Hitobia poonaensis ( Tikader & Gajbe, 1976 ) Sankaran & Caleb & Sebastian, 2021

Sankaran, Pradeep M., Caleb, John T. D. & Sebastian, Pothalil A., 2021, On the taxonomic validity of Indian ground spiders: IV. Genera Apodrassodes Vellard, 1924, Herpyllus Hentz, 1832 and Sergiolus Simon, 1892 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae), Journal of Natural History 54 (43 - 44), pp. 2839-2857 : 2851-2852

Hitobia poonaensis ( Tikader & Gajbe, 1976) comb. nov. ( Figures 6–7 )

Sergiolus poonaensis Tikader & Gajbe, 1976: 186 , figs 1–5 (♂ ♀). Tikader 1982: 447, figs 343–348 (♂ ♀). Gajbe 2007: 475, figs 151–156 (♂ ♀).

Type material

Holotype female from INDIA: Maharashtra: Pune (=Poona): Bund garden (18°32ʹ31.53ʹ’ N, 73°52ʹ53.76ʹ’ E; 547 m alt), B.K. Tikader leg., 9 April 1975, repository NZC-ZSI, Kolkata (no register number), examined . Paratype 3 females and allotype 10 males, same data as holotype, examined.

Justification of the transfer

Detailed examination of the types of S. poonaensis revealed that it lacks diagnostic features of Sergiolus (see previous paragraph on H. lamhetaghatensis ), but has all of the diagnostic features of Hitobia as in the case of previous species (compare Figure 6 (b,d,f), 7 (d–e) with Kamura 1992, figs 11, 16, 20, 25). Additionally, the male pedipalp of this species possesses an apico-ventral process bearing tuft of setae similar to that illustrated for Hitobia procula Sankaran & Sebastian, 2018 (compare Figure 7 (a) with Sankaran and Sebastian 2018, fig. 2b–c). Based on these observations, we propose to transfer S. poonaensis to Hitobia .

Diagnosis

Males of H. poonaensis comb. nov. can be distinguished from the males of all known congeners by a prominent apico-ventral process of tibia bearing tuft of setae and a broad tegular apophysis ( Figure 7 (a–b)). Females are closely related to the females of Hitobia monsta Yin, Peng, Gong & Kim, 1996 having similar shape of spermathecae and an inverted triangular epigynal hood, but can be distinguished from the latter by the position of the epigynal hood, which is medially placed in H. poonaensis , while it is placed near the posterior epigynal border in H. monsta (compare Figure 7 (d–e) with Song et al. 2004, fig. 88A–B).

Supplementary description

Male (allotype, Figure 6 (c–d)). Body length 6.13. Prosoma length 3.06, width 2.31. Opisthosoma length 3.07, width 2.27. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.13. AME 0.14. PLE 0.12.PME 0.11; AME–AME 0.06. AME–PME 0.16.PME–PLE 0.12. PME–PME 0.13. Length of chelicerae 0.80. Clypeus height at ALEs 0.10, at AMEs 0.12. Measurements of pedipalp and legs. Pedipalp (right) 2.47 [0.92, 0.38, 0.31, 0.86], I (right) 7.52 [2.30, 1.28, 1.64, 1.49, 0.81], II (right) 7.38 [2.21, 1.24, 1.67, 1.46, 0.80], III 7.15 [2.02, 1.08, 1.41, 1.69, 0.95], IV 8.91 [2.42, 1.22, 1.98, 2.32, 0.97]. Leg formula: 4123. Pedipalp ( Figure 7 (a–c)): tibia disto-ventrally with a short, broad process bearing tuft of setae ( Figure 7 (a)). Retrolateral tibial apophysis moderately long, flat, with inwardly directed pointed apex ( Figure 7 (a–c)). Conductor short, widely triangular,arising apically from tegulum ( Figure 7 (a–b)). Tegulum with a short, wide,pointed apico-prolateral membranous tegular process ( Figure 7 (a)). Tegular apophysis short, wide, apico-retrolateral in origin, lying close to the base of conductor and embolus ( Figure 7 (a–b)). Embolus short, spine-like, arising disto-prolaterally from tegulum ( Figure 7 (a)).

Female (holotype, Figure 6 (a–b)). Body length 9.45. Prosoma length 4.49, width 3.28. Opisthosoma length 4.96, width 2.56. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.16. AME 0.17. PLE 0.16. PME 0.15; AME–AME 0.12. AME–PME 0.23. PME–PLE 0.19. PME–PME 0.18. Length of chelicerae 1.22.Clypeus height at ALEs 0.14,at AMEs 0.19.Measurements of palp and legs.Palp (right) 3.54 [1.21, 0.66, 0.55, 1.12], I – [2.89, –, –, –, –], II 8.74 [2.58, 1.64, 1.82, 1.77, 0.93], III (right) 8.80 [2.46, 1.48,1.61, 2.10,1.15], IV (right) 10.94 [3.12,1.68,2.31,2.72,1.11]. Epigyne ( Figure 7 (d– e)): epigynal plate moderately sclerotised, with a wide antero-median hood, with crescent-like posterior epigynal margin ( Figure 7 (d)). Copulatory openings small, lying distantly from each other. Spermathecae large sac-like. ( Figure 7 (e)). Fertilisation ducts narrow, diverging.

Remarks

The ZSI collection has three glass bottles for this species.First bottle labelled as ‘holotype’ (5049/ 18) contains one female specimen in fairly good condition, with broken legs, almost detached opisthosoma and intact epigyne. Second bottle labelled as ‘paratype’ (no register number) contains three female specimens in fairly good condition, with broken legs. The epigyne of one of these specimens was found removed, but not kept in the tube. Third bottle labelled as ‘allotype’ (no register number) contains 10 males in good condition, with broken legs. The same bottle has a small glass vial containing the dissected left pedipalp of one of the allotype males.

Figures

Figure 6. Hitobia poonaensis comb. nov., female holotype (NZC-ZSI-5049/18), male allotype and female paratype of Sergiolus poonaensis. (a) holotype female habitus, dorsal view. (b) eyes of the same, dorsal view.(c) allotype male habitus, dorsal view.(d) eyes of the same, dorsal view.(e) paratype female habitus, dorsal view. (f) epigyne of the same, ventral view. (g–i) labels from type bottles. Scale bars a, c, e = 2 mm; b, d = 0.5 mm; f = 0.2 mm.

Figure 7. Hitobia poonaensis comb. nov., male allotype and female holotype (NZC-ZSI-5049/18) of Sergiolus poonaensis. (a–c) left pedipalp of allotype male: (a) ventral view. (b) ventro-retrolateral view. (c) retrolateral tibial apophysis, retrolateral view. (d–e) epigyne of holotype female: (d) ventral view. (e) dorsal view. Abbreviations: C, conductor; E, embolus; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; TA, tegular apophysis; TP, tegular process; VPT, apico-ventral process of tibia. Scale bars a–e = 0.2 mm.