Thelcticopis bicornuta 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 : 307

Thelcticopis bicornuta Pocock, 1901

Figs 4–5 , 26

Thelcticopis bicornutus Pocock, 1901: 489 (♂).

Type material. Holotype ♂, INDIA: Nagaland: Naga Hills (formerly part of Assam of British India ) [ca. 25°59’N, 94°59’E; 1344 m a.s.l.], date unknown, collector unknown ( NHMUK 1897.6.24.27; examined).

Diagnosis. Males of T. bicornuta are similar to those of T. severa in sharing a broad RTA with a narrowing distal part with 1–2 strong distal setae dorso-proximad and a bunch of strong distad setae arising medially to dorsally from the RTA, the cymbium with pronounced retrolateral bulge, the tegular apophysis arising at 4-o’ clock ventrally, and a short slightly curved embolus originating prolaterally from tegulum (cf. Figs 4D–F , 5A–B vs. Zhu et al. 2020: figs 2A–D). It can be distinguished from T. severa by having two distinctly curved, strong distal setae on ventral narrow part of RTA (vs. one seta in T. severa ), a right angle between the long and narrow ventral part and the broad dorsal part of the RTA (vs. obtuse angle in T. severa ), and four retromarginal cheliceral teeth in two groups of two, separated by a distinct gap (vs. five in a continuous line in T. severa ) (cf. Figs 4D–F , 5A–B, D vs. Zhu et al. 2020: figs 2A–D, G).

Supplementary description. Male (holotype; Figs 4A–C , 5C–D ). Colouration: brown [after Pocock 1901: nearly black, clothed with yellow-grey setae; dorsal opisthosoma posteriorly with dark, narrow, transverse stripes; venter dark at middle; thoracic striae evident]. Chelicerae with three promarginal and four retromarginal teeth, promarginal teeth increasing in size distally ( Fig. 5D ). Body length 17.6. Carapace 9.0 long, 7.81 wide. Opisthosoma 8.6 long, 6.38 wide. Chelicerae 1.80 long. Eye sizes and interdistances ( Fig. 5C ): AME 0.80, ALE 0.59, PME 0.36, PLE 0.56; AME–AME 0.65, AME–ALE 0.63, AME–PME 0.54, ALE–PLE 0.46, PME–PME 1.50, PME–PLE 1.42. Palp ( Figs 4D–F , 5A–B ; bulb slightly expanded, i.e., not in original resting position): cymbium with a pronounced retrolateral bulge, with cymbial scopula disto-dorsally ( Figs 4E–F , 5A–B ). The TA in T. bicornuta , distinctly sticking out in ventral view, might be an artefact since the TA is originated from a membrane and is, therefore, movable. Tibia short, with broad RTA having long, prolateral prong, with a short, triangular VDL ( Figs 4E–F , 5A–B ). Tegular apophysis arising from tegulum in 4-o’ clock position ventrally, with inwardly directed apex ( Figs 4E–F , 5A–B ). Conductor arising disto-laterally, curved retrolaterally, covering the apex of embolus ( Figs 4D–F , 5A–B ). Embolus short, disto-laterally originating, with tip extending to the distal part of conductor ( Figs 4E , 5A ).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. India (Nagaland) ( Pocock 1901) ( Fig. 26 ).

Remarks. The holotype jar contains a second palp, which does not belong to this species or even to this genus. It was already recognized by PJ, who identified it as belonging to ‘ Palystes sp. ’ and wrote a label (PJ and DS pers. obs.). It cannot be excluded that this species is a synonym of T. severa . For more discussion, see remarks of T. picta .

Figures

FIGURES 4A–G. Thelcticopis bicornuta Pocock, 1901, holotype male. A–B Prosoma (A dorsal, B ventral); C Opisthosoma, dorsal; D–F Left palp (D prolateral, E ventral, F retrolateral); G Labels in the holotype vial. Scale bars:A–F, 1 mm. Photographs by Danniella Sherwood, © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.

FIGURES 5A–D. Thelcticopis bicornuta Pocock, 1901, holotype male. A–B Left palp (A ventral, B retrolateral); C Eye arrangement, dorsal; D Right chelicera, ventral. Abbreviations: C—conductor; dRTA—dorsal part of retrolateral tibial apophysis; dSe—distal setae; E—embolus; Se—bunch of setae; Sp—spermophor; VDL—ventro-distal lobe; vRTA—ventral part of retrolateral tibial apophysis; TA—tegular apophysis. Drawings by Peter Jäger.

FIGURE 26. Distribution of species of the genus Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884 in Myanmar, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. For species in southern India and Sri Lanka (except for T. kirankhalapi), see Fig. 27.