A reclassification of the species of Linyphia Latreille based on the functioning of the genitalia (Araneida, Linyphiidae) Part II. Microlinyphia Gerhardt and Frontinellina van Helsdingen

INTRODUCTION In this second part of my series of papers on the genus Linyphia sensu Bonnet (1957) two genera are dealt with which have been removed from Linyphia Latreille on morphological and ethological grounds. The functioning of the genitalia of one example of either genus have been described and discussed in the first part (Van Helsdingen, 1969). Though the results were not as striking as in the case of Neriene versus Linyphia, the study of the functional aspects of the genitalia have added much to the understanding of the correlations between the shapes of the different parts of the male and female secondary sexual organs. Neriene was separated from Linyphia largely on the basis of the differences in the functioning of the genitalia, as revealed in fixed genital complexes, supported, of course, by purely morphological characters. Microlinyphia was created by Gerhardt (1928) on ethological grounds, and the existence of this separate genus is confirmed indeed by the results obtained in the field of functioning. Frontinellina was created by me (Van Helsdingen, 1969) for the reception of two species with strongly deviating genital organs. I am greatly indebted to the following persons and institutions for the loan of specimens, old and new : AMNH = American Museum of Natural History, New York; Dr. W. J. Gertsch. BM = British Museum (Natural History), London; Mr. D. J. Clark. CAS = California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco; Dr. P. H. Arnaud. CD = Collection of Mr. J. Denis, Longeville, France. CL = Collection of Mr. J. C. Ledoux, Montpellier, France. HDO = Hope Department of Entomology, University Museum, Oxford; Mr.