Eskov K.Yu.1, Marusik Yu.M.2* 2024. The cuticle of liphistiomorph spiders is coated with a cerotegument: the first record for the order (Arachnida: Aranei: Liphistiomorphae) // Arthropoda Selecta. Vol.33. No.3: 375–382 [in English].
1 Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya Str., 123, Moscow 117647 Russia.
2 Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Portovaya Str., 18, Magadan 685000 Russia.
Kirill Eskov: afranius999@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7953-0746
Yuri Marusik: yurmar@mail.ru; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4499-5148
*Corresponding author
doi: 10.15298/arthsel.33.3.06
ABSTRACT: The сerotegument, a secretory layer over the epicuticle, previously unknown in the order Aranei, is discovered in liphistiomorphan spiders from both extant families: Liphistiidae and Heptathelidae. The cuticle of the examined spiders turned out to be closely similar to that of Amblypygi in the presence of a cerotegument as well as in the general cuticular morphology. The cerotegument appears to be an additional putative synapomorphy of the Aranei + Amblypygi clade of the Tetrapulmonata arachnids. Its structure differs between the families Liphistiidae and Heptathelidae and seems to be family-specific, as it has previously been demonstrated for various amblypygid families.
KEY WORDS: Arachnida, Araneae, Mesothelae, Amblypygi, cuticle morphology, cerotegument.