Sphingius barkudensis Gravely, 1931

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 : 506-511

Sphingius barkudensis Gravely, 1931

Figs 1–4

Sphingius barkudensis Gravely, 1931: 271 , fig. 19G–H; Majumder & Tikader, 1991: 152, figs 320–325; Biswas & Raychaudhuri, 2000: 132, figs 8–14.

Sphingius delakharae Pawaria et al., 2018: 164 , figs 1.1–4, 2.5–8, 3.1–6, 4.7–10. syn. nov.

Type material. S. barkudensis : lectotype Ƌ (here designated) and paralectotypes 2♀ from INDIA: Odisha (formerly Orissa): Ganjam: Chilika Lake (= Chilka Lake ): Barkuda Island (formerly part of Madras Presidency ) (19°33’12.7’’N, 85°08’47.2’’E), 13 m a.s.l., leg. F.H. Gravely, 3–19 August 1919, deposited in NZC-ZSI (no register number), examined. S. delakharae : holotype ♀ from INDIA: Madhya Pradesh: Chhindwara: Delakhari (22°25’26.4’’N, 78°36’42.3’’E), 558 m a.s.l., leg. Atul K. Bodkhe, 15 August 2017, deposited in SRL JDPSM (no register number), not examined . Paratype Ƌ, same as holotype, not examined. The colour images provided in the original description ( Pawaria et al. 2018: figs 2.5, 7–8, 4.7, 9–10) are diagnostic and were used for comparison .

Other material examined. INDIA: Kerala: Thrissur, Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary , 10°25’06.80’’N, 76°32’07.25’’E, 709 m a.s.l., 23 July 2013, leg. M.S. Pradeep, from ground, by hand: 1 subadult Ƌ, 2♀, 1 juvenile ( ADSH562701 ). Ernakulam, Illithodu , 10°11’55.94’’N, 76°33’00.57’’E, 24 m a.s.l., 25 February 2014, leg. M.S. Pradeep, from ground, by hand: 3Ƌ, 5♀ ( ADSH562702 ) .

Diagnosis. Sphingius barkudensis are closely related to S. penicillus Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 , but can be separated by the following features: males by long, straight retrolateral tibial apophysis without basal tuft of setae (retrolateral tibial apophysis of S. penicillus short, stout with apical curvature and with basal tuft of setae), median tegular apophysis with triangular prolateral process (median tegular apophysis of S. penicillus with spine-like anterior process) and medially originating and straight embolus ( S. penicillus with prolaterally originating and curved embolus); females by short, stout copulatory ducts, which are long, slender and inverted U-shaped in S. penicillus (compare Figs 3I, K , 4 A–B, D with Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001: figs 848–851).

Redescription. Male (ADSH562702; Fig. 3A , C–H). Carapace, eye region, chelicerae, fangs, opisthosoma, pedipalpal segments brownish; clypeus, endites, labium, leg segments, spinnerets yellowish-brown; opisthosoma dorsally provided with paired anterior and median white spots. Carapace shiny, sparsely covered with erect black hairs, with prominent intercoxal discs; cephalic groove less prominent; thoracic part rebordered, with irregularly scattered black smudges. Fovea longitudinal, straight, reddish. AME black, others pearly white. Clypeus provided with a single row of erect setae. Chilum prominent, inverted triangular. Chelicerae baso-retrolaterally provided with a bunch of long narrow hairs, with an elongated, unmodified shaggy/bent hair originating near the base of fang ( Fig. 3 F–H, arrow 2: Sh); promargin with four teeth, retromargin with two denticles, middle promarginal teeth largest ( Fig. 3H ); promargin bordered by a series of long hairs with ventrally oriented tips and are smaller than the shaggy/ bent hair ( Fig. 3F ); fangs moderately long. Endites with reduced scopulae. Sternum rebordered, with coxal and intercoxal extensions, with setae at margins ( Fig. 3E ). Metatarsi III and IV provided with distal preening brush, that on III prominent ( Fig. 3D , arrow 1). Pedicel encircled with collar ( Fig. 3C ). Opisthosoma tubular, with complete dorsal scutum, ventral scutum smaller than dorsum ( Fig. 3A, C ); venter medially depressed ( Fig. 3C ). Anal tubercle prominent ( Fig. 3C ). Spinnerets basally encircled with black hairs. Body length 5.08. Carapace length 2.23, width 1.78. Opisthosoma length 2.85, width 1.51. Eye diameters: ALE 0.13, AME 0.10, PLE 0.08, PME 0.11. Eye interdistances: ALE–PLE 0.06, AME–ALE 0.01, AME–AME 0.04, AME–PME 0.11, PME–PLE 0.05, PME–PME 0.05. Chelicerae length 0.83. Clypeus height at ALEs 0.09, at AMEs 0.13. Chilum length 0.06, width 0.26. Measurements of pedipalp and legs. Pedipalp 2.12 [0.69, 0.37, 0.32, 0.74], I 6.82 [1.89, 0.96, 1.54, 1.35, 1.08], II 5.74 [1.56, 0.82, 1.16, 1.22, 0.98], III 4.79 [1.30, 0.69, 0.91, 1.10, 0.79], IV 7.76 [2.01, 0.84, 1.73, 2.08, 1.10]. Leg formula: 4123. Spination: pedipalp: femur do 1, patella pl 1 do 1, tibia pl 1 pld 2 do 1 rld 1, tarsus/cymbium pld 1 plv 3 do 1 rl 1 rlv 1; legs: femur I pl 1 do 1, II–III do 1, IV do 2; patellae I–IV spineless; tibiae I–II spineless, III pl 1 pld 3 plv 1 rl 1 rld 1 rlv 3, IV pl 2 plv 3 rl 2 rlv 3; metatarsi I–II spineless, III pl 1 plv 1 rl 1 rlv 1, IV pl 2 plv 4 rl 2 rlv 2; tarsi I–IV spineless. Pedipalp ( Figs 3I , 4 A–B). Retrolateral tibial apophysis long, gradually narrowing towards blunt apex ( Fig. 4B : RTA). Cymbium dorsally with dense mat of hairs ( Fig. 4B , arrow). Bulbous roughly ovoid, longitudinally divided, 2/3 rd of retrolateral part less sclerotised. Median tegular apophysis sclerotised, roughly roundish with prolateral triangular process, situated disto-retrolaterally ( Fig. 4 A–B: MA, PP). Accessory tegular apophysis apparently absent. Embolus postero-medially originating, narrow, slightly wavy, with broad embolic base, with blunt tip, directed at 9 o’clock ventrally ( Fig. 4A : E, EB). Conductor thin, wide, membranous, lamellate, originating disto-medially ( Fig. 4 A–B: C).

Female (ADSH562702; Fig. 3B ). Like male except the following: cheliceral promargin with three teeth. Sternum with less prominent intercoxal extensions. Opisthosoma elongate-ovoid without scuta, creamy with black shades dorsally and laterally; dorsum with four pairs of white spots: one anterior, one median and two posteriors, with a large white patch just above anal tubercle. Leg segments brownish with black shades. Pedicel lacks collar. Palp with single claw. Body length 5.68. Carapace length 2.36, width 1.97. Opisthosoma length 3.32, width 1.71. Eye diameters: ALE 0.13, AME 0.10, PLE 0.12, PME 0.11. Eye interdistances: ALE–PLE 0.06, AME–ALE 0.02, AME–AME 0.03, AME–PME 0.09, PME–PLE 0.07, PME–PME 0.06. Chelicerae length 0.86. Clypeus height at ALEs 0.05, at AMEs 0.09. Chilum length 0.03, width 0.19. Measurements of palp and legs. Palp 2.39 [0.81, 0.45, 0.46, 0.67], I 7.08 [1.95, 1.13, 1.53, 1.38, 1.09], II 5.84 [1.65, 0.89, 1.24, 1.16, 0.90], III 5.20 [1.42, 0.77, 0.97, 1.28, 0.76], IV 8.91 [2.33, 1.14, 1.85, 2.27, 1.32]. Leg formula: 4123. Spination: palp: femur do 1 v 3, patella pl 1 do 1, tibia pl 1 pld 2 do 2, tarsus/cymbium pl 2 pld 1 plv 1 do 1 rl 1 rlv 1; legs: femur I pl 1 do 1, II–III do 1, IV do 2; patellae I–IV spineless; tibiae I–II do 1, III pl 2 plv 3 do 1 rl 2 rlv 2, IV pl 2 plv 3 rl 2 rlv 3; metatarsi I–II spineless, III pl 1 plv 2 rl 1 rlv 1, IV pl 1 pld 2 plv 3 v 1 rl 2 rlv 2; tarsi I–IV spineless. Genitalia ( Figs 3 J–K, 4C–D). Epigynum with a small anterior, sclerotised hood, with membranous epigynal plate ( Fig. 4C : AH, EP). Copulatory openings crescent-shaped, medio-laterally placed ( Fig. 4C : CO). Copulatory ducts short, stout, with slight median constriction, connected to outer surface of spermathecae ( Fig. 4D : CD). Bursae globular with slender stalks, originating on median portion of copulatory ducts ( Fig. 4D : B). Spermathecae spherical, situated posteriorly ( Fig. 4D : S). Fertilization ducts long, spine-like ( Fig. 4D : FD).

Justification for the synonymy. Pawaria et al. (2018) described S. delakharae on the basis of seven female and one male specimen collected in Madhya Pradesh. Even though we could not examine the type specimens of this species, the colour images of the genitalia provided in the original description are diagnostic and show that this species shares the features of S. barkudensis : long, straight retrolateral tibial apophysis, medially oriented narrow embolus, round median tegular apophysis with anterior triangular process, epigynum with a single anterior hood and vulva with short copulatory ducts and globular spermathecae (compare Figs 3 I–K, 4A–D with Pawaria et al. 2018: figs 2.7–8, 4.9–10). Based on these observations, we propose S. delakharae a junior synonym of S. barkudensis .

The ZSI collection has two glass bottles for S. barkudensis . The first bottle is labelled as “ Types ” (5754/H2) and contains a male and a female specimens in fairly good condition. The female genitalia were intact whereas the left pedipalp of the male was detached, but was not found inside the bottle. The second bottle (1770/18) contains five females with intact genitalia, two female prosoma and two juveniles, all in fairly good condition.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Sphingius barkudensis Gravely, 1931, lectotype Ƌ (A, D) and paralectotype ♀ 1 (B) and 2 (C). A–C habitus, dorsal. D eye group, dorsal. E labels from type bottle. F original illustrations adopted from Gravely (1931). Scale bars: A–C, 1 mm; D, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 2. Sphingius barkudensis Gravely, 1931, lectotype Ƌ and paralectotype 2 ♀. A–C right pedipalp: A retrolateral; B ventral; C prolateral. D epigynum of paralectotype ♀ 1, ventral. E cleared epigynum of paralectotype ♀ 2, ventral. F vulva of the same, dorsal. Abbreviations: AH anterior epigynal hood, CD copulatory duct, E embolus, EP epigynal plate, MA median tegular apophysis, PP prolateral process of median tegular apophysis, RTA retrolateral tibial apophysis, S spermatheca. Scale bars: A–F, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 3. Sphingius barkudensis Gravely, 1931. A, C–I, Ƌ (ADSH562702) and B, J–K, ♀ (ADSH562702): A, B habitus, dorsal; C opisthosoma, ventral; D metatarsus III showing preening brush; E sternum, ventral; F left chelicera, prolateral; G same ventral; H same, ventro-retrolateral; I left pedipalp, ventral; J epigynum, ventral; K vulva, dorsal. Abbreviation: Sh shaggy hair. Arrows indicate preening brush on metatarsus III (1) and baso-lateral bunch of hairs on chelicera (2). Scale bars: A–B, 2 mm; C–E, 0.5 mm; F–K, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 4. Sphingius barkudensis Gravely, 1931. A–B left pedipalp (ADSH562702):A ventral; B retrolateral. C–D ♀ genitalia (ADSH562702): C epigynum, ventral; D vulva, dorsal. Abbreviations: AH anterior epigynal hood, B bursa, C conductor, CO copulatory opening, CD copulatory duct, E embolus, EB embolic base, EP epigynal plate, FD fertilization duct, MA median tegular apophysis, PP prolateral process of median tegular apophysis, RTA retrolateral tibial apophysis, S spermatheca, T tegulum. Arrow indicates cymbial dorsal mat of hairs. Scale bars: A–D, 0.2 mm.