Oecobius marathaus Tikader

Santos, Adalberto J. & Gonzaga, Marcelo O., 2003, On the spider genus Oecobius Lucas, 1846 in South America (Araneae, Oecobiidae), Journal of Natural History 37 (2), pp. 239-252 : 247

Oecobius marathaus Tikader

(figures 12–17, 22, 23)

Oecobius marathaus Tikader, 1962: 684–685 , figure 2 (female holotype and female paratype from Jangli Maharaj Road , Poona, India, 4 June 1961, B. K. Tikader, probably in National Zoological Collections, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, not examined).

Maitreja marathaus ; Lehtinen, 1967: 246; Saaristo, 1997: 71, figures 1–4.

Oecobius reefi Saaristo, 1978: 104–105 , figures 46–51 (male holotype from Mahé, Seychelle Islands , 27 October 1975, M. Saaristo, in Zoological Museum, University of Turku, not examined) Schmidt and Krause 1994: 234–236, figure 1 (description of the female). Synonymized by Saaristo, 1997: 71.

Oecobius marathans (lapsus); Baum, 1980: 347, figures 16–18.

Oecobius inopinatus Wunderlich, 1995b: 691–692 , figure 1 (female holotype from near Rockhampton , Queensland, Australia, July 1992, G. Wunderlich, in Queensland Museum, QMS26040, not examined). New synonymy.

Notes. We recognized this species by means of Baum’s (1980) illustrations of the epigynum of the holotype. The illustrations and specimens examined in this study are a perfect match of the illustrations of O. inopinatus .

Diagnosis. The carapace colour pattern of O. marathaus is characterized by triangular marginal spots (figure 12).The males can be distinguished from those of other species by the small, curved and pointed OTL1 situated on a tegular proximal extension (figures 14, 16, 22) and by the sinuous mesal sclerite (MS) over the retrolateral margin of the tegulum (figures 14–16). The epigynum has a sclerotized plate, like O. concinnus , but differs in the presence of an anterior process with an opening (figures 13, 23, OP), the epigastric groove forming a concave margin (figure 13, CM) and in a posterior longitudinal sulcus (figure 13, LS).

Description. Descriptions can be seen in Tikader (1962), Saaristo (1978), Baum (1980, only the epigynum) and Wunderlich (1995b).

Natural history. All specimens were collected in urban areas, on wall corners.

Distribution. India (Tikader, 1962), Australia (Wunderlich, 1995b), Comoro Islands (Schmidt and Krause, 1994; Saaristo, 1997), Seychelles Islands (Saaristo, 1978), Yemen, and South Africa. In South America collected only in southeastern, central and northeastern Brazil (figure 17).

Material examined. Yemen: Ja’ar , 23 March 1998, A. Van Harten, one X ( IBSP27624 ) . South Africa: Kruger National Park , April 2001, A. J. Santos and M. O. Gonzaga, two W, 10 X ( IBSP27623 ) . Brazil: Pernambuco: Recife , January 2000, H. F. Medeiros, two W, ( IBSP26175 ) ; Distrito Federal: Brasília , 5 May 2000, A. J. Santos and A. M. F. Pacheco, one W, one X, seven juv. ( IBSP26176 ) ; Minas Gerais: Uberlândia , April 2000, E. Q. Garcia, one X ( IBSP26181 ) ; 7 February 2001, two X ( IBSP27625 ) ; Belo Horizonte , 7 March to 4 April 1995, A. J. Santos et al., six X, four juv. ( IBSP26177 ) ; 22 September 1994, A. J. Santos et al., one W, five X, six juv. ( IBSP26764 ) ; 12 May 1999, M. O. Gonzaga, two X, six juv. ( IBSP26178 ) ; São Paulo: Caçapava , 23 December 1999, M. O. Gonzaga, one X ( IBSP26179 ) ; São José do Rio Preto , December 1999, G. Q. Romero, one juv. ( IBSP26180 ) ; 21 December 2000, one W, two X ( IBSP26219 ) .