Mexitlia
Lehtinen, 1967
Species Guides
1Mexitlia is a of cribellate araneomorph spiders in the Dictynidae, first described by Pekka T. Lehtinen in 1967. The genus is to North America and currently contains three recognized : M. altima, M. grandis, and M. trivittata. Members of this genus possess a cribellum, a silk-producing organ characteristic of certain spider lineages.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Mexitlia: /mɛksˈiːtliə/
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Identification
As a cribellate dictynid, Mexitlia possesses a cribellum—a flat, plate-like silk-producing structure to the —and calamistrum, a row of specialized bristles on the of the fourth leg used to comb cribellate silk. The can be distinguished from related dictynid genera by specific morphological characters of the male and female , though detailed diagnostic features require examination of . Systematic work by Jason Bond on the related genus Mallos and Mexitlia addressed their delineation.
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Distribution
North America; specific distributions within this range are documented but not detailed in available sources.
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Taxonomic history
The was established by Finnish arachnologist Pekka T. Lehtinen in 1967. The three currently recognized—M. altima, M. grandis, and M. trivittata—have remained stable since at least May 2019. The genus was included in Jason Bond's 1995 master's thesis on the of Mallos and Mexitlia at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Research significance
Mexitlia has been referenced in arachnological literature primarily through systematic studies. The serves as an example of the relatively small, regionally distributed spider genera that constitute much of understudied arachnid diversity.