Capheris stillata Simon, 1905

Sankaran, Pradeep M., 2023, Taxonomic notes on the ant-eating spider genera Asceua Thorell, 1887 and Cydrela Thorell, 1873 from India, with comment on Indian species of Euryeidon Dankittipakul & Jocqué, 2004 (Araneae: Zodariidae), Zootaxa 5296 (3), pp. 381-405 : 396-400

Capheris stillata Simon, 1905 comb. rest.

Figs 13–14 , 18

Capheris stillata Simon, 1905: 171 , fig. 3 (♁).

Cydrela stillata — Jocqué, 2009: 123 (transfer from Capheris ).

Type material. Syntype ♁ from INDIA: Puducherry: Mahé / Mayyazhi , 11°42’N 75°32’E, 2 m a.s.l., date unknown, leg. M. M. Maindron, repository MNHN, Paris (registration number unknown, Simon’s number 22495), not examined .

Other material examined. INDIA: Kerala: Wayanad, Kuruva Island , 11°48’N 76°05’E, 760 m a.s.l., 2014, from bark, by hand, collector unknown: 1 ♁ ( ADSH210 ) .

Remarks. The type specimen was not available for the present study as it is currently not found in the collection of MNHN and may be misplaced elsewhere (Elise-Anne Leguin, pers. comm.). I have found a male Capheris specimen in the old Arachnida collection of ADSH. The somatic features of this male specimen match with the description of C. stillata and the shape of its palp’s RTA looks also similar to that species (compare Simon 1905: fig. 3 ( Fig. 14A ) with Figs 13H, J , 14D ). Moreover, the collecting locality of this male specimen is lying less than 93 kms away from the type locality of C. stillata . So, I tentatively consider this male specimen as C. stillata , which is described hereafter.

Diagnosis. Males of C. stillata are most similar to the males of Capheris approximata (Karsch, 1878) as both share long RTA with apical bifurcation and broad conductor, but can be separated from the latter species by RTA with a basal process (vs. absent in C. approximata ), conductor with distal curvature (vs. median curvature in C. approximata ) and mediolaterally originating embolus (vs. basolateral in C. approximata ) (compare Figs 13H–J , 14C–D with Jocqué 2009: figs 155–156).

Redescription. Male in alcohol ( Figs 13A–G ). Body length 6.15. Carapace 3.62 long, 2.43 wide. Opisthosoma 2.53 long, 1.82 wide. Carapace, eye region, clypeus, chelicerae, labium, endites, sternum reddish brown; leg and palp segments brown with green shades; dorsal and lateral opisthosoma black with chalk-white broad patches, venter brown with chalk-white spots, black patches and striae; spinnerets brown. Fovea short, longitudinal, straight, dark. PER straight in dorsal view ( Fig. 13B ). Clypeus high ( Fig. 13D ). Chelicerae without teeth ( Fig. 13F ). Sternum anterolaterally with two large indentations and laterally provided with three pairs of precoxal sclerites (II, III & IV) ( Fig. 13G ). Tarsi II–IV provided with ventral spinules of varying numbers. Opisthosoma oval, hirsute. Eye diameters and interdistances: ALE 0.09, AME 0.12, PLE 0.11, PME 0.10; AME–ALE 0.14, AME–AME almost contiguous, ALE–ALE 0.04, ALE–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.16, PME–PME 0.09. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.47, at ALEs 0.74. Chelicerae 0.81 long. Sternum 1.59 long, 1.32 wide. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 4.15 [1.67, 0.97, 0.38, 1.13], I (right) 8.04 [2.27, 0.86, 1.90, 1.78, 1.23], II 6.60 [1.88, 0.97, 1.23, 1.58, 0.94], III 6.08 [1.83, 0.92, 0.93, 1.57, 0.83], IV 8.54 [2.36, 1.00, 1.57, 2.39, 1.22]. Leg formula: 4123. Spination of palp: no spines, instead with short but thick macrosetae; legs: femur I do 2 rl 1, II–IV do 2; patellae I–II spineless, III pl 1 pld 1 rl 1, IV pl 1 pld 1 do 1 rl 1; tibia I plv 2 rlv 1, II pld 1 plv 2 rlv 2, III pld 3 plv 3 do 2 rl 2 rld 1 rlv 3, IV pld 3 plv 3 do 2 rl 2 rld 1 rlv 3; metatarsus I plv 2 rlv 3, II pl 1 pld 1 plv 1 rlv 3 vt 1, III pl 2 pld 2 plv 3 rl 1 rld 3 rlv 3 vt 1, IV pl 1 pld 3 plv 5 do 1 rl 2 rld 3 rlv 3; tarsi I–IV spineless. Palp ( Figs 13H–J , 14B–D ). Femur strongly developed, larger than leg femora ( Fig. 13H ). Tibia with RTA large, flat, slightly bifid at its extremity as seen ventrally ( Figs 13H–J , 14C–D ), dorsal prong slightly longer than ventral one, with a basolateral triangular process ( Figs 13I–J , 14C–D ). Cymbium with numerous short, thick macrosetae: basodorsally with cluster of eight, prolateroapically two and prolaterally nine ( Figs 13I–J , 14B–D ), without cymbial fold. Subtegulum membranous ( Figs 14B–C ). Tegulum simple, with slight posterolateral swelling ( Fig. 14C ). Embolus narrow, originating mediolaterally to tegulum, partially covered by conductor ( Figs 13I , 14C ). Conductor broad, membranous, longitudinally folded, distoprolaterally originating, with distoretrolaterad curvature, directed at 2-o’ clock ventrally ( Figs 13I–J , 14C–D ).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. India (Kerala (new record), Puducherry) ( Simon 1905; present data) ( Fig. 18 ).

Justification of the transfer. This species was originally placed under Capheris ( Simon 1905) . Jocqué (2009) erroneously transferred it to Cydrela , without proper justification. This species also has diagnostic features of Capheris species including carapace without deep concavity at level of fovea, ALEs situated in front of AMEs, ALEs almost separated by their radius, straight PER, sternum shied-shaped, with precoxal sclerites, anterolaterally with deep indentations accommodating endites, and very stout palps ( Figs 13B–E, G–H ). Based on these observations, the transfer of C. stillata is fully justified.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Capheris stillata Simon, 1905 comb. rest., male (ADSH210). A habitus, dorsal. B prosoma, dorsal. C same, retrolateral. D habitus, frontal. E eye group, dorsofrontal. F left chelicera, retrolateral. G prosoma showing sternum, ventral. H right palp entire, retrolateral. I–J left palp: I ventral; J retrolateral. Scale bars: A, 2 mm; B–D, G, 1 mm; E–F, H–J, 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 14. Capheris stillata Simon, 1905 comb. rest., male left palp (ADSH210). A original illustration of palp adapted from Simon (1905). B–D left palp (ADSH210): B prolateral; C ventral; D retrolateral.Abbreviations: C, conductor; E, embolus; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; SD, sperm duct; ST, subtegulum; T, tegulum. Arrow indicates basolateral triangular process of RTA. Scale bars: B–D, 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 18. Distribution of the genus Capheris Simon, 1893 in India. ● Capheris escheri Reimoser, 1934 comb. rest., ■ Capheris nitidiceps Simon, 1905 comb. rest., ▲ Capheris stillata Simon, 1905 comb. rest.