Thelcticopis moolampilliensis Sunil Jose & Sebastian, 2007

Sankaran, Pradeep M., Sherwood, Danniella & Jäger, Peter, 2024, On the identity of species of the huntsman spider genus Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884 (Araneae: Sparassidae: Sparianthinae) from India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, Zootaxa 5463 (3), pp. 301-338 : 314-316

Thelcticopis moolampilliensis Sunil Jose & Sebastian, 2007

Figs 1A–B , 10–12 , 27

Thelcticopis moolampilliensis Sunil Jose & Sebastian, 2007: 42 , figs 1A–E (♀). Jäger et al. 2022: 626, figs 16–21, 31–34, 44–45 (♂ ♀).

Type material. Holotype ♀, INDIA: Kerala: Ernakulam, Kochi, Moolampilly Island [10°02’N, 76°15’E; 22 m a.s.l.], 30 December 2000, K. Sunil Jose leg., from leaves of Mangifera indica at night ( DMCK 13 /25; not examined) . Paratypes: 1 immature ♂, 2 ♀, same as holotype except Kalamasserry and 20 February 2001 ( DMCK; not examined). The holotype and paratypes are lost (Sunil Jose, pers. comm. to PMS); however, images of the holotype, taken by Sunil Jose, were examined .

Other material examined. INDIA: Kerala: 1 ♂, Kottayam, Palai, Areeppara in Edappady [09°42’N, 76°42’E; 27 m a.s.l.], 02 August 2013, M.S. Pradeep leg., from foliage, by hand ( ZSI / WGRC /I. R.INV.26577) . 2 ♀♀ (one with egg sac), 1 subadult ♀, Kottayam, Kumarakom, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary [09°37’N, 76°25’E; 22 m a.s.l.], 16 July 2013, M.S. Pradeep leg., from foliage, by hand ( ZSI / WGRC /I. R.INV.26578, 26579 & 26580 respectively) . 1♂, 2♀♀, Thrissur, Irinjalakuda, Christ College [10°21’20.4’’N, 76°12’47.8’’E; 30 m a.s.l.], 15 July 2020, R. Tripathi leg., from vegetation, by hand (1♂: NRC AA-4162 , 1♀: NRC AA-4263 , 1♀: SMF 71843 ) .

Diagnosis and description. See Jäger et al. (2022).

Measurements of the examined specimens. Male: body length 9.7. Carapace 4.45 long, 3.95 wide.Opisthosoma 5.25 long, 2.8 wide. Female 1: body length 11.0. Carapace 4.50 long, 3.90 wide. Opisthosoma 6.55 long, 3.60 wide. Female 2: body length 11.55. Carapace 4.95 long, 4.25 wide. Opisthosoma 6.6 long, 3.65 wide.

Distribution. India (Kerala) ( Sunil Jose & Sebastian 2007; Jäger et al. 2022; present data) ( Fig. 27 ).

Remarks. The egg sac of the newly collected female contained 46 creamy-white eggs (PMS pers. obs.). Type material of T. moolampilliensis was intended to be deposited permanently in Kolkata, but apparently was never transferred from the initial depository (DMCK) in Kerala.

Figures

FIGURES 1A–F. Field photographs of Thelcticopis moolampilliensis Sunil Jose & Sebastian, 2007 (A–B) and Thelcticopis virescens Pocock, 1901 (C–F).A–B Female in different views; C Male; D Female; E juvenile; F retreat. Figures are not to scale. Photographs A–B by Nafin K.S. and C–F by Jimmy Paul.

FIGURES 10A–D. Thelcticopis moolampilliensis Sunil Jose & Sebastian, 2007, holotype female (considered lost). A Habitus, dorsal; B Cephalic part, dorsal; C Prosoma, ventral; D Epigyne, ventral. Figures are not to scale. Photographs by Sunil Jose.

FIGURES 11A–F. Thelcticopis moolampilliensis Sunil Jose & Sebastian, 2007, non-type male (A, C) and female (B, D–F) (ZSI/ WGRC/I.R.INV.26579). A–B Habitus, dorsal; C Left palp, ventral; D–E Epigyne ventral (D not dissected, E same dissected and cleared in 10% KOH); F Vulva, dorsal. Scale bars: A–B, 2 mm; C, 1 mm; D–F, 0.5 mm. Photographs by Pradeep Sankaran.

FIGURES 12A–D. Thelcticopis moolampilliensis Sunil Jose & Sebastian, 2007, genitalia of non-type male (A–B) and female (C–D) (ZSI/WGRC/I.R.INV.26579). A–B Left palp (A ventral, B retrolateral); C Epigyne, ventral; D Vulva, dorsal. Abbreviations: C—conductor; CD—copulatory duct; CO—copulatory opening; CS—cymbial scopula; E—embolus; FD— fertilisation duct; GA—glandular appendage; LL—lateral lobe of epigyne; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; S—spermatheca; Sp—spermophor; T—tegulum; TA—tegular apophysis; UA—unpaired appendage; VDL—ventro-distal lobe of palpal tibia. Scale bars: A–B, 1 mm; C–D, 0.5 mm. Drawings by Pradeep Sankaran.

FIGURE 27. Distribution of the genus Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884 in southern India and Sri Lanka.