Anepsion maritatum ( O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877 )

Malamel, Jobi J., Sankaran, Pradeep M., Joseph, Mathew M. & Sebastian, Pothalil A., 2015, Cyrtarachne keralensis Jose, 2011 is a junior synonym of Anepsion maritatum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877) (Araneae, Araneidae), Zootaxa 4039 (3), pp. 478-482 : 478-479

Anepsion maritatum ( O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877)

( FigS 1 A–O, 2A–I)

Paraplectana maritata O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877: 32 , pl. 7, fig. 7 (Description and illustration of ♂ & ♀) Paraplectana picta Thorell, 1877: 356 (Description of ♀), 1878: 19 (Description of ♂)

Paraplectana nigroanalis Hasselt, 1882: 15 , pl. 1, fig. 3 (Description and illustration of ♀)

Anepsia maritata Simon, 1905: 63

Anepsion maritatum Chrysanthus, 1961: 465 , figs. 3-10 (Illustration of ♂ & ♀); Yaginuma & Wen, 1983: 196, figs. 4A- B (Illustration of ♀); Song, 1987: 158, fig. 118A-B (Illustration of ♀); Yin et al., 1997: 118, figs. 43a-b (Illustration of ♀); Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999: 236, figs. 134A & 146E (Illustration of ♀)

Cyrtarachne keralensis Jose, 2011:322 , figs. 1a-g (Misidentification; description and illustration of ♀). Holotype female (Regd. No.AR00102) and paratype male without register number; not examined as the types are lost. New synonymy

Material examined: ( ADSH 091909 A)— 2 males, 2 females: India, Kerala, Ernakulam, Karukutty (10o13'24.51''N, 76o22'51.93''E), 7 m. alt., Pradeep M. S. leg. 22 January 2013, by hand. ( ADSH 091909 B)— 2 males, 4 females: India, Kerala, Thrissur, Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary (10o26'00.30''N, 76o28'56.41''E), 67 m. alt., Pradeep M. S. leg. 23 July 2013, by hand. ( ADSH 091909 C)— 4 males, 7 females: India, Kerala, Ernakulam, Idamalayar (10o14'56.17''N, 76o43'40.37''E) 156 m. alt., Pradeep M. S. leg. 0 9 November 2013, by hand. ( ADSH 091909 D): 2 females: India, Kerala, Alappuzha, Pathiramanal Island (9o37'07.11''N, 76o23'04.95''E), 0 m. alt., Pradeep M. S. leg. 22 November 2014, by hand.

Redescription: Male (ADSH 091909 C, Figs1 A–H, 2A–D, H): Prosoma yellowish to yellowish-brown, shiny, glaborous. Thoracic region flat, lying entirely below the distal part of the opisthosoma. Chelicerae yellowish-brown; pro and retromargins with 4 teeth. Endites with disto-lateral process ( Figs 1 D, 2H, arrow). Labium triangular, fused with sternum. Sternum yellowish-brown with a broad median black patch. Opisthosoma circular in outline, leathery, yellowish, postero-laterally with series of corrugations; dorsum and laterals provided with broad chalk-white and black patches; venter with a median broad black patch extending from the posterior epigynal margin up to the posterior margin of opisthosoma. Legs yellowish-brown with broad patches particularly on femora and patellae; all patellae more than half the length of the corresponding tibiae. Body length 3.97. Prosoma length 1.57, width (at the middle) 1.26. Opisthosoma length 2.40, width (at the middle) 1.79. Eyes diameter: AME 0.08. ALE 0.03. PME 0.09. PLE 0.04. Eye interdistance: AME–AME 0.10. AME–ALE 0.33. AME–PME 0.08. PME–PME 0.08. PME–PLE 0.33. Clypeus height at AME 0.05, at ALE 0.06. Length of chelicerae 0.72. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 1.41 [0.32, 0.23, 0.09, 0.77], I 3.45 [1.03, 0.52, 0.75, 0.76, 0.39], II 3.17 [1.01, 0.52, 0.60, 0.66, 0.38], III 2.22 [0.75, 0.32, 0.41, 0.42, 0.32], IV 3.21 [1.04, 0.42, 0.62, 0.74, 0.39]. Leg formula: 1423. Pedipalp ( Figs 1 E–H, 2A–D): Femur proximo-ventrally provided with a short basal apophysis ( Figs 1 E, 1G, 2A, 2C). Tibia with short, finger-shaped bulge, directed at 3’o clock position in retrolateral ( Figs 1 G, 2C). Paracymbium short with less sclerotized basal part ( Figs 1 H, 2D). Conductor broad, with terminal origin ( Figs 1 E, 2A).Terminal apophysis with a retrolateral bend, with a slightly depressed anterior margin, lying in close contact with conductor ( Figs 1 F, 2B). Embolus short, disto-prolateral in origin, narrow with broad base having a short, proximo-median process ( Figs 1 F, 2B). Median apophysis massive, downwardly directed, with broad base and narrow tip having serrated prolateral margin ( Figs 1 F, 2B), with a prolateral branch ( Figs 1 F, 2B). Tegulum with a slender prolateral lobe attached to the proximo-prolateral part of embolar base ( Figs 1 F, 2B).

Female (ADSH 091909 C, Figs 1 I–O, 2E–G, I): Like male except the following: Chelicerae proximally yellowishbrown, distally black; promargin with 4 and retromargin with 6 teeth. Endites without disto-lateral process. Body length 6.21. Prosoma length 2.59, width (at the middle) 1.78. Opisthosoma length 3.62, width (at the middle) 3.50. Eyes diameter: AME 0.08. ALE 0.06. PME 0.11. PLE 0.07. Eye interdistance: AME–AME 0.12. AME–ALE 0.66. AME– PME 0.11. PME–PME 0.11. PME–PLE 0.67. Clypeus height at AME 0.08, at ALE 0.09. Length of chelicerae 1.13. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 2.01 [0.60, 0.31, 0.44, 0.66], I 5.27 [1.54, 0.83, 1.09, 1.27, 0.54], II 5.2 [1.55, 0.82, 1.08, 1.23, 0.52], III 3.44 [1.15, 0.55, 0.61, 0.68, 0.45], IV 5.22 [1.70, 0.72, 1.06, 1.21, 0.53]. Leg formula: 1423. Genitalia ( Figs 1 L–O, 2E–I): epigynum broad plate-like with a median, long scapus having wrinkled basal part and blunt end ( Figs 1 L–M, 1O, 2E, 2G). Copulatory opening narrow, lying on the posterior epigynal margin ( Fig 2 F). Copulatory duct long, nearly S-shaped, distally forming a single circular loop ( Figs 1 N, 2F). Spermathecal head short, globular with posterior bulging ( Fig 2 F).

Variation. Male body length, 3.90–3.97 (n = 8). Female body length, 4.03–6.21 (n = 16).

Remark. First record of the genus from India.

Justification of synonymy. Jose (2011) described Cyrtarachne keralensis from Idamalayar, which is part of the Western Ghats in Kerala state of southern India. The original description of C. keralensis is based on the female holotype and the description is supported by eight text figures. Jose (2011) did not provide any morphological as well as genital details with illustrations of the male specimen except a single line description of the male palp. The “leathery” female abdomen and the high cephalic region with paired bulging ( Jose 2011; figs 1B–D) indicate that his species indeed belongs to the genus Anepsion Strand, 1929 and the internal epigynal structures suggest that his species is Anepsion maritatum (compare fig 1G in Jose (2011) with Fig 2 F herein). The type material of C. keralensis (female holotype; Voucher No. AR00102 and male paratype, not numbered) described from Idamalayar were not examined as they are lost (Jose, personal communication). The colour photograph of female habitus of C. keralensis given in Sebastian and Peter (2009; plate 25) proves the misidentification of the species. Moreover, collections from the type locality of C. keralensis (Idamalayar) yielded specimens of A. maritatum indicating that C. keralensis is not a new species as suggested by Jose (2011). C. keralensis should thus be regarded as a junior synonym of A. maritatum .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Anepsion maritatum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877). A, Male habitus, dorsal. B, Same, ventral. C, Same, prolateral. D, Male mouth parts, ventral, showing lateral process on endites (arrow). E, Left male palp, prolateral. F, Same, ventral. G, Same, retrolateral. H, Same, dorsal. I, Female habitus, dorsal. J, Same, ventral. K, Same, retrolateral. L, Epigynum before clearing, ventral. M, Epigynum (cleared in 10 % KOH), ventral. N, Same, dorsal. O, Epigynum before clearing, retrolateral. Scale bars: A – C, 2 mm; D, 0.5 mm; E – H, 0.5 mm; I – K, 2 mm; L – O, 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 2. Anepsion maritatum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877). A, Left male palp, prolateral. B, Same, ventral. C, Same, retrolateral. D, Same, dorsal. E, Epigynum, ventral. F, Same, cleared, dorsal. G, Same, retrolateral. H, Male mouth parts, ventral, showing lateral process on endites (arrow). I, Schematic course of female internal ducts. Abbreviations: C, conductor; CD, copulatory duct; CO, copulatory opening; E, embolus; FD, fertilization duct; MA, median apophysis; pMA, prolateral lobe of median apophysis; pT, prolateral lobe of tegulum; P, paracymbium; S, scapus; SH, spermathecal head; T, tegulum; TA, terminal apophysis; TB, tibial bulge; VFA, ventral femoral apophysis. Scalebars: A – D, 0.28 mm; E – G, 0.13 mm; H, 0.17 mm.