Genus
Oedignatha Thorell
Oedignatha Thorell. 1881
. Type species: 0.
scrobiculata Thorell, 1881: 209
, no figures, ♀, Penang.
Aepygnatha Thorell 1897
. Type species:
A. ferox
.
Described species.—
Oedignatha scrobiculata Thorell. 1881
, ♂ ♀, Penang;
O. radiata Thorell, 1881
, ♀. New Guinea (this latter species is moved to
Koppe
because of the undulating carapace, the type has been described without abdomen);
O. sima Simon, 1886
, ♂, Thailand (figs in Simon. 1897 HNA: 188);
O. bucculenta Thorell, 1897
, ♀, Myanmar (Burma);
O.ferox (Thorell, 1897)
,juvenile, Myanmar (Burma);
O. rugulosa Thorell, 1897
, ♀. Myanmar (Burma);
O. procerula Simon. 1897
, ♂, India;
O. albofasciata Strand, 1907
, ♂, India;
O. carli Reimoser, 1934
, ♂, S India;
O. uncata Reimoser, 1934
, ♂, S India; O. t ricuspidata Reimoser, 1934. ♂, S India;
O. microscutata Reimoser, 1934
, ♀, S India;
O. dentifera Reimoser, 1934
. ♂. S India;
O. escheri Reimoser, 1934
, ♀, S India;
O. lesserti Reimoser, 1934
, ♀, S India;
O. canaca Berland, 1938: 139
, ♂ ♀, New Hebrides;
O. mogamoga Marples 1955
, ♂, Samoa;
O. poonaensis Majunder and Tikader, 1991
, ♀, India;
O. binoyii Reddy and Patel, 1993
, ♂ ♀, India;
O. indica Reddy and Patel, 1993
, ♂ ♀, India;
O. platnicki
Song and Zhu, 1998, ♂. Hong Kong;
O. jocquei
sp. n., ♂ ♀, Thailand, this volume;
O. barbata
sp. n., ♂ ♀, Thailand. this volume;
O. spadix
, sp. n. ♂ ♀. E Indonesia, this volume and many species from Sri Lanka described by Simon. The specimens described as
O. decorata Simon. 1897
. female. Philippines. are identical with ♀ of
O. scro biculata
.
In Sri Lanka the genus is abundant: Simon (1896a, 1897, descibed the following species from that island:
O. major Simon. 1896a
. ♀, 10 mm. Nuwara Elyia;
O. bicolor Simon. 1896a
. ♀. 5 mm. Nuara Elyia:
O. gulosa Simon, 1897
. ♀, 6 mm. Maturata;
O. affinis Simon 1897
. ♀, Maturata;
O. retusa Simon, 1897
, ♂ ♀, 7-8 mm, Kandy;
O. striata Simon. 1897
, ♀, 31/ 2-4 mm, Galle;
O. coriacea Simon, 1897
, ♀. 3 mm. Kandy;
O. flavipes Simon, 1897
. ♀, 31/ 2 mm. Kandy;
O. montigena
. Simon, 1897, ♀, 31/ 2 mm, Maturata.
Species described in other genera.—
Corinna proboscidea Strand 1913
, ♀, Sri Lanka, Kandy may be identical with one of the
Oedignatha
species described by Simon from the island; the female holotype (but not the male paratype) of
Castianeira indica Tikader, 1981
from India belongs in
Oedignatha
.
Amaurobius andamanensis Tikader, 1977
, ♂ ♀. from the Andaman islands is a
Oedignatha
. related to
O. spadix
.
Unidentified specimens ( map 20): Loc. 1: N Thailand, Doi Inthanon, 2000m. 1 jv. 2.i.1981, Deharveng, unidentifiable, abdomen without pattern.
Loc. 2: prope
O. jocquei
, W Thailand, 2 ♀, Sai Yok, 100 m, 27.vii.1987, P. Schwendinger, MHNG. Loc. a (not on map): Nepal. Modi Khola below bamboo Lodge. 2400-2600 m, 4.10.1987, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, P. Beron (NMNHS).
Old material studied.— The type of
O. scrobiculata
was not available in the collection in Genoa;
O. bucculenta Thorell
, ♀,
O. rigulosa Thorell
, ♀, and
O. ferox Thorell.
immature (all MCSNG), each of these three species have massive chelicerae. suitable for digging (see behaviour,
retusa
);
O. decorata
. ♂ ♀, Manila, Antipolo, Coll. Simon 13748), Paris.
Fresh material studied.— Apart from the material described below.
O. retusa Simon
and related species from Sri Lanka.
Diagnosis.— Distinguished from all other corinnids by the presence of a brush of dark hair close to the median base of the PL spinnerets in both sexes. A further distinguishing character is the conical hump on the clypeus in front of AME. The massive chelicerae are geniculate anteriorly, in side view almost as high as long and with a spine or stiff seta medially on the frontal surface; such a seta is shared with
Koppe
.
Oedignatha
is distinct from
Koppe
by the deep chestnut brown to black, granulated or pitted carapace surface without pattern. The first femur bears a strong prolateral spine. The palpal embolus is thread-like, the base widened " embolar plate") and there is a chitinized conductor and a small lanceolate membranous tegular apophysis. In the epigyne. a posterior window is present in most species, (not in 0.
scrobiculata
), in or adjacent to which are the spermstorage organs. composed of an anterior, relatively thin-walled part (bursa) and a posterior, thick-walled part (spermatheca); ducts short or absent.
Description. — Medium-sized (4-8 mm) species, thoracic groove distinct. Both eye rows procurvcd, eyes equally spaced, head not much wider than carapace, convex, AME often the largest. Clypeus with a rebordered, rounded or angular projection in the middle replacing the chilum ( fig. 351
View Figs 349-356
). Chelicerae with 2-3 strong teeth on the promargin and a row of 5-8 smaller on the retromargin. Anterior tibiae and metatarsi with pairs of ventral spines. A flat round intercoxal disc between coxae I and II and one between II and III. Retrocoxal window present (checked in
scrobiculata
and
mogamoga
). Femora with I or more spines, anterior tibiae and metatarsi with 3-8 pairs of ventral spines, posterior legs with some spines. Palpal femur in both sexes with a row of equally spaced ventral spines or setae. Tarsi with claw tufts. those on anterior legs less dense than in posterior legs; claws with 6-8 ventral teeth in anterior legs. 4 of diminishing size in the posterior legs. Abdomen with dorsal scutum in both sexes, and ventral epigastric and postgenital scutum in males, epigastric scutum in females. PM spinnerets in female triangular in diameter, with truncate tip bearing 2 or 3 relatively small cylindrical gland spigots which are difficult to see. In males, posterior spinnerets reduced in size and flattened, with pointed tip and only bearing small aciniform gland spigots, which cannot easily be seen with a stereomicroscope. Male palp with I or more tibial apophyses. accommodated in adjacent “pocket" on cymbium; conductor well sclerotized. membranous tegular apophysis, if present, aligned with conductor; filiform embolus arising proximally-prolaterally from broad base, curving in half circle or less around tegulum, clockwise in left palp. Epigyne with membranous area ("window”), in which copulatory openings, adjacent to anterior border of epigastric fold. Vulva heavily sclerotized, compact, openings anterorly or laterally in window, ducts short or non-existent, sperm-storing organ compartimented, anterior part lighter and thinner-walled than posterior part, the former corresponding to bursae as defined in other groups. the posterior corresponding with spermathecae; cavity of spermatheca-bursa compact, round and simple in
scrobiculata
. On either side a pit on surface of tegument, apparently unconnected with vulva, but continuous with a small tubular projection on inner side which serves as apodeme (figs 364, 369, 374).
Habitat. — Leaf litter in secondary forests; in holes in the earth. In the southern Himalayas an
Oedignatha
species was found at 2600 m altitude.
Behaviour.—
Oedignatha retusa Simon
, one of the Sri Lankan species having very massive chelicerae lives in burrows dug in vertical earthen walls. The species described below all were found on flat ground in leaf litter.
Oedignatha
species are tolerant towards other, congeneric species: on several occasions two similar sized species were found in mixed colonies.
Distribution. — Oriental region, from the Seychelles and Sri Lanka to the Philippines, eastward to New Guinea and Samoa. A recorded species from Brazil probably represents either an introduced species or a misidentification.
Taxonomic remark.—
Oedignatha scrobiculata
and
O. mogamoga
occur syntopically over a wide range; both species have similar spots on the abdomen and can be distinguished only by genital organs. The type of
O.scrobiculata
first was described in 1881. This preliminary description was based on a female with abolished abdomen (Thorell 1890: 349) rom Penang and no mention was made of the characteristic markings on the abdomen. Abdominal light markings are mentioned in the emended description by the same author in 1890 after another female specimen with unknown provenance. presumably Java. In absence of the type. which of these two matches the original female that stood model for
scrobiculata
? Thorell's original as well as his emended description apply to both species. However, the epigyne in Thorell's 1890 emended description is recorded as “maculas duas parvas distinctissimas nigras ad marginem...”. which description applies best to the species described below as
scrobiculata
.
