A relimitation and revision of the Australasian ground spider family Lamponidae (Araneae : Gnaphosoidea)

The ground spider family Lamponidae Simon, previously construed to include only the type genus Lampona Thorell, is relimited to encompass 190 species of Australasian gnaphosoids, most of which have been either undescribed or misplaced in the families Corinnidae and Gnaphosidae. Three subfamilies are recognized: the Lamponinae Simon (including nine genera totalling 81 speci es), the Centrothelinae, new subfamily (type genus Centrothele L. Koch, inc luding 11 genera, totalling 89 species), and the Pseudolamponinae, new subf amily (type genus Pseudolampona, new genus, including two genera, totalling 20 species). Putative synapomorphies for the family, as relimited, include two newly noted characters: a pair of oval, invaginated abdominal sclerite s situated just behind the epigastric furrow, and a highly modified promarg inal seta originating near the base of the cheliceral fang. As relimited, t he lamponids are exclusively Australasian, and are hypothesized to represen t the sister group of the worldwide families Gnaphosidae plus Prodidomidae. The most commonly encountered lamponids are large, synanthropic, and occasi onally medically important spiders that have generally been identified as L ampona cylindrata (L. Koch) but actually constitute a group of three closel y related species: L. cylindrata, L. murina L. Koch, and L. papua, new spec ies. Of these three species, only L. cylindrata has been found in Western a nd South Australia and in Tasmania, and that species is also common in Vict oria and New South Wales, extends north into south-central Queensland, and has apparently been introduced into the South Island of New Zealand. In con trast, only L. murina has been found in eastern Queensland, and that specie s also occurs south to Victoria and has apparently been introduced into Lor d Howe Island, Norfolk Island, the North Island of New Zealand, and the Ker madec Islands; L. papua is known only from New Guinea. Lampona pseudocylind rata Strand is newly synonymized with L. cylindrata; L. formicaria (Urquhar t) is removed from the synonymy of L. cylindrata and placed as a junior syn onym of L. murina. Three other specific names are newly synonymized within Lampona: L. subaquila Urquhart with L. ruida L. Koch, and L. obnubila Simon and L. paupercula Simon, both with L. brevipes L. Koch. The female of L. q uiqueplagiata Simon and the males of L. flavipes L. Koch, L. macilenta L. K och, L. pusilla L. Koch, L. ruida L. Koch, L. punctigera Simon, and L. foli ifera Simon are described for the first time; 47 new species of Lampona are described. The subgenus Lamponina Strand is elevated to generic level. Lam pona scutata Strand and Lampona asperrima Hickman are transferred to Lampon ina; the male of the former species and the female of the latter are descri bed for the first time. Four new species of Lamponina are described. Seven new genera of lamponines are described: Lamponoides, Lamponata, Lamponova, Lamponicta, and Lamponusa, each for one new species; Lamponega, for three n ew species; and Lamponella, for 10 new species that are hypothesized to rep resent the sister group of all other lamponines. Four genera (Aristerus Simon, Asadipus Simon, Centrothele L. Koch, and Stra tius Simon) are transferred from the Corinnidae to the Centrothelinae; Prio nosternum Dunn is transferred from the Gnaphosidae to the Centrothelinae. A risterus is placed as a junior synonym of Asadipus, and 18 new species of A sadipus are described. Stratius is placed as a junior synonym of Centrothel e; the males of C. lorata L. Koch and C. mutica (Simon) are described for t he first time, and eight new species of Centrothele an described. Asadipus lifoui Berland is transferred to the new genus Centrocalia, its female is n ewly described, and two new species of Centrocalia are described; the genus appears to be endemic to New Caledonia. Asadipus nitidiceps Simon is trans ferred to Prionosternum and its male is newly described; males previously a ssociated with its newly designated female lectotype belong to P. scutatum Dunn, the female of which is newly described; one new species of Prionoster num is described. Seven other new centrotheline genera are described: Centr ina, for 11 new species; Centsymplia, for 1 new species; Longepi, for 8 new species; Queenvic, for 4 new species; Bigenditia, for 2 new species; Grayc assis, for 10 new species; and Notsodipus, for 17 new species. The Pseudolamponinae contains two new genera: Pseudolampona, described for 12 new species, and Paralampona, described for 8 new species. Pseudolamponi nes are hypothesized to represent the sister group of lamponines plus centr othelines. Hypothesized lamponine synapomorphies include a uniquely even en dite shape and tubular pedicel sclerites; putative centrotheline synapomorp hies include a highly tuberculate carapace, an anterior abdominal scutum in females, an anteriorly truncated ventral pedicel segment, a weakly sclerot ized spot on theanterior surface of the chelicerae, and a longitudinal row of three highly modified cylindrical gland spigots on the posterior median spinnerets. Lamponines and centrothelines are united by a deep and sharply demarcated median groove on the palpal endites.