Capheris escheri Reimoser, 1934

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 : 394-396

Capheris escheri Reimoser, 1934 comb. rest.

Figs 11 , 18

Capheris escheri Reimoser, 1934: 467 , fig. 1 (♀).

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

Type material. Holotype ♀ from INDIA: Tamil Nadu: Dindigul, Kodaikanal , from small shola near kukkal/kookal, 10°16’N 77°22’E, 1972 m a.s.l., leg. J. Carl & K. Escher, 1926-1927, repository MHNG, Geneva (ARTO-26290), examined based on photographs.

Diagnosis. Females of C. escheri are very similar to the females of Capheris oncka Lawrence, 1927 as both share semi-circular epigynal plate and short basomedian septum, but can be separated from the latter species by copulatory openings with straight anterior rim (vs. semi-circular in C. oncka ) (compare Fig. 11G with Jocqué 2009: fig. 173).

Supplementary description. Female (holotype) ( Figs 11A–F ) (partly after Reimoser (1934)). Body length 5.90. Carapace 3.00 long, 1.50 wide. Opisthosoma 2.90 long, 1.70 wide. Carapace yellowish brown, slightly domed, without deep concavity at level of fovea ( Fig. 11D ); endites, sternum yellowish red; legs reddish yellow with darker femora; dorsum of opisthosoma black with small yellow dots and dashes ( Fig. 11F ), with five pairs of large yellow patches in varying sizes and shapes ( Fig. 11F ), laterals with paired pale yellow bands of reeds and spots, venter pale yellow with rows of black bands and spots. ALE almost touching, separated from each other by less than their radius ( Figs 11B–C ); PER straight in dorsal view ( Fig. 11B ). Sternum finely wrinkled, shield-shaped, sparsely covered with long bristles, with anterolateral indentations accommodating posterior part of endites, with precoxal sclerites ( Fig. 11E ). Tarsi II–IV ventrolaterally with two rows of spinules. Epigyne ( Fig. 11G ). Epigynal plate sclerotized, semi-circular, with narrow basomedian septum. Copulatory openings narrow, slit-like, with straight, sclerotized anterior margins.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. India (Tamil Nadu) ( Reimoser 1934) ( Fig. 18 ).

Justification of the transfer. This species was originally placed under Capheris ( Reimoser 1934) . Jocqué (2009) erroneously transferred it to Cydrela , without proper justification. An examination of the holotype of this species showed that it 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 with anterolateral indentations and precoxal sclerites, and very stout palps ( Figs. 11A–E ). Based on these observations, the transfer of C. escheri is fully justified.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Capheris escheri Reimoser, 1934 comb. rest., holotype female (ARTO-26290). A habitus, dorsal. B eye group, dorsal. C prosoma, frontal. D same, prolateral. E same showing sternum, ventral. F opisthosoma, dorsal. G epigyne, ventral. H original labels found in the type vial. Scale bars: F, 0.5 mm; G, 0.2 mm. Figures A–E without scale provided. © MHNG, Geneva.

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.