Sphingius gracilis ( Thorell, 1895 )

Dankittipakul, Pakawin, Tavano, Maria & Singtripop, Tippawan, 2011, Neotype designation for Sphingius thecatus Thorell, 1890, synonymies, new records and descriptions of six new species from Southeast Asia (Araneae, Liocranidae), Zootaxa 3066, pp. 1-20 : 17-18

Sphingius gracilis ( Thorell, 1895)

Figure 2

Thamphilus gracilis Thorell: Thorell, 1895 : 36; description of female.

Sphingius gracilis ( Thorell): Simon, 1897 : 158. Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001: 489, figs 837–838.

Scotophaeoides sinensis Schenkel: Schenkel, 1963 : 49, fig. 24; description of female. Song, Zhu & Zhang, 2004: 209, figs 124A– C. Murphy, 2007: 589, figs 596–597. Syn. nov.

Sphingius sinensis (Schenkel) : Zhang Fu & Zhu, 2009, 38, figs 13–20.

Type material. Holotype, Scotophaeoides sinensis Schenkel : ♀, CHINA: Cantong (modern formal spelling = Guangdong), ( MNHN AR- 3109, examined) .

Other material. Thamphilus gracilis Thorell : MYANMAR, Palon: 1885-1889, leg. L. Fea, 2♀ ( MSNG, examined). Original label: Thamphilus gracilis Thor. Birmania: Palon. Fea .

Remarks. The first author was unable to locate a female holotype of Thamphilus gracilis Thorell, 1895 collected from Tharrawaddy and subsequently deposited in the collection of NMHL during his visit. Fortunately, the type was previously studied by Deeleman-Reinhold (2001) who transferred it to Sphingius and provided sketches of the epigyne and internal genitalia. Two females collected from Palon which were identified as T. gracilis by Thorell himself (deposited at MSNG) are the base of our study ( Fig. 2 ).

Zhang et al. (2009) transferred Scotophaeoides sinensis Schenkel, 1963 (misplaced in Gnaphosidae ) to Sphingius . The female holotype of Sc. sinensis closely resembles females of T. gracilis in having very similar general appearance and genitalic structures (see also Murphy 2007; Zhang et al. 2009). The difference between S. gracilis and S. sinensis is the broader proximal portion of insemination ducts in the latter species but this is likely an intraspecific variation.

Distribution. Myanmar and China (Guangdong, Guangxi).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Sphingius scrobiculatus Thorell, holotype male from Palon, Myanmar (1). Sphingius gracilis (Thorell), female specimen from Palon, Myanamar (2). Sphingius tristiculus Simon, syntype female from Vietnam (3). Sphingius vivax (Thorell), holotype female from Moulmein, Myanmar (4). Sphingius superbus sp. nov., holotype male (5). 1 Left male palp, retrolateral. 2 – 4 Epigyne, ventral. 5 Ventral scutum of male showing group of bristles.