Thelcticopis hercules Pocock, 1901

Sankaran, Pradeep M., Sherwood, Danniella & Jäger, Peter, 2024, On the identity of species of the huntsman spider genus Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884 (Araneae: Sparassidae: Sparianthinae) from India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, Zootaxa 5463 (3), pp. 301-338 : 312

Thelcticopis hercules Pocock, 1901

Figs 8–9 , 27

Thelcticopis hercules Pocock, 1901: 487 (♀).

Type material. Holotype ♀, SRI LANKA: Kandy : Ceylon , Peradenia (=Peradeniya): Royal Botanic Gardens [ca. 07°16’N, 80°35’E; 495 m a.s.l.], date unknown, Freeman leg. ( NHMUK 1899.12.11.31; examined).

Diagnosis. Females of T. hercules resemble those of T. papuana ( Simon, 1880) ( Järvi 1912: pl. 3, figs 1−2) in having a long median septum (i.e., 85% of the epigynal field length) with the posterior part extending posteriorly beyond the epigastric furrow and the anterior margin discontinuous. The species can be distinguished from T. papuana by (1) posterior margin of epigynal field with a median incision (vs. without such incision in T. papuana ), (2) epigynal posterior projection tips rounded (vs. acuminate in T. papuana ), and (3) first winding of internal duct system distinctly laterad (vs. short and anteriad in T. papuana ) ( Figs 8D–E , 9A–B vs. Järvi 1912: pl.3, figs 1–2).

Supplementary description. Female (holotype; Figs 8A–C , 9C–D ). Colouration: dark red-brown [after Pocock 1901: black; carapace, legs, opisthosoma clothed with bright yellow-green setae]. Thoracic striae evident. Fovea deep, longitudinal, straight. Chelicerae with three promarginal and five retromarginal teeth ( Fig. 9D ). Body length 23.6. Carapace 9.8 long, 8.1 wide. Opisthosoma 13.8 long, 10.62 wide. Chelicerae 2.38 long. Eye sizes and interdistances ( Fig. 9C ): AME 0.63, ALE 0.35, PME 0.36, PLE 0.40; AME–AME 0.60, AME–ALE 1.20, AME–PME 0.45, ALE–PLE 1.21, PME–PME 1.33, PME–PLE 2.11. Length of legs: I 48.76 (14.08, 8.23, 12.27, 10.40, 3.78), II 47.74 (14.27, 7.15, 11.70, 10.59, 4.03), III 38.15 (12.98, 7.22, 8.36, 6.45, 3.14), IV 31.73 (9.21, 4.93, 7.99, 6.48, 3.12). Leg formula: 1234. Genitalia ( Figs 8D–E , 9A–B ): epigynal field as long as wide ( Figs 8D , 9A ). Lateral lobes large, i.e., extending along the entire median septum, sclerotized, more widely separated anteriorly than posteriorly ( Figs 8D , 9A ). Median septum converging posteriorly, with invaginated posterior margin ( Figs 8D , 9A ). Copulatory ducts sclerotized, widely separated, with two loops on each side, one anteriorly, the second one medially ( Figs 8E , 9B ). Fertilisation ducts narrow, roughly anteriad ( Fig. 9B ).

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Sri Lanka (Peradeniya) ( Pocock 1901) ( Fig. 27 ).

Remarks. The holotype of T. hercules is a female ( Fig. 8 ), which is not noted by the World Spider Catalog (2024). The sex of the holotype can be elucidated from the original description, where Pocock (1901) used the word ‘ Vulva’ at the 9 th line of species description, indicating that the type specimen was female. However, he did not provide the ‘female symbol’ along with the description as in other cases, which is clearly a publisher’s error/ lapsus calami also found with the description of T. ajax (see above).

Figures

FIGURES 8A–F. Thelcticopis hercules Pocock, 1901, holotype female. A–B Prosoma (A dorsal, B ventral); C Opisthosoma, dorsal; D Epigyne, ventral; E Vulva, dorsal; F Labels in the holotype vial. Scale bars: A–E, 1 mm. Photographs by Danniella Sherwood, © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.

FIGURES 9A–D. Thelcticopis hercules Pocock, 1901, holotype female. A Epigyne, ventral; B Vulva, dorsal; C Eye arrangement, dorsal; D Right chelicera, ventral. Abbreviation: PP—posterior projection. Drawings by Peter Jäger.

FIGURE 27. Distribution of the genus Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884 in southern India and Sri Lanka.