Hippasa agelenoides (Simon, 1884)

Figs 1A–B, F, 2–9, 35

Pirata agelenoides Simon, 1884: 334 (♀).

Hippasa agelenoides — Simon 1885: 31; 1898: 326, fig. 334 (transfer from Diapontia). Gravely 1924: 594, fig. 1G (♀). Dyal 1935: 142, plate XIII, figs 49–52 (♂ ♀). Tikader & Malhotra 1980: 293, figs 99–101 (♀). Gajbe 2004: 7; 2007: 499. Sen et al. 2015: 46, plate XIV, figs 183–187 (♀) (misidentification per genitalic illustrations). Dhali et al. 2017: 69, plate XXIII, figs 312–316 (♀) (misidentification per genitalic illustrations).

Diapontia agelenoides — Thorell, 1887: 300 (♂).

Hippasa partita — Ahmed et al. 2015: 2, fig. 3 (♀) (misidentification).

Type material. Pirata agelenoides Simon, 5 immature ♀♀ syntypes from MYANMAR (=BURMA): Tharrawaddy: Minhla (17°58'N, 95°43'E; 26 m alt.), date unknown, G.B. Comotto leg., repository MSNG (3 syntypes; no register number specified) and MNHN (2 syntypes; no register number specified), examined based on photographs (Figs 2–3); 1 ♂ labeled as D. agelenoides, details as above, but including collecting date 1884, examined based on photographs (Fig. 4).

Other material examined. INDIA: Kerala: Palakkad: Parambikulam / Parambikulam Tiger Reserve (10°26'N, 76°48'E; 564 m alt.), 16–24 September 1914, F.H. Gravely leg.: 5 ♀♀ (NZC-ZSI 5152 /H2); Ernakulam: Kothamangalam: Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary (Thattekkadu Bird Sanctuary) (10°07'48.3''N, 76°41'43.24''E; 96 m alt.), 22 May 2013, M.S. Pradeep leg., from web on ground, by hand: 1 ♀, 1 subadult ♀ (ADSH595031); Kollam: Kulathupuzha Forest Reserve: Rackoot Estate: 2 nd mile, 20 February 2019, M.S. Pradeep leg., from web on ground, by hand: 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀ (ADSH595032); Trivandrum: Ponmudi (8°45'35.79''N, 77°7'00.75''E; 920 m alt.), 5 December 2019, M.S. Pradeep leg., from web on ground, by hand: 2 ♀♀, 1 subadult ♂, 1 subadult ♀, 7 juveniles (ADSH595033) .

Diagnosis. Hippasa agelenoides is similar to Hippasa lamtoensis Dresco, 1981 as both share a small body, robust anterior arm of tegular apophysis and wider than long epigyne without scape, but the former can be separated from the latter by the following combination of features: wide conductor (vs. narrow in H. lamtoensis), mesal arm of tegular apophysis with retrolaterally oriented distal part (vs. whole mesal arm of tegular apophysis retrolaterally oriented in H. lamtoensis) and epigyne with atrium (vs. epigyne without atrium in H. lamtoensis, compare Figs 7B–C, F, 8A–B, D with Alderweireldt & Jocqué 2005: figs 35–37).

Supplementary description. Male in ethanol (ADSH595032; Fig. 5A–I). Cephalic part, clypeus, chelicerae, and cymbium brownish; thoracic part, endites, labium, leg segments except coxae, spinnerets, and pedipalp segments pale brownish; coxae, sternum, dorsum, venter and sides of opisthosoma creamy-white; leg segments with black annulations and patches. Carapace clothed with fine, black appressed setae, with patches of appressed white setae restricted to thoracic part, and a few scattered erect spine-like setae on cephalic and distomedian thoracic parts. Cephalic groove indistinct. Thoracic part laterally with stiff setae. Radial furrows distinct. Thoracic fovea reddish, long (0.65), straight, longitudinal (Fig. 5A). Clypeus narrow, medially provided with a few setae (Fig. 5D). Chelicerae dorsally clothed with moderately long setae; inner and outer surfaces with stridulatory files (Fig. 5G–H); promargin with a series of long setae with bend tips, with two/three teeth (Fig. 5G); retromargin with three teeth (Fig. 5G). Boss prominent (Fig. 5D). Sternum with scattered black setae, with a broad, median longitudinal black band (Fig. 5E). Endites with reduced scopulae restricted to anterolateral corners (Fig. 5E). Labium unfused with sternum (Fig. 5E). Opisthosoma elongate-ovoid, hirsute (Fig. 5A); cardiac area marked with a pale pinkish patch; dorsum medially with irregular black transverse bands; venter and sides with a few discontinuous black stripes and dots. Anal tubercle prominent. Spinnerets hirsute (Fig. 5F). Legs long, slender, hirsute, spinose; metatarsi and tarsi with reduced scopulae (Fig. 5I). Body length 8.30. Carapace 3.96 long, 2.88 wide. Opisthosoma 4.34 long, 2.24 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.14, AME 0.15, PLE 0.28, PME 0.30; AME–ALE 0.07, AME–AME 0.08, AME–PME 0.12, PLE–PLE 0.72, PME–PLE 0.17, PME–PME 0.21. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.21, at ALEs 0.15. Length of chelicerae 1.70. Measurements of pedipalp and legs: pedipalp 4.91 [1.69, 0.75, 1.02, 1.45], I 14.55 [3.79, 1.66, 3.03, 3.78, 2.29], II 13.53 [3.55, 1.52, 2.91, 3.55, 2.00], III 13.02 [3.49, 1.38, 2.74, 3.57, 1.84], IV 17.92 [4.37, 1.53, 3.85, 5.55, 2.62]. Leg formula: 4123. Spination of pedipalp: femur pld 1 do 4 rld 1, patella pld 1 do 2, tibia pl 1 plv 1 do 1, tarsus/cymbium pld 1 plv 2 rl 1; legs: femur I pld 2 do 3 rld 3, II pld 2 do 2 rld 2, III pld 3 do 3 rld 3, IV pld 3 do 3 rld 1; patellae I–IV pld 1 do 2 rld 1; tibia I pl 1 pld 1 plv 3 rl 1 rlv 3, II pl 1 pld 1 plv 2 do 2 rl 1 rlv 3, III pl 1 pld 1 plv 1 do 1 rl 1 rld 2 rlv 1 v 2, IV pl 1 pld 1 plv 3 do 2 rl 2 rlv 3; metatarsus I pl 1 pld 1 plv 3 rlv 3 vt 1, II pld 3 plv 3 rl 1 rld 1 rlv 3 vt 1, III pld 3 plv 3 rld 3 rlv 3 vt 1, IV pld 3 plv 3 rld 3 rlv 4 vt 1; tarsi I–IV spineless. Pedipalp (Figs 7A–D, 8A–C): segments hirsute; cymbium proximally wide, gradually narrowing towards apex, without apical claw-like macrosetae, distoventrally provided with a bunch of long setae with bend tips (Fig. 7A–C). Tegulum large, occupying more than half of the ventral side of bulb (Figs 7A–C, 8A–B), prolaterally with oblique longitudinal groove that distally widens to form a retrolateral lamellate process having a short tegular stalk (Fig. 8A–B; LT, TG, TS), with a short, triangular tegular process lying behind conductor retrolaterally (Figs 7B, 8A; RTP). Subtegulum small, subglobular, basoprolaterally located (Figs 7A–B, 8A; ST). Palea moderately broad, widely oval, less sclerotised (Figs 7B, D, 8A, C; Pa). Synembolus moderately large, hook-like, arising on ventroprolateral margin of palea, concealed proximally by lamellate process of tegulum, with distal part lying in close proximity with palea, with smoothly rounded tip directed at 1-o’ clock ventrally (Figs 7B–D, 8A–C; Se). Tegular apophysis broad, medially originating, with retrolaterally oriented anterior arm having downward-directed distal half with smoothly rounded tip, with ventroretrolaterally directed mesal arm with broad base, with a narrow slightly curved distal part with angular tip (Figs 7B–C, 8A–B; AT, MT, TA). Conductor prominent, broad, hyaline, lying between tegular apophysis and tegular process (Figs 7B, 8A–B; C). Embolus short, thin, straight with slight distal curvature, concealed by distal part of tegulum, with broad embolic base, with smoothly rounded tip (Figs 7B, D, 8A, C; E, EB).

Female in ethanol (ADSH595032; Fig. 6A–I). Like the male, except by the following: carapace and marking on cardiac area pale brownish; dorsum, venter and sides of opisthosoma greyish, venter laterally with thin, longitudinal black band. Leg and palp segments dull green coloured with brownish shades, with indistinct black annulations and patches. Thoracic fovea slightly short (0.53) (Fig. 6A). Cheliceral promargin with three teeth (Fig. 6G). Palp tarsus with single claw. Body length 8.21. Carapace 3.93 long, 3.04 wide. Opisthosoma 4.28 long, 2.95 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.17, AME 0.18, PLE 0.28, PME 0.31; AME–ALE 0.07, AME–AME 0.08, AME–PME 0.10, PLE–PLE 0.70, PME–PLE 0.25, PME–PME 0.19. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.24, at ALEs 0.18. Length of chelicerae 1.67. Measurements of palp and legs: palp 5.00 [1.65, 0.83, 0.99, 1.53], I 12.94 [3.43, 1.66, 2.81, 3.12, 1.92], II 12.46 [3.50, 1.60, 2.59, 2.96, 1.81], III 12.13 [3.38, 1.48, 2.50, 3.16, 1.61], IV 17.13 [4.34, 1.60, 3.75, 5.20, 2.24]. Spination of palp: patella pld 1 do 2 rld 1, tibia pl 1 pld 1 rld 1, tarsus plv 2 rl 1 rld 1 rlv 1; legs: femur II pld 3 do 3 rld 3; tibia II pl 1 pld 1 plv 2 rl 2 rlv 3, III pl 1 pld 1 plv 3 rl 2 rld 2 rlv 1, IV pl 1 pld 1 plv 3 rl 1 rld 3 rlv 3; metatarsus I pl 1 pld 1 plv 3 rl 1 rld 1 rlv 3 vt 1. Genitalia (Figs 7E–G, 8D–E): epigyne clothed in bushy setae (Fig. 7E), with a wide, short and oval median plate, and triangular lateral plates, without scape (Figs 7F, 8D; LEP, MEP); median plate with a small, triangular atrium centrally leading to small hood internally (Figs 7F–G, 8D–E; H). Copulatory openings indistinct. Spermathecal stalks short, slender, with straight proximal and S-shaped distal parts (Figs 7G, 8E; SS). Accessory glands globular without stalks arising basolaterally to spermathecal stalks (Fig. 8E; AG). Spermathecae oval, diverging (Figs 7G, 8E; S). Fertilization ducts long, parallel, anteriorly directed (Fig. 8E; FD).

Variation. Male (n=2): body length 8.19–8.30. Female (n=6): body length 7.98–8.21. The number of teeth on the cheliceral promargin of males varies from two to three.

Distribution. Myanmar, Pakistan, and India: Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand (Simon 1884; Thorell 1887; Gravely 1924; Dyal 1935; Tikader & Malhotra 1980; Gajbe 2004, 2007; Ahmed et al. 2015; present data) (Fig. 35).