Sphingius solanensis ( Gajbe, 1979 ) Sankaran & Caleb, 2021

Sankaran, Pradeep M. & Caleb, John T. D., 2021, On the taxonomic validity of Indian ground spiders: V. Genera Megamyrmaekion Reuss, 1834, Sosticus Chamberlin, 1922 and Gaviphosa gen. nov. (Araneae: Gnaphosidae), Zootaxa 5040 (4), pp. 539-564 : 562

Sphingius solanensis ( Gajbe, 1979) comb. nov.

Figs 90–95

Sosticus solanensis Gajbe, 1979: 73 , fig. 2F–J (♀). Tikader 1982: 436, figs 320–324 (♀).

Type material. Holotype ♀ from INDIA : Himachal Pradesh: Solan: Simla Hills, O.B. Chhotani leg., 24.VI.1968, NZC-ZSI, Kolkata (4323/18), examined.

Justification of the transfer. The original genitalic illustrations of this species ( Gajbe 1979: fig. 2H–I) clearly indicated that it is misplaced in Sosticus . The conical anterior lateral spinnerets of this species ( Fig. 92 ) clearly indicated that it is misplaced in Gnaphosidae . Examination of the type of this species revealed that it has diagnostic features of Sphingius as noted in the case of S. dherikanalensis (compare Figs 93–94 with Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: fig. 842, Zhang et al. 2009: figs 27–28, Zhang & Fu 2010: figs 9–10 and Dankittipakul et al. 2011: figs 3–4, 25–26). Based on these observations, we propose to transfer S. solanensis to Sphingius .

Remarks. The ZSI collection has one glass tube for this species labeled as ‘holotype’ (4323/18) containing a female specimen in fairly good condition, with broken legs. The same tube has a micro-vial containing the dissected epigyne.

Figures

FIGURES 90–95. Sphingius solanensis (Gajbe, 1979) comb. nov., type of Sosticus solanensis Gajbe, 1979. 90 holotype female habitus, dorsal view; 91 eyes of holotype female, dorsal view; 92 spinnerets of holotype female, ventral view; 93–94 genitalia of holotype female (93 epigyne, ventral view, 94 vulva, dorsal view); 95 label from type tube.Abbreviations:AH, anterior epigynal hood; B, bursa; S, spermatheca. Scale bars: 90, 1 mm; 91, 0.5 mm; 92–94, 0.2 mm.