Sphingius sp., Thorell, 1890

Sankaran, Pradeep M., Caleb, John T. D. & Sebastian, Pothalil A., 2020, A review of the genus Sphingius Thorell, 1890 from India (Araneae: Liocranidae), Zootaxa 4896 (4), pp. 505-522 : 515

Sphingius sp.

Figs 8–9

Sphingius caniceps Gravely, 1931: 271 , fig. 19E–F (misidentification); Majumder & Tikader, 1991: 150, figs 315–319 (misidentification).

Material examined. Ƌ and ♀ (NZC-ZSI 5751/H2) from INDIA: Tamil Nadu: Chennai (formerly Madras), 13°04’57.65’’N, 80°16’14.59’’E, 4 m a.s.l., date unknown, leg. F.H. Gravely ( Fig. 8E ) .

Remarks. Gravely (1931) misidentified these specimens as S. caniceps and they do in fact belong to an undescribed Sphingius species. The female epigynum seems unique among other known female congeners, as it possesses inverted triangular postero-lateral epigynal margins separated medially from the anterior circular atrium by a transverse M-shaped plate ( Fig. 9E ). At present, a description of these specimens as a new species is difficult, due to the very poor condition and the genitalia are bleached, losing relevant diagnostic details, particularly those of the male. We therefore treat this species as Sphingius sp. until fresh specimens are available from Chennai. The ZSI collection has two glass bottles for this species named as “ S. caniceps ”, collected from Chennai. The first bottle (5751/ H2) contains a male and a female specimen in bad condition. The second bottle (5752/H2) is empty; the specimen(s) in this bottle may either be lost or perhaps loaned and not returned or misplaced elsewhere in the collection.

Natural history. Sphingius sp. live among leaf litter, stones and soil ( Gravely 1931).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Sphingius sp.. A, C Ƌ: A habitus, dorsal; C eye group, dorsal. B, D ♀: B habitus, dorsal; D eye group, dorsal. E label from specimen bottle. F illustrations of ‘S. caniceps’ adopted from Gravely (1931). Scale bars: A, 1 mm; B, 2 mm; C, 0.2 mm; D, 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 9. Sphingius sp.. A–D Ƌ left pedipalp: A prolateral, B ventral; C retrolateral; D enlarged view of retrolateral tibial apophysis, retrolateral. E ♀ epigynum, ventral. Abbreviations: C conductor, E embolus, MA median tegular apophysis, RTA retrolateral tibial apophysis, TA accessory tegular apophysis. Scale bars: A–E, 0.2 mm.