Megamyrmaekion tikaderi ( Gajbe, 1987 ) Sankaran & Caleb & Sebastian, 2019

Sankaran, Pradeep M., Caleb, John T. D. & Sebastian, Pothalil A., 2019, On the taxonomic validity of Indian ground spiders: I. Genus Scopoides Platnick, 1989 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae), Zootaxa 4648 (1), pp. 155-164 : 159-161

Megamyrmaekion tikaderi ( Gajbe, 1987) comb. nov.

Figs 17–26

Scopodes tikaderi Gajbe, 1987: 285 , figs 1–6. Gajbe, 2007: 463, figs 103–108.

Scopoides tikaderi Platnick, 1989 .

Type material. Holotype female from INDIA: Chhattisgarh: Bastar: Hatkachora near Jagadalpur (19 o 04’25.90’’N, 82 o 02’11.86’’E), 555 m alt.; U.A. Gajbe leg.; 2 January 1984; repository NZC-ZSI, Kolkata (5145/18), examined . One allotype male, two males and one subadult female paratype from INDIA: Madhya Pradesh: Tikamgarh : Orchha village (25 o 22’05.77’’N, 78 o 37’42.69’’E), 230 m alt; U.A. Gajbe leg.; 28 December 1983; repository NZC-ZSI, Kolkata (5146/18), examined.

Justification of the transfer. Gajbe (1987) described S. tikaderi based on male and female specimens collected from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The original and subsequent illustrations of the genitalia ( Gajbe 1987: figs 3–4, 6; Gajbe 2007: figs 105–106, 108) of this species clearly indicated that it is misplaced within Scopoides . Detailed study of the types of S. tikaderi ( Figs 17–18 ) revealed that this species has resemblance with the features of Megamyrmaekion species as discussed above for Megamyrmaekion pritiae comb. nov.

Supplementary description. Male (allotype; Fig. 18 ). Sternum with intercoxal extensions. Cheliceral promargin with three teeth, retromargin with one. Trochanters notched. Tarsi scopulated. Body length 8.21. Prosoma length 3.93, width 3.02. Opisthosoma length 4.28, width 2.88. Eye diameters: ALE 0.21. AME 0.25. PLE 0.19. PME 0.18. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.19. AME–PME 0.30. PME–PLE 0.17. PME–PME 0.11. Chelicerae length 1.30. Measurements of pedipalp and legs. Pedipalp (right) 3.93 [1.36, 0.79, 0.56, 1.22], I 10.72 [3.17, 1.86, 2.27, 2.06, 1.36], II 10.65 [3.19, 1.87, 2.22, 2.03, 1.34], III (right)10.50 [2.96, 1.62, 2.17, 2.31, 1.44], IV (right) 12.87 [3.38, 1.76, 2.66, 3.62, 1.45]. Leg formula: 4123. Pedipalp ( Figs 22–24 ). Retrolateral tibial apophysis long, stout with distal bent, with its tip directed at 1-o’ clock position ( Figs 23–24 ). Bulb sac-like, with slight postero-prolateral bulging ( Fig. 22 ). Median apophysis short, stout, thumb-like, apico-retrolaterally oriented, with distal part lying away from embolic tip, directed at 11-o’ clock position ( Fig. 22 ). Embolus short, narrow, apically oriented, with chisel-like tip ( Fig. 22 ).

Female (holotype; Fig. 17 ). Body length 7.46. Prosoma length 3.59, width 2.81. Opisthosoma length 3.87, width 2.69. Eye diameters: ALE 0.18. AME 0.22. PLE 0.19. PME 0.16. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.15. AME–PME 0.35. PME–PLE 0.14. PME–PME 0.14. Genitalia ( Figs 25–26 ). Epigyne with roughly triangular sclerotized plate, with median rectangular depression ( Fig. 25 ). Copulatory openings postero-medially placed, hidden behind the posterior tip of the epigynal plate. Vulvae consist of rod-shaped, sclerotized, obliquely oriented primary spermathecae with short, blind paramedian lobes, with anteriorly oriented globular secondary spermathecae connected posterolaterally to primary spermathecae by short tubular ducts ( Fig. 26 ).

Remarks. The ‘paratype’ vial (5146/18) contains two males and one subadult female, instead of three male specimens as mentioned in the original description.

Figures

FIGURES 17–21. Scopodes tikaderi Gajbe, 1987 (NZC-ZSI-5045-46/18).17 holotype female habitus, dorsal view. 18 allotype male habitus, dorsal view. 19–21 labels from type bottles. Scale bars: 17–18, 2 mm.

FIGURES 22–26. Scopodes tikaderi Gajbe, 1987 (NZC-ZSI-5045-46/18). 22–24 left pedipalp of allotype male (22 ventral view, 23 retrolateral view, 24 enlarged view of retrolateral tibial apophysis); 25–26 genitalia of holotype female (25 epigyne, ventral view, 26 vulvae, dorsal view). Scale bars: 22–23, 0.5 mm; 24–26, 0.2 mm.