unexamined material: USA: Tennessee, Clarksville, 3♀ 1921, coll. S. E. Crumb, sent by L. O. Howard (Petrunkevitch, 1925). No type was designated.

Diagnosis:

Females: This species differs from Oedothorax s.s. and its related genera by the epigynal morphology seemingly without a fused middle part of the dorsal and ventral plates (fig. 6 in Petrunkevitch, 1925), as well as by the tibial chaetotaxy (1-1-1-1) (2-2-1- 1 in Oedothorax, Callitrichia and Mitrager) and the absence of trichobothria on metatarsus I (present in Oedothorax, Callitrichia and Mitrager).

Males: Unknown.

Distribution: USA: Tennessee.

Remarks: The information provided in Petrunkevitch (1925) suggests that this species does not belong to Oedothorax s.s., nor is it sufficient for assigning this species to any other existing taxa. Due to the unavailability of specimens, and limited information from the original description, the relationship of this species to other erigonines remains unclear.