Cheiracanthium furculatum Karsch, 1879

Lotz, L. N., 2014, New species of Cheiracanthium (Araneae: Eutichuridae) from Madagascar and the Comoros Islands, Zootaxa 3857 (3), pp. 301-332 : 317-318

Cheiracanthium furculatum Karsch, 1879

Cheiracanthium furculatum Karsch, 1879: 342 . Lotz, 2007a: 21, figs 33-40;

Cheiracanthium geniculosum Simon, 1885: 380 ; Synonomyzed by Lotz, 2007a: 21.

Cheiracanthium abyssinicum Strand, 1906: 633 ; Synonomyzed by Lotz, 2007a: 21.

Cheiracanthium kiwunum Strand, 1915: 83 ; Synonomyzed by Lotz, 2007a: 21.

Cheiracanthium mohasicum Strand, 1915: 85 ; Synonomyzed by Lotz, 2007a: 21.

Cheiracanthium hoggi Lessert, 1921: 409 , figs 39-40; Lessert, 1936: 275; Roewer, 1954: 483; Synonomyzed by Lotz, 2007a: 21.

Cheiracanthium castum Lawrence, 1927: 44 , pl. 3, fig. 70; Roewer 1954: 483; Synonomyzed by Lotz, 2007a: 21.

Cheiracanthium lawrencei Roewer, 1951: 444 (replacement name for inornatum Lawrence, 1927); Roewer, 1954: 484, 1442; Synonomyzed by Lotz, 2007a: 21.

Cheiracanthium melanostomellum Roewer, 1951: 444 (replacement name for melanostoma Simon, 1910, name preoccupied, Thorell 1895); Roewer, 1954: 484, 1442; Synonomyzed by Lotz, 2007a: 21.

Cheiracanthium melanostomellum caboverdense Schmidt & Piepho , in Schmidt, Geisthard & Piepho, 1994: 107, fig. 40; Synonomyzed by Lotz, 2007a: 21.

Diagnosis. C. furculatum is differentiated by the shape of the epigynum and by the shape of the copulatory tubes, the tegular, tibial and cymbial apophyses ( Lotz 2007a: figs 35-36, 39).

Description. See Lotz (2007a) for description and illustrations of both sexes.

New records from material examined: MADAGASCAR: Ampasikibo, south-east, 22º32’S, 43º38’E, I–IV.1997, F. Kuklinski ( MRAC 206625).

Distribution. Well represented throughout continental Africa, also present on Cape Verde, Comores and one locality on Madagascar ( Fig. 51 ).

Habitat. This is the most widely distributed Afrotropical species of Cheiracanthium and it has been collected from almost all terrestrial habitats, except habitats such as deserts and caves. These spiders are also synanthropic and their bite causes most of the reported spider-bite cases in South Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 49 – 54. Distribution maps: 49. Cheiracanthium fisheri sp. nov.; 50. C. foulpointense sp. nov.; 51. C. furculatum Karsch, 1879; 52. C. griswoldi sp. nov.; 53. C. insulare (Vinson, 1863); 54. C. joquei sp. nov..