Phoroncidia septemaculeata O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1873

Nafin, Karunnappilli Shamsudheen, Sumesh, Njarekkattil Vasu, Sudhin, Puthoor Pattammal & Sudhikumar, Ambalaparambil Vasu, 2019, Redescription and new records of Phoroncidia septemaculeata O. Pickard Cambridge 1873 from India (Araneae: Theridiidae), Zootaxa 4691 (2), pp. 188-194 : 188-194

Phoroncidia septemaculeata O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1873 ( Figs 1‒5 )

Phoroncidia septemaculeata O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1873: 124 , pl. 14, f. 8

Phoroncidia aculeata Levi & Levi, 1962: 57 , figs 235‒237 (Misidentification, not examined)

Type material: Syntypes female, male and immature female from Sri Lanka, G. H. K. Thwaites leg., 1871, deposited in OUMNH (not examined) .

Remarks. Levi & Levi (1962) in their revision of the family Theridiidae , studied and illustrated the type species of the genus, P. aculeata Westwood 1835 , using non-type specimens deposited at MNHN, Paris. However, it was depicted as lacking long spines on the abdomen in contrast to the original description of P. aculeata . These specimens which were collected from Malaya (now Malaysia) were mistakenly determined as P. aculeata by Berland at MNHN, Paris ( Kariko 2014). Moreover, the illustrations of the body, male and female genitalia of the Malayan specimens looks strikingly similar to that of P. septemaculeata ( Levi & Levi 1962: figs 235‒237). So, this can be considered as evidence of its conspecificity with P. septemaculeata , thereby extending the known range of the species to South-East Asia.

Additional material examined: INDIA: Kerala: Ernakulam, Aluva, Manalpuram (10º07'21.3" N 76º21'07.1" E, 2 m alt), 17.X.2015 , K. S. Nafin leg., night collection, 1 ♂ ( CATE10301 D), 1 ♀ ( CATE10301 A); Wayanad, WWS, Bath- ery range (11º42'09.8" N 76º20'39.6" E, 868 m alt), 9.VII.2015 , P. P. Sudhin & K. S. Nafin leg., beating method, 4 ♂ ( CATE10301 F); Thrissur, Kodungallur, Sankukulangara Kavu (10º16'39.5" N 76º09'59.6" E, 9 m alt), 7. IV.2017 , N. V. Sumesh leg., 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( CATE10301 C); Thrissur, Irinjalakuda, Christ college campus (10º21'18.0" N 76º12'47.9" E, 15 m alt), 13.IX.2018 , K. S. Nafin leg., 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( CATE10301 E) . Tamil Nadu: Kancheepuram, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary (12º32'40.0" N 79º51'14.3" E, 122 m alt), 28. II.2016 , Pooja Anilkumar leg., 1 ♀ ( CATE10301 B) .

Diagnosis. P. septemaculeata can be readily distinguished from its congeners by the subtriangular shape of abdomen in lateral aspect, which is slightly humped anteriorly, anterior abdomen adorned with seven short and stout spines originating from protuberances, and shield-shaped posterior. ( Figs 1 A‒C, 2B, H, K). The genitalia of P. septemaculeata is closest to P. americana , but can be distinguished from the latter by the following features: male palp with conductor on the prolateral side ventral to TTA (positioned retrolaterally, dorsal to embolic base in P. americana ), embolic base lobed, almost heart-shaped, with a deep v-shaped excavation on prolateral side (irregularly shaped with a shallow excavation distally in P. americana ); vulva of female genitalia with copulatory duct forming a loop over the posterior half of sperma- thecae (forms a loop almost over the entire spermathecae in P. americana ), posterior spermathecae and fertilisation duct slightly bent laterally (bent 180 degrees medially in P. americana )(compare Figs 3 A‒C, E, 4A‒C, F with Levi 1955: pl. 1, figs 1, 2, 4‒6, 9, Levi & Levi 1962: fig. 245 and Agnarsson et al. 2007: fig 49)

Redescription. Male (CATE10301C) ( Figs 1 A‒C, 2G‒K, 3A‒C, 4A‒D): Measurements: Body length 2.27, cara- pace length 1.20, width 0.93, height at PME 0.76, sternum length 0.52, width 0.45, clypeus height 0.28, abdomen length 1.86, width 1.49, height 2.78. Eye diameters: AME 0.08, ALE 0.05, PLE 0.04, PME 0.07. Eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.03, PLE-PME 0.06, AME-PME 0.08, PME-PME 0.03. Leg formula: I, IV, II, III. Measurement of palp and legs: Palp 1.13 [0.44, 0.12, 0.17, 0.40], leg I 3.51 [1.29, 0.38, 0.86, 0.47, 0.51], leg II 2.03 [0.70, 0.25, 0.44, 0.27, 0.37], leg III 1.77 [0.60, 0.22, 0.38, 0.22, 0.35], leg IV 2.96 [1.00, 0.38, 0.75, 0.36, 0.47].

Carapace orange-brown, ocular area profoundly produced than female, covered with short spines, longitudinal rows of spines behind PME; AME largest, separated by half their diameter. MOQ almost square, ALE and PLE subequal and touching each other, PME slightly smaller than AME, with tapetum, located on top of the turret; thoracic area devoid of spines; chelicerae small, anterior inner margin with a row of long dark setae, with two closely situated promarginal teeth apically; labium and maxillae pale yellow-brown; sternum yellow-orange, shield-shaped with impressed dots, with sparsely situated long setae ( Fig. 2I ). Abdomen yellow to pale yellow, subtriangular laterally, projecting over the base of carapace, covered with circular impressed dots with a single setae ( Fig. 2H ); anteriorly adorned with seven short and stout spines originating from protuberances of abdomen, anteriorly with nine circular orange-brown spots and seven each on lateral and posterior, all symmetrically arranged, few dark patches also present on the anterior face (2G‒H, J); ventral abdomen pale yellow, epigastric pale orange-brown, sclerotised. Legs yellow, Leg I longest, with a row of four long, prominent spines on dorsal tibia, tibia II with a row of small spines on prolateral and retrolateral, patella I‒III with one dorsal spine, distal tibia I‒III with short spines ( Fig. 2H ); basal half of tibia I‒IV with two rows of trichobothria dorsally, lyriform organ present on retrolateral patella I‒IV (Fig. F).

Palp. ( Figs 3 A‒C, 4 A‒D). Palp yellow, tibia bell-shaped, distal rim with a regular row of long setae; cymbium stout, covered in setae, tapering distally, cymbial hook tapering, hook tip blunt ( Fig. 4D ); embolus long, originating at 2‒3 o’clock, tip of embolus at 12 o’clock; embolic base lobed, almost heart-shaped, with a deep v-shaped excavation on the prolateral ( Figs 4A, C ); conductor long and wide, positioned ventrally above TTA, with tip of embolus resting on the conductor ( Figs 4 A‒D); TTA surface smooth, tip bent ventrally; MA without hood ( Fig. 4C ); when palp is expanded, large tegular tooth articulates with v-shaped excavation of embolic base, thereby locking the embolus in place ( Fig. 4D ).

Redescription. Female (CATE10301C) ( Figs 2 A‒E, 3D‒E, 4E‒F): Measurements: Body length 3.36, carapace length 1.41, width 1.21, height at PME 0.93, sternum length 0.71, width 0.61, clypeus height 0.28, abdomen length 1.95, width 2.06, height 3.82. Eye diameters: AME 0.08, ALE 0.06, PLE 0.07, PME 0.07. Eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.07, AME-ALE 0.05, PLE-PME 0.05, AME-PME 0.12, PME-PME 0.04. Leg formula: IV, I, II, III. Measurement of palp and legs: Palp 0.81 [0.27, 0.11, 0.14, 0.29], leg I 3.83 [1.41, 0.44, 0.91, 0.49, 0.58], leg II 2.41 [0.83, 0.39, 0.52, 0.30, 0.37], leg III 2.27 [0.73, 0.28, 0.53, 0.28, 0.45], leg IV 4.12 [1.50, 0.47, 1.06, 0.48, 0.61].

In all details like male, except as follows: Body larger than males, carapace with ocular projection less prominent than males, turret with only a single row of short spines behind PMEs; leg IV longest, tibia I devoid of row of spines. Abdomen pale yellow, with irregular black patches on anterior and lateral faces.

Epigynum ( Figs 3 D‒E, 4 E‒F). Epigynum orange-brown, highly sclerotised, with a pair of bean-shaped sclerotised spots on the lateral sides, copulatory opening situated on arch-like protrusion beneath posterior margin of epigynal plate ( Fig. 4E ); spermathecae separated from each other, pear-shaped, tapering posteriorly, with apical end slightly bent later- ally; fertilisation duct bent laterally ( Figs 3E , 4F ); copulatory duct long, forms a loop around the posterior spermathecae before entering it posteriorly on the dorsal side ( Fig. 4F ).

Natural history. P. septemaculeata spins single almost horizontal thread, and hangs around the centre of the strand during night time.

Distribution. India (Kerala & Tamil Nadu [new record]), Malaysia ( Levi & Levi 1962), Sri Lanka (O. Pickard-Cambridge 1873).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Photographs of Phoroncidia septemaculeata. A, Male, frontal view. B, Same, lateral view. C, Same, posterior view. D, Immature female from Christ college campus, Kerala, showing different colouration. Photos, Karunnappilli S. Nafin.

FIGURE 2. Phoroncidia septemaculeata.A, Female, dorsal view.B, Same, lateral view. C, Same, frontal view. D, Same, ventral view. E, Same, eye region. F, Male, Patella IV, showing lyriform organ. G, Same, dorsal view. H, Same, lateral view. I, Same, ventral view. J, Same, frontal view. K, Same, posterior view. Scale bars: A‒E, 1 mm; F, 0.1 mm; G‒K, 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Phoroncidia septemaculeata.A, Male left palp, retrolateral.B, Same, ventral view.C, Same, prolateral view; D, Epigynum, ventral view. E, Same, dorsal view. Scale bars: A‒E, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 4. Phoroncidia septemaculeata. A, Male left palp, ventral view.B, Same, prolateral view. C, Same loosened, ventral view. D, Same, expanded, ventral view. E, Epigynum, ventral view. F, Same, dorsal view. Abbreviations: C—conductor, CD—copulatory duct, Chk—cymbial hook, CO—copulatory opening, E—embolus, MA—median apophysis, Tt—tegular tooth, TTA—theridioid tegular apophysis. Scale bars, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 5. Map showing distributional records of Phoroncidia septemaculeata. ●—new record,?— question mark indicates that the type locality in Sri Lanka is unknown and locality in Malaysia is unknown.