Synaphosus Platnick & Shadab, 1980

Marusik, Yuri M. & Fomichev, Alexander A., 2016, A survey of East Palaearctic Gnaphosidae (Araneae). 5. On Synaphosus from Central Asia, Zootaxa 4178 (3), pp. 428-442 : 429

Synaphosus Platnick & Shadab, 1980

Synaphosus Platnick & Shadab, 1980: 21 ; Ovtsharenko et al. 1994: 2; Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: 535; Murphy 2007: 378.

Type species: Nodocion syntheticus Chamberlin, 1924 .

Diagnosis. Synaphosus species found in Central Asia can be distinguished from other gnaphosids known in the region by the combined presence of preening brush (but not comb) on metatarsi III, lack of median apophysis, long circular embolus originated retrolaterally or at least from six o'clock position ( S. ovtsharenkoi sp. n.), complex conductor with 2 arms, sharply pointed tibial apophysis, presence of epigynal pocket and long, highly twisted copulatory ducts.

Description. Described by Ovtsharenko et al. (1994).

Relationships. Synaphosus was not assigned to any subfamily by Platnick & Shadab (1980) and Ovtsharenko et al. (1994). Ubick (2005, p. 107) listed genus among "Drassodinae" a polyphyletic taxon, in which he placed genera with unclear position. Murphy (2007) placed Synaphosus into the formal Echemus group of genera.

Species groups. Three species groups were recognized by Ovtsharenko et al. (1994) in the genus: syntheticus , gracillimus , and kakamega. Judging from the shape of copulatory organs in five species recently described from Southeast Asia, they belongs at least to two other species groups. One group that should be called femininis unites S. cangshanus Yang, Yang & Zhang, 2013 (♂♀) and S. femininis Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 (♂♀). Both species have a very long tibial apophysis, and a characteristic epigyne with numerous coils of copulatory ducts small in diameter and placed on top of each other, and a wrinkled anterior part of epigynal plate. Three other species S. daweiensis Yin, Bao & Peng, 2002 (♂♀), S. kris Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 (♂) and S. raveni Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 (♂) have male palps very different from each other and from all other species by having either no tibial apophysis ( S. kris ) or 2 tibial apophyses ( S. raveni ), or complex tibial apophyses and modified cymbium ( S. daweiensis ). Three former species are possibly misplaced in this genus.

Note. Bulbal sclerites in Synaphosus were not homologized in literature. Platnick & Shadab (1980) and Ovtsharenko et al. (1994) mentioned three sclerites: embolus, conductor (with groove) and folded median apophysis, but none of the sclerites were indicated on the figures. Judging from the structure of the bulb, Synaphosus lacks a median (=tegular) apophysis, homologous to that in other Gnaphosidae such as Gnaphosa Latreille, 1804 , Haplodrassus Chamberlin, 1922 , Drassodes Westring, 1851 , and Micaria Westring, 1851 . Median (tegular) apophysis in abovementioned genera is a hook-like, heavily sclerotized apophysis flexibly attached to the tegulum by a membranous insertion. Members of the syntheticus -group of Synaphosus have two apophyses. Judging from the SEM figures ( Figs 13‒15, 18 ) of S. ovtsharenkoi sp. n., two apophyses originate from the same sclerite, and we consider them the arms of a subdivided conductor. The prolateral one (Pc) appears to serve as a "functional" conductor and has a groove guiding the embolus. The other one is the membranous retrolateral arm (Rc). Members of the gracillimus group have only one distinct apophysis, unless one counts the embolus. It is a greatly enlarged conductor that covers whole tegulum; its tip serves as functional conductor and seems homologous to the prolateral arm of the conductor ( Figs 43‒44, 46 ).

Figures

FIGURES 13 ‒ 18. SEM microphotographs of copulatory organs of Synaphosus ovtsharenkoi sp. n. 13 ‒ 15 male palp, ventral, retrolateral and ventro-retrolateral; 16 epigyne; 17 endogyne; 18 bulb, ventral. Abbreviations: Cd copulatory ducts, Cg accessorial glands, Co copulatory openings, Ho hoods of the pocket, Pc prolateral arm of the conductor, Po pocket, Rc retrolateral arm of the conductor, Re receptacles.

FIGURES 43 ‒ 50. Male palp and habitus of Synaphosus turanicus. 43, 46 whole palp, retrolateral; 44 ‒ 45 palp, ventral and prolateral; 47 ‒ 48 patella and tibia dorsal and retrolateral; 49 ‒ 50 male habitus, dorsal. 43 – 45, 47 – 49 from East Kazakhstan; 46, 50 from Tajikistan. Scale = 0.2 mm if not otherwise indicated.