On American‘Micromerys’andMetagonia(Araneae, Pholcidae), with notes on natural history and genital mechanics

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Abstract
Two American pholcids previously assigned toMicromerysBradley are redescribed and transferred toMefagonia: Me. conica(Simon, 1893) comb. n. (Venezuela), andMe. delicata(Cambridge, 1895) comb. n. (Central America). Two close relatives ofMe. delicafaare newly described:Me. uvitasp. n. andMe. falamancasp. n. (both from Costa Rica). The nameMe. turrialbaGertsch. 1986 is synonymized withMe. ricaGertsch, 1986 (Costa Rica) which is redescribed. Four additional representatives ofMetagoniaare described as new:Me. reventazonasp. n. (Costa Rica, Panama),Me. torosp. n. (Panama),Me. hitoysp. n. andMe. hondurasp. n. (Costa Rica).Leptopholcus dalei(Petrunkevitch, 1929) from Puerto Rico, which was originally described asMicromerys dalei.is redescribed and its closeness to ‘true’ Old WorldLepfopholcusis supported. Arguments are presented to justify the transfer of the American‘Micromerys’species toMetagonia.Notes on the natural history ofMe. ricaare presented, and a detailed account on copulation and genital mechanics is given as a basis for future comparison. © 1997 The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters